Neosurf Casinos 2026: Legal Deposits, Fees & Laws

Neosurf has carved out an odd niche in the online gambling ecosystem. For a prepaid voucher that cannot be refunded and comes with a four-digit limit, it remains a preferred option for players who do not wish to expose their bank cards. The Australian market, in particular, has seen a steady increase in Neosurf casino deposits since the 2020 bank card restrictions. Yet the legal framework around this payment method is anything but simple. This article examines the deposit mechanics, the regulatory position under Australian law, and the financial consequences of using Neosurf at offshore casinos, including the growing influence of German jurisprudence.

How Neosurf Works for Casino Deposits

A Neosurf voucher is a physical or electronic ticket purchased with cash or, at some resellers, with a debit card. The buyer receives a 10-digit code, which is then entered at the casino’s cashier. The transaction resembles a prepaid card transaction, but there is no revolving credit, no bank account linkage, and no identity disclosure to the casino. For the operator, this is classified as a cash-equivalent deposit. As such, the casino does not perform the usual card-issuer checks, which is precisely why many offshore sites accept it.

The denominations available range from €10 to €250, although Australian resellers often list values in AUD starting at A$15. The voucher is tied to a “main code” that can be split into two or three smaller amounts, allowing a player to make several deposits from one ticket. This feature is rarely documented, and it is not always explained in a casino’s cashier interface. It is, however, a legitimate function of the Neosurf system and worth mentioning here for anyone who misreads a voucher as a single-use instrument.

Deposit crediting is normally instant. The casino receives an authorisation response within two to three seconds, and the funds are immediately added to the player’s balance. Withdrawal, by contrast, cannot be processed back to the voucher. The player must select an alternative payout method, most commonly a bank transfer, bitcoin, or in the case of some casinos, a direct payment to a mobile wallet. This asymmetry between instant deposit and delayed withdrawal is the first financial risk. In practice, the player’s funds are locked in the casino’s environment until a withdrawal request is manually reviewed.

Deposit and withdrawal parameters at a glance

The following table consolidates standard Neosurf deposit parameters and common withdrawal mechanics, based on the publicly available terms of several operators examined in this review. Individual casinos may set different thresholds, but the pattern is consistent.

Parameter	Neosurf Deposit	Typical Withdrawal
Processing time	Instant, under 5 seconds	0–24 hours for approval, then 1–5 business days
Minimum amount	€10 / A$15	€20–A$50 depending on the casino
Maximum amount	€250 per voucher, up to 10 vouchers per day	€5,000–€10,000 per week, subject to wagering requirements
Fee charged by casino	None	Usually none, but some casinos deduct a bank wire fee
Fee charged by Neosurf	None for the player; reseller may add a 3–5% commission	Not applicable
Refund possibility	No refund; lost voucher is not recoverable	Not applicable

For the Australian player, the most critical figure is the absence of a refund mechanism. A Neosurf voucher is functionally equivalent to cash. If the casino refuses a payout or becomes insolvent, there is no chargeback option, no card scheme arbitration, and no liability on the part of Neosurf S.A. The company expressly disclaims any involvement in the underlying transaction. This places the entire counterparty risk on the player.

Legal Status of Neosurf and Online Gambling in Australia

The Interactive Gambling Act 2001 (Cth) prohibits the provision of certain online gambling services to Australian residents. The prohibition targets operators, not players. A casino that accepts a deposit via Neosurf does so from a foreign jurisdiction, typically Malta, Curaçao, or the Isle of Man, and in many cases without holding an Australian licence. The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has the power to identify such services and direct internet service providers to block access to them. This has produced a visible effect: roughly 200 domain names have been blocked since 2019, and the list continues to grow.

Neosurf itself is a payment system incorporated in France and does not require a gambling licence. Its role is limited to the issuance of vouchers and the authorisation of transactions. Because the voucher code is entered directly on the casino’s website, the payment flow bypasses the conventional financial infrastructure that would trigger a red flag during a bank transfer. This is not illegal from the Australian regulator’s perspective – there is no law preventing a person from buying a prepaid voucher for a lawful purpose, and gambling offshore is not a criminal offence for the player.

