Your Guide To Understanding Wagering Requirements

Whether you’re new to online gambling or a seasoned player, you’ve likely come across the term “wagering requirements” before. But do you understand what they mean and how they can impact your online gaming experience? We’re here to help.

An in-depth explanation of what wagering requirements are and how they work.
How they vary for different bonuses and what a reasonable range for these requirements looks like.
How to efficiently clear wagering requirements to gain quicker access to your winnings.

Expert Summary

What Are Wagering Requirements? – These are set as a multiplier usually in the range of 30x to 70x and dictate how many times you’ll be required to play through your bonus and/or winnings before you can withdraw them.
Why Do Online Casinos Have Wagering Requirements? – Their primary purpose is to prevent players from cashing out a bonus immediately without actually playing any games at the casino.
How Wagering Requirements Vary For Different Bonuses – They can vary in range when it comes to various bonus types, with some applying only to the bonus amount and others also including your qualifying deposit.
What Is A Good Wagering Requirement? – We usually recommend wagering requirements of 50x or lower as reasonable and worth considering.
Other Bonus Terms That Affect Wagering Requirements – Game weightings, bet limits, expiry dates and win caps are all factors which can have an impact on how valuable the bonus in question is.
How To Clear Wagering Requirements Efficiently – Choosing bonuses with low wagering requirements, adjusting your bet size and only playing games that contribute 100% towards fulfilling the requirements will improve your chances.
FAQs – Find the answers to common queries like where to find the wagering requirements and to cancel a bonus if you’re no longer interested in taking the time to clear the requirements.

What Are Wagering Requirements?

Wagering requirements, also known as playthrough or rollover requirements, are conditions set by online casinos that you must meet to withdraw any winnings you make from using bonus funds.

These requirements typically involve a multiple of the bonus amount, such as 30x or 40x, which represents the number of times you must wager the bonus before it can be cashed out. This makes them an important factor when it comes to converting bonuses to real money.

The range of wagering requirements can vary greatly, with some casinos setting them as low as 25x and others going up to 70x the bonus amount or more. That’s why understanding and comparing wagering requirements is essential to taking full advantage of casino bonuses.

For example, let’s say you receive a $100 bonus with a 30x wagering requirement. This means you would need to wager a total of $3,000 ($100 x 30) before being able to withdraw any winnings from the bonus funds.

Here’s how to take wagering requirements into consideration when claiming an online casino bonus:

Locate the bonus terms and conditions and read the clauses on wagering requirements carefully.
A reasonable wagering requirement is subjective, but we wouldn’t advise accepting anything above 50x.
Once you’ve chosen a bonus and activated it, track your wagering progress while you play. This can usually be done through your account settings or by contacting customer support.
Adjust your bet size and based on your balance. Increase your bets when you’re flush, bet conservatively when you’re running low.
Once you meet the wagering requirements, the remaining balance will be converted to real cash and can be withdrawn.

Why Do Online Casinos Have Wagering Requirements?

While wagering requirements may seem like a massive inconvenience since they delay you from cashing out your winnings, there are several reasons why casinos must implement them into their bonus terms.

Here are the main ones:

Risk Management

Casinos offer bonuses to get you to sign up, play and become depositing customers. The primary purpose of having wagering requirements attached to them is to prevent you from cashing out a bonus instantly.

Without them, it would be like the casino is giving away free money, which would obviously result in great financial losses on their end.

Game Engagement

Bonuses also incentivise you to play new games you probably would not have considered and potentially discover new favourites, making them beneficial for both you as a player and the casino.

Wagering requirements are there to ensure you engage with these games, rather than just cash out the bonus funds instantly, and encourage you to keep playing at the casino.

Revenue Generation

Wagering requirements allow you to lose some of the bonus funds back to the casino, since even if you win from using a bonus, you’ll still have to continue playing to satisfy the requirements.

This helps the casino generate additional profit in the long term.

Compliance

In some jurisdictions, the gambling industry regulations may require online casinos to have responsible gambling tools, some of which can prevent money laundering and promote fair play.

