The headline number on a casino bonus tells you very little. What decides whether the offer is worth taking is the wagering requirement: how much you have to bet before the money becomes yours. Two bonuses that both say 100% up to 200 EUR can differ by thousands of euros in required play. This guide explains how wagering is calculated, which details in the terms change the real cost, and how to estimate in a minute whether a bonus gives you any realistic chance of a withdrawal.
What is a wagering requirement?
A wagering requirement is a condition attached to a bonus that says how much you must bet before you can withdraw bonus money or winnings made with it. It is written as a multiplier, such as 35x, and it applies to a base amount defined in the terms.
Every bet counts toward the total, win or lose. You are not required to lose the amount, only to turn it over. A 1 EUR spin adds 1 EUR to your progress whether it pays 0 or 50 EUR.
Casinos use wagering to stop players from taking a bonus and withdrawing it straight away. The requirement keeps the money in play long enough for the house edge to work.
Wagering also applies to some deposits without any bonus. Many casinos require you to bet your deposit once (1x) before withdrawing it, as an anti-money laundering measure. That is different from a bonus playthrough and is usually easy to meet.
How do you calculate wagering?
Find two numbers in the terms: the multiplier and what it applies to. Then multiply them.
Bonus only: a 100 EUR bonus at 35x means 100 x 35 = 3,500 EUR in bets. Deposit plus bonus: the same offer at 35x (D+B) means (100 + 100) x 35 = 7,000 EUR. The second version is twice as hard, even though the multiplier looks the same.
Free spins usually carry wagering on the winnings. If 50 free spins win 20 EUR at 40x, you need to bet 800 EUR before the 20 EUR can be cashed out.
- Find the multiplier in the bonus terms (for example 35x).
- Check whether it applies to the bonus, the deposit plus bonus, or spin winnings.
- Multiply the base amount by the multiplier to get the total turnover.
- Divide by your usual bet size to see how many bets that is.
What is a fair wagering requirement?
Across the market, 30x-40x on the bonus is the common range. Under 20x is good, 10x or less is low, and anything above 50x, or 35x on deposit plus bonus, makes a withdrawal unlikely for most players.
Regulation now shapes this in some markets. The UK Gambling Commission capped wagering at 10x for UK-licensed operators from 19 January 2026, so UK offers are smaller but far easier to clear. Offshore casinos licensed in Curacao, Anjouan or Kahnawake are not bound by that cap.
No-wagering bonuses also exist. They are usually smaller, for example free spins whose winnings are paid as cash, but everything you win is yours immediately.
How much does a bonus really cost you to clear?
You can estimate the expected cost of wagering with the game's house edge. On a slot with 96% RTP, the house edge is 4%, so on average you lose 4% of everything you bet.
Example: a 100 EUR bonus at 35x needs 3,500 EUR in bets. 3,500 x 4% = 140 EUR expected loss, which is more than the 100 EUR bonus. The same bonus at 10x needs 1,000 EUR in bets and an expected loss of 40 EUR, leaving roughly 60 EUR of expected value.
This is an average. Some players finish with much more and many finish with nothing, but it shows why high multipliers turn a bonus into a cost rather than a gift.
Which games count toward wagering?
Game weighting decides how much of each bet counts. Slots usually count 100%. Table games such as blackjack and roulette often count 5-20% or are excluded, and live casino is frequently 0-10%.
With 10% weighting, a 10 EUR blackjack hand adds just 1 EUR to your progress, so 3,500 EUR of wagering would require 35,000 EUR in blackjack bets. Many casinos also exclude specific high-RTP or low-volatility slots, listed in the bonus terms. Bets on excluded games may not count at all, or can void the bonus.
What other bonus rules affect wagering?
The multiplier is only one of several terms that work together. Missing any of them is the main reason bonus winnings get removed at withdrawal.
Read these terms on the bonus page itself and in the general bonus terms, since the two sometimes differ. Where they conflict, ask support which applies and keep the answer.
- Max bet: usually 5 EUR per spin or 10% of the bonus while wagering is active. One bet above it can void the bonus.
- Time limit: commonly 7-30 days to finish wagering, after which the bonus and its winnings expire.
- Max cashout: some bonuses, especially no-deposit ones, cap what you can withdraw, for example 100 EUR.
- Sticky or non-sticky: in a non-sticky bonus your real money is played first and can be withdrawn before the bonus is touched.
- Wagering order: some casinos count real money bets first, others only start counting once the bonus is in play.
How do you track your wagering progress?
Most casinos show a progress bar or a remaining amount in the bonus or promotions section of your account. Check it after a session instead of guessing, because weighted games and excluded slots make mental tracking unreliable.
If the numbers do not match your play, ask support in writing for a breakdown before you continue. Fixing a mistake while the bonus is active is far easier than disputing it after a withdrawal request.
Some casinos also show which games count and at what percentage directly in the game lobby. If yours does not, keep a short note of the slots you used so you can check them against the excluded list if there is ever a question.
How do you compare two bonuses fairly?
Turn every offer into the same unit: total euros you must bet per euro of bonus. Then compare the expected cost against the bonus size.
Example: Offer A gives 200 EUR at 40x the bonus, so 8,000 EUR in bets and an expected loss of about 320 EUR at a 4% house edge. Offer B gives 50 EUR at 10x, so 500 EUR in bets and an expected loss of about 20 EUR. Offer A looks four times bigger, but its expected value is about minus 120 EUR, while Offer B is worth about plus 30 EUR.
Then check the details that the numbers miss. A shorter time limit forces higher stakes, a low max bet slows you down, and a max cashout can cap the upside. A 10x bonus with a 5x cashout cap may still be worse than a 20x bonus with no cap if you hope for a big win. CasiScore's table on this page lists bonuses with their wagering, max bet and cashout terms side by side.
Should you take a bonus with wagering at all?
Take a bonus if the wagering is low enough that clearing it is realistic for your normal budget and bet size, and if you were going to play slots anyway. Skip it if you want quick withdrawals, prefer table or live games, or would need to raise your stakes to finish in time.
Declining the bonus is always an option and leaves your balance free of restrictions. Whatever you choose, set a deposit limit first so the chase for wagering never decides how much you spend.
Myths vs facts
- Myth: 35x is 35x everywhere.
- Fact: 35x on the bonus and 35x on deposit plus bonus are very different. With a 100 EUR deposit and 100 EUR bonus, the first means 3,500 EUR in bets and the second 7,000 EUR.
- Myth: You have to lose the wagering amount.
- Fact: You only have to bet it. Winning bets count toward the requirement just like losing ones.
- Myth: Playing blackjack is the smart way to clear wagering.
- Fact: Table games usually count 5-20% or not at all, so clearing a bonus on blackjack takes five to twenty times more betting than on slots.
Quick checklist
- Find the multiplier and whether it applies to bonus or deposit plus bonus.
- Multiply to get the total turnover you need.
- Check game weighting and the excluded games list.
- Note the max bet and keep every bet below it.
- Check the time limit and any max cashout.
- Decline the bonus if the numbers do not fit your budget.