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 – 35x wagering

To illustrate how wagering requirements are calculated, let’s look at some examples. But first, here’s the basic formula:

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

So, a £10 bonus with 35x wagering would require £350 total wagering before you could 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 £350 before requesting a withdrawal.

£10 bonus (or winnings) x 35 wagering requirements = £350 total wagering required.

35x is pretty average for a wagering requirement, but 40x and 50x aren’t uncommon either. Lower is always better, and of course, we will always advocate casinos with no wagering requirements at all!

Wagering requirements calculator

Watch out for game contributions

Not all game 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 wagering requirements

Here are a few common wagering requirements people ask about:

What is a 50x wagering requirement?

50x wagering is a lot. We’d recommend avoiding such high wagering requirements as there’s very little chance of completing them with anything left in the pot.

£100 bonus (or winnings) with 50x wagering requirements = £5,000 wagering total.

What is a 40x wagering requirement?

A 40x wagering requirement will still be very hard to fulfil, unless you’re very lucky or have a large balance to start with.

£100 bonus (or winnings) with 40x wagering requirements = £4,000 wagering total.

What is a 30x wagering requirement?

A 30x wagering requirement is a little better than average, and provided you’ve started with a decent sized pot, and have a decent run of bets, there’s a chance you might have something left in your balance once they’re complete.

£100 bonus (or winnings) with 30x wagering requirements = £3,000 wagering total.

What is a 20x wagering requirement?

Low wagering requirements such as 20x make the bonus a little more worthwhile. There are some decent low wagering bonuses to be had, that still offer good value with fair terms.

£100 bonus (or winnings) with 20x wagering requirements = £2,000 wagering total.

Based on our calculation earlier in this guide which assumes an RTP of 96%, you could have around £20 left once you’d wagered £2,000.

What is a 10x wagering requirement?

A 10x wagering requirement is much fairer and is typically designed to avoid bonus abuse, while still giving players a good chance of benefiting from a lucky win. These are offered by several of our low wagering casinos, although fairly rare.

£100 bonus (or winnings) with 10x wagering requirements = £1,000 wagering total.

Again, assuming an RTP of 96%, you could expect to have around £60 left once you’ve wagered £1,000 – so it makes a big difference.

Better still, avoid the frustration of wagering requirements altogether by opting for a no wagering casino. That way, anything you win from a bonus is yours to keep with no calculations or further wagering necessary!

Best no wagering casinos:

Summary

Wagering requirements force players to re-wager their bonus or winnings, giving the casino a chance to reclaim it. Funds 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.