Understanding Wagering Requirements: The Key to Unlocking Bonuses

Casino bonuses always come with rules, and it's essential that you understand those rules, or you might miss your chance to claim an offer. Wagering requirements are one of the most common bonus rules linked to deposit match and free spin bonuses. Learn how these rules work, and you'll increase your chances of claiming your bonus money successfully.

What are Wagering Requirements?

Wagering requirements are a rule that applies to deposit match and free spin bonuses you claim from online casinos. To leverage these bonuses, you must wager a specific amount of money before you can withdraw either your bonus money or your free spin winnings. The amount you must wager is called your wagering requirement or your playthrough requirement. Some casinos require you to wager 10x your bonus or winnings amount, while others will ask for as much as 60x those amounts. The requirements are different at each casino, and you should understand those requirements before trying to claim a bonus.

Calculating Deposit Match Wagering Requirements

There are two ways that deposit match wagering requirements are calculated. Including the deposit amount and excluding the deposit amount. Excluding the deposit is the most common way to calculate these requirements, so we'll start there.

If you're playing at a casino that doesn't count your deposit amount in the wagering requirements, you must multiply the bonus money you were given by the wagering multiplier. If you receive $60 in bonus money from the casino, and you have 25x wagering requirements, you would have to wager $1,500 before you could withdraw that bonus money.

If you're gambling at a casino that counts deposit money as well, you add your deposit and your bonus amount and then multiply by the wagering requirements. If you deposit $50 and receive $75 in bonus money and your wagering requirements are 30x, you would multiply $125 by 30 to get $3,750. Wager that amount while playing a qualifying game, and the bonus money is yours.

Calculating Free Spin Wagering Requirements

If you're using a free spin bonus offer, you can easily calculate how much money you must wager to meet the wagering requirements. To do this, multiply your total winnings from your free spins by the wagering requirements multiplier. So if you won $15 and your wagering requirements are 20x, you would have a value of $300. You must wager $300 before you're allowed to withdraw the $15 you won in this example.

Only Some Games Qualify Toward Wagering Requirements

Along with having to think about how much you must wager to meet your requirements, you also have to choose to play games that count towards them. Normally slots count more than any other game type toward meeting wagering requirements. Usually, all the money you wager on slots goes towards your requirements, but maybe only 50% or 20% of table games and 10% of video poker count toward your wagering requirements. Read the terms of service at your casino closely to find out which types of games you should play to meet your wagering requirements as fast as possible.

Improve Your Chances to Beat the Wagering Requirements

Wagering requirements are in place to protect casinos from money laundering charges, but also often to help a casino save on how much bonus money it gives out. Depending on the requirements attached to a bonus, it can be challenging to meet the required playthrough amount. Fortunately, there are steps you can take to improve your chances.

Start by choosing a bonus with lowering wagering requirements of 20x or less if possible. Make sure you're playing the right games, such as slots, that count 100% towards meeting the wagering requirements. Also, choose high RTP slots such as White Rabbit, Blood Suckers, or Halloween Fortune to make it easier to play for longer without losing as much money.

If you do those things, you can give yourself the best chances of meeting the playthrough requirements and unlocking your bonus money.