Sticky bonus
A sticky bonus is casino bonus money you can stake but never withdraw: when you cash out, the bonus amount is deducted from your balance and only what is left above it is paid. You will also see it called a non-cashable or phantom bonus. In most offers your deposit and the bonus sit in one merged balance, so the bonus terms, including the maximum bet rule, apply from your very first spin.
How a sticky bonus is deducted at cash-out
Take a €100 deposit with a €100 sticky bonus. Your balance shows €200, but €100 of it will never reach your bank account.
If you finish the wagering on €450, the bonus comes off and you receive €350. Finish on €180 and you get €80. Finish on €90 and you get nothing, because the deduction swallows the whole balance.
The wagering cost depends on what the multiplier is applied to, and operators differ here. At 35x on the bonus alone you face €3,500 of bets; at 35x on deposit plus bonus it is €7,000 before a cent can leave. Until that is done, many terms lock your own deposit too, and cancelling early can void any winnings made in the meantime.
Look for the clause rather than the label: wording such as “bonus funds are non-withdrawable” or “for wagering purposes only” tells you the offer is sticky.
Sticky bonus versus non-sticky bonus
The term most often confused with it is the non-sticky, or parachute, bonus.
A non-sticky bonus keeps your cash and bonus in separate balances. You play your own money first, and if you run €100 up to €250 you can withdraw the lot and let the untouched bonus lapse.
Usage is not consistent across operators, though. Some apply “sticky” to a merged balance that does convert to cash after wagering, while others call an offer non-sticky and still keep the bonus itself non-withdrawable, so the withdrawal and cancellation clauses matter more than whatever name the promotion carries. For the same headline figure, the sticky version is the worse offer: it locks your deposit and takes the bonus back at the end.
