Wagering Requirements, Explained

A wagering requirement, also called playthrough, is the total amount you must bet before bonus money or bonus winnings can be withdrawn, written as a multiple like 30x, so a $100 bonus at 30x means you must place $3,000 in bets before you can cash out. The multiple is only half the story, though. How the casino calculates it, and which games count, can quietly double or triple the real work. This page makes the math concrete.

The formula, with worked examples

The base calculation is simple: multiply the bonus (or deposit plus bonus) by the requirement.

• Bonus-only wagering. Only the bonus is multiplied. A $100 bonus at 30x means $100 x 30 = $3,000 in bets. This is the player-friendly version.
• Deposit plus bonus wagering. Both are multiplied. Deposit $100, get a $100 bonus at 30x, and you owe 30x ($100 + $100) = $6,000. Same headline “30x,” double the turnover.

Always check which base the casino uses, because it changes the real requirement by a factor of two or more.

Game weighting is the hidden multiplier

Not every bet counts fully. Casinos assign each game category a weighting toward wagering:

• Slots usually count 100%.
• Table games (blackjack, roulette) and video poker often count 10% to 20%, or are excluded.

That weighting is where players get stuck. A $3,000 requirement sounds like $3,000 of slot play, but at 20% weighting on table games it becomes $3,000 / 0.20 = $15,000 of actual betting. If you prefer table games, a slots-friendly bonus may not be for you at all.

The terms that stack on top

Wagering never travels alone. A maximum bet while the bonus is active, a time limit to finish, a maximum cashout on winnings, and an eligible-games list all interact with the multiple. A 30x requirement with a 7-day limit and a $250 cashout cap is a very different offer from 30x with 30 days and no cap.

How to estimate a bonus’s real cost before you opt in

A quick back-of-envelope check: take the multiple, times the base (bonus, or deposit plus bonus), divided by the weighting of the games you will actually play. That is your true turnover. Then weigh it against the house edge you expect to pay over that much betting. If the expected loss to clear it approaches the bonus itself, the offer is not worth taking.

When wagering makes a bonus not worth it

Skip a bonus when the signs stack up: a high multiple, low game weighting for the games you play, a short time limit, and a small cashout cap. Those four together turn a big headline number into a near-impossible clear. How the different bonus types carry these terms is in how casino welcome bonuses actually work, and whether you can ever get the money out is in can you withdraw casino bonus money. For the full money picture, start at the casino money guide. Legal US online casinos are 21+; if gambling stops being fun, call or text 1-800-GAMBLER.