Wagering requirements help casinos observe these compliance obligations by promoting responsible gambling behaviour.

How Wagering Requirements Vary For Different Bonuses

Regardless of the type of bonus you’re playing with, wagering requirements remain the same: you must meet certain conditions to withdraw your winnings from bonus funds. That being said, some aspects fluctuate depending on the nature of the offer.

Find out how wagering requirements differ for various types of bonuses and how they can affect your chances of winning.

Wagering Requirements For No Deposit Bonuses

As the name suggests, no deposit bonuses allow you to receive bonus funds without having to make a deposit. Because of this, these bonuses typically have slightly higher wagering requirements compared to other types of bonuses, with the typical range being between 30x-50x.

Casinos increase the wagering requirements to minimise their risk of giving away “free money” since they reduce the number of players that successfully convert the bonus. It’s not impossible by any means to play through higher wagering requirements. Just a little more difficult.

For example, if you receive a $20 no deposit bonus with a 40x wagering requirement, you would need to wager a total of $800 ($20 x 40) before being able to cash out.

Wagering Requirements For Match Bonuses

Match bonuses always require you to make a deposit at the casino to receive bonus funds, which are usually a percentage of the deposit amount. The typical range for match bonus wagering requirements is between 25x-45x. This is usually comparatively much lower when compared to no deposit bonuses.

Wagering requirements for match bonuses might only apply to the bonus amount, but sometimes they apply to both the bonus amount and the deposit value. This is an important distinction, as it can greatly affect the overall value of the bonus and is usually clarified in the bonus fine print.

The table below should clarify how this difference can impact the value of your match bonus:

Wagering Requirements on Bonus Only	Wagering Requirements on Bonus + Qualifying Deposit
If you deposit $100 and receive a 100% match bonus with a 30x wagering requirement, you would need to wager a total of $3,000 ( $100 x 30) before being able to withdraw any bonus winnings.	If you deposit $100 and receive a 100% match bonus with a 30x wagering requirement, you would need to wager a total of $6,000 ($100 + $100 x 30) before being able to withdraw any bonus winnings.

Wagering Requirements For Free Spins

Free spins are a popular bonus offer that allows you to spin the reels on selected slot games without using your bankroll. They can be awarded risk-free as no deposit spins, or they can be triggered in exchange for a deposit.

In both cases, the winnings from free spins are typically credited as bonus credit (unless they’re wager-free spins), which means they are subject to wagering requirements before they can be withdrawn as real money.

Wagering requirements for free spins can vary greatly, with typical ranges being between 25x-70x. Deposit free spins, where you must make a deposit to receive the free spins, may have lower wagering requirements compared to no deposit free spins.

Similar to match bonuses, wagering requirements for deposit free spins can also apply to both your deposit and your winnings. This makes a massive difference to your wagering requirement target.

Wagering Requirements on Winnings Only	Wagering Requirements on Qualifying Deposit + Winnings
If you receive 20 free spins with a 50x wagering requirement, and win $10 from those spins, you would need to wager a total of $500 ($10 x 50) before cashing out.	If you deposit $10 to receive 20 free spins with a 50x wagering requirement, and win $10 from those spins, you would need to wager a total of $1,000 ($10 + $10 x 50) before cashing out.

What Is A Good Wagering Requirement?

When it comes to determining a good multiplier for wagering requirements, the bottom line is that the lower they are, the better.

Here’s what we consider a reasonable wagering requirement for different types of casino bonuses:

Wagering Requirements	No Deposit Offers	Our Verdict	Deposit Offers	Our Verdict
Below 30x	Not common	Excellent	Not common	Excellent
30x -40x	Fairly common	Very Reasonable	Common	Reasonable
40x – 50x	Common	Standard	Common	Acceptable
50x – 60x	Common	A bit high	Uncommon	Above average
60x or higher	Uncommon	Very high	Uncommon	Too much

To sum up our findings:

The average range for wagering requirements is 30x-60x.
No deposit bonuses have slightly higher requirements to make up for the fact that you aren’t using any of your money.
Wagering requirements of 60x or more are considered excessive and mean that the bonus would not be worth your while, as you’ll have to spend a lot of time trying to convert your winnings.

