Two welcome bonuses can both say "100% up to 200 EUR" and still be worth very different amounts. The difference is hidden in one word in the terms: sticky or non-sticky. It decides whether your own deposit stays withdrawable, what happens if you win early, and whether the bonus money ever leaves the casino. Once you know how each type handles your balance, you can read an offer in thirty seconds and tell whether it suits the way you play.
What is a non-sticky bonus?
A non-sticky bonus, also called a parachute or hybrid bonus, keeps two balances on your account: a real money balance and a bonus balance. Every bet is taken from your real money first. The bonus only becomes active once your real money balance drops to zero.
The key consequence: while you are still playing with your own deposit, no wagering requirement applies to it. If you hit a good win early, you can request a withdrawal, the casino removes the unused bonus, and you leave with your deposit plus winnings.
If your real money runs out, the bonus kicks in as a second chance. From that point the normal wagering requirement, max bet rule and game restrictions apply to everything you win with it.
What is a sticky bonus?
A sticky bonus combines your deposit and the bonus into one balance from the first spin. Your deposit becomes locked together with the bonus, so you cannot withdraw anything until the full wagering requirement is met.
The word sticky refers to what happens at cashout: the bonus amount "sticks" to the account and is deducted when you withdraw. You can only take out the winnings above it. Some casinos call this a phantom bonus, because it helps you play but never leaves as cash.
Requesting a withdrawal before wagering is complete usually voids the bonus and all winnings made with the combined balance. In some terms it also voids winnings made with your own deposit, which is why sticky offers need careful reading.
How do the two types compare in a real example?
Take a 100 EUR deposit with a 100% bonus of 100 EUR and 35x wagering on the bonus. In both cases you start with 200 EUR of playable funds and must place 3,500 EUR in bets (35 x 100 EUR) to clear the bonus.
Scenario one: on your third spin you win 400 EUR, so your balance is 500 EUR. With a non-sticky bonus, you are still on real money (100 EUR deposit plus 400 EUR win). You can withdraw the 500 EUR right away and forfeit the 100 EUR bonus. With a sticky bonus, the whole 500 EUR is locked until you have wagered 3,500 EUR, and the expected loss on that wagering at 96% RTP is around 140 EUR. Variance can easily take more.
Scenario two: you finish wagering with 600 EUR on the balance. With the non-sticky bonus you can withdraw the full 600 EUR (subject to any max cashout). With the sticky bonus, the 100 EUR bonus is removed and you can withdraw 500 EUR.
- Early win, non-sticky: withdraw 500 EUR now, bonus forfeited
- Early win, sticky: 500 EUR locked behind 3,500 EUR of wagering
- Wagering completed, sticky: bonus amount deducted at cashout
Which type is better for you?
Non-sticky bonuses favour players who like high-volatility slots and want the option to stop after one big hit. You get the upside of a free second chance without giving up control of your deposit.
Sticky bonuses can make sense only when the extra playing time is what you want and you were going to wager the full amount anyway, for example on low-volatility slots with long sessions. Even then, the deducted bonus and locked deposit make them worth less than the headline suggests.
If two offers look similar, a non-sticky bonus with 40x wagering is often more useful than a sticky bonus with 30x, because the non-sticky one lets you leave whenever your own money is ahead.
Think about your usual session too. If you tend to stop once you are 50% up, a sticky bonus works against you every time, because the profit you would normally bank stays locked. If you tend to play until the balance is gone either way, the difference between the two types is smaller.
How can you tell which type a casino offers?
Casinos rarely put the word sticky in the banner. You need to open the general bonus terms and the specific promotion terms, then look for a few phrases.
- Search the terms for "real money is used first" or "bonus funds are used after your cash balance": this indicates non-sticky.
- Look for "deposit and bonus must be wagered" or "the bonus amount will be deducted upon withdrawal": this indicates sticky.
- Check whether wagering applies to bonus only or to deposit plus bonus. Deposit plus bonus doubles the work: 35x on 200 EUR is 7,000 EUR.
- Look at the cashier after depositing. Separate cash and bonus balances usually mean non-sticky.
- If the terms are unclear, ask live chat and save a screenshot of the answer.
Which rules apply to both bonus types?
Once bonus money is in play, the same restrictions apply whichever type you have. The most common are a maximum bet per spin while wagering (often 5 EUR), game weighting (slots usually 100%, table games 0% to 10%), a time limit of 7 to 30 days, and sometimes a max cashout cap on winnings.
Breaking any of these rules is the main reason casinos void winnings, so they matter as much as the sticky label itself. A non-sticky bonus with a 5x max cashout can still cap a big win at a few hundred euros.
Time limits interact with the sticky label as well. With a sticky bonus, an expired bonus can take your locked deposit winnings with it. With a non-sticky bonus, expiry normally removes only the bonus balance and whatever was won from it.
What is the real value of each bonus type?
You can estimate a bonus's value with simple maths. Expected cost of wagering is the total bets multiplied by the house edge. For 3,500 EUR in bets on slots with 96% RTP, the house edge is 4%, so the expected cost is about 140 EUR. Against a 100 EUR bonus, that is a negative expected value of roughly 40 EUR before considering anything else.
A non-sticky bonus improves on this because you only start wagering the bonus if your deposit is lost. Part of the time you win early, withdraw, and never pay the wagering cost at all. A sticky bonus removes that option and also deducts the bonus at cashout, so its real value is lower than the same offer in non-sticky form.
None of this makes bonuses a way to profit on average. They extend play time and, in the non-sticky case, give you a free second chance. Treat that as the benefit and you will judge offers more accurately.
Can you decline a bonus or cancel it later?
In most casinos you can decline a welcome bonus at deposit by unticking a box or not entering a code. If you want full control of your money, playing without a bonus is always an option and often the cleanest one.
Cancelling an active bonus is different. With a non-sticky bonus, cancelling while you are still on real money usually removes only the bonus. With a sticky bonus, cancelling normally removes the bonus and any winnings made since it was credited, leaving only what is left of your deposit, if anything. Always read the forfeit clause before you press cancel.
Where do you find casinos with fair bonus terms?
Fair terms are less about the bonus size and more about clarity: non-sticky structure, wagering on the bonus only, a visible max bet, and no hidden max cashout on deposit bonuses. Regulated markets also set limits, for example Great Britain capped bonus wagering at 10x from January 2026.
The casino table on this page lists sites with independent safety scores, payout times and terms, so you can compare before you deposit. Set a budget first and treat any bonus as entertainment, not income.
Myths vs facts
- Myth: A bigger bonus percentage always means a better offer.
- Fact: A 200% sticky bonus with 40x wagering on deposit plus bonus can be worth less than a 100% non-sticky bonus, because it locks more of your own money for longer.
- Myth: Sticky bonus money can be withdrawn once wagering is done.
- Fact: By definition, the sticky bonus amount is removed at cashout. Only the winnings above it are withdrawable.
- Myth: Non-sticky bonuses have no wagering requirement.
- Fact: They do. The difference is that wagering only applies once you start playing with bonus funds, not while you are still on your own deposit.
Quick checklist
- Find out whether the bonus is sticky or non-sticky before depositing
- Check if wagering applies to the bonus only or to deposit plus bonus
- Note the max bet per spin while the bonus is active
- Look for a max cashout cap on bonus winnings
- Confirm which games count 100% towards wagering
- Screenshot the promotion terms on the day you claim it