Sticky bonus vs non-sticky bonus: the difference, with maths

Key facts

A sticky bonus can be played with but never withdrawn: it is removed from your balance when you cash out. King Billy's bonus terms work this way.
A non-sticky bonus spends your real money first and the bonus only after it runs out. Wanted Win, Spin Samurai, HellSpin and RocketPlay say so in their terms.
Under sticky terms you cannot withdraw even your own deposit until wagering is complete.
Our simulation of a $100 deposit with a $100 bonus at 35x: sticky averaged about $89 back, non-sticky about $118, or $121 if you stop at $200 before the bonus is touched.
Look for the words "real money is played first" in the bonus terms; if you cannot find them, assume the bonus is sticky.

Sticky bonus in one sentence

A sticky bonus is credit you can bet with but can never take home: when you cash out, the bonus amount is deducted and only what you won on top of it is paid. A non-sticky bonus is the opposite arrangement. Your own money is played first, the bonus waits behind it, and if you win early you can withdraw your real money and simply give the bonus up.

Both are common at offshore casinos. Online casino games cannot legally be offered to people in Australia, so these terms come from operators no Australian regulator checks, and many of the brands quoted below are on ACMA's blocked list.

How the two types work

Question	Sticky bonus	Non-sticky bonus
Which money is bet first?	Deposit and bonus as one balance	Your real money, then the bonus
Can you withdraw before wagering is done?	No, not even your deposit	Yes, if you give up the bonus and its winnings
What happens to the bonus at cash out?	Removed from the balance	Becomes real money once wagering is met
Who it suits	The casino	The player

What casinos' own terms say

From the bonus terms each casino publishes, read 8 and 9 October 2026:

Casino	Bonus type	Wording in its terms
King Billy	Sticky	The bonus amount is never withdrawable; no withdrawal, including your own deposit, until wagering is met
Wicked Pokies	Sticky welcome match	300% match, 40x on deposit plus bonus, $9 maximum bet
Wanted Win (partner)	Non-sticky	"Real money is played first, then bonus money"
Spin Samurai, HellSpin, Bizzo	Non-sticky	Real money is wagered first, then bonus money
RocketPlay, SkyCrown	Non-sticky	You can withdraw your deposit before wagering is met, forfeiting the bonus and its winnings
Wild Tokyo, Mino Casino (partners)	Real money used first	Withdrawable money is used first, then bonus money; withdrawing before wagering cancels the bonus and its winnings

Note the last row. Spending your withdrawable money first is the non-sticky order, but a withdrawal request still cancels an unfinished bonus. Read what happens to the bonus at cash out, not just the label.

Worked example: the same session, two outcomes

You deposit $100 and take a 100% bonus of $100, with 35x wagering on the bonus ($3,500 in bets).

Case 1: you win early. Your first $100 runs up to $300 before you have used any bonus money.

Non-sticky: you can withdraw the $300 now. You forfeit the $100 bonus, which you never needed.
Sticky: your $300 is locked with the bonus. You must keep betting until $3,500 has been wagered, and the early win is exposed to every spin that follows.

Case 2: you finish the wagering with $450.

Non-sticky: the whole $450 is withdrawable.
Sticky: the $100 bonus is removed, so you withdraw $350.

Case 3: you finish with $80.

Non-sticky: you withdraw $80.
Sticky: the $100 bonus is larger than the balance, so in this model nothing is left to withdraw.

What each is worth: our simulation

We modelled the offer above on a made-up pokie with 96% RTP and medium-high volatility (a hit on about a third of spins), with $1 spins, 60,000 times per scenario. This is our own model, not casino data.

Scenario	Average you walk away with	Chance of withdrawing anything
No bonus: play the $100, stop at $200 or $0	about $83	about 33%
Sticky $100 bonus, 35x	about $89	about 27%
Non-sticky $100 bonus, play straight through	about $118	not measured separately
Non-sticky, stop at $200 before the bonus is touched	about $121	about 43%

So, in our calculation, the sticky bonus added only about $6 of average value over playing without a bonus, and it made a payout less likely. The non-sticky version added about $35 to $38. The reason is the cash out rule: under sticky terms the $100 bonus is clawed back from every successful run, while non-sticky terms let you keep early wins and still have the bonus as a second chance if you lose.

