What Are Casino Wagering Requirements?
Every casino bonus is accompanied by a specific set of terms that must be followed in order to cash out real money winnings. Wagering requirements are one of the most common clauses applied, making it crucial to acquaint yourself with how they affect your chances. This guide explains how wagering requirements work and the most efficient way of navigating them successfully.
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Wagering Requirements (WR) Explained
Wagering requirements specify the number of times you need to wager your bonus (or free spin winnings) to convert it to real money and request a withdrawal. They are expressed as a multiplier, usually ranging between 1x and 60x depending on the type of offer.
The lower the wagering requirements, the better chance you have of converting your bonus into cash. That's why it's worth taking the time to compare different bonus offers found at NoDepositFriend.com before picking out your preferred deal.
Why Are Wagering Requirements Applied?
If wagering requirements weren’t added, then the bonus would essentially just be credited as real money. In theory, you could just simply claim the offer and withdraw the bonus straight back to your bank account.
Wagering requirements therefore force you to keep wagering in order to cash out. It is a protective measure to act against excessive losses for the casino, whilst also introducing a layer of engagement and commitment from the player's side.
On occasion, you may find bonuses with no wagering requirements at all, although these are rare. Therefore, learning how to complete wagering requirements is highly beneficial as you’re likely to encounter them at some point in your casino journey.
How Do Wagering Requirements Work?
When you place a bet from your bonus and win, the amount is added to your bonus balance, giving you more money to bet. If you are able to bet the amount specified by the wagering requirement this way, without the bonus balance becoming zero, then you can cash out the permitted amount. However, if you exhaust the bonus balance without completing the wagering requirement then you do not get any benefit from the bonus.
The First Few Steps of Wagering a Bonus
| Total Amount Bet | Bonus Balance | |
|---|---|---|
| Given $20 bonus | $0 | $20 |
| Bet $1 | $1 | $19 |
| Lose bet | $1 | $19 |
| Bet $2 | $3 | $17 |
| Win $10 | $3 | $27 |
| Bet $2 | $5 | $25 |
| Win $10 | $5 | $35 |
Practical Examples: Wagering Requirements and No Deposit Bonuses
Next, we’ll show some examples of how wagering requirements are applied to no deposit bonuses in the shape of bonus cash and free spins.
No Deposit Bonus Cash – Wagering requirements applied to the bonus value credited
- You receive a USD20 bonus with a 40x wagering requirement.
- You must wager a total of USD800 on eligible casino games (USD20 x 40).
- Once you've completed the wagering requirement, your remaining balance is converted into real cash.
- You are now able to play any other casino game without restriction or request a withdrawal.
No Deposit Free Spins – Wagering requirements applied to the free spin winnings
- You receive 20 free spins with a 35x wagering requirement. You win USD5.25 after playing all the spins.
- You must wager a total of USD183.75 on eligible casino games (USD5.25 x 35).
- Once you've completed the wagering requirement, your remaining balance is converted into real cash.
- You are now able to play any other casino game without restriction or request a withdrawal.
Example: Wagering Requirements and Deposit Bonuses
The majority of deposit match bonuses work the same way as above, however, certain casinos adopt a different approach when determining the wagering requirements. They incorporate the deposit value in addition to the bonus amount in their calculation method.
Deposit Match – Wagering requirements applied to the deposit value
- You receive a 50% deposit match with a 30x wagering requirement. You make a USD100 deposit, granting an extra USD50 in bonus cash.
- You now must wager the bonus amount (USD50) + the deposit value (USD100) x wagering requirement (30x) = USD4,500.
- Calculating this the standard way, the wagering requirement would only be USD1,500 (USD50 x 30).
- Therefore, you should prioritise offers where the deposit value is not included in the wagering requirement calculations.
What Makes A Reasonable Wagering Requirement?
Wagering requirements are applied differently depending on the generosity of the casino. Likewise, no deposit bonuses will usually have higher WR compared with deposit match bonuses due to their completely free nature.
To gauge the fairness of a casino's wagering requirement, here’s a general marker of what to look out for:
- Less than 30x: Exceptional
- 30x to 40x: Favourable
- 40x to 50x: Standard
- 50x to 60x: Inflated
- Higher than 70x: Challenging
How Do Wagering Requirements Work In Practice?
Consider wagering requirements as a target figure you need to reach after redeeming your bonus. Each qualifying bet you make will reduce this target, regardless of whether you win or lose.
You will need to track the following parameters from your account settings after logging in:
- The wagering yet to be met: This is the initial wagering requirement minus the amount already bet. It will be directly displayed in your settings.
- The bonus balance: The amount you have on hand at any time from which to meet the wagering requirements.
