KEY TAKEAWAYS
A sticky bonus is a bonus whose funds stay in the account balance as a non-withdrawable amount. When the player cashes out, the bonus amount is removed and only what is left above it can be withdrawn. A non-sticky bonus works differently: real money is normally used first, and the bonus is only touched if the real-money balance runs out.
The difference matters because it changes two things at once, which funds are at risk while playing and how much can actually be withdrawn at the end. The names are informal and terms vary, so the label alone never settles the question. The conditions in the offer do.
This guide explains both types in plain language, gives the formulas for what can be withdrawn, and works through a fictional $100 offer with three possible outcomes. It also lists the catches that most often confuse players. Every offer here is hypothetical, and the terms of any real promotion are the only terms that count.
How Sticky and Non-Sticky Bonuses Work
When a bonus is credited, the account usually holds two kinds of money: real money, which is the deposit and anything won with it, and bonus funds, which carry conditions. The sticky and non-sticky labels describe how those two kinds are treated when bets are placed and when a withdrawal is requested.
With a sticky bonus, the bonus amount is added to the balance and plays together with real money. It is never withdrawable as such. When the wagering requirement is met, or when the player cashes out, the bonus amount is deducted, and any balance above it can be withdrawn. Some terms remove the bonus at the moment of cashout rather than when the requirement ends.
With a non-sticky bonus, real money is normally wagered first, and the bonus is activated only if the real balance is used up. Terms often say that a withdrawal made before the bonus is activated cancels it. If the bonus is activated, the wagering requirement applies as usual, and afterwards the remaining funds can be withdrawn.
This is the order in which funds are used, and it is one of the most important lines in the terms. Other names exist, such as cash-first or phantom bonuses, but wording differs by offer. The general approach to reading such lines is in how to read bonus terms and conditions.
What Can Be Withdrawn: Formulas and Assumptions
For a sticky bonus, the withdrawable amount is what is left after the bonus is removed, and it cannot be negative. This is the central formula for the whole topic.
where final balance is the account total once the wagering requirement is cleared, and bonus is the bonus amount that is removed. For a non-sticky bonus, the choice happens earlier, before the bonus is used, and it depends on whether the terms allow real money to be withdrawn first.
The wagering side follows the usual formulas, which are shown here for completeness and apply to either type of bonus.
The examples assume a 100% match on a $100 deposit, so the bonus is $100, with a 25x bonus-only requirement and a slot with a hypothetical 96% RTP, which means a 4% house edge. Results are simplified estimates: they ignore maximum cashout caps, max-bet rules, time limits and variance, and the cost is an average, not a prediction. A cap can reduce the withdrawable amount further, as explained in what a maximum cashout cap is.
Under these assumptions, the required wagering is 25 × $100 = $2,500, and the expected cost is $2,500 × 4% = $100, which makes the simplified value $100 − $100 = $0. The sticky or non-sticky label does not change that estimate. It changes what can be withdrawn once the play is finished.
Worked Example: A Fictional Sticky Offer
Suppose Casino A, a hypothetical casino, offers a sticky 100% match bonus. A player deposits $100 and receives a $100 bonus, so the balance starts at $200. The requirement is 25x the bonus.
Step 1: required wagering = 25 × $100 = $2,500.
Step 2: expected cost ≈ $2,500 × 4% = $100.
Step 3: average ending balance ≈ $200 − $100 = $100.
Step 4: sticky withdrawable ≈ max(0, $100 − $100) = $0.
In words: at these assumptions the average ending balance equals the bonus amount, so on average nothing remains above the removed bonus. That is an average, and results above or below it are variance. A player who ends at $240, for example, can withdraw $240 − $100 = $140.
The deposit itself is not safe because a bonus is there. Gambling is best treated as paid entertainment within a budget, and a bonus is never a reason to deposit more than planned.
Sticky vs. Non-Sticky Side by Side
The table compares what could be withdrawn in three simplified outcomes. It assumes the requirement is fully cleared and the $100 bonus is still in the balance, with fictional terms for both offers.
| Final balance | Casino A (sticky) | Casino B (non-sticky) |
|---|---|---|
| $260 | $160 | $260 |
| $190 | $90 | $190 |
| $90 | $0 | $90 |
The gap is the $100 bonus amount whenever the balance is large enough to remove it. At $90 the sticky bonus leaves $0, because max(0, $90 − $100) is $0, while the non-sticky account still shows $90.
The other difference is timing. If a non-sticky player’s real balance rises to $180 before any bonus is used, withdrawing it pays $180 and forfeits the bonus. A sticky bonus offers no such choice because the bonus is part of the balance from the start. Non-sticky offers often come with a different match, requirement or cap to balance this flexibility, so each offer has to be read on its own terms. A larger gap on paper is not the same as a better offer, because the other terms decide the real value.
Common Catches and Mistakes
The most frequent mistake is reading the headline balance as withdrawable. With a sticky bonus, the bonus amount is removed before a withdrawal, so a balance of $240 does not mean $240 can be taken out.
A second catch is requesting a withdrawal at the wrong moment. On many non-sticky offers, a withdrawal before the bonus is used cancels it, and the terms may say so only in the fine print.
Third, the order of use can differ from what is assumed. Some terms use bonus funds first, and some mix them. The order of funds should be confirmed, along with how winnings are classified.
Finally, caps and time limits still apply. A maximum cashout rule can limit what is withdrawable after the requirement, and an expiry date can remove an unused bonus. Both affect the real value of the offer as much as the sticky label does.
Checklist: Reading Sticky and Non-Sticky Terms
Before taking a bonus, look for these items in its terms:
- Whether the bonus is sticky, non-sticky or described in other words.
- The order in which funds are used, real money or bonus funds first.
- What happens on withdrawal before the requirement is met, including forfeiture.
- When the bonus is removed, at cashout or when the requirement ends.
- The wagering multiplier, cap and expiry, which still apply to either type.
To check the math, subtract the bonus from the expected final balance for a sticky offer, and compare the result with the deposit. Then repeat the check with any cap in the terms, since a cap can cut the result further. For the wagering side, the rules are in how wagering requirements work.
Related Concepts and Next Steps
Sticky and non-sticky terms sit among the other conditions of an offer. The wider list of terms is in how to read bonus terms and conditions, and limits on what can be withdrawn are in what a maximum cashout cap is.
The rollover side is explained in how wagering requirements work, and the way contribution rates change the cost is shown in how game contribution rates work. To put a dollar value on an offer, how to calculate the real value of a casino bonus applies the same formulas to two fictional casinos.
A sensible next step is to look at any offer’s terms and note which funds are used first before running the math.
