What Are Wagering Requirements?
Wagering requirements meaning is how many times you must bet your bonus or its winnings before you can withdraw money. For example, a 40x requirement means you must place bets totalling 40 times the bonus value. Below, we've prepared a detailed guide explaining what wagering is, why it exists, the different types of wagering — and much more.
How to Calculate Wagering Requirements?
Let’s take the welcome bonus as a clear wagering requirements example. New players receive a 100% bonus up to £100 on their first deposit, along with 100 free spins on the Book of Dead slot.
Suppose you deposit £20.
Since the offer includes a 100% match, you’ll get an additional £20 in bonus funds. This gives you £20 real money + £20 bonus.
According to the terms, the bonus must be wagered 30 times the sum of the deposit and bonus. That means 30 × (£20 + £20) = £1,200 must be wagered before any withdrawal is allowed.
You have 30 days to meet this requirement. If you don’t, both the bonus and any winnings from it will be cancelled.
Free spins are credited in sets of 20 per day over 5 days. Winnings from these spins are considered bonus funds and must be wagered 45 times. So, if you win £10, you’ll need to wager £450. This must be done within 7 days.
Different Types of Wagering Requirements Explained
Not all bonuses come with the same conditions. Sometimes you need to wager only the bonus amount, in other cases both the deposit and bonus, and occasionally just the winnings from free spins. This has a direct impact on your real chances of cashing out. If you don’t understand the rules in advance, you could end up claiming a bonus with unrealistic terms. Below, you’ll find the main types of wagering requirements explained, along with examples from UK casinos.
Bonus Only Wagering
This is one of the simplest and most common types of wagering. It means that the player only needs to wager the bonus amount a certain number of times before being able to withdraw any winnings. The deposit itself is not included in the wagering calculation.
For example, there is a 100% bonus offer of up to £200. Suppose you deposit £50 — you will receive £50 in bonus funds. The wagering requirement is 40x the bonus amount, so:
£50 × 40 = £2,000. This is how much you need to wager before being allowed to cash out.
You have 90 days to meet the requirement, which gives you plenty of time, but the total wagering amount is still high.
Bonus + Deposit Wagering
This type of wagering requirement means you must wager both your deposit and the bonus amount. As a result, the total amount you need to play through doubles compared to offers where only the bonus must be wagered. The higher the multiplier, the harder it is to meet the conditions.
For example, if you deposit £20 and receive a £20 bonus (a 100% match offer), the 30x wagering requirement applies to the full sum: £20 + £20 = £40. This means you need to wager £1,200 (30 × £40) before you can withdraw any winnings. It’s much tougher than it seems at first glance — especially when you factor in time limits and betting restrictions.
Free Spins Winnings Wagering
You only need to wager the money won from free spins, not the spins themselves. These winnings are credited as bonus funds, and to convert them into real, withdrawable money, the wagering requirement must be met.
The rollover rate can vary, typically from 10x to 50x, and there's often a strict deadline. For instance, you get 100 free spins on Big Bass Splash. Any winnings from them must be wagered 40 times within 7 days. So if you win £10, you'll need to wager £400 (40 × £10) before you can withdraw. Miss the deadline and the winnings are lost.
No Wagering Bonus
This is the most straightforward and player-friendly type of bonus. There are no wagering requirements at all — meaning you don’t need to bet your winnings multiple times before withdrawing them. Whatever you win from the bonus or free spins is credited directly as real money to your balance and can usually be withdrawn immediately.
For example, if you stake £10, you can receive up to 200 welcome free spins with no wagering conditions. If those spins bring you £15 in winnings, the entire £15 is yours to keep or withdraw — no rollover, no strings attached.
Why Do Casinos Use Wagering Requirements?
Casinos don’t give away bonuses just for free. Wagering requirements are a protective mechanism that helps prevent losses and keeps players engaged longer. Imagine if there were no playthrough conditions—you could get a bonus and withdraw it immediately. Casinos would lose money just like that.
The wagering requirement forces players to place bets, which means actively participating in the games. This increases the chances that the player either loses the bonus or continues playing with their own money. Additionally, these conditions help filter out “bonus hunters” who sign up solely to grab free money.
Common Mistakes Players Make
Here are the top 3 most common and critical mistakes players make with wagering requirements:
- Not reading the full bonus terms. Players often focus only on the bonus amount and wagering requirement but ignore important details like max bet limits, game restrictions, and timeframes. This leads many to lose their bonus or winnings without warning.
- Withdrawing funds before meeting the wagering requirements. Many try to withdraw their bonus or free spin winnings immediately without completing the playthrough. This results in forfeiting the entire bonus and any related winnings.
- Misunderstanding how different games contribute to wagering. Not all games count equally. Bets on table games or video poker may count partially or not at all, making it harder and more time-consuming to meet the wagering conditions.
Hidden Traps in the Terms and Conditions
When claiming a bonus at an online casino, it’s important to know not only the wagering requirements but also the hidden restrictions. These can greatly complicate cashing out your winnings. Below are key rules to keep in mind to avoid mistakes and improve your chances of a successful withdrawal.
Casinos often set a minimum bet threshold—such as £2 or 1% of your balance. Иelow which bets don’t count towards wagering requirements. Small bets won’t help meet the conditions, so you need to bet higher amounts; otherwise, the wagering process will take longer or become impossible.
Placing bets simultaneously with bonus and real money balances is considered a violation and can result in cancellation of both the bonus and winnings. Make sure to place bets either only with bonus funds or only with real money.
Many bonuses exclude bets on roulette, blackjack, video poker, and low-odds wagers from contributing to wagering requirements. This slows down fulfilling the terms and makes wagering more difficult.
Tips from Players by Legalcasino
Here are some essential tips to help you choose the best bonuses and avoid common wagering pitfalls:
This way, you reduce the total bets needed to meet the conditions. For example, a 30x wagering on a £20 bonus means £600 in bets, while wagering on both deposit and bonus requires £1,200.
Many casinos limit the maximum amount you can cash out from bonus winnings. Sometimes as low as £20 or £50. Even if you meet all wagering requirements, these caps can drastically reduce your actual payout.
If the bet limit is, for example, £2–£5 per spin, you’ll need to play very carefully and slowly, placing many small bets. Exceeding the limit can cause the casino to cancel your bonus and all winnings.