To illustrate this concept, let's take a look at it in action. In this example, you have claimed a USD10 bonus with a 35x wagering requirement – meaning you have to wager USD350 in total (USD10 x 35)
| Bonus Balance | Bet Value | Bet Outcome | Wagering Required |
|---|---|---|---|
| USD10 | USD1.00 | Win USD2.00 | USD349 |
| USD11 | USD1.00 | Lose USD1.00 | USD348 |
| USD10 | USD3.00 | Win USD1.50 | USD345 |
| USD8.50 | USD2.00 | Lose USD2.00 | USD343 |
Irrespective of the outcome, the wagering requirement diminishes by your bet value. Your main aim is to sustain your bonus balance for as long as possible, picking up a steady stream of wins or hitting a significant return relative to your stake.
To achieve this, you must either:
- Win a substantial proportion of your bets.
- Unlock a high-paying bonus feature in a slot game.
Contribution to Wagering Requirements for Different Game Categories
All casino game categories do not contribute fully and equally to meeting wagering requirements. When you play online slots, the wagering requirement will be reduced by the full amount bet. This is referred to as 100% game contribution. This is mostly true of scratch cards and keno as well.
When it comes to other categories like table games and video poker, the full bet will not count towards your wagering requirement. Online casinos apply game contribution ranging from 5% to 25% on these games. Suppose you bet $1 on a 10% weighted game. Your bet amount will be reduced by $1, but the wagering requirement will be reduced by only $0.10.
We urge all our readers to wager bonuses only on slots. It makes no sense whatsoever ever to go for games with less than 100% contribution.
Monitoring Your Progress
Keeping a record of your bets when bonus wagering can be a challenging task. After all, you're here to enjoy yourself, not crunch numbers! But remember that the top online casinos offer a 'wagering tracker' in your My Account section, making it easy for you to visualise your progress.
How Casinos Determine Wagering Requirements
Another aspect to consider is when the process of fulfilling wagering requirements actually begins.
The casino's system will implement this in one of two different ways:
- Only bets made with your bonus balance count toward the requirements.
- Bets placed using real money also contribute to meeting the requirements.
Option 1: You start wagering your bonus only after you've exhausted your real money balance. Your initial real money wagers do not impact the requirements.
Option 2: You start working on the wagering requirements immediately after receiving the bonus. If you lose your real money, you will then continue from where you left off with your bonus balance.
If you are uncertain about how your chosen casino applies wagering requirements, we recommend reviewing their relevant terms and conditions section or reaching out to their customer support for clarification.
How Casinos Enforce Fair Wagering Practice
Across all online casinos, real money is always used before bonus funds in relation to deposit match offers. This prevents you from only using the bonus to complete the wagering requirements, and then making an instant withdrawal of your deposit if you fail to do so.
What Is a Fair Wagering Requirement?
The first thing you must check is whether the wagering requirements apply to the bonus only, or both the bonus and the deposit.
Then you can make use of our ratings given below:
Applies to Bonus or Free Spins Wins
- Excellent: 25x or less
- Good: 25x to 40x
- Standard:50x to 60x
- Below par: more than 60x
Applies to Bonus and Deposit
- Excellent: 20x or less
- Good: 20x to 30x
- Standard:30x to 35x
- Below par: more than 35x
Casinos Bonuses with No Wagering Requirements
Some online casinos are willing to negate wagering requirements completely. Although rare, these no wager welcome deals are highly sought-after as they allow you to keep and withdraw everything as real cash.
Our current top 5 no wagering casinos are:
Bonus Terms and Conditions Linked to Wagering Requirements
Although wagering requirements are a key indicator, they alone cannot provide a complete evaluation of a bonus’s true worth.
Below, we have listed the other main factors to look out for:
Eligible Games
The casino will likely impose restrictions on specific game categories and individual game titles once you begin bonus wagering.
Typically, this includes games that have a greater probability of consistent payouts, such as:
- Live Casino Games: These games can yield a relatively high return-to-player (RTP) in the short term, especially when using strategy guides.
- Jackpot Slots: Casinos are cautious about potentially having to pay out substantial jackpots from a free bonus.
- Highly Volatile Slots: These games can produce remarkably large payouts in a limited number of spins.
- Table Games: Players can employ strategic betting methods, such as in virtual roulette, to enhance their chances of winning.
If you play any restricted game, your bonus and any associated winnings will be forfeited when you request a withdrawal. And because the ineligible games are unlikely to be automatically blocked while your bonus is active, you will need to proactively check the casino's terms to identify them.
Learn About RTP and Volatility
If you're not familiar with the terms 'RTP' and 'volatility,' don’t worry! These are mechanisms implemented into the design of casino games that affect their payout structure. Our full RTP and volatility guide explains more and looks at how they can be used to your advantage when working towards the wagering requirements.
