Wagering requirements are the mandatory evil of almost every casino bonus. The majority of casino sites attract players with lucrative deposit bonuses, free spins, and other promotions – but 99% of these bonuses can’t instantly be converted into cash. Before you can withdraw any money, your bonuses or free spins winnings need to be bet a set number of times.
Jump to:
Game restrictions are related to wagering requirements. They also impact when you can withdraw bonus cash. An online casino bonus game restriction is the percentage of a bet that counts towards the wagering requirements. It is not the same for every game. Players do not always receive the full value of their bet.
But what does wager mean? Do all casino sites implement wagering? What’s the best strategy on how to beat wagering requirements?
We explain all soon, but first let us introduce you to a few casinos with low wagering slots offers.
Low Wagering Casino Bonuses
A low wagering casino is very popular as it gives you a much better chance of winning than a high wagering casino. That’s because you don’t need to place as many bets before your winnings can be converted into real money.
Low Wager Casino – x10 Wagering
-
100 Bonus Spins -- x10 wagering!
The lowest wagering requirements casino bonus at Casino Professor is Omnia. That’s because they apply just x10 wagering requirements to their free spins – of which, you’ll get 100.
This is probably the best option you have in terms of playing low wagering slots.
Low Wager Casino – x20 Wagering
20 Welcome Spins (UK only)
The next lowest wagering requirements casino is tied between two.
Up first is Casino.com, as they give you a no deposit bonus with low wagering requirements of x20.
This also applies to the 180 spins you’ll receive IF you make a first deposit.
-
Foxy Casino share this honour thanks to 50 free spins, low wagering of x20 as well.
You need to deposit and then wager £10 to get them, but anything you win from this initial expenditure is yours straight away.
Low Wager Casino – x30 Wagering
20 Bonus Spins
100% up to € / £100 + 100 Spins
Finally, Dunder don’t quite match those low levels.
However, you will still get 100+ spins with a relatively small x30 wagering requirement. These spins are made available for Book of Dead, alongside a boost of 100% up to £100.
What Does Wager Mean?
Casino Professor – Wagering requirements explained video
Completely new to this? Don’t worry, we’ve got it all covered.
So, when a player makes a deposit, they usually claim a casino bonus at the same time. These casino bonuses may vary between casinos, but the most common type of deposit bonuses are also called “match-up bonuses”.
The most common bonuses see you deposit anything up to €100, with the casino then matching this deposited amount by giving you extra betting money in the form of bonus cash. This is usually represented in the following way:
- 100% up to €100
While it sure is nice to get more money to play with, this money isn’t yours right away – enter the wagering requirements. These mean that you need to bet your bonus a certain number of times (e.g. x20) before it’s classed as your own additional money.
Why do casinos give you bonuses with wagering requirements that you need to complete?
The reason for this is simple: casino sites are in the business of making money, and giving out free money wouldn’t be good for business. However, they want to make things attractive for the players as well to get them to sign up. Giving players deposit bonuses and free spins is a way of offering players incentives to join – namely, by giving them money to play with while they get used to the casino’s game selection, which often consists of hundreds or even thousands of different titles.
It’s a nice extra from the casinos to give out bonus money: remember, they don’t have to do it!
What is commonly included within bonus terms?
Even though bonus terms are always different depending on the casino, some conditions will be the same. For instance, you can only redeem an offer once per player or household. Also, if you don’t use them by a certain date, the bonuses can be deactivated. This deadline can vary dramatically, from 24 hours up to 30 days.
All terms and conditions should be read through at least once carefully to make sure you agree with them and that you know what’s to be expected. There are a few points you should take note of:
- All winnings must be wagered before withdrawals.
- If there’s real money and bonus money in your account, which one is used first? If real money takes the lead, this is a so-called forfeitable bonus.
- Some games have a “gamble” feature that allows you to play your win again for a possible bigger win. This is not allowed when playing with bonus money.
Of course, as all casinos build their own bonuses and terms, there will be additions to these without a doubt. This is the reason why you should always read through the terms before making a deposit.
Wagering Requirements – How to Compare
When comparing wagering requirements between different casino sites, keep an eye on the terms and conditions. There are many differences between casinos regarding the amount that you have to wager.
Usually, it is the bonus amount that you need to wager a certain number of times, but sometimes you will have to wager your deposit as well. So, you shouldn’t just pay attention to the number (20x, 35x, 40x, 45x, 60x etc.), but also a stipulation such as “bonus only” or “deposit + bonus”.
Case: 100% up to €100 with a wagering requirement of x40 bonus.
If a player makes a deposit of €100, they will receive the maximum bonus amount, which is €100. In this example, you only have to wager your bonus, so the player needs to wager 40 times the €100 (40 x €100 = €4000) before being able to withdraw.
