Understanding the Wagering Requirements on Online Casinos

baseball player hitting a ball

the author

Daniel Andersson

date post

Jun 20, 2024

close up image of roulette with text

Share

facebook twitter

What are the Wagering Requirements?

Wagering requirements refer to conditions an online casino sets for the frequency at which a player must wager the bonus money before withdrawing their winnings. Think of this as something you have to do to be able to cash out the money you win from bonuses.

Understanding wagering requirements is essential because they can significantly impact your ability to cash out winnings. You must meet such requirements to be able to withdraw your money. So, knowing how they work will help make a better decision when choosing bonuses.

Understanding the Wagering Requirements

These wagering requirements normally justify the amount of money a user has to input into wagers if one wants to withdraw winnings from the bonus. Break this down: If you got a $100 bonus for 10x wagering, he would need $1,000 to cash out winnings. Assuming you’re betting $10 on some slot game, that would come to making 100 bets to satisfy this requirement.

Wagering requirements can vary widely. Some might be as low as 1x, meaning you must only bet your bonus amount once. Others can be as high as 25x or more. The casino and remaining kinds of bonus offers determine certain conditions. It’s essential to remember to check over this detail so you know what you get for your own good.

Real Example of Wagering Requirements

Case Study: DraftKings Casino Promo

Let’s look at how the requirements for wagering work with a real example from DraftKings Casino. One of the often-occurring approaches DraftKings Casino has regarding what it delivers as a welcome bonus is matching whatever deposit one makes up to some sum. They may be awarded a 100% match on your deposit, up to $500, where in case you lay down this much money, you will get an extra $500.

This means that the bonus comes with a twenty-time wagering requirement. You must roll this many times the bonus amount before you can cash out winnings. Another way to put it is, with bonuses of $500, that’s $10,000 ($500 * 20); you cannot withdraw any winnings before it.

This means that you have to bet $10,000 if you are to withdraw any bonus winnings. If you were making $10 bets, it would take 1,000 wagers: $10,000 / $10. Now, knowing the need for these requirements will help you design online casino wagers better, and you will value your understanding of what a wagering requirement is, along with how it impacts your capability of taking out winnings from a casino.

Game-Specific Variations

It’s not all games, though, when it comes to satisfying the betting requirements. Here is a quick comparison of how slots and table games measure up:

  • Slots: Slots tend to be even the most common games for meeting wagering requirements. The majority contribute 100% toward requirements; generally, what this means is that if a user bets $10 on slots, he will get the full $10 toward the wagering total. Slots are popular because they help players finish the requirements quickly.
  • Table Games: Table games such as blackjack, roulette, and poker contribute less toward the wagering requirement. They likely make up 10% to 20%. Say you need to make a $10 bet playing blackjack; only $1 or, at best, $2 counts toward this overall amount. Again, this is because table games typically have a lower house edge, meaning players’ chances of winning are higher.

Additional Terms and Conditions

Eligible Games
  1. Slots: Slots are the most common and often count 100 percent toward wagering requirements. This means that every dollar a gambler wages on slots counts fully toward the desired total amount.
  2. Most Table Games: Include games such as blackjack and roulette, but their contribution may be lower. In most instances, only 10% to 20% of the money you wager will help attain the goal.
  3. Some Live Dealer Games: While some apply to live dealer games, the contribution rates vary accordingly. Again, specific casino terms have to be referred to. 

Games like Baccarat and various Specialty Games may not count or have lower contribution rates; terms should always be read at a casino to know which games are excluded.

Time Limits

Most casinos require you to meet wagering requirements within 30 to 90 days. Players are endowed with the need to turn over all these bonuses within such periods if they withdraw any bonus winnings. Failure to turn over an amount set within the given time may mean you’re simply risking the bonus and associated winnings being removed.

Simultaneous Bonus Restrictions
  • One Bonus at a Time: Numerous casinos explain that you can only have one bonus active at any given time. If you have several, the wagering requirements for the first bonus must be completed before using the next one. 
  • Wagering Rules Apply on all Bonuses: With every bonus, the same wagering rules apply because you must meet each wagering requirement separately. It ensures you can’t combine the bonuses to meet the requirements more quickly.
  • No Bonuses Mixed Funds: Some casinos do not allow mixing these funds with your bonus and natural money deposits. In other words, you must consume the bonus money before wagering with deposited cash.

