Casinos set wagering requirements to prevent bonus abuse. In other words, the wagering requirement exists to prevent players from withdrawing bonus money without playing. There are big differences in wagering requirements, and this is a huge factor in determining the quality of a bonus. Some casinos will have you wager both the bonus money and your own deposit up to 40 times, while other casinos only require 30 times the bonus money. The difference in actual money is staggering.
In general, it’s definitely worthwhile to play on online casinos with bonuses and free spins. However, since the wagering requirements vary greatly from one casino to another, we as players will always want to check the quality of a bonus before making a deposit. Bonuses will typically have a wagering requirement of 30 to 40 times and upwards. This applies to all types of casino bonuses - no deposit bonuses, welcome offers, free spins, and the rest.
Use our filters and find the casino for the best betting requirements for a big bonus with low wagering!
Depending on the casino and the bonus, the wagering requirement is either tied to the bonus amount only, or to both the bonus amount and your own deposit. We highlight this hugely important factor as “D+B” and “B” (“Deposit+Bonus money”, and “Bonus money only”) in our lists all throughout the site.
Furthermore, the wagering requirement has to be met within a set time frame. The time limit for wagering a casino bonus is dependent on the casino and the type of bonus.
Players should also notice that many times the bonus cannot be wagered in all the games, but is limited to a small selection of eligible games. For example, bets placed on table games do not count towards the wagering requirement at all, or, if it does, the effect towards the wagering amount is less than the actual bet. Most likely online casinos have also determined an array of slots that will not contribute towards the wagering requirement at all. All this information can be found from the casino’s bonus terms and conditions.
How to wager a casino bonus - example
Here is an example of how to wager a bonus: You join a new casino and grab a free spins no deposit bonus, use your free spins and manage to win €5. Your €5 win is now turned into bonus money. This free spins no deposit bonus (your win turned into bonus money) has a wagering requirement of 20x, meaning that the winnings from your free spins must be wagered 20 times before you’re allowed to withdraw any money. In this case, you’d have to place bets to a total value of €100 before you can withdraw any winnings.
Further important T’s & C’s are worth considering. Let’s build on the above example: You’ve successfully met the wagering requirement and still have a balance of €50. The casino you’re playing at applies a “max win” limit to their free spins no deposit bonus. The maximum win amount is the largest withdrawal you’re allowed from your account, in this case, €30.
Important Terms and Conditions
Other common Terms and Conditions state that you’ll have to make a “first deposit” to be allowed any withdrawals from your account. This is completely normal on many online casinos and a KYC-requirement. The deposit is to verify your account and your money transfer method.
If the player doesn’t meet the Terms & Condition the online casino can cancel the bonus. This is the main reason as to why we strongly encourage players to pay attention to wagering. All online casinos apply different rules for bonus wagering, so always, and we do mean always, check out the details of the promotion before taking the bonus. Please notice that a single online casino might apply several different bonus T’s & C’s. This is particularly true for welcome bonuses compared to the other promotions presented on the casino.
Beat the Wagering Requirement
It’s not always easy to beat the wagering requirement. The only way to improve your chances is to be fully aware of the T’s & C’s. This way you can play all the games that contribute 100% towards the wagering, and thus meet the requirements quicker. To beat the wagering requirements and come out on top requires knowledge and a fair bit of luck!
Wagering Bonus Money
Wagering bonus money can be an arduous task. The more bonus money you get, the more you’ll have to wager, or “play through” as it’s also called. Your wagering amount, or play through amount, is the total value of bets you have to place to meet the requirement. This is where it’s important to know whether you have to wager the bonus alone, or the bonus PLUS your deposit (“B”, or “D+B”). This is a determining factor in assessing the quality of a bonus.
Make sure to play on eligible games, otherwise, your bets won’t count for anything in terms of wagering requirements.
Wagering Free Spins
Wagering free spins works in the same way as it does with bonus money. Unless you’ve found a rare casino that offers wager-free free spins, the winnings from your free spins bonus are turned into bonus money. Your winnings are seen as the bonus amount, and this amount is what’s up for wagering.
Say, you get 20 free spins no deposit with a wagering requirement of 40x. You spin away and manage to win €10. The total cost of wagering the bonus is €400 (Your win times wagering = 10x40).
Wagering No Deposit Bonus
Wagering a no deposit bonus works in the same way as any other type of casino bonus. Make sure you’re aware of the wagering requirement and the rules of wagering. That is, how many times do I have to wager the bonus, what games are eligible for wagering, what is the minimum bet level, what’s the maximum win?
Casino Bonus No Wagering
A casino bonus free from wagering requirement. This is a golden opportunity for all gamblers - the Holy Grail of bonuses. Should you manage to find a wager free bonus, grab it without hesitation. Wager free bonuses are mostly available as free spins bonuses, i.e. wager-free free spins. The winnings from these bonuses are yours and ready to be withdrawn. Although, keep in mind that it’s likely to be a maximum win limit or a maximum withdrawal limit.
Best Games for Wagering a Casino Bonus
The best games to play to wager a casino bonus are the ones that contribute 100% of the bet towards the wagering. This is detailed in the T’s & C’s but may require a bit of searching.
Video slots are usually the best games to play when you have a wagering requirement to beat. Many video slots contribute 100%, but some slots contribute less. Games on the live casino and table game-slots rarely contribute at all, but there are a few casinos where live casino games contribute up to 20%.
Best Slots for Wagering
There are most usually slot machines that are excluded from bonus wagering play. These are usually slots with a progressive mega jackpot like Jackpot 6000, Mega Moolah, Mega Fortune, and so on. There are, however, some jackpot slots that tend to be eligible, such as Jack and the Beanstalk and Holmes and the Stolen Stones.
In general, the higher the RTP and the lower the volatility of a slot, the better it is for the purpose of wagering a bonus.