The legal risk, therefore, is civil and prudential. An Australian resident who deposits with an unlicensed offshore casino has no claim under Australian law for breach of contract if the operator fails to pay. The contract is governed by the law of the operator’s jurisdiction, and enforcement against a foreign entity is costly. This point is worth restating: the player bears the full legal and financial burden in the event of a dispute.

German case law: the BGH precedent and its indirect effect

While German rulings have no direct authority in Australia, they influence the internal compliance policies of multinational casino groups. On 12 September 2023, the German Federal Court of Justice (Bundesgerichtshof, BGH) issued a landmark decision in Case XI ZR 21/22, holding that a player who had lost money at an online casino without a Maltese licence could claim restitution from the operator under German civil law. The court reasoned that the casino’s operations had violated the German Interstate Treaty on Gambling 2021, and that the contract for the player’s gaming transactions was therefore void pursuant to § 134 of the German Civil Code. The operator was ordered to return the net losses.

Subsequent BGH decisions in January 2023 and again in March 2024 extended this reasoning to casinos that held a licence from another EU member state but failed to secure the necessary German licence. The practical consequence is that several offshore operators operating in the German market have tightened their payout procedures, introduced compulsory German-language game rules, and in some cases blocked German IP addresses altogether. For a Neosurf user, this matters because the same technical infrastructure is shared with the Australian-facing version of the site. A casino that has faced restitution claims in Germany may implement additional identity checks or withdraw Neosurf as a deposit method altogether to lower regulatory exposure.

Fees, Limits and Financial Risks

Analysing the financial side of Neosurf casinos requires separating three levels of fees: the reseller commission, the casino’s internal deposit fee, and the cost of withdrawal. As shown in the table above, the casino rarely charges a deposit fee. The reseller, however, may apply a surcharge of 3–5% for handling cash. Independent newsagents in Australia that sell Neosurf tickets typically charge A$2.50–A$5.00 above the voucher value – this is an advance on the deposit, and it is not recoverable.

There is also an opportunity cost. The voucher holds no interest and is not stored on a customer account. If a player purchases a A$100 voucher and then fails to use the entire balance, the remaining funds are simply lost. This is distinct from a digital wallet such as Skrill, where an unspent balance can be transferred back. Consequently, the effective cost of a Neosurf deposit is the greater of the reseller fee and the unused balance, plus any exchange rate margin. In a period of Australian dollar depreciation, the cost can increase by another 1–2%.

Withdrawal fees, where present, are disclosed in the casino’s terms. Some operators charge a flat fee of A$30 for bank wire withdrawals, while others deduct a percentage. It is essential to note that these fees are not subject to any statutory cap in Australia, because the casino does not operate under an Australian licence. A claim for excessive withdrawal fees would have to be filed in the operator’s home jurisdiction, which renders the dispute resolution process effectively theoretical for the average player.

Indicative fee profile across Neosurf-accepting casinos

The table below compares the fee structures reported by six operators that are consistently identified in player forums as accepting Neosurf. The figures are indicative and reflect the operator’s published terms as of the first quarter of 2026.

Casino	Deposit Fee	Withdrawal Method	Withdrawal Fee
SkyCrown	None	Bank transfer, BTC	None for bank, 1% for BTC
National Casino	None	Bank transfer, ETH	None
RocketPlay	None	Bank transfer, USDT	A$25 for bank
WinSpirit	None	Bank transfer, LTC	None for crypto
Rich Casino	None	Bank transfer, BTC	1% (min A$3)
Joe Fortune	None	Bank transfer, BTC	None

Two patterns stand out. First, none of the six operators charge a Neosurf deposit fee, because the deposit process itself is immediate and settlement is guaranteed. Second, the withdrawal fee structure is inconsistent, ranging from zero to a percentage of the payout. This inconsistency is a product of the absence of a single regulator overseeing offshore casinos. The player’s only recourse is to review the terms before depositing.

Anti-money laundering and identity verification as a financial risk

Prepaid vouchers have come under increasing scrutiny from financial intelligence units. The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) has on several occasions classified anonymous prepaid cards as a high-risk payment channel. In response, licensed operators in Malta and the Isle of Man now require enhanced due diligence for any deposit made with a voucher. For Neosurf, the practical effect is that a casino may freeze a player’s account if a series of vouchers is deposited and withdrawn to a bank account without an adequate explanation.

