A bonus can increase the amount available to play without increasing the amount that can be withdrawn by the same amount. Sticky, non-sticky, cashable and non-cashable describe aspects of that balance treatment, but the labels are not a substitute for the exact promotional rules.
The important questions are what happens to the original credit, which balance funds each stake and what cancellation or withdrawal removes. The fictional examples below explain those questions without assigning an unverified balance model to a named casino.
Sticky, non-sticky and cashable: read the actual mechanism
Sticky or non-cashable
Often used for original promotional credit that cannot itself be withdrawn. Check whether it is deducted from the displayed balance and when that happens.
Cashable or convertible
Credit may become withdrawable once specified conditions are met. That does not mean it is cash immediately or that every restriction disappears.
Non-sticky or separable
The label may describe convertible credit or a separated balance arrangement. Check whether the offer can be declined or cancelled, and how cash and bonus play are allocated.
These are descriptions to investigate, not universal account rules. One operator’s use of “non-sticky” need not establish another operator’s withdrawal process.
For example, BetMGM’s terminology article contrasts non-withdrawable promotional value with a real-money component that can become withdrawable after conditions. That illustrates one operator’s explanation; it does not establish Australian access or the terms of other casinos.
Two separate dimensions
Whether the original credit can become cash is one question. Whether cash and promotional funds are separate during play is another. Do not infer both answers from one adjective.
How non-cashable original credit can affect a withdrawal
Under a hypothetical non-cashable-credit model, the original promotional amount is for play and is removed at the stated settlement point. Eligible winnings may still be withdrawable after the offer’s requirements; the original credit and the winnings are different components.
Suppose an illustrative account receives a $50 deposit and $100 of non-cashable bonus credit. The starting display is $150. If the offer expressly removes the original $100 from a final $225 balance, the amount left after that deduction is $125.
That $125 is before any other applicable adjustment, limit or account check. It is not a forecast of what the account will reach. The example assumes the rules deduct the full $100 and that the $225 display still includes it.
Do not subtract the same credit twice
If the account already shows a post-deduction withdrawable amount, subtracting the original credit again understates the figure. Check whether the screen shows total funds, restricted credit, a withdrawal preview or an already adjusted cash balance.
Do not assume how low balances are treated
If a displayed balance is below the original award, the simple example above is insufficient. Check the offer’s rules for remaining credit and deductions rather than inventing a negative cash balance or assuming the full display is available.
Cashable does not mean immediately withdrawable
A cashable-credit model may allow some or all original promotional credit to convert after the relevant requirements. Until then, the account may still classify it as restricted.
In a separate fictional offer, suppose the terms explicitly allow the entire eligible final balance to convert and impose no original-credit deduction. A $225 qualifying balance would remain $225 at that conversion stage, before other applicable conditions.
This differs from the $100 deduction example because the stated rules differ. It does not mean every offer called non-sticky follows that model or that a larger converted amount guarantees a larger final payout.
Check limits after conversion
A cashout cap, withdrawal minimum, verification requirement or unresolved review can remain relevant. An offer’s “cashable” label does not state its wagering multiplier, time limit or eligible games.
Read bonus withdrawal limits for the difference between promotional caps and payment-processing limits.
Separate cash and bonus balances
Some arrangements distinguish cash funds from promotional funds and define a sequence for using them. The questions are which balance is used first, when the bonus becomes active and how returns from each stage are classified.
A screen showing two balances does not, by itself, prove that cash can be withdrawn without affecting the bonus. Read the withdrawal and cancellation clauses together.
Before any play
Suppose an untouched illustrative account has $50 of cash and $100 of promotional credit. If its terms explicitly permit cancellation that removes only the unused bonus, the post-cancellation cash amount is $50 before other account conditions.
After play has started
The same starting numbers do not establish the result after stakes and payouts. Allocation rules may determine which funds were used and how winnings are attributed. Keep the transaction history and ask how the current balance would be adjusted before confirming cancellation.
The UK Gambling Commission’s funds and promotions glossary distinguishes deposit funds, restricted bonus funds and mixed wagers in its regulatory context. Those categories help explain why a combined total is not the whole account record; they do not promise the same legal treatment at every overseas operator.
Three balance examples to keep separate
Original credit removed
Assumed rule: the $225 total includes $100 that must be deducted.
$225 − $100 = $125.
Check that the total has not already been adjusted.
Eligible credit converts
Assumed rule: the complete $225 qualifies for conversion without an original-credit deduction.
$225 remains $225.
Other cashout and account conditions remain separate.
Unused bonus cancelled
Assumed rule: an untouched $50 cash balance is preserved and $100 unused credit is removed.
$150 − $100 = $50.
This does not describe cancellation after funds have been played.
Each example states a different rule. None is a promise about an actual offer. A useful comparison records the mechanism rather than treating one marketing label as enough evidence.
Use the same currency throughout. A dollar symbol does not establish AUD; see AUD account information before mixing deposit values, bonus records and withdrawal figures.
