” width=”333″ height=”316″>Game Weightings Explained: A Comprehensive Guide
- Rosie Bond
- 13 Jul 2023
Struggling to understand game weighting percentages and how they work? We’re here to help. This common T&C can be the difference between you winning and losing with a casino bonus. In this article, we’ll go over what it is, how it works, and how to use it to your advantage.
The Basics of Game Weighting Percentages
Let’s begin with the basics.
How game weighting percentages work
Casinos offer bonuses to attract new players. To make their bonuses more attractive, they sometimes let you play a wide variety of casino games.
But when a casino offers a bonus on high-odds games, such as blackjack or roulette, they take on a substantial risk. Players can easily win on these games, and the casino may suffer financially if too many players make a profit.
To mollify the short-term losses, casinos lower the game weighting percentages of certain games.
Take a look at these real online casino T&Cs for example:
Every $1 wagered on Slots, Real-Series Video Slots and Scratch Cards will count as $1 towards the wagering requirements of the bonus. Every $1 on any other game (except games excluded below) will count as $0.25 towards the wagering of the bonus.
Allowed games: All Games, except Baccarat, Bingo, Craps, Roulette, Pai-Gow Poker, Poker, Sic Bo and War. Non-slot games: $1 wager counts as $0.25 for playthrough.
Bets placed on Baccarat, Bingo, Craps, Roulette, Pai-Gow Poker, Poker, Sic Bo, War and ANY progressive variant of table games or slot games will not count towards the wagering requirements of the bonus and will void all winnings won on this promotion.
Let’s break down what’s going on here:
- Every $1 wagered on slots, real-series video slots, and scratch cards, counts $1 towards the wagering requirements. Therefore, the game weighting percentage for these games is 100%, as all of the $1 you bet on these games will contribute.
- As you may have noticed, Blackjack is not ineligible to play. However, as it is not explicitly listed, it falls under the umbrella of “Non-slot games.” These games contribute $0.25 of every $1 wagered, hence the game weighting percentage for blackjack is 25%.
- The games you are not allowed to play with the bonus include: Baccarat, Bingo, Craps, Roulette, Pai-Gow Poker, Poker, Sic Bo, and War. These games will not contribute any of your wager towards the wagering requirements, so the game weighting percentage is 0%.
In fact, playing on any of those games will void all of your winnings!
Here’s a chart that illustrates how much of the wagering requirements you will satisfy after wagering $100, depending on the game you play:
As the table illustrates, staking $100 on a slot game will contribute $100 to the wagering requirements; staking $100 on blackjack will contribute $25; and wagering on an ineligible game will contribute a big, fat $0 and void your bonus altogether.
Factors affecting game weighting percentages
A casino might lower the game weighting percentage of a particular game for one of 4 reasons:
- House edge – Games with a higher house edge typically have higher weighting percentages, as they favor the casino and pose a lower risk of massive player wins.
- Game popularity – Popular games, such as slots, often have higher weighting percentages to encourage players to enjoy these games and contribute to the casino’s revenue.
- Game volatility – High volatility games, which offer bigger but less frequent wins, may have lower weighting percentages to minimize the casino’s risk.
- Game mechanics – Some games, like blackjack or video poker, involve more strategy, leading to potentially lower house edges and subsequently lower game weighting percentages.
Common game categories and their typical weighting percentages
Due to the common factors that influence a player’s chances of winning with a casino bonus, there are common or “typical” game weighting percentages for different casino games.
Slots
Not only are slots among the most popular games, they are also a game of pure chance. Typical game weighting percentages for video slots are 100%, though this may be lower for progressive jackpot slots or slots with a high RTP or high volatility.
Table Games
The game weighting percentages for table games can be especially low as the house-edge can be leveled out significantly if the player is of a high skill-level. The likes of blackjack, roulette and baccarat typically contribute between 0-25%.
Video Poker
Video poker combines elements of skill and luck. The game weighting percentages can vary significantly from casino to casino, but most will place them between 10-30%.
Speciality Games
Games such as keno, scratch cards, and bingo, have quite unpredictable game weighting percentages. Some casinos may set it at 5%, others at 100%; there is a lot of variation.
Pro Tip
If a new player came to me and asked me which game they should play with a casino bonus, I would likely say: a slot game that contributes 100%. Trying to overcome the lowered game weighting percentage of a high odds game, when your skill level is low, is improbable.
The Role of Game Weighting Percentages in Casino Bonuses
Game weighting percentages play a crucial role in determining how each game contributes towards meeting the wagering requirements of casino bonuses. Different types of casino bonuses may have varying game weighting percentages and game restrictions, affecting the optimal strategy for using the bonus.
