How to calculate wagering requirements (with calculator)

You’ve probably heard of wagering requirements, AKA ‘rollover’ or ‘playthrough’ requirements. It’s important that players understand how these conditions work. Additionally, knowing how to calculate them is vitally important, and we’ll cover this in detail in this short guide.

The amount you need to wager to complete wagering requirements depends on the type of the bonus. In the case of a cash bonus, where a casino awards you with bonus funds to use, the wagering requirement is applied to the bonus value. In the case of free spins, the wagering requirement is applied to the winnings from the free spins.

If you want a more in-depth explanation of how wagering requirements work, take a look at our comprehensive guide. Or, to avoid the complication of wagering requirements altogether, take a look at our best no wagering casino bonuses:

Best no wagering bonuses:

An example – 10x wagering

To illustrate how wagering requirements are calculated, let’s look at this most common example. Here’s the basic formula:

Bonus value (or free spin winnings) x wagering requirement = total wagering required.

So, a £10 bonus with 10x wagering would require £100 total wagering before you can withdraw.

In the case of free spins, as the wagering requirements are applied to the winnings, assuming you’d won £10 you’d again need to wager a total of £100 before requesting a withdrawal.

£10 bonus (or winnings) x 10 wagering requirements = £100 total wagering required.

Before wagering requirements were capped at 10x by the Gambling Commission 35x was pretty average for a wagering requirement, but 40x and 50x and even higher weren’t uncommon either. Lower was always better for players, and of course, we always advocate casinos with no wagering requirements at all!

Wagering requirements calculator

Watch out for game contributions

Not all games contribute to wagering requirements equally. Slots usually contribute 100%, but other games such as blackjack and roulette often only contribute as little as 10%, and sometimes nothing at all.

Some casinos exclude certain slots from wagering requirements, and others base the contribution on a game’s RTP. The exact rules differ from casino to casino and so it’s worth checking the T&Cs to avoid a lot of wasted time, effort and bonus winnings!

Note that the above calculator assumes a 100% game contribution.

Other things to consider

You’ll need to beat your wagering requirements before the bonus expires, otherwise your progress will be forfeited. Keep a close eye on expiry dates.

Some casinos apply wagering requirements to the bonus plus deposit amount. So if you deposited £10 to get a £10 bonus, the wagering requirements would apply to the total of the two = £20.

Win caps and limits state that you can only benefit from your bonus up to a certain value. Even if you’ve beaten the wagering requirements, you can’t withdraw more than the stated amount.

A maximum bet limit states that while completing wagering requirements you cannot place a bet higher than a certain amount, usually £4 or £5. Be aware of this, as your winnings could be confiscated.

If you have the option, go for a game with a high RTP (return to player). This may give you a better overall return, and could help you fulfil the wagering requirements before you run out of funds.

Volatility levels describe how often a game pays out. A low volatility game will pay out frequently, but in smaller amounts. A high volatility game pays out less frequently, but in larger amounts. You may wish to factor volatility levels into your wager-beating strategy. If you have a large balance and a lot to wager through, you might want to try your luck on a high volatility slot. Otherwise, try and go for a low volatility slot as you’ll get more gameplay for your money.

Navigating a casino’s terms & conditions (T&Cs) can present challenges. Have a look at our guide on what to look out for. T&Cs will vary from casino to casino and it’s important to know the specifics of the casino you’re playing at; you don’t want to be caught by the small print. Alongside T&Cs, a casino’s level of customer support will tell you a lot about them. All of our casino reviews assess customer service.

What can you expect back?

It’s tempting to try and estimate how much return you can expect after wagering requirements have been beaten, but this isn’t straightforward as it totally depends on what games you play, RTP, and luck.

The average RTP of online slots is about 96%, which on average would return £96 for every £100 wagered on it. Therefore, if you had £100 in winnings, you could expect to still have £96 remaining after you’d wagered it through. Keep wagering that £96, and you’d have £92.16 remaining (£96 x 96% = £92.16). Wager that again, and you’d have £88.47. By the time you get to £50, you’d have wagered £1,200.

It must be noted however that the RTP is a theoretical average based on millions of spins, so you could end up with less, or more if you’ve landed some decent wins. Furthermore, if you’re playing games that don’t contribute 100% towards the wagering requirements, then you might eat through your balance a lot quicker.

Common examples

High wagering requirements – 40x and above were the bane of many a player’s life. That all changed in early 2026 when wagering requirements were capped at 10x by the Gambling Commission. Prior to then wagering requirements ranged from 10x up to, occasionally, 100x although most were in the 35x and 40x region. 

Here are just a couple of examples of what some players had to wage to meet the requirements:

40x wagering requirement

A 40x wagering requirement was hard to fulfil, unless you landed a huge win and had a large balance to play with. £100 bonus (or winnings) with 40x wagering requirements = £4,000 total wagers before winnings would be released.

50x wagering requirement

And if your wagering requirement was 50x it was even harder to fulfil, again, unless you got extremely lucky! £100 bonus (or winnings) with 50x wagering requirements = £5,000 total wagering.

Best no wagering casinos:

Of course, you can avoid the frustration of wagering requirements altogether by opting for a no wagering casino where anything you win from a bonus is yours to keep with no calculations or further wagering necessary!

Summary

Wagering requirements force players to re-wager their bonus or winnings, giving the casino a chance to reclaim it. Winnings cannot be withdrawn until the wagering requirement has been met.

Other terms and conditions should be considered alongside wagering requirements, but the amount of wagering required is one of the main factors that determines the overall value of a bonus.

Wagering requirements are common, and can be beaten, but players should understand how they work and how to calculate them. Thankfully the really punitive wagering requirements of old – 60x, 80x etc – are no more with the introduction of the 10x cap.