Self-exclusion, limits and what happens to an active bonus
Account limits and self-exclusion are the tools operators provide for keeping play within bounds or stopping it altogether. They work best when they are set before they feel necessary. Because this site focuses on bonuses, this page also answers a question most guides skip: what happens to a bonus that is active when you set a limit, take a time-out or exclude yourself.
Deposit limits
A deposit limit caps how much money can enter your account over a day, a week or a month. Lowering a limit, or setting one for the first time, usually takes effect immediately; raising it is typically delayed by a cooling-off period. A deposit limit does not touch an active bonus, but it does stop you from topping up to chase a requirement, which is often exactly the point.
Loss, wager and time limits
A loss limit caps how much you can be down over a period. A wager limit caps total stakes, whatever the results — and it interacts directly with bonuses. If your wager limit is 1,000 a week and a bonus needs 3,000 in stakes within the same week (illustrative example, not a Vidal condition), the bonus cannot be completed. That is not a reason to raise the limit; it is a reason to choose offers that fit inside it, or none. Session limits and reality checks keep play from drifting on unnoticed.
Time-outs
A time-out is a short, fixed break: the account cannot deposit or play until it ends. Operators often end active promotions when a time-out starts, so a bonus in progress may be forfeited. If you need the break, take it; the bonus is a small price for the pause.
Self-exclusion
Self-exclusion closes the account for a longer period — months or years — and is not meant to be reversed early. Marketing should stop. Active bonuses, free spins and unfinished wagering are commonly forfeited, while real-money balances are normally returned under the operator's terms. Before excluding, you may want to request a withdrawal of any real-money balance, but do not delay the exclusion to finish a bonus.
| Tool | Usual effect on an active bonus |
|---|---|
| Lowering a deposit limit | None |
| Wager limit | May make the requirement impossible to complete |
| Time-out | Often ends active promotions |
| Self-exclusion | Bonus funds and unfinished wagering commonly forfeited |
Common practice, not a statement of Vidal's rules. The operator's terms decide.
Beyond one operator
An operator's self-exclusion covers that operator only. Some countries run national self-exclusion schemes covering many operators; check what is available where you live. Many banks let you block gambling transactions from their app, and blocking software can cover phones and computers.
Where to get help
Free support is available from Gambling Therapy, which offers online help in many languages, and from Gamblers Anonymous, a mutual-help fellowship with a meeting finder. Your country's national helpline, where one exists, is another option. More on limits and warning signs is on the responsible gambling page.
FAQ
Do I lose my bonus if I self-exclude?
Can I end a self-exclusion early?
Does self-exclusion at one casino block others?
See also: Responsible gambling · Bonus terms · Terms of use