Case: 100% up to €100 with a wagering requirement of x20 bonus + deposit.
In this case, we have the same bonus but the requirement is different. When a player makes a deposit of €100 to claim the maximum amount, they will have to wager BOTH the deposit (€100) and bonus money (€100) 20 times (€100 + €100 x 20 = €4000).
Essentially, both of these examples are the same, just presented in different ways. In both cases, the player is required to wager a total of €4000, before being able to withdraw any of their winnings.
How to Beat Wagering Requirements
Let’s continue with the same amounts mentioned in the two examples. In both of these cases, the total amount needed to wager was €4000. Before you have completed the wagering requirement you aren’t eligible to withdraw the bonus money. Therefore, it’s actual value can be considered as €0.
To earn the bonus money you need to start betting. Every euro/pound you bet will be deducted from the wagering. However, there are a few catches:
- Casino sites will often place a maximum bet amount while completing these requirements (usually €5 or equivalent). This means you can not go all-out and instead will need to place several bets before these obligations can be completed.
- A €1 betted isn’t always FULLY deductible, as different games may have different contributions.
Wagering Requirement Weighting
Expanding upon that last point, different games can have different contributions to the wagering requirements. This is due to the fact that certain slots and games give the players different odds.
For example, table games such as roulette and blackjack generally have a better RTP (return to player) rate than a slots machine. Of course, the worse your odds, the faster you are more likely going to lose. Long story short: you need to have better luck with slots than you would have in table games.
Here is an example of games with different wagering requirement weightings, taken from Casumo:
- Slot machines (except those exempt): 100%
- Video Poker: 30%
- Casino Hold’em: 10%
- Oasis Poker: 10%
- TXS Hold’em poker: 10%
- Ultimate Texas Hold’em: 0%
- Baccarat (all kind): 0%
- Punto Banco: 0%
- Roulette (all kind): 0%
- Blackjack (all kind incl. Pontoon and Double Exposure): 0%
- All other games: 100%
Yet, there’s one more catch to add – revolving around the “except those exempt”. While all slots that are eligible will contribute 100% to the wagering, a handful of predetermined slots will not as we state in our Casumo Casino review. A good example is NetEnt’s Bloodsuckers which usually does not count as it has a high RTP (Return to Player).
At live online casinos, the wagering is often close to zero and therefore completing a casino bonus on a live casino is relatively hard. As such, live players should consider whether it’s even worth taking the offer. Occasionally, some casino sites that are specialised in live games offer dedicated offers. An example is at 888 where they have special live bonuses (see more in our 888 Casino review).
Free Spins Wagering Requirements
For free spins, it’s a bit different to bonus money.
The exact amount you see attached to free spins refers to any overall winnings that you accumulate.
Case: Your free spins bonus comes with x30 wagering, and you win a total of €5 from them.
Once your total number of free spins has been used up, the wagering begins. In this case, it would be (30 x €5 = €150). Again, casino sites often apply a €5 max bet.
Wagering Requirement Difficulty
How hard is to complete wagering requirements?
This varies a lot between casinos – as some can be a lot easier than others – such as those low wagering casino bonuses above. It’s still always the casino who has the edge but sometimes fortune favours the bold!
However, the worst bonuses might not even give an outside chance for the player so it is always a good idea to check the terms and conditions before claiming anything. But if the worst comes to the worst, at least you can play a bit longer with bonus money.
Wagering Requirement – How to avoid
Perhaps due to the UKGC getting tough on unfair terms and conditions, there seem to be more and more platforms scrapping wagering requirements for good. This means you can spin away without the threat of never seeing any profit.
Find the best no wagering casino for you – with no catches or strings attached, just proper casino entertainment!
Wagering Requirements Calculator
Still with us? Good, because the Professor has concocted something that will make all these equations a piece of cake.
Use the Prof’s online casino bonus calculator below to help work out exactly how much you need to play to complete your wagering requirements at a casino and keep your winnings.
$100 No Deposit Bonus Casinos
Work Out Your Wagering Requirements with the Professor’s Wager CalculatorCasino Wager Calculator – How to use
Stuck? Here’s what you need to do to get the online casino calculator running.
Simply populate the casino bonus calculator fields
- Deposit Amount: The exact amount you deposited to activate the offer.
- Bonus Amount: The exact amount of extra bonus money you received.
- Wagering: The number of times the casino requires you to bet/wager. You can find this in the terms.
- “Bonus” or “Deposit + Bonus”: Select whether the requirements are for simply the bonus amount or the deposit plus bonus. Again, this will be visible in the terms.
- Contribution %: How much the game you’re playing contributes.
Once these fields have all been populated, hit enter to see the Casino Professor’s wager calculator results. The figure it spits out is in numerical format so it’s valid in all currencies. Simply add your currency symbol at the beginning for the total amount you need to wager.
Voila!