Wagering Requirements Explained
What a wagering requirement really costs — worked out in plain numbers, so you can compare bonuses on the maths rather than the headline.
Before a bonus turns into money you can actually withdraw, you have to bet it a set number of times over. That number is the wagering requirement. Say a casino offers a 100 bonus at 30x. To turn that into withdrawable cash you’d first have to stake 3,000. That’s thirty times the bonus, in bets, before any of it is yours to keep. And it’s why chasing the biggest headline number often leaves players worse off than picking a smaller bonus with lighter terms. The number on the banner is there to catch your eye. What it’s really worth is down in the wagering.
Most comparison sites stop at the headline. This one does the bit they skip: the real cost of each bonus, worked out in plain numbers, so you can spot a good offer hiding behind a small one and a bad one dressed up as huge. Every figure below is an example, and we’ve deliberately left currencies off them. The maths lands the same whether you play in pounds, dollars or anything else.
What a wagering requirement actually is
You’ll also see it called a playthrough or a rollover — same idea. It’s a multiplier the casino attaches to a bonus, and it decides how much you have to bet before the bonus, plus anything you win with it, becomes cash you can withdraw. Until you reach that figure the money is yours to play with but not to take out.
It’s written as a number with an “x” after it. Want the real figure? Multiply it by whatever the requirement applies to:
That one number is the single most important term on any offer. It still doesn’t tell you everything, though. Two more things shape what a bonus really costs to clear: what the multiplier is calculated on, and which games actually count toward it.
Bonus-only vs deposit + bonus wagering
This is the distinction that trips most players up, and it can double your work without changing a single digit on the advert. Casinos do the sum one of two ways:
- Bonus only — the multiplier applies to the bonus amount alone. The friendlier of the two.
- Deposit + bonus — the multiplier applies to your deposit and the bonus combined. Often shown as “(D+B)” in the terms.
Identical advert, completely different workload. Say you deposit 100, pick up a 100% match (so a 100 bonus), at 30x:
| Wagering basis | Calculation | Total to bet |
|---|---|---|
| Bonus only | 30 × 100 | 3,000 |
| Deposit + bonus | 30 × (100 + 100) | 6,000 |
Same offer on the banner, twice the betting. Check which basis you’re signing up to before you opt in, not after.
How game weighting changes the math
Not every bet chips away at the requirement equally. Each game type counts for a percentage of your stake toward wagering — its weighting, or contribution. Slots nearly always count in full. The games where the house edge is thinner count for a fraction, or for nothing, and that’s no accident: it’s exactly why casinos weight them down.
| Game type | Typical contribution | What it means for clearing |
|---|---|---|
| Slots | 100% | Every 1 staked counts as 1 toward wagering |
| Video poker | 10–20% | Often reduced; sometimes excluded entirely |
| Table games (blackjack, roulette) | 10–20% | 1 staked may count as only 0.10–0.20 |
| Live dealer | 0–10% | Frequently contributes nothing at all |
| Progressive / jackpot slots | 0–100% | Sometimes excluded or capped — check the list |
Typical values only — the specific offer’s T&Cs are always authoritative, and contribution lists vary widely between casinos.
This changes everything about how you clear a bonus. If blackjack counts at 10%, clearing that same 3,000 requirement on blackjack alone means betting 30,000 — ten times what you’d put through on slots. So “just grind it out on blackjack” rarely is the shortcut it sounds like. It also means a slots bonus with a modest-looking multiplier can be the easier one to finish.
What counts as good, typical, or steep
Once you know the basis and how the games are weighted, judging the multiplier itself is straightforward. Rough guide, on a bonus-only basis:
| Band | Multiplier | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| Excellent | 0x (no wagering) | Winnings are cash immediately — the best terms there are |
| Good | 1x–20x | Realistic to clear; worth claiming |
| Typical | 25x–40x | The industry norm — fine if the rest of the terms are clean |
| Steep | 50x+ | Hard to clear; 60x and above is a red flag |
Two things to bear in mind. These bands assume bonus-only wagering, so a “35x” worked on deposit plus bonus is effectively much steeper than it reads. And a friendly multiplier counts for little if the offer pairs it with a tight cashout cap or a short clock. The genuinely cleanest deals are no-wagering bonuses: win, and it’s cash you can withdraw on the spot.
Comparing two offers side by side
This is the part worth slowing down for. Put two offers next to each other and the one that looked worse in the advert often wins once you do the maths. Here’s a big, loud bonus against a smaller, tidier one, both worked from a 100 deposit:
| Offer A — “200% up to 500” | Offer B — “100% up to 200” | |
|---|---|---|
| Bonus received | 200 | 100 |
| Wagering | 45x, deposit + bonus | 25x, bonus only |
| Total you must bet | 13,500 | 2,500 |
| Max cashout from bonus | 5× bonus = 1,000 cap | No cap |
| Spins to clear (at 2/spin, slots) | 6,750 | 1,250 |
| Verdict | Bigger number, far harder to clear, winnings capped | Smaller number, easier to clear, winnings uncapped |
Offer A dangles more than double the bonus, then asks for over five times the betting and caps your take-home at 1,000. Offer B looks the smaller of the two and beats it on every line that counts. Take the general point with you: the advertised size of a bonus barely predicts its value until you’ve levelled out the wagering, the basis and the caps.
Want to run these numbers on a specific offer? Our how to compare wagering requirements guide has a calculator you can plug your own figures into.
The terms that quietly limit your winnings
The multiplier gets the attention, but four supporting terms decide whether a cleared bonus actually pays out. Skip these and you can do everything right and still walk away with nothing.
