Max bet rule on casino bonuses: £5, €5, £1 and 20% caps
When a bonus is active, most UK casinos cap each bet at £5. Go over it once and they can remove your bonus winnings. The cap is not always £5 and is not always in the same section of the terms.
By Gareth Llewellyn · Updated 14 October 2026
18+. Figures from each casino's own published terms, 14 October 2026.
- Betway, most slots
- £5
- Betway, listed slots
- £1
- Casumo, per spin
- €5
- Casumo, 20% of the bonus
- £2
- Under 25, any UK slot
- £2
From each casino's UK bonus terms and the UK slot stake limits, 14 October 2026.
What the max bet rule on a casino bonus means
It is the biggest single bet you can make until the wagering is complete.
Casinos add a max bet to prevent a bonus from being cleared with just a few big bets. Without this, you could bet a £20 bonus 4 times at £50 a spin and either win huge or lose quickly, which is not what the bonus is meant to cover.
This rule is generally for a single spin or hand and is only enforced when a bonus is in play. Once the wagering is complete or if you remove the bonus, the bet cap is no longer in effect.
Breaking it is considered abuse in the majority of UK casinos and they typically remove the bonus and any winnings made from it. Your deposit is not affected.
- Per spin or hand
- The most common form of this is ‘£5 per spin’. Each single bet must be at or below that.
- Per bet line
- Older terms add a line bet cap. Casumo's general terms still state 50p per bet line.
- Share of the bonus
- A bet limit tied to the bonus, for example, 20% of the bonus amount.
- Max contributing bet
- A bet above the limit is allowed, but only the limit is counted towards wagering.
Max bet rules at UK casinos, from their terms
The same thing, said 4 different ways.
The maximum bet allowed when using Bonus Money is €5 per spin, or the approximate equivalent in the currency of the territory in which you reside. This includes any feature buy options
There will be a maximum £5 stake limit per spin on slot games when you have claimed the welcome bonus.
The maximum bet amount contributing to the wagering requirement at all times will be the amount of £1 /one/.
| Casino | Max bet while wagering | What happens over it |
|---|---|---|
| Casumo | €5 per spin, feature buys included | All winnings can be taken, deposit excepted |
| Betway, £50 bonus | £5 per slot spin, £1 on listed slots | Breach of bonus terms |
| LuckyMate | £1 counts towards wagering | Only £1 of a bigger bet counts |
| MrQ | No cap needed | No wagering on any offer |
From each casino's UK bonus terms, 14 October 2026.
The max bet rule and UK slot stake limits
Since 2025, every online slot spin in Great Britain is capped at a limit.
The limits come from SI 2025/215 and apply at every Gambling Commission licensed site. For a player under 25, the slot itself will not take more than £2 a spin, so a £5 bonus cap never comes into play on slots.
For players 25 and older, a £5 bonus cap matches the legal slot limit. The bonus cap still applies to table games, live games and feature buys, and anywhere the casino sets it lower than £5.
How to stay inside the max bet rule
Habits that stop breaches.
- Find every cap
Offer terms first, then general bonus terms. Note the lowest figure.
- Set the stake first
Select your stake before the first spin and leave it. Many slots remember the last stake.
- Skip feature buys
A bonus buy costs many times the spin stake and is treated as a single stake.
- Watch table bets
The total of all chips placed on a single roulette spin can be added together. Keep the total under the cap.
- Finish or cancel
Once wagering is completed or a bonus is cancelled, play as you like.
If you have already gone over the cap, contact support before you withdraw. If the casino keeps your bonus winnings and you disagree, the Gambling Commission's complaints process starts with the casino and then an independent ADR provider. More on how bonuses can go wrong in our wagering requirements guide.
Bonuses with no max bet rule to worry about
No wagering means no max bet.
Free spins that pay winnings as cash have no max bet afterwards: once the spins are played, the money is yours to bet as you like. See our low wagering casinos and 1x wagering casinos for the offers with the fewest rules.
Max bet rule questions
What is the max bet rule on a casino bonus?
What happens if I break the max bet rule?
Is the max bet always £5?
Does the max bet include bonus buys?
Does the UK £2 slot limit replace the bonus max bet?
Written by
Gareth checks every max bet line in a UK bonus, including the ones that are hidden in the general terms, because breaking it even once can void the entire bonus.
Play safe
18+. Gambling should stay fun. If you’re spending more than you can afford, or if it’s affecting your life in any other way, you can block all UK casinos instantly with GAMSTOP or call the National Gambling Helpline free on 0808 8020 133, any time.
You can set a limit on how much you deposit before you play. More info on our Responsible Gambling page.