Wagering Requirements: What You Need to Know Before Taking a Bonus

You can gain many advantages by using a gambling bonus. These include increasing your starting budget several times, getting some of your losses back, getting a bonus every time you deposit, and winning free spins that you can use on popular slots. Some of them do not even require you to make a deposit. For example, you can take advantage of the Verde Casino 50 Free Spins bonus simply by creating a new membership.

However, regardless of type, every bonus will have a wagering requirement. This is an extremely important condition that determines how beneficial the bonus will be. Even the world's best bonus becomes completely useless if it has unfair conditions. Find out everything you need to know about this important bonus term below. 

How Do Casino Bonuses Work?

A casino bonus will give you a cash balance or free spins. With a few exceptions, it is possible to say that all gambling bonuses will include one of these two gifts (and sometimes both). These are real rewards. The payouts you earn using them can be withdrawn (after meeting all bonus requirements) or used for real-money gaming.

But if it were possible to do so immediately, these bonuses could be abused. For example, players would withdraw their bonus and cancel their membership. Online casinos have taken many measures to prevent the abuse of bonuses, and wagering requirements are the most important of them. This condition requires players to maintain their membership for a certain period of time and continue to deposit during this period to withdraw or use their bonus. 

The Function of Wagering Requirements

So, how does this happen? The wagering requirement, in its simplest definition, means playing games for real money until you reach the total amount determined by the casino. This means that the bets you place in these games must reach a certain amount. When this happens, you have fulfilled the wagering requirement. And when you do this, your bonus money (or money earned using the bonus) becomes withdrawable.

We know the question on your mind: how much should you wager in total? This is determined by the “wagering rate” and is different for each casino. You can find out what the rate is by reading the terms of use of the bonus. This value is always denoted by "x" and can be, for example, 5x, 10, or 20x. It simply means that the value shown with “x” has to be multiplied by the bonus money/payout. The result will show what the total amount to be wagered should be. In the table below, you can see the calculations for a EUR 100 bonus with different wagering rates:

Let's take a specific example: if the wagering rate is 40x, you will first have to wager 4,000 EUR at that casino in order to withdraw your 100 EUR bonus, that is, play for real money until you reach this total. You can play any game unless stated otherwise, but casinos often set different contribution rates, for example:

• Your bets in slot games contribute 100% to the wagering requirement.

• Your bets on table games can only contribute 20%.

• Your bets on live casino games do not contribute anything.

Therefore, the first thing to consider when reading the wagering terms of a bonus is the contribution rates. If you play the wrong games, it may take much longer or become impossible for you to complete this requirement. However, this is not the only thing that matters for the wagering condition. There are other things to watch out for if you want to take advantage of the fair bonuses. 

How Can You Spot Fair Wagering Requirements?

Predictably, the most important thing is the wagering rate; the lower it is, the better for the player. Ideally, wagering rates should not exceed 30x, but this should be decided by bonus size.

In addition, you should pay attention to whether there is a time limit and any restrictions that will be applied to your account during wagering. Some casinos require you to complete the relevant requirement within a certain time (e.g., 7 days). If you fail to do so, your bonus will be void. If there is such a time limit, you need to make sure your budget is in line with it. In addition, a limit may be set on your maximum bet during the wagering, or a general withdrawal restriction may apply. The fewer the account restrictions, the better. it is always better to opt for bonuses with no withdrawal bans.

As we mentioned at the beginning, it is the terms of use and wagering conditions that determine how advantageous bonuses will be. Focus on what you actually get, not on promises!