Max cashout
A cap on how much of your bonus winnings you can withdraw, often expressed as a multiple of the bonus (e.g. “5× bonus”) or a flat figure. Anything above it is forfeited. This is the single most overlooked term, and it can make a large bonus far less generous than it looks — exactly the trap in Offer A above. No-deposit bonuses in particular tend to carry low cashout caps; our no-deposit bonus comparison flags them per offer.
Max bet while wagering
Most bonuses cap the stake you’re allowed to place on any single bet while wagering — commonly around 5 per spin. Go over it, even once, and the casino can void the bonus and all winnings from it. Always check this number before you place a bet, because it’s enforced strictly and it’s a frequent reason withdrawals get refused.
Expiry
Wagering must usually be completed within a set window — anywhere from a few days to a month. Miss it and the bonus plus any associated winnings are removed. A high multiplier on a short clock is a deliberately difficult combination; factor the time in, not just the number.
Sticky vs non-sticky
A non-sticky (or “parachute”) bonus keeps your own deposit separate and withdrawable — you only risk the bonus funds. A sticky bonus merges with your balance and can’t be withdrawn itself; only winnings above it can be cashed out, and only after wagering. Non-sticky is the player-friendlier structure; with a sticky bonus you’re committing your deposit to the playthrough too.
Before you claim — a quick checklist
Run every offer through these seven questions before you opt in. If you can’t answer them from the terms, that lack of transparency is itself a reason to be cautious.
- Is wagering on the bonus only, or on deposit + bonus?
- What’s the multiplier — and is it good, typical or steep on that basis?
- Which games count, and at what contribution percentage?
- Is there a max bet per spin while wagering, and what is it?
- Is there a max cashout cap on what you can withdraw?
- How long do you have to clear it before the bonus expires?
- Is the bonus sticky or non-sticky?
The bottom line
It comes down to this: the banner sells you a number, but the wagering decides what that number is really worth. Nine times out of ten, a modest bonus with low bonus-only wagering, no cashout cap and a fair expiry beats a bigger one dragging a list of conditions behind it. Read the terms, run the maths, compare like with like. Do that and you’re already ahead of most players.
From here you can compare casino bonuses with their terms decoded, browse no-wagering offers where winnings are cash from the start, or look at free spins deals and how their wagering works.
One last thing. A bonus is a bit of fun, not an income. Stick to money you can comfortably afford to lose, decide your deposit and time limits before you start rather than in the heat of it, and treat anything you win as a nice surprise rather than the plan. If it stops being enjoyable, or starts to feel like more than a game, you don’t have to wait it out: licensed casinos let you set deposit limits, take a time-out or self-exclude, and national support services will talk things through with you in confidence.
FAQ
What does a wagering requirement mean?
It's how many times you have to bet a bonus before the money — and anything you win with it — becomes yours to withdraw. You'll see it written as a multiplier, like 30x. So a 100 bonus at 30x means putting 3,000 through in total bets before a withdrawal opens up. Until you hit that figure the money is yours to play with; it just isn't yours to take out.
Why do table games and live dealer count for less toward wagering?
The house edge on those games is thinner, so casinos weight them down to protect the offer. Slots typically count in full, at 100%. Table games and live dealer often count only 10–20%, sometimes nothing at all. That gap matters more than it sounds: clear a requirement on blackjack rather than slots and you can end up betting several times as much to get there. So switching games to "grind it out" usually isn't the shortcut it looks like.
Can I withdraw a bonus before meeting the wagering requirement?
Not until the wagering's done. Before that, the bonus and anything you've won with it are yours to play but locked for withdrawal. Your own deposit is a separate question, and it comes down to the bonus type: a non-sticky bonus lets you pull your deposit out whenever you like, while a sticky bonus ties your deposit into the playthrough as well — so nothing leaves your account until the requirement is cleared.
Does a bigger bonus always mean better value?
Rarely. The number on the banner tells you very little by itself. A big headline bonus tends to come with steeper wagering, and it's often worked out on deposit-plus-bonus with a cap on what you can actually cash out — all of which make it harder to clear and worth less than it first appears. Put a smaller, cleaner offer next to it, level out the wagering, the basis and the caps, and the modest one wins more often than not.
What is a no-wagering bonus?
It's a bonus with no playthrough attached — nothing to bet through first. Win with it, and those winnings are real cash you can withdraw straight away. That makes it about the cleanest deal going, and the trade-off is usually a smaller headline amount or fewer free spins. The upside runs deeper than it looks, though: with nothing to clear, there's no max-bet rule or expiry clock waiting to trip you up.
How do you calculate a wagering requirement?
Multiply the requirement by whatever it applies to. If it's bonus-only, multiply the bonus by the number: a 100 bonus at 30x is 3,000 to bet. If it's deposit plus bonus, add your deposit to the bonus first, then multiply — so the same 30x on a 100 deposit and 100 bonus becomes 6,000. Always check which basis the offer uses.
What counts as a good wagering requirement?
On a bonus-only basis, 1x to 20x is realistic to clear and worth claiming. 25x to 40x is the industry norm and fine if the other terms are clean. 50x and above is steep, and 60x-plus is a red flag. The best terms of all are no-wagering offers, where any winnings are cash straight away.
What happens if I don't finish wagering before it expires?
Most bonuses carry an expiry window, from a few days to a month. If you don't complete the wagering in time, the bonus and any winnings made with it are removed, and only your own withdrawable funds remain. A high multiplier paired with a short expiry is a deliberately difficult combination, so factor the clock in, not just the number.