The Gambling Commission consumer guide says operators should distinguish deposit money from restricted bonus funds and explain material restrictions. Use the offer checklist below to turn those terms into comparable cash commitments, possible returns, expiry conditions, and void states.
Build the offer contract
| Field | What to record |
|---|---|
| Eligibility | Location, age, account status, opt-in, and exclusions |
| Qualifying action | Deposit, real-money stake, odds threshold, markets, and deadline |
| Credit | Value, issue time, expiry, and whether it is split into tokens |
| Return rule | Whether promotional stake is included in a winning return |
| Restrictions | Minimum odds, maximum stake, excluded markets, cash-out, and bet type |
| Withdrawal | Whether winnings are immediately withdrawable and any remaining conditions |
| Settlement | Void, push, dead-heat, abandoned event, and account-restriction treatment |
| Cost | Real-money deposit and qualifying stake at risk |
The Gambling Commission free-offers guide states that restrictions on bonus funds, bet size, deposits, and withdrawals should be clear and that accepted offer details should not be changed after play starts.
Worked stake-not-returned example
Assume a hypothetical GBP 10 promotional token with these explicit terms: stake not returned, one use, decimal odds of at least 2.00, no cash out, eligible football singles only, and winnings immediately withdrawable.
If it is accepted at decimal odds of 3.00 and wins:
- gross price-based return would be GBP 10 * 3.00 = GBP 30.00;
- promotional stake removed = GBP 10;
- withdrawable winnings under the stated example = GBP 30.00 - GBP 10 = GBP 20.00.
If it loses, the token returns GBP 0. If it is void, the hypothetical terms must say whether the token is reissued. These numbers illustrate one contract and must not be applied to another offer.
Include the qualifying cost
A promotion that requires a GBP 10 real-money qualifying bet has a real exposure before the token exists. Record the qualifying bet's maximum loss, result, and accepted price separately. Do not describe a GBP 10 token as a GBP 10 gain while omitting the qualifying stake or deposit conditions.
Current Great Britain restrictions
The Gambling Commission's rewards and bonuses condition sets current Great Britain requirements for incentive schemes, including a cap on wagering requirements and restrictions on mixed-product promotions. Use the current rule and offer terms because regulatory requirements can change.
The Commission also publishes free-bet account-restriction guidance addressing material restrictions after a customer has begun qualifying for a promotion.
Promotions and settlement remain separate
A valid winning selection can still be paid differently because of stake-return, maximum-winnings, dead-heat, cash-out, or boost conditions. Betfair's general sportsbook rules are one operator example of separate promotional-feature and settlement terms.
Verification checklist
- Save the full terms and timestamp before opting in.
- Record real-money qualifying cost separately from promotional credit.
- Calculate returns with the stated stake-return rule.
- Check expiry, odds, market, bet-type, and cash-out restrictions.
- Preserve both qualifying and promotional receipts.
- Record the withdrawal state rather than assuming account balance is cash.
- Use the operator complaint process if accepted terms are not applied; the Gambling Commission complaints guide explains the Great Britain route.
Next step
Use How To Choose A Bookmaker for the next part of this topic.
Continue learning
- Next guide: Void Football Bets
- Related guide: Cash Out a Football Bet
- Definition: Free Bet Meaning
Assumptions and limitations
The promotion and arithmetic are hypothetical. This page does not list current offers or imply that using a promotion is beneficial. Eligibility, qualifying spend, stake returns, wagering requirements, expiry, maximum winnings, account restrictions, and settlement vary.
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