If players can win coins in a game and then withdraw those coins as money, your store has become a cash prize game, and in most countries that is gambling. PrizeX handles this with spend-only winnings: coins won in chance games can be spent in your store, but not withdrawn or sent to another account. This guide covers which wins are locked, how stake games are treated, what players see in their wallet, and the switch a licensed operator can use to allow cash-out.
Who has it
- It's part of the core, so every edition has it. Each game or prize source applies it once that plugin is updated.
- Spend-only winnings are on by default. The store owner can allow cash-out, as covered below.
Which wins are locked
- Coins won in chance games: the spin wheel, scratch cards and arcade games in Earn & Games, Mystery Box coin prizes and lottery coin prizes.
- Only coins are locked. Discount codes, lottery tickets and product prizes work as before.
- Free and paid plays lock their wins the same way.
Stake games lock only the win
In a stake game the player bets coins and a win pays the bet back with something on top. The slot works this way, and so do the Crossing, Flip, Tower and Train games.
- Only the part above the stake is locked. Bet 10 coins, get 25 back, and 15 are spend-only.
- The stake comes back the way it was paid. If part of the bet was paid with spend-only coins, that part comes back spend-only, and the rest comes back withdrawable.
- A payout below the stake is all returned stake, split the same way.
What players see
- One balance, split in two. Once a player has spend-only coins, the wallet shows "Withdrawable X · Game winnings Y (spend in store)".
- The withdraw form shows how much can be withdrawn and stops above it: "You can withdraw up to … Game winnings (…) can only be spent in the store."
- Wallet transfers follow the same rule, if you use them. The form shows "Can send", and a transfer above it is refused.
- The app shows the withdrawable amount too, and its error says how much can be withdrawn.
Spending and refunds
- Spend-only coins are used first whenever a player pays with coins: at checkout, for game plays, lottery tickets, mystery boxes and the rest.
- Refunds give them back as spend-only. If a refunded purchase was paid partly with spend-only coins, that share comes back spend-only. A cancelled or voided draw does the same for each ticket.
- An order paid by card and refunded to the wallet isn't locked, because no spend-only coins were used.
Existing balances
- Coins from before the update stay withdrawable. Only new wins are locked.
- Admins see a one-time notice explaining the change.
- The database needs a new column. If your database user can't add it, every coin stays withdrawable and Settings tells you how to fix it.
Allowing cash-out
- Settings > Wallet > "Allow cash-out of game winnings" lets new wins be withdrawn.
- Turning it on asks you to confirm a warning that paid chance games with cash-out are gambling in most countries, and to tick that you hold the licence this needs where your store operates.
- Every change is logged, and applies to new wins only.
- A separate action can unlock every existing spend-only balance. It asks for confirmation, can't be undone, and is logged.
You can also make some bonuses spend-only, such as the sign-up bonus, referral bonuses, the daily bonus, watch & earn rewards, offerwall rewards and membership cashback. Each has its own switch in Settings > Wallet, off by default.
What stays your responsibility
- Spend-only doesn't make a game legal everywhere. Prizes with a money value, or paid plays, can still be regulated where you operate. The operator is responsible for licensing, so check with a local lawyer and your regulator, such as the UK Gambling Commission.
- Keep games adults-only, never market them to anyone under 18, and never present them as a way to earn money.
- Say it in your terms: that game winnings can only be spent in your store, and how refunds of purchases made with them work.
Common questions
Can players withdraw coins they win in games?
Not by default. Coins won in chance games can be spent in the store but not withdrawn or sent. A licensed store owner can allow cash-out of new wins in Settings > Wallet.
What about the coins a player bet on a slot?
A stake game pays the bet back the way it was paid. Only the win above the stake is locked, plus any part of the bet that was paid with spend-only coins.
Do existing balances become spend-only?
No. Coins in wallets before the update stay withdrawable. Only new wins are locked.
Which coins are used first when a player pays?
Spend-only coins. A refund gives that share back as spend-only.