Types of Bonuses and Their Wagering Requirements

Deposit Match Bonuses

A deposit match bonus involves matching a percentage of your deposit, including another way of applying wagering requirements on the bonus amount. It is, therefore, one of the most frequent bonuses you would encounter in an online casino. It will match a certain percentage of whatever you deposit and give you that extra money to play with.

Assuming that, in this case, you are putting $100 into your account and the casino has offered you a 100% match bonus, that would be taking on $100 more to play with. This bonus amount, however, will then be conditioned on meeting the requirements for wagering. It could go down to 10x or up to 20x.

For example, if you break even using $100 at a 10x requirement, you must bet $1,000 before cashing out any winnings.

Free Spins

Another quite common bonus type is free spins. They allow you to play specific slots without putting in your own money. When using the free spin and winning some cash, a condition is usually attached to wagging your earnings.

Winnings from free spins are given with a wagering requirement that can vary from 20 times to 40 times. For instance, if the bonus carries a 20x play-through and you have won $50 by playing with free spins provided by the net casino, you would then be required to wait for bets totaling up to $1,000 just to make sure you are in an excellent position to withdraw your winnings.

Cashback/Rebates

Cashback bonuses return some percentage of your losses over time. For instance, if you lost 100 bucks with a 10% cashback bonus, this gives back 10 dollars. The requirements in terms of wagering for the kind of bonus already mentioned are always way lower and run from 1x to even 5x. However, after getting $10 cash back with only a requirement of 1x, all you will need is to have wagered $10 before you can take out your money.

No Deposit Bonuses

Of all, no-deposit bonuses could be judged the best. These are bonuses you receive without making a deposit, often with high wagering requirements. Honestly, these sound wonderful since you get free money to play with; however, they are usually weighed down by stringent requirements—for example, high wagering requirements typically 30x or above in most cases.

For example, if you get a $20 no-deposit bonus with a 30X requirement, you must stake $600 before withdrawing your winnings.

Bonuses Without Wagering Requirements

Bonuses with no wagering requirements allow you to withdraw your winnings without meeting their playthrough conditions attached. More precisely, you enjoy the bonus and the cash in your pocket without needing to bet an amount before getting this. Some online casinos offer no-wagering bonuses, like PlayOJO Casino, allowing players to cash out their winnings immediately. 

Advantages 
  • Instant Withdrawals: These bonuses are straightforward and allow immediate withdrawal of winnings —no mess and hassle about trying to meet some convoluted wagering requirement, most times unseen.
  • Better Value: The money you win is yours, with no wagering requirements. This makes for better value than having bonuses with a high wager requirement attached. 
  • Less Risk: There is less risk involved since no wagering requirements exist. Not meeting the playthrough requirements means one risks losing more to achieve these requirements. All this makes gaming generally more enjoyable and less stressful. 

Finding These Bonuses 

To find these bonuses, look for “no wagering” promotions at online casinos. Later, you would have to read through the terms and conditions to find out if there are indeed no wagering requirements applied against the bonus. You can check online reviews and recommendations to know more about reputable casinos offering player-friendly perks. Knowing what wagering is and what the requirements are, one can get the best deal and enjoy his experience in online casino wagering.

Conclusion

Wagering requirements are crucial to understand and vary by bonus and casino. They determine precisely how much you will bet before it is possible to withdraw winnings from a bonus. Always read the terms and conditions for any bonus; it will let you know precisely what you’ve gotten yourself into. 

It also gives you the ability to make informed decisions with no surprises. Remember to always gamble responsibly and ensure your gaming experience remains fun. You can place your money and bet online at casinos confidently if you know precisely what wagering is and how the wager requirements work.

baseball player hitting a ball

the author

baseball player hitting a ball

Daniel Andersson

Chief Gaming Strategist

the author

Gambling has always been my passion. As the Chief Gaming Strategist at Betcounselor.com, I review gambling sites to help users make informed decisions and save valuable time.

More News

Comparing Land-Based and Online Casinos: Key Differences and Player Experiences

Read more

How to Play Roulette

Read more

5 Biggest Poker Wins of All Time: Updated 2024

Read more