Wagering requirements explained, with the maths worked out

What a wagering requirement is

A wagering requirement (also called playthrough or rollover) is the amount you must bet before bonus money, and anything won with it, becomes withdrawable. It is written as a multiplier: 35×, 40× and so on.

Casinos use it because a bonus with no strings would simply be free money. The requirement makes you play through the bonus many times, and every bet carries the house edge, so on average the casino recovers part or all of what it gave you.

The key point is that wagering is turnover, not loss. If you bet $10 and win $10, then bet that again, both bets count towards the requirement. You keep cycling the same balance. What actually comes out of your pocket on average is the turnover times the house edge, as explained in our house edge guide.

Bonus-only vs deposit-plus-bonus

The single most important detail is what the multiplier applies to. Two offers with the same "35×" can differ by tens of thousands of dollars of betting.

Basis	Formula	$500 deposit, $1,000 bonus, 35×
Bonus only	35 × bonus	$35,000
Deposit + bonus	35 × (deposit + bonus)	$52,500

On a bonus-only basis your deposit is not part of the requirement. On a deposit-plus-bonus basis, the deposit is effectively turned into bonus money too, and the turnover is larger. Always look for the words "deposit + bonus", "D+B" or "the bonus amount" in the terms.

The rules that change the real cost

The multiplier is only the start. Several other rules often matter as much.

Game weighting (contribution)

Not every bet counts in full. A typical terms page says slots contribute 100%, while table games, live games or low-edge originals count at a lower rate, or not at all. If a game counts at 10%, a $100 bet there only reduces your requirement by $10.

That means a $52,500 requirement cleared on a 10%-weighted game would need $525,000 of real bets. Casinos weight games this way because low-edge games are cheap for you to clear wagering on.

Maximum bet while the bonus is active

Most bonuses cap the size of each bet until the requirement is met. Break it, even once, and the casino may cancel the bonus and any winnings from it. The cap is often a few dollars per bet or a small percentage of the bonus. It exists so you cannot place a few huge, high-variance bets and walk away.

Time limits

Bonuses usually expire. If the requirement is not completed within the stated window, the remaining bonus and bonus winnings are removed. Big requirements with short windows can force a pace of play you would not otherwise choose.

Sticky and non-sticky bonuses

How the bonus sits alongside your own money also matters. With a non-sticky bonus (sometimes called a parachute bonus), you play with your deposit first. If you win early, you can usually withdraw those winnings and give up the bonus, which only comes into play once your deposit is gone. With a sticky bonus, the deposit and bonus are mixed together from the start, the requirement applies to everything, and the bonus amount itself may be removed when you cash out.

A non-sticky bonus is generally the more forgiving of the two, because it gives you an exit before the requirement locks your deposit. The terms do not always use these words, so look for how withdrawals are handled while a bonus is active and whether you can cancel it.

Excluded games and other conditions

Terms may exclude specific slots, bonus-buy features or certain betting patterns, such as covering almost every outcome on a roulette table. Some also cap the maximum you can withdraw from bonus winnings. Read the full terms before depositing, not after.

Worked example: Shuffle's 200% match

Shuffle's code SHFLVIP gives a 200% Deposit Bonus up to $1,000, with wagering of 35× deposit + bonus. Here is the maths on a $500 deposit.

1. Bonus: 200% of $500 = $1,000 (the cap).
2. Turnover: 35 × ($500 + $1,000) = $52,500.
3. Expected loss at a 1% edge (99% RTP): $52,500 × 1% = $525.
4. Expected loss at a 4% edge (96% RTP slot): $52,500 × 4% = $2,100.

The bonus is worth $1,000. On a 1% game it has a positive expected value of about $1,000 − $525 = $475, if that game is allowed and fully weighted. On a typical 96% slot, the expected cost of clearing it is $2,100, so the bonus is worth about −$1,100 on average. Check the current game weighting in Shuffle's own terms before you plan around a particular game.

Variance can end the attempt early

Expected value is a long-run average. In practice, a large requirement played on a volatile slot often ends with the balance at zero before the turnover is reached. With $1,500 in play and an expected cost of $2,100, the most likely outcome on a 96% slot is that you run out of money partway through. Low-volatility, low-edge play makes it more likely you finish, but it never guarantees it.

Turnover × house edge = the average cost of a bonus. If that number is bigger than the bonus, the offer is worth less than nothing on average.

Run any bonus through the formula

You can price any deposit bonus in three lines. The wagering calculator does the same thing with your own numbers.

1. Bonus = the smaller of deposit × match % and the maximum bonus.
2. Turnover = multiplier × bonus, or multiplier × (deposit + bonus).
3. Expected value = bonus − (turnover × house edge).

Then adjust for weighting: if your chosen game counts at less than 100%, divide the turnover by the weighting before multiplying by the edge.

How other offers compare

Casino	Offer	Wagering
Shuffle	200% Deposit Bonus up to $1,000	35× deposit + bonus
Rainbet	Up to $2,100 + 60 Free Spins + 20% Rakeback Boost	40× or none
BC.Game	Welcome Package up to 4 Deposits	≈500× effective ($1 unlocked per $500 wagered)
Roobet	100% Bonus up to $1,000	1× deposit (AML)
Coins.Game	Up to 100 Free Spins	None on free spin wins

BC.Game's model works differently from a fixed multiplier: bonus is released gradually as you bet, at roughly $1 for every $500 wagered. At a 1% edge, $500 of wagering costs $5 on average to unlock $1, so treat that bonus as a small rebate rather than a match. See the BC.Game guide for details.

The 1× deposit rule is something else

Some casinos, including Roobet and Gamdom, require you to wager your deposit once before withdrawing, whether or not you took a bonus. This is an anti-money-laundering (AML) control. It stops someone from depositing funds and immediately withdrawing them to disguise where the money came from.

It is small compared with a bonus requirement: a $500 deposit needs $500 of bets, costing about $5 on average at a 1% edge. But it does mean you cannot deposit and withdraw straight away if you change your mind. Our guide on how to withdraw from a crypto casino covers this and other withdrawal checks.

Wagering vs rakeback

Rakeback works the other way round. Instead of paying once and locking the money behind turnover, it returns a share of the house edge on every bet with no wagering on what you receive. At Duel, for example, the rate is 50% of house edge, flat.

Which is better depends on how you play. One large deposit on a low-edge, fully weighted game can make a match worthwhile. Regular play over weeks usually favours rakeback. Our explainer on what rakeback is runs the numbers, and the crypto casino bonus comparison lists every current offer with its terms.

A checklist before you claim

• Is the multiplier on the bonus or on deposit plus bonus?
• Which games count, and at what percentage?
• What is the maximum bet while the bonus is active?
• How many days do you have?
• Is there a cap on withdrawable winnings?
• Can you decline the bonus and play with your deposit only?

If you would not otherwise bet the turnover the bonus asks for, the bonus is pushing you to gamble more than you planned. Declining it is a perfectly reasonable choice.

FAQ