Ever looked at a bonus that sounds like a dream come true, only to read the fine print and feel like you need a business degree to understand it? Welcome to the wacky world of wagering requirements. There is nothing for free in the world of online gambling. But there are sweet deals that make your experience more enjoyable. Requirements can be a bit pesky, often standing between you and cashing out those sweet winnings. But once you understand them they are not as scary as they first seem. If you want to learn how to spot a good deal from miles away let’s get started.
What are wagering requirements?
Essentially, wagering requirements refer to the amount of times you have to roll-over your deposit money before you are entitled to withdraw your winnings. Casinos attach this condition to their bonuses to prevent players from simply cashing in their bonus money and leaving. It also has the effect of keeping you playing on their site for a protracted period of time. It’s a way of keeping you engaged. No player is going to get bored and leave while they still have money invested in the casino.
For a clearer picture of how this condition affects your play and how you can use it to your advantage, I recommend reading this article on bonuses at AskGamblers CA. They take you through the entire process and make recommendations for a range of different bonus types, one of which may be right for you.
How do wagering requirements work?
In order to explain how this particular bonus condition works it is necessary for me to show you an example:
Imagine yourself wishing to register an account at a Canadian casino you found online. Now imagine that that casino’s welcome offer is a 100% deposit bonus up to $100. Deposit bonuses are always expressed as a percentage and they usually include an upper deposit limit. Let’s also say, for the sake of argument, that your chosen casino’s wagering requirements are 30x (20 – 40x is the average range). Assuming you deposit the maximum allowable amount ($100), you would need to play through your deposit money 30 times, which is $3000 in wagers, before any winnings could be released.
It is easy to see why this condition gets applied to a bonus by the casino. It’s a bit of an insurance policy for them. Now, here’s the real kicker! Some casinos require you to play through not only your deposit but your bonus money as well. In this scenario, your deposit money ($100) is added to the bonus cash (another $100) giving you $200 to play with. You now need to play through the entire $200 30x before being allowed to cash out. This means you would be required to make a massive $6000 in wagers before you could withdraw.
Don’t be put off by this though. It sounds difficult, but it is achievable. So long as you understand that every time you have a win on your chosen slot game this money will count towards your turnover, it only becomes a matter of time.
How Wagering Requirements Are Calculated
Not every game contributes the same amount to the wagering requirements, which makes things a little more difficult. For example, whereas table games like blackjack may only contribute 10% to the requirements, slots nearly always contribute 100%. This means your progression toward meeting the requirements can vary greatly depending on the games you play.
This means every $100 wagered on slots would count as $100 toward your $6,000 goal. If you play blackjack, it may only count 10% toward meeting the requirement. This means for every $100 you bet on blackjack, only $10 would count toward your $6,000 goal.
Playing slots help you to meet your wagering requirements faster, while table games like blackjack make things harder. It’s advisable to check the terms & conditions for your chosen offer to see how much each game contributes. Ultimately this may decide how quickly you can withdraw any winnings.
Casino Free Spins and Wagering Requirements
Free spins are especially attractive to players because they let you try out the games for free. But the secret to withdrawal lies in the wagering requirements. Unlike deposit bonuses, the wagering requirements only apply to winnings from your free spins.
Let’s give you another example–
Imagine signing up at a casino and getting 50 free spins as a bonus. After playing all the spins, you happen to win $20. If the casinos’ wagering requirement is 30x on winnings from free spins, you need to wager 30 times the $20 you won, which equals $600.
That means that you need to place bets totalling $600 to meet the wagering requirement and withdraw any winnings. Let’s say you stick to slot games (assuming they contribute 100% toward the wagering requirement). If you bet $10 per spin, each bet counts in full toward your $600 requirement. After 80 bets of $10 each, you’ve wagered the required $800 and can withdraw.
High Roller Wagering
A high roller bonus is a special reward designed for players who deposit very large amounts of money, ranging from $1,000 to $5,000 or more. Bonuses for such players offer much higher match percentages and bigger caps. For example, it can be a 100% match up to $5,000. While the bonus amount is incredibly enticing, high wagering requirements apply to it, so it’s best suited for very knowledgeable players with ‘’deep pockets’’.
Gambling should always remain a fun activity and not a way to chase losses or beat the house. If a bonus doesn’t go your way, it’s best to step back and avoid the emotions that influence your financial decisions. Always read the terms carefully and check the fine print before diving in. If something seems unclear, don’t hesitate to reach out to casino support via chat or email—they’re there to help.
