A casino bonus sounds simple until you read the wagering requirement. A “$100 bonus at 35x wagering” doesn’t mean you get $100 to keep, it means you need to bet $3,500 in total before you can withdraw any winnings. That’s the number that determines whether a bonus is worth taking.
What Wagering Requirements Actually Are
Wagering requirements (also called “playthrough requirements”) specify the total betting volume you must complete before converting bonus funds to real, withdrawable cash. They exist because without them, players could claim a $100 bonus, bet $1, and immediately withdraw.
The formula: bonus amount × wagering multiplier = total bets required.
$100 bonus at 35x wagering = $3,500 in bets required.
$100 bonus at 50x wagering = $5,000 in bets required.
$100 bonus at 20x wagering = $2,000 in bets required.
Some casinos apply the multiplier to both the bonus and the deposit: a $100 deposit plus $100 bonus at 35x means $7,000 in bets. Read the terms carefully, “deposit + bonus” wagering is a much larger commitment than “bonus only.”
Calculating the Real Cost
The expected cost of a wagering requirement = total bets required × house edge on the games you play.
If you clear a $100 bonus at 35x wagering by playing European roulette (2.7% house edge): $3,500 × 0.027 = $94.50 in expected losses from wagering. Net expected value of the bonus: $100 − $94.50 = $5.50. Marginally positive, barely worth it.
Same $100 bonus cleared on slots with a 5% house edge: $3,500 × 0.05 = $175 in expected losses. Net EV: −$75. The bonus costs you money on net.
The math changes dramatically with lower house edges. Clearing on blackjack with basic strategy (0.5% edge): $3,500 × 0.005 = $17.50 in expected losses. Net EV: $82.50. Excellent, which is exactly why blackjack is almost always excluded from bonus wagering, or contributes only 5–10% toward the requirement.
Game Contribution Rates
Most bonuses specify how different games contribute toward the wagering requirement. Typical structure:
| Game Type | Typical Contribution |
|---|---|
| Slots | 100% |
| Keno, Scratch Cards | 100% |
| Roulette | 10–20% |
| Blackjack | 5–10% (or excluded) |
| Baccarat | 5–10% (or excluded) |
| Video Poker | 5–10% (or excluded) |
| Live Casino | 10–20% (or excluded) |
When slots contribute 100% and blackjack contributes 10%, clearing a $3,500 wagering requirement on blackjack actually requires $35,000 in blackjack bets (because each $10 blackjack bet only counts as $1 toward the requirement). The restriction effectively forces you onto high-edge games to clear the bonus quickly.
Other Terms That Matter
Expiry: Bonuses expire, typically within 7–30 days of being credited. If you don’t clear the wagering in time, the bonus and associated winnings are forfeited. Tight expiry windows on high multipliers are a pressure tactic, don’t take a bonus you can’t realistically clear in the given timeframe.
Maximum bet while wagering: Most bonuses restrict the bet size allowed during wagering, commonly $5 per spin or per hand. Exceeding this limit often voids the bonus entirely, even if you were winning. Check this number before you start and respect it.
Maximum withdrawable winnings: Some bonuses cap how much you can withdraw from bonus winnings, “max withdrawal 5x bonus amount” means you can only take out up to $500 from a $100 bonus, regardless of how much you win during wagering. This cap is often buried in the terms.
Game restrictions: Beyond contribution rates, specific games or providers may be excluded entirely. Playing an excluded game while a bonus is active sometimes voids the bonus, even if you weren’t playing with bonus funds.
Which Bonuses Are Actually Worth Taking
The math points to a simple filter: a bonus is likely worth taking when the total bets required × the applicable house edge is less than the bonus amount. In practice, this means:
- Wagering of 20x or lower on slot-cleared bonuses can be positive EV at typical slot edges of 3–5%
- No-deposit bonuses with moderate wagering are often worth the time investment, especially with max win caps that limit your upside but also limit your risk
- Free spins with low wagering on the winnings (5x–10x) are among the best-value bonus formats
- Bonuses above 40x on a slot-only clearing path are almost never positive EV
The easiest filter: read the full terms before claiming. If the wagering multiplier isn’t clearly stated, the applicable games aren’t listed, and the expiry isn’t specified, skip it. A bonus with opaque terms is usually designed to be impossible to clear.
