” width=”333″ height=”316″>Casino Wagering Requirements Explained
- Rosie Bond
- 11 Jul 2023
Are you tired of trying to navigate the sometimes complex world of casino wagering requirements? Maybe you’re not entirely sure of what they entail, or more importantly, how they affect your chances of winning real cash from a casino bonus.
Our comprehensive guide will delve further into this crucial element which, like it or not, is attached to the vast majority of casino bonus terms and conditions. We’ll break down the basics of what wagering requirements are, why they exist, and how to utilise them to your own advantage.
What are Casino Wagering Requirements?
Wagering requirements are used by online casinos to ensure players can’t claim a bonus and simply withdraw the funds without playing any games. Without them in place, the bonus would be credited as real cash meaning the casino would effectively be handing out free money to multiple players.
In practice, wagering requirements force players to wager a certain amount of money before they can withdraw any winnings. They are expressed as a multiplier value and can range greatly depending on the type of bonus offered, as well as the generosity of the casino itself.
How Do Wagering Requirements Work?
The key to figuring out how wagering requirements work is by taking the bonus amount alongside the multiplier value as listed in the terms. Let’s take the example of a $10 bonus with a 25x multiplier.
To convert the bonus into real cash, and thus make it eligible for withdrawal, you would need to wager a total of $250 ($10 x 25).
If you manage to complete the wagering requirements, any funds remaining in your bonus balance will be converted to your real balance. This could be more or less than the $10 you were initially awarded – it simply depends on how fortunate you get.
However, bear in mind that no deposit bonuses come with a withdrawal cap. This limits how much you can cash out, often set somewhere between $50 and $200. Deposit match bonuses usually remove this clause however.
What Actually Is Wagering?
In layman’s terms, a wager is simply another way of referring to a bet. In relation to casino specifically, this could be a spin on a slot or chip placed on a table game.
Wagering requirements take into account the total sum of individual bets placed, and not your overall profit or loss. The following table will help visualise how a succession of bets will affect a $250 target figure starting with a $10 bonus.
| BET | RESULT | NEW BALANCE | REMAINING WAGERING |
|---|---|---|---|
| $1.00 on a slot | Win $4.00 | $14 | $249.00 |
| $2.00 on a slot | Lose $2.00 | $12 | $247.00 |
| $0.50 on a slot | Win $0.50 | $12 | $246.50 |
As you can see, regardless of the result and how it affects your existing balance, the wagering target will only be reduced by the individual bet value itself.
Is Wagering Automatic?
An often-overlooked term comes with how the casino counts bonus wagering. In relation to deposit bonuses specifically, they will usually split your funds into different wallets, thus giving you a separate real money and bonus money balance.
Your real money balance is always used before bonus funds when both are available in your account. Some casinos count real money bets towards the wagering requirements, whilst others only do so after all your deposited cash has gone and you start to use bonus funds.
This is a good reason alone to check the terms and conditions for any mention of how bonus wagering is counted by the casino system. Should there not be an obvious reference to it, we recommend you contact customer support to clarify the matter.
Wager Free Bonuses… Do They Exist?
Yes they do! Wager free bonuses are a real thing, but as you’d probably imagine, are pretty hard to come by and require a deposit to claim. They often come in the shape of free spins where you get to keep whatever is won as instant cash!
Wagering Requirements on Different Bonuses
Although the principle of wagering requirements stays the same, they are applied slightly differently depending on the type of bonus claimed. We’ll take a look at them here with some examples thrown in too.
Upon claiming no deposit bonus cash, the wagering requirements are simply related to the value of the bonus itself. For example, with a $30 bonus and 35x wagering requirement, you’d need to bet a total of $1,050 ($30 x 35) on eligible casino games.
The wagering requirements of no deposit free spins are calculated slightly differently. The multiplier is linked to the winnings achieved after all spins have been completed – not the monetary value of the free spins.
So, should you win $7.40 after playing through your free spins with a 30x multiplier, the wagering required would be $222 ($7.40 x 30). You are now free to wager this on any eligible casino game and are not restricted to the same slot where spins were originally credited.
Deposit bonuses work in the same way as above, but with one possible exception. Some casinos also include the deposit value as well as the bonus amount/free spin winnings when imposing the wagering requirements.