Deposit bonuses are promotions offered by casinos where players receive a bonus based on the amount of their deposit, often matched by a certain percentage.
In deposit bonuses:
- Slots usually have the highest game weighting percentages, typically 100%, making them the most effective games for meeting wagering requirements.
- Table games such as blackjack, roulette, and baccarat tend to have lower game weighting percentages, ranging from 0% to 25%, depending on the casino and specific game.
- Some casinos may exclude certain games from contributing towards wagering requirements or impose stricter restrictions on specific games or game categories.
New $2510 Match Bonus + 53FS on Great Golden Lion
New $4000 Match Bonus + 50FS on Glam CashNo deposit bonuses are promotions where players receive a bonus without having to deposit any money into their casino account.
With no deposit bonuses:
- Game weighting percentages may be more restrictive compared to deposit bonuses, as the casino aims to minimize the risk associated with offering free money.
- Slots often have high game weighting percentages, but certain high RTP slots might be excluded or have reduced weighting percentages.
- Table games and video poker usually have lower game weighting percentages, or may be excluded entirely from contributing towards wagering requirements.
Exclusive New 150 Free Spins on Primal Warriors Exclusive New 77 Free Spins on Mermaid Royale
Exclusive New 50 Free Spins on Alien FruitsFree spins are promotions where players receive a certain number of spins on a specific slot game or a group of slot games after making a small deposit.
For free spins:
- Game weighting percentages don’t directly apply while using the free spins, as the bonus is tied to a specific game or games.
- Any winnings from free spins may be subject to wagering requirements, with game weighting percentages similar to those of deposit or no deposit bonuses.
Exclusive New 150 Free Spins on Primal Warriors Exclusive New 77 Free Spins on Mermaid Royale Exclusive New 50 Free Spins on Alien Fruits
Exclusive New 77 Free Spins on Buffalo Mania DeluxeCashback bonuses are promotions where players receive a percentage of their net losses back as a bonus.
In cashback bonuses:
- Game weighting percentages may not apply directly, as the bonus is based on the player’s net losses rather than the amount wagered.
- Game restrictions may still be present, with certain games not being eligible for cashback or having a reduced percentage of cashback.
- If the cashback bonus itself has wagering requirements, game weighting percentages and restrictions similar to those of deposit or no deposit bonuses may apply when meeting those requirements.
Game Weighting Percentages and Wagering Requirements
It’s helpful to think of casino bonus T&Cs as a kind of puzzle with various pieces that fit and interact with one another. For instance, in the case of game weighting percentages, it’s also helpful to consider the wagering requirements.
You can only win real money with casino bonuses on the condition that you satisfy the wagering requirements. The wagering requirement is given as a multiplier – such as 20x – that determines how many times you have to wager the value of your bonus.
For example, if you claim a no deposit bonus worth $10, and the wagering requirements are 10x, you have to stake a sum-total of ($10 x 10) $100, before you can withdraw your bonus winnings.
Pro Tip
Want to learn more about wagering requirements?
We have the article for you! The wagering requirements may be the most important bonus T&C. And you can learn exactly what they are, how they work, and the best ways to meet them by checking out our article entitled Casino Wagering Requirements Explained.
The connection between game weighting percentages and wagering requirements is paramount. Generally, the higher the game weighting percentage, the quicker you meet the wagering requirements, and the more likely you will win real cash using your casino bonus.
But things are not always this simple. For instance, it’s perfectly reasonable in some cases to expect to win more playing a high-odds game with a decent game-weighting percentage, than a low-odds game with a high game-weighting percentage.
This is especially the case if you are a highly skilled player. Here’s an example to illustrate how this might work:
Let’s say you claim a welcome bonus with the following terms and conditions:
- Bonus Amount: $100
- Wagering Requirements: 20x
- Expiry Date: 7 days
- Game Weighting Percentages: Slots (100%), Blackjack (25%)
To meet the wagering requirements of 20x, you will need to place bets totalling ($100 x 20) $2000.
Now, let’s also say the slot game that’s eligible has a low RTP of 90%. Furthermore, you are a blackjack player of considerable skill: you understand basic strategy and card counting.
Here’s how this scenario might play out:
#1. If you were to play the slot game:
- The RTP of the slot is 90%, making the house-edge 10%.
- Since the game has a 100% game weighting, you will need to wager $2,000 to meet the wagering requirements.
- Assuming you place an average bet of $1 per spin, you will need to play 2,000 spins.
- With a house-edge of 10%, you will, on average, lose around (2,000 x 0.1) $200 before you complete the wagering requirements.
#2. If you were to play blackjack
- The house-edge is lowered to approximately 0.2% due to your high skill level.
- Since only 25% of your bet counts towards the wagering requirement, you have to wager ($2,000 x 100% / 25%) $8,000.
