21 Feb 2023We all love a good casino bonus. Online casinos in particular can be very generous with their bonus offers, which commonly include things like deposit matches and free spins on various slot games. Lurking in the small print, however, are the dreaded wagering requirements. These days you may find free spins without wagering, but virtually every deposit match bonus comes with this condition attached.
So, what exactly are wagering requirements, and why do all online casinos use them? Is it really possible to beat them and win real cash from a bonus, or is it not even worth trying? We have all the answers in this guide to casino wagering requirements, and what steps you can take to beat them.
Wagering requirements are one of a number of terms and conditions applied to casino bonuses, which must be fulfilled before a player can cash out any winnings. Wagering is the most commonly used term, but the condition can also be called rollover or playthrough.
Wagering can be defined as the number of times the bonus amount (or winnings from free spins) must be re-wagered before it is converted from bonus credit into real cash that can be withdrawn. It is always written in the same way, for example 35x wagering means that the bonus must be played with thirty five times to satisfy the requirements.
The easiest way to understand is with an example. Let’s say you are playing with a welcome bonus that has the following wagering requirements and values:
With a 100% deposit match, you get the same amount as you deposited in bonus credit – effectively doubling your money. In this case the bonus is capped at $/€300, so in order to get the maximum bonus you would need to deposit $/€300. Let’s say that on this occasion you only want to make a deposit of $/€50, so you get a $/€50 bonus.
Wagering is 40x the bonus – 40 x $/€50 = $/€2000. So, in this scenario you must make wagers to the value of $/€2000, using just the original $/€50 bonus amount, if you want to be able to withdraw any winnings from that bonus. It means that you must win more than you lose until you have beaten that threshold. If your bonus balance gets to zero before you complete the wagering, then there can be no payout.
Quite simply, casinos want to protect their bottom line, while still attracting new players. The market is crowded and casinos are in fierce competition for customers, but they cannot afford to give out money with no strings attached. A nice big eye-catching bonus will draw people in, and the wagering will prevent too many of them from making significant wins from that bonus.
Wagering was also introduced as a way to prevent bonus hunting, which is when people signed up just to use the bonus and then moved on to a new site. Ultimately, however, wagering has become a legal requirement because of anti-money laundering (AML) legislation. If people could simply deposit and immediately withdraw funds then criminals could use this method to clean illegal cash.
Depending on the rules that apply in your country of residence, and on the individual casino site, wagering can apply to bonus funds only, or to both your cash deposit and the bonus. If we look again at the example we gave above, we can see that the latter scenario is much less favourable.
Not only is the wagering in the second scenario double the value, it also means that your own cash is now locked in and cannot be withdrawn. For this reason some casino regulators, such as the UK Gambling Commission, have prohibited this application of wagering. This is sometimes referred to as a ‘sticky’ bonus.
If we assume a house edge of 4%, then the loss over time in scenario 1 would be $/€80 and in the second it would be $/€160. In either case this is more than the bonus. In the long term, and in the majority of cases, bonuses are mathematically unlikely to result in cash winnings. However, with some smart play and a bit of luck, you can improve your chances.
The wagering is not the only condition to take into consideration when choosing a casino bonus. These other terms have an effect on how you go about wagering the bonus.
It may seem that the odds are very much stacked against the player when it comes to wagering, but of course it is not impossible to complete the requirements and still win some money. There are several steps that you can take, and many mistakes to be avoided, all of which could see you through wagering with some cash in your account.
Is it really necessary to beat the wagering? We don’t think so. One way to look at casino bonus money is simply as a way to play for longer at no extra cost. You could also use the bonus funds to try games that you may not have otherwise played. Then you can see if it is something that you would like to use your own money to play.
However, we are here to find ways to get through the wagering, so let’s look at some hints and tips to beat the wagering requirements.
This may seem obvious, but the lower the wagering the better. If you really want to beat wagering, then a smaller total bonus amount with low wagering is mathematically more likely to yield cash winnings than a larger bonus amount with high wagering.
Low wagering casinos cannot afford to give the same large bonuses as those with higher playthrough. But these seemingly smaller bonuses may actually offer greater value for money. Avoid high wagering sites – anything more than 40x and you will probably fail to complete the requirements.