The regulatory threshold is not established by Australian law, because the transaction does not pass through an Australian regulated institution. Nonetheless, the casino’s anti-money laundering policy is a binding contractual term. A failure to complete age verification, proof of address, or source of funds checks within the prescribed period can result in confiscation of the balance. The player might dispute this, but the dispute resolution proceeding, if any, would be held in the casino’s jurisdiction. This risk is not hypothetical. Several publicly documented complaints from Neosurf users on casino review portals involve withheld payouts following successive voucher deposits.

Choosing a Reliable Neosurf Casino

Selecting a Neosurf-accepting casino requires a different approach than selecting a credit-card casino. Because the deposit is irreversible, the operator’s reputation and solvency are the primary protection. The following criteria are the minimum for any prudent assessment:

• Verifiable licensing by a recognised regulator – a Curaçao licence is far less protective than a Malta or UK licence, and the difference matters.
• Transparent history of payout disputes – search the casino’s name on independent review sites, and pay attention to resolutions initiated by the operator.
• Responsive support with a documented process for returning funds to an alternative payout method.

Among the operators examined for this guide, the following are frequently reported by Australian players as accepting Neosurf: SkyCrown, National Casino, RocketPlay, WinSpirit, Rich Casino, Joe Fortune, and, with some regional restrictions, PlayAmo and BitStarz. The latter two have a longer track record, but their Neosurf availability may be switched off depending on the player’s IP address. As of 2026, the table above reflects the current acceptance status for the first six.

A reputable Neosurf casino will also publish transaction limits in a dedicated banking page. If a casino does not specify a maximum deposit per voucher, or claims that the maximum is above the voucher’s actual ceiling, this is a warning sign. Another red flag is an unusually long withdrawal waiting period: if the casino’s stated payout time is longer than 48 hours after the ordinary review process, the likelihood of deliberate delay is high. This does not mean that faster payout sites are always reliable, but the margin for financial error narrows considerably when the operator holds the player’s funds for a week.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do Neosurf casinos in Australia operate legally?

Offshore Neosurf casinos do not hold Australian licences and cannot lawfully provide their services to Australian residents under the Interactive Gambling Act 2001. That said, individual players face no criminal penalty for using them. The legal risk is civil: the operator may refuse a payout, and Australian courts have no jurisdiction over the contract.

Can I get a refund if a Neosurf voucher is not accepted by a casino?

No. Neosurf vouchers are non-refundable and non-transferable. If the casino’s cashier rejects the code, the player must contact the reseller to verify the balance, but Neosurf itself does not provide refunds. The only protection is to confirm the casino’s acceptance of Neosurf before purchasing the ticket.

What happens if the casino goes bankrupt after I deposit by Neosurf?

The deposit is an unsecured claim against the casino. In liquidation, the player is a general creditor, ranking behind tax authorities and employees. Because the casino is registered abroad, the liquidation proceeding would be conducted under foreign insolvency law. Realistically, the funds are lost. This is an unavoidable feature of the prepaid voucher model.

Does German court law apply to Neosurf casinos?

The BGH judgments apply to Czech law only in cases where the casino has a German nexus and the contract falls within the scope of the German Interstate Treaty. An Australian-based customer is not covered by those decisions. The rulings nevertheless affect the operator’s internal compliance practices, which can indirectly influence the availability of Neosurf and the speed of withdrawals.

Is there a limit to how much money I can deposit in Neosurf vouchers at one casino?

Each voucher is capped at €250, and most casinos allow up to ten vouchers per day, giving a theoretical maximum of €2,500 per day. Some high-roller programs raise the daily limit after a personal manager is assigned. There is no legally binding cap for Australia, since the casino is not subject to local laws on consumer credit or gambling limits.

Conclusion

Neosurf remains a workable deposit method for players who accept its limitations: no refunds, no chargebacks, and no territorial legal protection. The practical value is speed and anonymity, but these advantages come at a financial risk that is best mitigated by choosing a casino with a long history of compliant payouts. The BGH rulings, though foreign, have indirectly pushed several operators to improve their financial due diligence, and this is a positive development for Australian users. Yet no court decision in Europe will compensate a Neosurf holder for a losing bet placed at a site that fails to pay. The only genuine safeguard is to treat a Neosurf deposit like a cash stake: never deposit an amount you are not prepared to lose.