- Assuming you were able to place $10 bets, you would need to play 800 hands of blackjack (8,000 / 10).
- With a house-edge of 0.2%, you will, on average, lose around (8,000 x 0.002) $16 before you complete the wagering requirements.
Key Takeaways
- Whereas the slot player would experience an average loss of $200, the skilled blackjack player would experience an average loss of just $16. This is one – albeit rare – example whereby it would be preferable to play blackjack.
- However, you would also have to consider other conditions for this to work, including the maximum bet size, and the expiry date (it may be the case that playing 800 hands of blackjack takes considerably longer than 2,000 spins of a slot game).
- Overall, it’s important to consider the wagering requirements in relation to the game weighting percentages. In most cases, it will be better to play slot games – but there are cases when the T&Cs might favor the highly skilled table games player.
There are strategies you can employ that aren’t quite as intensive as the prior example.
Here are a few general tips you can use to guide your decision-making:
- Selecting games with higher weighting percentages
Simply put, you’re almost always better off playing the game that contributes more towards the wagering requirements. In cases where two different games contribute 100% to the requirements, play the one with the highest RTP. - Balancing high and low weighting percentage games
Another trick is to try and strike a balance, and play games with both high and low game weighting percentages. When your bonus balance gets low, you can switch to a game with better odds and build it back up. - Understanding game variance and risk
You can also consider the variance and risk of different games. A high-variance game comes with a high risk of losing. However, each win tends to be quite large. The opposite is true for low-variance games, which offer small, but consistent wins. Remember that high-variance games are likely to have lower-game weighting percentages, so it’s important you take those into account.
Game Weighting Percentages and Return to Player
In our last section, we mentioned the term RTP, or Return to Player. This is an important term that bears greatly on your chances of winning.
What is Return to Player (RTP)?
What it is
To determine the odds of a slot game – or any other game – game developers use a metric called Return to Player (RTP). It is usually expressed as a percentage, such as 96%, with higher percentages indicating more favorable odds.
How it works
The way it works is straightforward. Developers will test the game across 10,000-100,000 games. They will then calculate the average the slot returned to players of the slot game. Thus if each player wagered $100 and the average return was 96%, the RTP of the slot is 96%.
Why it’s important
RTP gives you an indication of the odds of a slot game. Higher RTPs can result in lower expected losses and improve the player’s chances of winning.
Pro Tip
How accurate is Return to Player (RTP)?
RTP is a highly accurate measurement of what it claims to measure. The statistical law of large numbers suggests that as a sample size increases, it gets closer to a reliable average. A sample size of 10,000-100,000 is a huge sample size, making RTP a very accurate measurement.
However, since RTP measures the average return of thousands of gaming sessions, the chances that it reflects your session are pretty low.
The impact of game weighting percentages on RTP
There is a negative correlation between a game’s weighting and its return to player. This means that, generally, as the RTP increases, the game weighting percentages decrease. Plotted on a graph.
It would look something like this:
Because blackjack’s return to player is so high, casinos will lower the game weighting percentage in order to reduce their risk of losing a lot of cash. This goes for all high-odds and high-volatility games, including the likes of progressive jackpot slots.
Tips for maximizing RTP while considering game weighting percentages
Now that we know what RTP is and how it works, let’s go over the ways you can use it to improve your chances.
Here are our 3 tips:
- Balance RTP with game weighting
Find a game that combines a high RTP with a decent game weighting. This allows for an overall better chance that you meet the wagering requirements without losing too much. - Research specific games
The game weighting percentages may differ not only by game type, but game variant. For instance, a video slot may have a game weighting percentage of 100%, whereas a progressive jackpot slot may only contribute 50%. Investigate which specific variant is the most favorable. - Consider your skill level
For games where player skill can influence the odds, factor in your own skill level. Remember that you can only maximize the odds on games like blackjack and roulette, by being able to carry out the optimal strategy!
Conclusion
To conclude, the game weighting percentages are vital to consider when you play with a casino bonus. If you are able to accurately understand the relationship between game weighting percentages and RTP, as well as other factors, such as your skill level and the broader impact of the T&Cs, you will improve your chances of winning by a great margin.
FAQ
The game weighting percentages are given in the terms and conditions of every bonus. We recommend you analyze these thoroughly before claiming.
Yes, you can! In some cases, it is even favorable to do so. Although we generally recommend that most players stick to games that contribute 100% to the wagering requirements.
To win in a game with a lowered game weighting percentage requires a high level of skill and a lot of effort.
No, they’re not. There is a lot of variability with game weighting percentages. Some casinos may be more favorable than others, and many casinos are likely to restrict you to one or a small handful of games.
