What Are Wagering Requirements?

Most of us don’t have a math degree. However, even if you did, understanding wagering requirements formulated by your online casino can be a bit of a puzzle. This article is here to help. By explaining the types of wagering requirements that are applied to betting bonuses, and providing simple examples of how they are used, you’ll hopefully have a much better idea of the costs involved when you qualify for your next bonus.

Wagering requirements: An overview

When is a bonus not a bonus? Potentially, when it involves high wagering requirements. Sportsbook, and more commonly, casino bonuses, often come with attached wagering requirements. To turn bonus funds into withdrawal cash, you need to meet these spend clauses. Still, even though these rules may look complex at first sight, it is fairly easy to calculate how much money you need to stake on a game or a market to add bonus winnings to your bankroll.

Wagering requirements are conditions that online casinos add to bonuses to allow players to convert this cash into real money. In general, the wagering requirements on a casino bonus will be more than sportsbook bonus counterparts. As a rule of thumb, casinos will attach 35x wagering requirements to a slots or live casino bonus, while this may drop to 5x for sportsbook bonuses. But, how do you work out how much you must wager given similar terms?

Wagering requirements: An example

Bonuses come in all shapes and sizes. However, if we keep things simple and say that you’ve received a $100 bonus, this will keep the maths straightforward.

If your casino has attached a 35x wagering requirement to your $100 bonus, you will need to stake $100 x 35 = $3500 on qualifying games to turn your sum into a withdrawable figure.

Of course, while you play through $3500, you may be in profit or mount up a loss. So only embark on this conversion process if you can afford to do so. However, it is not always quite this simple. Casinos are known to offer different types of bonuses, with each coming with alternative wagering requirements.

Wagering requirements for different bonuses

Math degrees are still unnecessary, but it is certainly worth reading the small print when it comes to the varying bonus types that online bookies provide.

Bonus only – plain and simple. Bonus-only wagering requirements are calculated by multiplying your bonus by the required playthrough figure:

e.g. $100 x 35 = $3500

Deposit & bonus deals – these deals add up your deposit and any bonus amount, and multiply these by the wagering requirement. Therefore, if you deposit $50, are offered a $100 bonus, and the wagering requirement is 30x, you’ll need to bet $4500 in total.

($50 + $100) x 30 = $4500

Free spins and free bets – if your casino issues free spins or free bets, wagering terms are often applied to your winnings.

For example, if you win $25 from a succession of free spins, and the wagering requirements applied to this is 20x, you’ll need to wager $500 to bank your bonus funds.

$25 x 20 = $500

Are wagering requirements required?

The rationale that lies behind wagering requirements is somewhat questionable. It is commonly suggested that attaching wagering terms to a bonus protects a casino from players who take advantage of these offers. This may be the case in some instances; however, betting sites that allow bonus wins to be instantly withdrawn tend to be popular. The increased goodwill that derives from this practice can’t be bad for business in the long term. Still, until all casinos waive wagering requirements, you will still be required to run simple sums to work out how your bonus pursuits are panning out.

Wagering requirements: Terms and Conditions

Bonuses with smaller wagering requirements tend to be the best deals. However, you need to take a close look at the terms and conditions to ensure that this is indeed the case.

Game contributions – if you are playing through a casino bonus, you need to be aware of game contributions. This means that only a certain percentage of your stake on different products counts towards your overall wagering requirements. Terms vary, but commonly:

100% of slots bets count towards requirements
10%–20% of stakes placed on blackjack, roulette, and baccarat meet bonus conditions
Other games may be excluded from contributing to wagering requirements altogether

Bet limits – bet limits are often applied to wagers that meet wagering terms. This means that you may have to modify your stakes to make the most of your spend.

Final Recommendations

Wagering requirements are commonly applied to a range of betting bonuses. However, they are essentially easy to understand and calculate. Once you have worked out which type of bonus you have qualified for, you are well on the way to understanding wagering requirements—even if you don’t have a math degree. Keep an eye out for the terms and conditions whenever you pick up a bonus, as factors such as game contributions can have more of an impact on your chances of converting bonus sums to real money than headline wagering requirement numbers.