Averages hide the spread. In every scenario, most runs ended with nothing at all. Run your own numbers in the wagering requirements calculator.

How to tell which one you have

Casinos rarely put "sticky" in the headline. Search the bonus terms for these clues:

"Real money is played first" or "real money is wagered first": non-sticky.
"The bonus amount is not withdrawable" or a statement that the bonus is deducted at withdrawal: sticky.
No withdrawal of your deposit until wagering is met: sticky in effect.
"You may withdraw your deposit before wagering, forfeiting the bonus": non-sticky in effect.
Nothing either way: ask support in live chat, screenshot the answer, and treat the bonus as sticky until told otherwise.

Pundit tip: if a casino only offers sticky bonuses, consider declining the bonus. Many terms, including Wild Tokyo's, SkyCrown's and RocketPlay's, let you refuse one, and your deposit is then free of bonus wagering.

Other rules that apply to both

Sticky or not, the rest of the bonus terms still bite: maximum bets (AUD 8 is common), time limits, excluded games and caps on winnings. A single spin over the bet cap can cost you the bonus; see the max bet rule guide. For a clause-by-clause checklist, read casino bonus terms and conditions. The no deposit bonus guide covers the free offers, and the casino cashback guide shows how cashback bonuses carry wagering of their own.

Our partner sites

Terms checked 8 to 9 October 2026

We earn a commission if you join through these links; it pays for the site and does not change the facts we show. Listed in no particular order. Every detail comes from the casino's own terms, except ACMA notes, which come from ACMA's blocked list. These are offshore casinos without an Australian licence, so BetStop and Australian dispute services do not cover them: read whether online pokies are legal in Australia and our affiliate disclosure.Commission links. Offshore sites with no Australian licence or BetStop cover: is it legal?

LuckyOnes

Partner · termsTerms checked 9 Oct 2026

Visit LuckyOnesVisit 18+ Affiliate link · T&Cs apply

Withdrawals: AUD 6,000 a day
Max bet (bonus): AUD 8
Min deposit: AUD 30

Names no licence or operating company in its terms or footer
luckyones.com, luckyones1.com and luckyones7.com are on ACMA's blocked list (8 Oct 2026)Main domain on ACMA's blocked list

Wild Tokyo

Partner · termsTerms checked 8 Oct 2026

Visit Wild TokyoVisit 18+ Affiliate link · T&Cs apply

Withdrawals (entry): AUD 800 a day
Max bet (bonus): AUD 8
Monthly cap (entry): AUD 13,000

States a Curacao eGaming licence (no number shown)

18+ Offers and terms change often; the casino's own terms always apply. Never gamble money you need. Free help: Gambling Help 1800 858 858, 24/7.

Frequently asked questions

What is a sticky bonus?

A bonus you can bet with but never withdraw. When you cash out, the bonus amount is taken off your balance, so only winnings above it are paid. King Billy's terms say the bonus amount is never withdrawable and no withdrawal, even of your own deposit, is allowed until wagering is met.

What is a non-sticky bonus?

A bonus that sits behind your own money. You play your real money first; if you win and withdraw before touching the bonus, you forfeit the bonus but keep your winnings. Wanted Win's terms call its bonuses non-sticky for this reason.

Is a sticky or non-sticky bonus better?

Non-sticky is better for the player. In our simulation of a $100 deposit with a $100 bonus at 35x wagering, a non-sticky bonus returned about $29 to $32 more on average than a sticky one.

Can I withdraw my deposit with a sticky bonus active?

Usually not until wagering is done. King Billy's sticky terms block any withdrawal, including your own deposit, until the requirement is met. With non-sticky terms such as RocketPlay's and SkyCrown's, you can withdraw your deposit early but forfeit the bonus and its winnings.

Do sticky bonuses still have wagering requirements?

Yes. Sticky describes what happens to the bonus at cash out, not the wagering. King Billy's terms, for example, require casino bonuses to be wagered at least 30 times unless an offer says otherwise, and the bonus amount is still removed when you withdraw.