Other Bonus Terms That Affect Wagering Requirements

While bonuses with lower requirements may seem more favourable, other terms, like the ones below, also play a role in determining how worthwhile a bonus truly is.

Game Weightings and Restrictions

Not all casino games contribute equally towards meeting wagering requirements. For example, slots often contribute 100% while table games may only contribute 10%.

This means every €1 bet on slots will count entirely towards playing through the bonus while every €1 bet on table games will only count as €0.10.

Apart from different game weightings, some casinos may also restrict certain games from being played with bonus funds altogether.

Bet Limits

Casinos typically have bet limits that apply to bonus play, which means that you are limited in how much you can wager on a single bet. For example, the casino may state that you can place maximum bets of €5 when bonus funds are being used.

This can affect your overall gameplay and may also impact your ability to meet the requirements within the given time frame.

Expiry Dates And Time Limits

Bonuses and free spins often come with expiry dates, meaning that you must use them within a certain timeframe or they will expire. No deposit bonuses typically need to be used within 24 hours while deposit bonuses last longer, from a few days to a few weeks.

Time limits may also apply to how long you have to fulfil the bonus wagering requirements, and these can be as short as 24 hours or as long as 30 days.

Win Caps

Most bonuses come with win caps, which means that there is a limit on how much you can win from using the bonus funds.

For example, a bonus may have a win cap of €100, so even if you continue to play and accumulate winnings, you will only be able to withdraw up to €100 in total.

Top Tip

Learn More About Bonus Terms

If you’re looking to become a bonus pro, we’ve got you covered with our in-depth guide on casino bonus terms, which covers all the above and more in extensive detail so you’ll know what to expect before taking advantage of any casino promotion.

How To Clear Wagering Requirements Efficiently

Clearing wagering requirements efficiently is key to maximising your chances of winning and successfully withdrawing your winnings from a bonus, which is the whole point, after all.

Here are some expert tips on how to do so:

Choose Low/Reasonable Wagering Requirements: As mentioned earlier, it is important to choose a bonus with reasonable wagering requirements to make it easier for you to meet the requirements and cash out your winnings. Look for bonuses with wagering requirements within the 30x-40x range or lower.
Adjust Your Bet Size: As you play and accumulate winnings, you should adjust your bet size according to your results. If you’re on a winning streak, consider increasing your bets slightly to meet the requirements faster. But if you’re experiencing losses, it may be better to lower your bets to avoid losing too much of your bonus funds.
Play Only 100% Weighted Games: Stick to playing games that contribute 100% towards meeting the requirements. This will ensure that every wager you make counts towards clearing the requirements, instead of wasting bets on low-contributing games.

FAQs

A wagering requirement represents the number of times you must play through a bonus before being able to withdraw any winnings made from it. Learn more about what constitutes “good wagering requirements”.

The wagering requirements for a bonus can usually be found in the terms and conditions section, or the promotion details.

No, you will not be able to withdraw any winnings made from a bonus until you have met the wagering requirement. Attempting to do so may result in losing both your bonus and any associated winnings.

Not all games contribute equally towards meeting the wagering requirements, and some don’t contribute at all. It is important to check the game weightings and restrictions for each bonus, as playing certain games may not count towards clearing the requirements at all.

Yes, bonuses and free spins often come with expiry dates or time limits within which the requirements must be met. You should keep track of these dates to avoid losing the bonus and any associated winnings.

This depends on the specific casino’s policies. Some casinos may allow you to forfeit a bonus and any associated winnings, while others may not offer this option.

You should check with the casino’s customer support for their specific policies regarding cancelling bonuses.

About the Author

Hi, I'm Laura Simpson, the Chief Editor at climatesmart.citieschallenge.org - With hundreds of reviews and thousands of no deposit bonuses, climatesmart.citieschallenge.org is certainly your one-stop destination for free online gambling. Our bonuses are updated daily and we pride ourselves on providing the highest percentage of working bonus, worldwide.