What does sticky mean in casino bonus terms?
The usual non-cashable meaning distinguishes the promotional credit from money the operator may eventually pay out. You may be allowed to use the credit to place bets, but the terms do not let you withdraw that credit itself. Any winnings have their own eligibility, wagering and settlement conditions.
Sticky is not a sufficiently precise account instruction. Some explanations use it for a bonus deducted at settlement; others use it for the order in which cash and bonus wallets are used. Do not infer one meaning from the other. Look for the actual wording about conversion, remaining credit, cancellation and withdrawal.
A bonus described as non-withdrawable until wagering is completed is also different from one that is never cashable. The first wording may describe a temporary restriction. The second describes the treatment of the promotional amount even after the relevant conditions have been satisfied.
What does a published UK bonus policy actually say?
MegaCasino's published UK Bonus Policy, version 128-UK-N dated 18 November 2025, separately defines a non-cashable bonus in clause 26. It says the bonus does not move into the real balance on completion or consumption, and any remaining bonus amount is removed. We checked that published definition on 29 October 2026.
The Gambling Commission register also showed Skill On Net Limited's remote casino licence as active and listed www.megacasino.co.uk as an active domain when checked. These are separate checks: a domain listing identifies the licensed service; it does not approve each promotional clause or establish that a particular customer is eligible for a reward.
How much can you withdraw? A clearly separated example
Imagine a fictional statement that separately identifies £8 in the deposit balance, £18 of bonus-derived winnings now eligible for withdrawal, and £6 of remaining non-cashable promotional credit. Assume all conditions on the £18 have been met and no other restriction or adjustment applies.
| Separate component | Amount | Treatment under these invented terms |
|---|---|---|
| Deposit balance | £8 | Own-money balance; not the promotional credit. |
| Eligible bonus-derived winnings | £18 | Withdrawable under the stated assumptions. |
| Remaining non-cashable credit | £6 | Removed rather than paid out. |
| Withdrawable total in this example | £26 | £8 + £18; excludes the £6 credit. |
The components add up to £32 for this explanation, but that does not make £32 a withdrawable balance. Equally, if the original award was £20, you cannot simply subtract £20 again from the stated £26. The example's rule excludes the £6 remainder; it does not establish an additional original-award deduction.
If you instead have terms explicitly defining an original-amount deduction, that is a different calculation. For example, a fictional £70 settlement amount explicitly including a £20 non-cashable award would leave £50 after that specified deduction. It is not a formula to apply to every wallet or every operator.
Does completing wagering make a sticky bonus cashable?
Not automatically. Wagering answers how much qualifying play is required. Cashability answers whether the promotional amount itself can be paid out. Meeting one condition does not change an explicit non-cashable clause into a cashable one.
In a hypothetical bonus-only calculation, a £20 award at 5× has a £100 qualifying-stakes target. Reaching £100 of qualifying turnover does not establish that £20 will be added to the cash balance, or even that any winnings remain. The reward can be non-cashable and results during play can exhaust the funds.
The current GB code prohibits bonus wagering requirements above 10 times bonus funds. Our wagering-requirements guide explains the multiplier separately from withdrawal treatment. Avoid copying older or overseas deposit-plus-bonus formulas into a GB explanation.
Can a sticky bonus lock your own deposit in Great Britain?
The Gambling Commission requires deposit and bonus balances to be clearly distinguished and access to the deposit balance while a bonus is active, subject to general regulatory obligations. Bonus wagering cannot be made a condition of withdrawing that balance or winnings made with your own funds.
The CMA's promotion guidance also requires a way to leave a promotion with remaining own funds and their winnings. Cancelling can affect restricted promotional benefits; it does not turn the customer's money into a non-cashable reward. Ask for the separate figures before confirming cancellation.
For the same reason, a guide saying that sticky always means your entire deposit is locked until playthrough is finished is not a reliable statement of GB protections. Read the current rules and actual balance entries rather than treating an informal bonus label as a legal exception.
Sticky, non-sticky, cashable and no wagering: which distinction matters?
| Term or feature | Question it should resolve | What remains to check |
|---|---|---|
| Non-cashable / sticky credit | Can the promotional amount itself be withdrawn? | How its winnings are treated and which amount is removed. |
| Cashable after conditions | Can eligible promotional funds convert to cash? | The outstanding conditions and any stated conversion limit. |
| No wagering | Is there an extra playthrough target on the specified funds? | Whether the reward itself is cash, spins or non-cashable credit. |
| Separate cash and bonus wallets | Which balance funds bets and receives returns? | The order of use, conversion and cancellation rules. |
| Non-sticky | What does this operator mean by the label? | Never assume the label alone guarantees cashability or zero wagering. |
No wagering and non-cashable are not opposites: one concerns a turnover target, the other concerns what can be paid out. The no-wagering guide explains why a spin allocation can also have zero playthrough on winnings without being cash you can withdraw instead.
What should you ask before accepting or cancelling?
- Which figure is the original bonus award, and how much of it remains?
- Is the promotional amount ever cashable, or only eligible winnings?
- Does any displayed withdrawal figure already exclude non-cashable credit?
- What happens when wagering is completed, the credit is consumed, or the promotion expires?
- What happens separately to bonus-derived winnings if the promotion is cancelled?
- Which funds are used first, and where are mixed-stake returns allocated?
- Can you provide the relevant clauses and an itemised example in writing?
Keep the accepted terms, bonus identifier and dated balance records. A screenshot of one large headline balance may not show whether it is cash, promotional credit or a game-only display. Our bonus-terms checklist covers eligibility and other conditions that the sticky label leaves unanswered.
What if the operator's deduction does not match the terms?
Request the before-and-after ledger and the clause authorising the deduction. Separate a non-cashable-credit removal from cancellation of unfinished bonus winnings or an ordinary payment delay. Check whether the amount was already excluded from the withdrawal figure.
Use the operator's formal complaints route if the explanation remains inconsistent. Keep the records and written response for any later dispute-resolution referral. Making another deposit or continuing to play is not necessary to ask how an existing adjustment was calculated.
Related questions
Can I withdraw winnings from a sticky bonus?
They may become withdrawable if the promotion permits it and its conditions are met. That does not make the non-cashable promotional credit withdrawable. Check the winnings and the credit as separate components.
Is the original sticky bonus always deducted on withdrawal?
No universal deduction follows from the label. Some wording concerns remaining non-cashable credit; another scheme might specify an original-amount deduction. Check what the settlement figure already includes so you do not subtract the same amount twice.
Does non-sticky mean no wagering?
No. Wallet order, cashability and wagering are separate features. A bonus described as non-sticky can still have a qualifying-stakes target on promotional funds; the actual terms must explain the arrangement.
Are sticky bonuses the same as sticky wilds in slots?
No. A sticky wild is a game feature in which a symbol stays in position under the game's rules. A sticky casino bonus concerns promotional funds and withdrawal conditions outside that game mechanic.
Can a casino make my own deposit non-cashable by calling a bonus sticky?
The label does not override GB rules protecting access to the deposit balance and own-money winnings, subject to general regulatory obligations. Ask the operator to identify the distinct balances and the basis for any restriction.