EU caps bonus wagering requirements at 10x the bonus amount

A new EU rule that took effect on December 19, 2025 bars online gambling operators from offering promotions with wagering requirements higher than ten times the value of the bonus itself. Wagering requirements, the amount a player has to bet before bonus funds or winnings can be withdrawn, had become one of the more common complaints among players who felt sign-up offers were designed to look generous while being difficult to ever actually cash out.

The rule follows the same broader pattern as the deposit-limit requirement introduced two months earlier: rather than banning bonuses outright, regulators are standardizing how aggressive they’re allowed to be. Operators that previously advertised bonuses with wagering requirements of 30x, 40x or more have had to redesign their promotional structures across every EU market they serve, and several have shifted marketing emphasis toward loyalty programs and smaller, more immediately usable free bets instead of headline-grabbing but hard-to-clear welcome bonuses.