CURRENT EDITION
UK guide · Bonus basics
A plain-English casino bonus glossary
Bonus terminology often mixes money, time and eligibility in one sentence. This glossary separates those concepts so that a phrase such as ten-times wagering does not get mistaken for a return or a deposit instruction.
- Money terms
- Progress terms
- Account and dispute terms
Money terms
Deposit means money paid into the account. Bonus credit means a promotional amount whose use may be conditional. Withdrawable balance means funds currently available for withdrawal, subject to legitimate processing checks. Cashback describes a reward formula, but does not itself establish whether the resulting payment is cash or bonus credit.
Progress terms
Wagering or turnover means accumulated stake value. Contribution means the share of a stake credited towards a promotional requirement. Expiry means a deadline attached to a specified event or balance. Conversion means moving an eligible promotional amount into another balance category; it is not necessarily a bank payment.
Account and dispute terms
Opt-in is an action accepting participation in a promotion. Eligibility identifies who or what qualifies. ADR means alternative dispute resolution, a route separate from ordinary support. UKGC is the Gambling Commission, whose Gambling Act remit is Great Britain. UK includes Northern Ireland, making those geographical labels non-interchangeable.
| Term | Do not confuse with |
|---|---|
| Turnover | Deposit or loss |
| Contribution | Return to player |
| No deposit | No wagering |
| Conversion | Bank payment |
Words that need an extra question
Several common labels are too vague to settle a decision by themselves. Free needs the question what must happen first. Cashable needs the question when and after which conditions. Instant needs the question which stage is timed. Up to needs the question how the actual amount is determined. Guaranteed needs the question exactly what is guaranteed: an entry, a reward of some kind or a specified cash amount. These follow-up questions are more useful than trying to memorise a large vocabulary. They also reveal when a writer is using the same word inconsistently. If a page calls a reward cash in one paragraph and bonus funds in another, preserve that inconsistency and seek a clear balance definition.
- Keep stake, return and net result separate: a return smaller than the stake still produces a loss on that wager.
- Read minimum deposit as a qualifying threshold, not an amount that a reader is expected or advised to pay.
- Read maximum reward as a ceiling, not a promised payment to every customer who registers or makes any deposit.
Worked example · hypothetical
Read a sentence accurately
A hypothetical £5 bonus with 4x wagering, 100% contribution and a seven-day expiry describes £20 of qualifying turnover within a stated window. It does not describe a guaranteed £20 win, a required £20 loss or an instruction to deposit £20.
Common questions
Is a glossary a substitute for the promotion terms?
No. Definitions help you ask the right questions, but an actual offer still needs its own amounts, eligibility rules, dates and balance treatment.
Does this guide recommend participating in a promotion?
No. The purpose is to explain terms and consumer questions. Declining an offer, stopping play or seeking support are valid outcomes of reading it.
Sources & further reading
Read the source alongside the explanation. Rules and published terms can change; check the current official position where you live.
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