Promotional terms explained
Promotional terms are the conditions an operator attaches to a bonus, free spins or free bet, setting out what you must do before any winnings from that offer can be withdrawn. They usually cover wagering, a deadline, a maximum bet, game weighting and a cap on what you can cash out. The headline figure tells you what you get; the terms tell you what it costs. Read them before you opt in, because accepting the offer is accepting every clause.
What promotional terms usually contain
Most offers share the same handful of clauses, even when the wording differs from one operator to the next. None of them has a single industry standard, so the numbers below are illustrations of the arithmetic rather than a typical market rate.
Wagering requirement
This is the multiple of the bonus, or of bonus plus deposit, that you must stake before withdrawal. The sum is simple: 40x on a €100 bonus is €4,000 of bets. If the multiple applies to deposit plus bonus, the same 40x on €100 plus €100 becomes €8,000.
Check which base the multiple uses first.
Limits that sit beside wagering
A maximum bet rule caps each stake while the bonus is active, and breaking it once can void the whole offer. A winnings cap limits what you can withdraw from bonus play, whatever the balance shows. Game weighting decides how much each game counts towards wagering, with slots often counting in full and table games counting for less or nothing. Finally, a deadline sets the number of days you have to finish, after which the bonus and anything won from it are removed. Each of these is set by the operator, so two offers with the same multiple can cost you very different amounts.
Where you meet them and what they get confused with
You meet promotional terms in two places: a short summary beside the offer, and the full bonus terms on a separate page. The summary is marketing. The full page is the contract, and where the two disagree, the operator will rely on the full page.
Promotional terms are often mixed up with the general terms and conditions of the account, which cover verification, withdrawals and account closure for every customer. Bonus terms apply only once you accept a specific offer, and they sit on top of the general ones rather than replacing them.
The other common confusion is between sticky and non-sticky bonuses, which changes what the terms actually do to your money.
Sticky and non-sticky bonus terms side by side
The same wagering multiple behaves differently depending on whether your own deposit and the bonus are kept apart. This is how the two structures usually compare from the player’s side, though operators define them in their own wording.
Non-sticky bonus | Sticky bonus |
|---|---|
| You play your own deposit first | Deposit and bonus are mixed from the start |
| You can withdraw real-money wins before touching the bonus | Withdrawal usually needs wagering completed first |
| Bonus is lost if you withdraw early | Bonus funds are typically removed at cashout |
| Max bet and weighting apply once bonus funds are in play | Max bet and weighting apply to every stake |
| Wagering multiple works off the bonus amount | Wagering often works off deposit plus bonus |
| Winnings cap may still apply to bonus play | Winnings cap may apply to the whole balance |
Promotional terms under Irish law
The Gambling Regulation Act 2024 treats bonuses as inducements, defined in section 157 as “a benefit or advantage, the intent or effect of which is, either directly or indirectly, to encourage participation in gambling”.
Section 157 also states that a licensee “may not offer a person or specific group of persons an inducement”. In practice, that clause targets offers aimed at you personally, such as a reload sent to a lapsed account. Offers to the general public are left to regulations the Minister may make, which can set conditions on inducements or prohibit classes of them outright. Those provisions apply to operators licensed by the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland, and until they are commenced the bonus terms you see are still written by each operator to its own standard.
If an offer is pulling you into play you had not planned, set a deposit limit in your account settings before you accept anything, or use the operator’s self-exclusion tool. The National Gambling Helpline is free and confidential on 1800 936 725, 24 hours a day.
