How we score a casino's terms

1. Bonus wagering

Wagering decides how much you must bet before bonus money becomes money you can withdraw. We measure it on the casino welcome bonus.

The higher the multiple, the longer you play before any of it is yours.

• Meets standard 40x the bonus or less, or no wagering at all.
• Restrictive More than 40x and up to 70x the bonus.
• Seriously unfair More than 70x the bonus. A bonus added without you opting in also gets this answer, as does wagering changed after you accepted the bonus.

Some casinos set wagering on your deposit and bonus together, which makes the figure look lower than it is. We convert it to the bonus alone.

At a 100% match, 35x deposit plus bonus works out at 70x the bonus.

2. Bonus restrictions

Even a fair wagering figure can be hard to clear if the bet limit is tiny, the clock is short, or you cannot tell which games count. This check covers all three.

• Meets standard A maximum bet of at least €5, or at least 10% of the bonus when that is lower. You get at least 7 days to wager, and the casino publishes how each game counts and which games are excluded.
• Restrictive A maximum bet from €2 to under €5, 3 to 6 days to wager, or a bet limit set as a percentage of your balance. An excluded-games list ending in "including but not limited to" counts too, as do game weighting and excluded games left to the FAQ or to "rules on our website", without naming the page that lists them.
• Seriously unfair A maximum bet under €2, or less than 3 days to wager. A bonus bet limit that also applies to your real-money play gets the same answer.

3. Bonus cashout

A cashout cap limits how much you can keep from a deposit bonus, no matter how much you win with it. Anything above the cap is lost.

• Meets standard No cap, a cap of at least 10x your deposit or bonus, or a fixed cap of €5,000 or more.
• Restrictive A cap of 5 to 10x, a fixed cap from €1,000 to under €5,000, or a "maximum conversion" limit on the bonus.
• Seriously unfair A cap under 5x or under €1,000. A cap that also reaches money that is no longer bonus money gets the same answer.

4. Withdrawal limits

This check asks how much you can take out in a month as a new player. A low limit can turn one good win into months of waiting.

• Meets standard No cap, or at least €10,000 a month, with big wins paid in full.
• Restrictive €5,000 to under €10,000 a month, payment in instalments, or one withdrawal a day. A limit that "depends on your VIP level" or payment method, with no number given, also gets this answer.
• Seriously unfair Under €5,000 a month, a limit the casino can lower at will, or any limit on withdrawing your own deposit. A cap on how much you can win with real money or from a progressive jackpot counts too.

Where a casino sets daily or weekly limits, we convert them to a monthly figure and use the lowest.

5. Fees

Fees take money out of your balance or out of a withdrawal. This check covers inactivity fees, withdrawal fees and currency conversion.

• Meets standard No inactivity fee, or one that starts only after 12 months, costs €5 a month or less, and comes with 30 days' notice. Withdrawal fees are listed for each payment method.
• Restrictive An inactivity fee after 6 to 12 months, or of up to €20 or 5% of your balance a month. A fixed processing fee on any withdrawal counts too, as do fees for withdrawing an unplayed deposit or unstated fees that "may apply".
• Seriously unfair An inactivity fee within 6 months, or above €20 or 5% of your balance a month. A fee on money you have played with gets the same answer, as does conversion at a rate the casino does not disclose.

6. Withdrawal conditions

Before a casino pays, it may ask for documents, take time to process your request, or require you to play your deposit first. This check looks at how demanding those steps are.

• Meets standard At least 30 days to send documents (or no deadline), and a stated processing time of 72 hours or less. Your deposit is played through no more than once.
• Restrictive 7 to 29 days to send documents, documents first asked for when you withdraw, or processing of up to 7 days or "may vary". A deposit played through up to 3 times counts too, as do withdrawals blocked while a bonus is active.
• Seriously unfair Less than 7 days to send documents, processing beyond 7 days, or a deposit played through more than 3 times.

7. Confiscation

This check looks at the money you already have. It asks when the casino says it can keep your winnings, your deposit or your balance.

• Meets standard Winnings are taken only for clear fraud, and your deposit is returned. Clear fraud means multiple accounts, stolen payment methods or chargebacks, collusion, software manipulation, false identity or underage play.
• Restrictive Fraud that also costs you your deposit. Vague triggers such as "bonus abuse" or "irregular play" get this answer too, if they reach only bonus money and your deposit is returned.
• Seriously unfair Vague or "sole discretion" triggers that reach your real-money winnings, your deposit, or your balance. The same applies, for example, to funds kept for a missed document deadline, for a complaint, or on account closure without a reason.

8. Changes and discretion

Fair terms are only worth something if they stay fair after you sign up. This check looks at how the casino can change its own rules.

• Meets standard Notice before changes take effect, or changes that never touch bonuses you have already accepted and bets you have already placed.
• Restrictive Wording such as changes "at any time without notice", "it is your responsibility to check", or "our decision is final".
• Seriously unfair Changes applied to your active bonus, open bets or existing balance, or terms that bind you to the FAQ or any other page. The casino's sole right to interpret its own terms counts too.