Wagering targets and credit deductions are independent
A non-cashable bonus can still carry wagering, and a convertible bonus can carry wagering too. The credit’s withdrawal treatment does not tell you the amount of eligible stakes required.
For illustration, a $100 bonus with 20× bonus-only wagering creates a $2,000 counted target. That target remains a separate calculation from any rule removing the original $100 at settlement.
If the hypothetical 20× instead applies to a $50 deposit plus $100 bonus, the counted target becomes $3,000. The basis changes the target; an original-credit deduction changes balance treatment. Neither should be silently substituted for the other.
Contribution and maximum stakes
A game contributing 50% would require twice the raw stakes of a 100% game to add the same progress, assuming the other rules are unchanged. The game’s own maximum bet may also exceed the promotion’s permitted maximum.
Read wagering requirements and use the calculator with confirmed inputs. The calculator estimates eligible stakes; it does not calculate account conversion or determine whether a bonus is cashable.
RTP does not resolve balance restrictions
The RTP calculator explains theoretical average returns. It does not predict a session, the chance of completing a promotion or the amount remaining after restricted credit is removed.
Cancellation, withdrawals and expiry
Cancellation can be an account action with consequences beyond removing an offer banner. Check which unused funds, restricted winnings, spin allocations or other benefits would be removed.
Do not treat pressing Withdraw as a harmless way to discover the model. Read the preview and relevant terms first, particularly if requesting a payout would cancel an active promotion.
Ask about the current position
A helpful question is: “If I cancel this offer now, which exact balance entries would be removed and which would remain?” Include the promotion name and current status. A general reply that a bonus is non-sticky may not answer that question.
Expiry is another event
An offer may expire before its wagering is completed. Check what happens to the bonus, associated winnings and other funds at that point. Do not assume expiry produces the same result as voluntary cancellation or successful completion.
A deadline is not a reason to chase losses or add money to preserve a restricted balance. Keep essential funds separate and see responsible gambling information if play is becoming difficult to control.
Free spins and mixed welcome packages
The nominal value of assigned spins is not necessarily cash credit that can be withdrawn. The rounds may instead produce winnings that enter a restricted balance under their own terms.
For example, 50 promotional spins at $0.20 represent $10 of assigned stakes. They do not guarantee $10 of returns, and it would be wrong to deduct an assumed $10 original cash bonus from the resulting winnings without a rule requiring it.
A package can contain a match and promotional spins with different treatment. Read each component’s wagering, expiry, conversion and cashout conditions instead of applying the match’s label to every element.
Compare welcome packages, deposit bonuses, promotional spins and free chips by their actual benefits and restrictions.
Questions that settle the comparison
- Can the original promotional credit ever become withdrawable?
- If credit is removed, what amount is deducted and at which event?
- Does the displayed total already exclude restricted credit?
- Which balance funds stakes and receives the resulting returns?
- What changes if the bonus is cancelled, expires or a withdrawal is requested?
- What wagering, contribution, stake and game conditions apply?
- Is there a cashout cap or a separate rule for promotional spins?
If the answers are unclear, keep the exact terms and obtain clarification before acting. Do not infer the model from a percentage headline, a coupon name or another brand’s offer.
Find related explanations in the guides hub and bonus directory. Report a correction to editor John Weekes through contact, including the precise rule and its source.
Sticky and non-sticky bonus FAQs
What does sticky bonus mean?
It is often used for original promotional credit that cannot itself be withdrawn. Read the exact deduction and settlement rules because the label alone does not define the whole account model.
Does non-sticky always mean the same thing?
No. The label may describe convertible credit or a separated balance arrangement. Check the actual conversion, stake-allocation, cancellation and withdrawal conditions.
Is cashable credit immediately withdrawable?
Not necessarily. It may remain restricted until specified requirements are met, and other withdrawal or account conditions can still apply.
Can a displayed balance include non-cashable credit?
Yes. Confirm whether the screen shows a combined total, restricted credit or an already adjusted withdrawable balance before calculating a deduction.
How does an original-credit deduction work?
Under an illustrative rule removing $100 of original credit from a $225 total that still includes it, $125 remains before other conditions. The actual offer must establish that rule.
Does a sticky label tell me the wagering multiplier?
No. Withdrawal treatment and wagering are separate conditions. Identify the basis, multiplier, contribution and permitted stakes independently.
Can I cancel a bonus and keep all my winnings?
Do not assume so. Ask which funds and winnings would remain at the current stage. Cancellation before play and cancellation after funds have been used can have different consequences.
Does completing wagering guarantee the displayed balance can be withdrawn?
No. Check credit removal or conversion, cashout caps, eligibility, verification and payout conditions separately.
Are promotional spins automatically treated as cash credit?
No. Assigned spins can produce winnings governed by their own rules. Their nominal stake value is not automatically a cash bonus to withdraw or deduct.
Which bonus type is better?
The label alone is insufficient. Compare the actual award, wagering, balance treatment, cancellation, expiry and cashout rules rather than assuming one type guarantees better results.