Neosurf Casinos 2026: Legal Deposits, Fees & Laws

Neosurf has carved out an odd niche in the online gambling ecosystem. For a prepaid voucher that cannot be refunded and comes with a four-digit limit, it remains a preferred option for players who do not wish to expose their bank cards. The Australian market, in particular, has seen a steady increase in Neosurf casino deposits since the 2020 bank card restrictions. Yet the legal framework around this payment method is anything but simple. This article examines the deposit mechanics, the regulatory position under Australian law, and the financial consequences of using Neosurf at offshore casinos, including the growing influence of German jurisprudence.

How Neosurf Works for Casino Deposits

A Neosurf voucher is a physical or electronic ticket purchased with cash or, at some resellers, with a debit card. The buyer receives a 10-digit code, which is then entered at the casino’s cashier. The transaction resembles a prepaid card transaction, but there is no revolving credit, no bank account linkage, and no identity disclosure to the casino. For the operator, this is classified as a cash-equivalent deposit. As such, the casino does not perform the usual card-issuer checks, which is precisely why many offshore sites accept it.

The denominations available range from €10 to €250, although Australian resellers often list values in AUD starting at A$15. The voucher is tied to a “main code” that can be split into two or three smaller amounts, allowing a player to make several deposits from one ticket. This feature is rarely documented, and it is not always explained in a casino’s cashier interface. It is, however, a legitimate function of the Neosurf system and worth mentioning here for anyone who misreads a voucher as a single-use instrument.

Deposit crediting is normally instant. The casino receives an authorisation response within two to three seconds, and the funds are immediately added to the player’s balance. Withdrawal, by contrast, cannot be processed back to the voucher. The player must select an alternative payout method, most commonly a bank transfer, bitcoin, or in the case of some casinos, a direct payment to a mobile wallet. This asymmetry between instant deposit and delayed withdrawal is the first financial risk. In practice, the player’s funds are locked in the casino’s environment until a withdrawal request is manually reviewed.

Deposit and withdrawal parameters at a glance

The following table consolidates standard Neosurf deposit parameters and common withdrawal mechanics, based on the publicly available terms of several operators examined in this review. Individual casinos may set different thresholds, but the pattern is consistent.

Parameter	Neosurf Deposit	Typical Withdrawal
Processing time	Instant, under 5 seconds	0–24 hours for approval, then 1–5 business days
Minimum amount	€10 / A$15	€20–A$50 depending on the casino
Maximum amount	€250 per voucher, up to 10 vouchers per day	€5,000–€10,000 per week, subject to wagering requirements
Fee charged by casino	None	Usually none, but some casinos deduct a bank wire fee
Fee charged by Neosurf	None for the player; reseller may add a 3–5% commission	Not applicable
Refund possibility	No refund; lost voucher is not recoverable	Not applicable

For the Australian player, the most critical figure is the absence of a refund mechanism. A Neosurf voucher is functionally equivalent to cash. If the casino refuses a payout or becomes insolvent, there is no chargeback option, no card scheme arbitration, and no liability on the part of Neosurf S.A. The company expressly disclaims any involvement in the underlying transaction. This places the entire counterparty risk on the player.

Legal Status of Neosurf and Online Gambling in Australia

The Interactive Gambling Act 2001 (Cth) prohibits the provision of certain online gambling services to Australian residents. The prohibition targets operators, not players. A casino that accepts a deposit via Neosurf does so from a foreign jurisdiction, typically Malta, Curaçao, or the Isle of Man, and in many cases without holding an Australian licence. The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has the power to identify such services and direct internet service providers to block access to them. This has produced a visible effect: roughly 200 domain names have been blocked since 2019, and the list continues to grow.

Neosurf itself is a payment system incorporated in France and does not require a gambling licence. Its role is limited to the issuance of vouchers and the authorisation of transactions. Because the voucher code is entered directly on the casino’s website, the payment flow bypasses the conventional financial infrastructure that would trigger a red flag during a bank transfer. This is not illegal from the Australian regulator’s perspective – there is no law preventing a person from buying a prepaid voucher for a lawful purpose, and gambling offshore is not a criminal offence for the player.