Winnings from free spins usually get added to the bonus balance and the same wagering applies. Some casino sites these days have wager-free spins, and they are becoming more common. Other limits will apply, for example a max win cap.
As we saw above, when the bonus and cash funds are combined and wagering is applied to both, then the requirements are effectively much higher. That’s why our team at MrCasinova always recommends to go for non-sticky casino bonus.
One way to maximise your winning potential is to stick only to slots with a high return to player (RTP) percentage. We recommend RTP rates of 97% and above wherever possible. This means that, given enough time, players can expect to win $/€97 for every $/€100 wagered. RTP doesn’t allow for smaller timescales, so wins are of course possible in the short term – which includes when trying to clear wagering.
If you find a slot game with a very high RTP, then check to make sure that it is not weighted or excluded from wagering. Games that have a high RTP, which is the same as a low house edge, sometimes contribute less towards wagering – or not at all.
For example, low house edge games such as blackjack may contribute only 5% towards wagering. This means that for every dollar wagered only five cents count towards the requirements. Naturally you want to avoid low-weighted and exempt games when trying to clear wagering. A list of all these games should always be available in the terms and conditions on the casino website. In general it is only slots that count 100%.
Most casinos are very strict on enforcing the terms and conditions, and if you break one it is almost certain that your bonus will be forfeit. Once you tick that box that says that you agree to the bonus T&Cs, then it is your responsibility to read and understand them. If you break the rules by, for instance, making bets over the $/€5 maximum, then you will lose the bonus. If there are any terms that are ambiguous or hard to understand, then contact the customer support team for clarification.
Slot games are classed as low, medium or high volatility, also known as variance. Low volatility slots pay out smaller amounts at a more frequent rate. With high volatility slots the payouts are much bigger but come a lot less often, with medium falling somewhere in between.
There are two recommended strategies for playing the volatilities. The first is to make bigger bets on low volatility slots and hope that the frequent payouts will keep your balance going long enough to get through wagering.
The second is to make medium bets on high variance slots, so that you can make a larger number of spins. This is in the hope that you can get to a lucrative bonus round that will recoup any losses and hopefully net you even more. Both strategies work best with high RTP slots, of course.
There is no guaranteed way to beat the wagering requirements on a casino bonus. If there were a straightforward path to success, the casinos would change the rules again. Remember that wagering is there to preserve their profitability, as well as to prevent illegal activity.
However, as we have seen, there are definitely ways to improve your chances of getting through wagering with a profit at the end. Follow our tips and you may well manage to beat the wagering. When it comes down to it, a casino bonus is never going to make you rich. Playing casino games should not be seen as a path to wealth in any case. Free spins and deposit match bonuses are really there to give you extra time playing entertaining games.
Most of them do, but not all. For example, some free spins offers let you keep your winnings with no further wagering. Cashback bonuses often have low or no wagering as well. There will always be limits on how much you can win with a bonus, though, wagering requirements or not.
Some casinos impose a 1x wagering requirement on all deposits, for AML reasons. When considering deposit match bonuses, check the small print to see if wagering applies to the bonus + deposit (‘sticky’ bonus) or just to the bonus credit (‘non-sticky’ bonus).
Maybe, with a bit of strategy and some luck on your side. There is no foolproof way to do it, though.
Yes, of course. All bonuses are optional, and if you decide that you are not interested in trying to beat wagering then you can avoid them altogether by refusing the bonus. This can usually be done by contacting customer support.
We believe that there is no harm in accepting a bonus, even if you don’t manage to beat the wagering. Find a non-sticky bonus and see if you need it after playing with your deposited cash. If you have a decent win with your own money then you may decide to forfeit the bonus. If not, then the bonus gives you some extra time to play the casino games at no extra cost.
With over twelve years of experience, Beth brings a lot of knowledge in the field of gambling and always deals intensively with casinos reviews. She is responsible for most of the content that is written on MrCasinova.com and she also manages all MrCasinova.com contributors. Beth is native English and graduated with an MBA from Anglia Ruskin University.
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