What a wagering requirement is
A wagering requirement, also called playthrough or rollover, is a multiple of a bonus (or sometimes of your deposit plus the bonus) that you must bet before you can withdraw. At 40x on a $100 bonus you must place $4,000 of bets in total.
Every bet counts whether it wins or loses. The requirement measures turnover, not profit, so winning early does not shorten it.
The base matters as much as the multiplier
The multiple applies to a base amount, and offers differ on what that base is. 40x on a $100 bonus is $4,000 of wagering. 40x on deposit plus bonus, with a $100 deposit matched 100%, is 40 x $200 = $8,000 - twice as much for the same headline number. Two offers that both say "40x" can be very different, so find out which base each one uses before you compare them.
Not every game counts equally
Operators set a contribution rate for each type of game. Slots commonly count 100%, while table games and live dealer games often count a small percentage or are excluded altogether, and some individual slots are barred. If table games count 10%, a $4,000 requirement needs $40,000 of table-game bets. The bonus terms list the rates, and a game that does not count can use up your bonus without moving you closer to withdrawing.
Other conditions that change the value
- Maximum bet: most bonuses cap the stake per spin or round while the bonus is active, and exceeding it can void the bonus and winnings.
- Time limit: a requirement of 30 or more times the bonus has to be completed within the stated window, often 7 to 30 days.
- Cash-out cap: some bonuses limit how much you can withdraw from bonus winnings, for example a multiple of the bonus.
- Free spin winnings: these often carry their own wagering requirement, separate from the bonus.
- Withdrawing early: it usually means cancelling the bonus, which forfeits it and sometimes the winnings made with it.
What a bonus really costs
Every game has a house edge, so wagering costs you money on average. The expected cost is roughly the total amount wagered, divided by the game contribution, times the house edge. Take $4,000 of wagering on slots at 96% RTP (a 4% house edge): the average cost is about $160. Against a $100 bonus, the average outcome is a loss of about $60.
That is an average over many players and many bets - you can win or lose far more in one session - but it shows why a large bonus with a high multiplier can be worth less than a smaller bonus with light terms. Lower multipliers, higher-RTP games, and wager-free or cashback offers move the arithmetic in your favour. Our bonus calculator does this sum for any offer.
A worked comparison of two offers
Take two offers, both played on slots at 96% RTP (a 4% house edge) where slots count 100%. Offer A is a 100% match up to $200 with 35x wagering on the bonus alone. Offer B is a 50% match up to $200 with 20x wagering on deposit plus bonus. You deposit $100 in each.
Offer A gives you a $100 bonus and needs 35 x $100 = $3,500 of wagering, which costs about $140 on average at a 4% edge. The bonus is worth $100, so the average result is a loss of about $40. Offer B gives you a $50 bonus and needs 20 x $150 = $3,000 of wagering, which costs about $120 on average. Against a $50 bonus that is a loss of about $70.
The offer with the lower multiplier, B, is the worse deal here, because its bonus is half the size and its base includes your own deposit. This is why the headline number alone tells you very little. The same sum works for any offer: bonus value minus (wagering required x house edge).
Sticky and non-sticky bonuses
Terms differ on how bonus money and your own money are kept apart. With a sticky (non-cashable) bonus the bonus amount stays in the account as a separate balance and is removed when you withdraw, so only the winnings you make with it can be paid out. With a non-sticky bonus your own cash is normally bet first, and the bonus is only brought into play if that runs out or after you have placed a certain amount of bets, which means a lucky run on your own money can be withdrawn without ever completing the bonus wagering.
Which type an offer is changes how much it is worth, and it is not always stated in the headline. The terms normally describe how the two balances are used and what happens to each when you request a withdrawal.
A checklist before you accept a bonus
- What is the multiplier, and is it applied to the bonus alone or to deposit plus bonus?
- Do the games you want to play count in full toward it?
- What is the maximum bet, and how long do you have?
- Is there a cap on what you can cash out?
- Can you decline the bonus and still play with your own money?