The legal risk, therefore, is civil and prudential. An Australian resident who deposits with an unlicensed offshore casino has no claim under Australian law for breach of contract if the operator fails to pay. The contract is governed by the law of the operator’s jurisdiction, and enforcement against a foreign entity is costly. This point is worth restating: the player bears the full legal and financial burden in the event of a dispute.

German case law: the BGH precedent and its indirect effect

While German rulings have no direct authority in Australia, they influence the internal compliance policies of multinational casino groups. On 12 September 2023, the German Federal Court of Justice (Bundesgerichtshof, BGH) issued a landmark decision in Case XI ZR 21/22, holding that a player who had lost money at an online casino without a Maltese licence could claim restitution from the operator under German civil law. The court reasoned that the casino’s operations had violated the German Interstate Treaty on Gambling 2021, and that the contract for the player’s gaming transactions was therefore void pursuant to § 134 of the German Civil Code. The operator was ordered to return the net losses.

Subsequent BGH decisions in January 2023 and again in March 2024 extended this reasoning to casinos that held a licence from another EU member state but failed to secure the necessary German licence. The practical consequence is that several offshore operators operating in the German market have tightened their payout procedures, introduced compulsory German-language game rules, and in some cases blocked German IP addresses altogether. For a Neosurf user, this matters because the same technical infrastructure is shared with the Australian-facing version of the site. A casino that has faced restitution claims in Germany may implement additional identity checks or withdraw Neosurf as a deposit method altogether to lower regulatory exposure.

Fees, Limits and Financial Risks

Analysing the financial side of Neosurf casinos requires separating three levels of fees: the reseller commission, the casino’s internal deposit fee, and the cost of withdrawal. As shown in the table above, the casino rarely charges a deposit fee. The reseller, however, may apply a surcharge of 3–5% for handling cash. Independent newsagents in Australia that sell Neosurf tickets typically charge A$2.50–A$5.00 above the voucher value – this is an advance on the deposit, and it is not recoverable.

There is also an opportunity cost. The voucher holds no interest and is not stored on a customer account. If a player purchases a A$100 voucher and then fails to use the entire balance, the remaining funds are simply lost. This is distinct from a digital wallet such as Skrill, where an unspent balance can be transferred back. Consequently, the effective cost of a Neosurf deposit is the greater of the reseller fee and the unused balance, plus any exchange rate margin. In a period of Australian dollar depreciation, the cost can increase by another 1–2%.

Withdrawal fees, where present, are disclosed in the casino’s terms. Some operators charge a flat fee of A$30 for bank wire withdrawals, while others deduct a percentage. It is essential to note that these fees are not subject to any statutory cap in Australia, because the casino does not operate under an Australian licence. A claim for excessive withdrawal fees would have to be filed in the operator’s home jurisdiction, which renders the dispute resolution process effectively theoretical for the average player.

Indicative fee profile across Neosurf-accepting casinos

The table below compares the fee structures reported by six operators that are consistently identified in player forums as accepting Neosurf. The figures are indicative and reflect the operator’s published terms as of the first quarter of 2026.

Casino	Deposit Fee	Withdrawal Method	Withdrawal Fee
SkyCrown	None	Bank transfer, BTC	None for bank, 1% for BTC
National Casino	None	Bank transfer, ETH	None
RocketPlay	None	Bank transfer, USDT	A$25 for bank
WinSpirit	None	Bank transfer, LTC	None for crypto
Rich Casino	None	Bank transfer, BTC	1% (min A$3)
Joe Fortune	None	Bank transfer, BTC	None

Two patterns stand out. First, none of the six operators charge a Neosurf deposit fee, because the deposit process itself is immediate and settlement is guaranteed. Second, the withdrawal fee structure is inconsistent, ranging from zero to a percentage of the payout. This inconsistency is a product of the absence of a single regulator overseeing offshore casinos. The player’s only recourse is to review the terms before depositing.

Anti-money laundering and identity verification as a financial risk

Prepaid vouchers have come under increasing scrutiny from financial intelligence units. The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) has on several occasions classified anonymous prepaid cards as a high-risk payment channel. In response, licensed operators in Malta and the Isle of Man now require enhanced due diligence for any deposit made with a voucher. For Neosurf, the practical effect is that a casino may freeze a player’s account if a series of vouchers is deposited and withdrawn to a bank account without an adequate explanation.