Let’s say you claim a 50% match offer with 20x wagering requirements attached, awarding a $20 bonus on a $40 deposit. Instead of simply needing to wager $400 ($20 x 20), the target figure would be increased.
The wagering would instead be calculated as $20 (bonus amount) + $40 (deposit value) x 20 (wagering requirement), giving us a total of $1,200. As you can see, this is a much larger figure than before and a good reason to always check the terms before opting in!
How Bonus T&Cs Affect Wagering Requirements
It’s not rocket science to work out that the lower the wagering requirements are, the more chance you have of converting the bonus into real money. A $100 bonus with 20x wagering ($2,000) is far more attainable compared to 70x wagering for example ($7,000).
However, other aspects within the bonus terms and conditions will also influence the wagering requirements and how you approach tackling them.
Our expert team share some industry knowledge regarding these here:
Hold It Right There!
First things first… don’t just dive straight into bonus wagering! There’s one crucial term to familiarise yourself with – that of game eligibility. The casino will prohibit wagering on certain game categories (i.e. live casino, bingo, table games) and even some types of slots such as progressive jackpots. In some cases, playing just 1 cent on them can see your bonus winnings forfeited.
For the casino games that are eligible, note that some of them will contribute differently towards the wagering requirement. This is a clause inserted by the casino based on the return-to-player (RTP) potential some games offer compared with others.
To prevent you converting the bonus more comfortably by playing on higher RTP games, the casino will ‘weight’ these down to redress the balance. For example, because blackjack and roulette offer a reasonable ROI (return on investment), they’re a prime target for being weighted down.
On the other hand, the vast majority of slots will not face any weighting at all. Therefore, the entirety of your bet will be counted towards the wagering requirements. All in all, this could leave us with something like a 10% contribution for table games and 100% for slots.
Example 1: Bet $2 on a table game with a 10% contribution. Only $0.20 will be counted.
Example 2: Bet $2 on a slot game with a 100% contribution. The full $2 will be counted.
Of course, when it comes to fulfilling the wagering requirements, this should severely impact how you play. The following table outlines why, using the example of trying to hit a $400 wagering target and playing the same stake on each bet.
| Game | Contribution | Total Wagering Required |
|---|---|---|
| Slots | 100% | $400 |
| Table Games | 10% | $4,000 |
So, even though playing roulette may offer a better chance of winning in both the short and long term, it also means you’d need to wager 10 times as much compared with slots. For more information on how game weighting works, check out our full guide.
Consider which specific type of slot games are worth investing in whilst bonus wagering. Because they operate on different mechanics, it pays to understand which one presents the best chance to preserve your balance and win a consistent stream of bets.
High RTP slots pay back a greater percentage of all the money put in by players. With this in mind, we recommend finding slots with an RTP anywhere of 96% or above to ‘theoretically’ provide the best chance of unlocking the bonus.
But there’s also another factor to consider – volatility. This indicates how often and how much a slot machine is expected to pay out.
Low volatility slots will pay out smaller amounts but on a more frequent basis, as you might find with a game such as Starburst. On the other hand, high volatility slots will pay out less often but with larger payouts coming your way, as with Book of Dead.
Choosing which type to play can simply come down to your preference, or likewise, the state of your current balance. With limited bonus funds, you may opt for a low volatile slot to try and pick up smaller wins to preserve your balance over consistent spins.
Alternatively, you may decide on a more gung-ho approach, realising your only chance of hitting the wagering requirements is with a big win from a relatively small stake. Therefore, a highly volatile slot is the way to go in this instance.
Once you begin wagering your bonus, there will most likely be a maximum bet limit applied. This means you can’t exceed the stated value when coming to place your bets on any eligible casino game.
This limit isn’t automatically enforced within the game itself. In other words, there’s nothing to stop you (accidentally or inadvertently) exceeding the max limit. Therefore, it’s imperative you look out for this clause in the terms which, as a general rule, is usually set around $5 per bet/spin.
After claiming the bonus, you will need to satisfy the wagering requirements within a set time period. Although it is usually reasonable, often lasting between 7 – 14 days, you still need to keep an eye on the clock as soon as the bonus becomes active.