Game Weighting
Game weighting determines how much of your bet contributes towards the wagering requirement. What some players may not realise is that bets on certain games do not contribute the same as others.
While slots typically count for 100%, other game types are assigned lower contribution percentages, often ranging from 5% to 50%. This typically includes live dealer or table games, which give you a higher chance of converting the bonus into real cash.
Let’s say Live Blackjack has a contribution rate of 10%. Here, a USD5 wager would only reduce the wagering requirement by USD0.50. In other words, you'd need to wager ten times as much compared to playing a 100% slot game.
For a more detailed exploration of how game contribution percentages can impact your bonus wagering, refer to our game weighting guide.
Withdrawal Limits
No deposit bonuses usually restrict the amount you can withdraw after converting the bonus into real cash. Casinos implement these restrictions to prevent excessively large payouts to multiple players.
The specific limit imposed varies from one casino to another. As a general guideline, you can anticipate withdrawal limits ranging from USD10 to USD100, although some of the more generous offers featured on NoDepositFriend.com allow for higher limits.
Who Needs Withdrawal Limits? Keep What You Win!
If you find withdrawal limits somewhat restrictive, especially after meeting demanding wagering requirements, an ideal solution is to opt for a match deposit bonus instead.
These bonuses often either raise the withdrawal limit substantially or eliminate it altogether, allowing you to retain all your winnings in exchange for a minimum deposit.
Maximum Bet Limit
The objective of a bonus is that you spend time wagering at the online casino. By imposing a maximum bet limit, the online casino ensures that you place more bets in order to complete the wagering. Without such a limit, you may place a big bet and win more than enough to cover the wagering at one go. This puts the online casino in a higher risk situation. Most online casinos impose a maximum bet limit of $5.
We illustrate this reasoning with an example:
Offers a $10,000 100% bonus with a wagering of 40x the bonus and deposit.
You deposit $100 and get a $100 bonus.
Once you have exhausted the funds in your cash balance, your situation is as follows:
- Bonus balance: $100
- Amount to wager: $8,000
You bet $25 on Wolf Gold and immediately hit a 1,000x win.
Your revised situation is now as follows:
- Bonus balance: $100 - $25 + $(25x1000) = $25,075
- Amount to wager: $8,000 - $25 = $7975
Even if you do not win anything from your remaining bets, you will easily meet the wagering requirement and have a handsome surplus left over. In the alternative case, you bet $5 on Wolf Gold and immediately hit a 1000x win.
Your revised situation is now as follows:
- Bonus balance: $100 - $5 + $(5x1000) = $5,095
- Amount to wager: $8,000 - $5 = $7995
After the win you still do not have enough funds to cover the wagering requirement and will have to win more. The risk to the casino is less in this case.
Expiry Dates
You won’t have all the time in the world to complete the wagering requirements. After you claim the bonus, there is a validity period during which you must place a sufficient amount of bets or lose the bonus completely.
Casinos provide ample time for this to be achieved, with expiry dates often ranging up to 30 days. The most common validity period is typically one week, which still provides a reasonable timeframe to complete the wagering.
Despite this, you should still make a mental note of the time limit after you've received the bonus. Maintain a steady pace of bets so you don’t run out of time – the casino is within its rights to remove your bonus if you do.
Strategies On How To Clear Wagering Requirements
The NoDepositFriend.com team has claimed plenty of casino bonuses in our time, which naturally entails dealing with various wagering requirements as a result.
Whilst we can't promise that you will meet the bonus wagering requirements every time, here are some tips to increase your chances:
- Engage in High RTP Games: Opt for casino games with a high RTP percentage. Statistically, these games offer you the best opportunity to accumulate enough wins to meet your wagering requirements.
- Explore Low-Volatility Games: Low-volatility games are designed to provide frequent payouts. Sticking to these options enhances your odds of maintaining your balance via a steady stream of smaller, yet consistent wins.
- Seek Fairly Weighted Games: Pay attention to the weighting assigned to different games. Look for casinos that apply a more generous weighting to games like roulette, blackjack and baccarat.
- Embrace Game Variety: If high RTP table games are eligible for bonus play, consider trying them initially to boost your bonus balance, even if they carry a heavier weighting. You can then transition to a slot game contributing 100% to complete the wagering more easily.
- Explore New Slot Titles: Certain casinos might not have updated their terms and conditions to reflect the high payout potential of freshly released slots. As a result, these games might not be excluded or weighted down sufficiently yet.
Conclusion
Wagering requirements are an essential aspect of navigating the world of casino bonuses. When you have a solid grasp of their mechanics, you can assess bonuses with more clarity and pick out the best deals. Ultimately, this knowledge enhances your likelihood of converting your bonus into real cash, particularly when you can apply the expert strategies as discussed in this article.