The regulatory threshold is not established by Australian law, because the transaction does not pass through an Australian regulated institution. Nonetheless, the casino’s anti-money laundering policy is a binding contractual term. A failure to complete age verification, proof of address, or source of funds checks within the prescribed period can result in confiscation of the balance. The player might dispute this, but the dispute resolution proceeding, if any, would be held in the casino’s jurisdiction. This risk is not hypothetical. Several publicly documented complaints from Neosurf users on casino review portals involve withheld payouts following successive voucher deposits.

Choosing a Reliable Neosurf Casino

Selecting a Neosurf-accepting casino requires a different approach than selecting a credit-card casino. Because the deposit is irreversible, the operator’s reputation and solvency are the primary protection. The following criteria are the minimum for any prudent assessment:

• Verifiable licensing by a recognised regulator – a Curaçao licence is far less protective than a Malta or UK licence, and the difference matters.
• Transparent history of payout disputes – search the casino’s name on independent review sites, and pay attention to resolutions initiated by the operator.
• Responsive support with a documented process for returning funds to an alternative payout method.

Among the operators examined for this guide, the following are frequently reported by Australian players as accepting Neosurf: SkyCrown, National Casino, RocketPlay, WinSpirit, Rich Casino, Joe Fortune, and, with some regional restrictions, PlayAmo and BitStarz. The latter two have a longer track record, but their Neosurf availability may be switched off depending on the player’s IP address. As of 2026, the table above reflects the current acceptance status for the first six.

A reputable Neosurf casino will also publish transaction limits in a dedicated banking page. If a casino does not specify a maximum deposit per voucher, or claims that the maximum is above the voucher’s actual ceiling, this is a warning sign. Another red flag is an unusually long withdrawal waiting period: if the casino’s stated payout time is longer than 48 hours after the ordinary review process, the likelihood of deliberate delay is high. This does not mean that faster payout sites are always reliable, but the margin for financial error narrows considerably when the operator holds the player’s funds for a week.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do Neosurf casinos in Australia operate legally?

Offshore Neosurf casinos do not hold Australian licences and cannot lawfully provide their services to Australian residents under the Interactive Gambling Act 2001. That said, individual players face no criminal penalty for using them. The legal risk is civil: the operator may refuse a payout, and Australian courts have no jurisdiction over the contract.

Can I get a refund if a Neosurf voucher is not accepted by a casino?

No. Neosurf vouchers are non-refundable and non-transferable. If the casino’s cashier rejects the code, the player must contact the reseller to verify the balance, but Neosurf itself does not provide refunds. The only protection is to confirm the casino’s acceptance of Neosurf before purchasing the ticket.

What happens if the casino goes bankrupt after I deposit by Neosurf?

The deposit is an unsecured claim against the casino. In liquidation, the player is a general creditor, ranking behind tax authorities and employees. Because the casino is registered abroad, the liquidation proceeding would be conducted under foreign insolvency law. Realistically, the funds are lost. This is an unavoidable feature of the prepaid voucher model.

Does German court law apply to Neosurf casinos?

The BGH judgments apply to Czech law only in cases where the casino has a German nexus and the contract falls within the scope of the German Interstate Treaty. An Australian-based customer is not covered by those decisions. The rulings nevertheless affect the operator’s internal compliance practices, which can indirectly influence the availability of Neosurf and the speed of withdrawals.

Is there a limit to how much money I can deposit in Neosurf vouchers at one casino?

Each voucher is capped at €250, and most casinos allow up to ten vouchers per day, giving a theoretical maximum of €2,500 per day. Some high-roller programs raise the daily limit after a personal manager is assigned. There is no legally binding cap for Australia, since the casino is not subject to local laws on consumer credit or gambling limits.

Conclusion

Neosurf remains a workable deposit method for players who accept its limitations: no refunds, no chargebacks, and no territorial legal protection. The practical value is speed and anonymity, but these advantages come at a financial risk that is best mitigated by choosing a casino with a long history of compliant payouts. The BGH rulings, though foreign, have indirectly pushed several operators to improve their financial due diligence, and this is a positive development for Australian users. Yet no court decision in Europe will compensate a Neosurf holder for a losing bet placed at a site that fails to pay. The only genuine safeguard is to treat a Neosurf deposit like a cash stake: never deposit an amount you are not prepared to lose.