For larger deposit casino bonuses in particular, you’ll have to place a consistent ratio of bets so as not to overstep the validity period. Remember, the casino will most likely invalidate the entire bonus if you don’t wager enough in time.
Can I See My Current Wagering Progress?
The best Australian online casinos will present a wagering requirements tracker somewhere in your ‘My Account’ section or cashier. This gives you real-time updates of how much you have left to wager after every bet placed, calculating game weighting contributions automatically as well.
Our Wagering Requirement Bonus Recommendations
Australian online casinos approach their welcome bonuses differently. Some use tempting no deposit offers to attract new players, whilst others offer generous match bonuses that credit big chunks of bonus cash and/or free spins upon a first deposit.
The same applies with wagering requirements. Their size can vary greatly at different casinos, meaning it’s worthwhile to shop around before opting into an offer, whilst also considering other bonus T&C’s as we’ve outlined above.
So how do you make a sensible comparison? First, you’ll need to differentiate between the type of bonus available.
As you’d probably expect, no deposit bonuses typically come with relatively high wagering requirements due to the generous nature of the deal. In most cases, they’ll range anywhere from 40x – 65x.
Therefore, finding a no deposit offer with wagering requirements below 40x is an opportunity you wouldn’t want to turn down.
Thebes Casino is one such brand where this is a possibility. They offer a variety of bonus cash and free spin deals with just 20x wagering! This gives you a more realistic chance of converting the bonus into real cash winnings.
Mega Medusa Casino offers a $30 no deposit bonus with a 40x wagering requirement. This means you must play an amount equivalent to 40 times your bonus.
Here’s a calculation that puts this into perspective:
$30 bonus x a 40x wagering requirement = $1200 to wager.
So, once you’ve played $1200, any remaining funds in your bonus balance are converted to real money and transferred to your cash balance. You can now withdraw your bonus winnings.
Wagering requirements for deposit bonuses are usually reduced where you can expect something around the 30x – 45x mark. However, don’t be surprised to see match deals that exceed this figure.
This is usually the case when a massive portion of bonus cash is up for grabs and withdrawal limits are removed. The high wagering requirements here therefore act as a form of protection against excessive losses by the casino.
Video Slots is one such brand that is willing to offer just a 20x wagering requirement upon its 100% match deposit bonus. Comparatively speaking, this provides an attainable target figure once you begin bonus wagering.
PlayCroco Casino greets new players with a $100 match bonus subject to a 60x wagering requirement. This means that you must play an amount equivalent to 60 times your bonus to cash out your winnings.
Now, if you deposit $20 and claim this bonus you have to play $6000 to convert the bonus funds to real money you can cash out.
See this calculation:
$100 bonus x a 60x wagering requirement = $6000 to wager.
When you’ve played $6000, any remaining funds in your bonus balance are converted to real money and transferred to your cash balance. Now, can now withdraw your bonus winnings!
Conclusion
Wagering requirements are a crucial part of the online casino industry as they protect casinos from abuse while allowing them to offer attractive bonuses to players.
The range of wagering requirements available can vary widely, although we do try and find them as low as possible to give our players a better chance of winning real money. Even so, you will still need a healthy dose of good fortune to convert the bonus successfully.
Hopefully, this guide has given you a much better understanding of how wagering requirements work and how best to navigate them in relation to other important T&Cs.
FAQs
Wagering requirements are the number of times a player must wager a bonus before withdrawing winnings. They are expressed as a multiplier value linked to the bonus value or free spin winnings.
Wagering requirements are used by online casinos to ensure that players don’t simply withdraw bonus funds instantly, something required especially in the case of no deposit bonuses. It’s also a way to manage risk and ensure the casino stays profitable.
To calculate the wagering requirements, multiply the bonus amount by the wagering requirement multiplier. For example, a $100 bonus with a 30x wagering requirement would require $3,000 in total wagers.
No, different games contribute differently towards the wagering requirements. For example, slots usually contribute 100%, whilst table games may only contribute 10% or less.
Players must meet the wagering requirements before withdrawing winnings. Attempting to withdraw is not usually possible until this has been achieved, or if it is, may result in the loss of existing bonus funds.
Yes, some online casinos offer bonuses with no wagering requirements. However, these are rarely found and are typically found only with a deposit, coming with other restrictions or limitations too.
