What are Wagering Requirements & How Do They Work?

posted by Theodora
November 7, 2022

Wagering requirements are one of the most important factors when playing online casino games and sports betting. They’re a common term in the T&Cs of online casino promotions, as they indicate how many times you have to wager a bonus before you can withdraw the associated winnings. As a so-called “necessary evil”, these conditions have a huge impact on the bonus value and the overall experience a player has when gambling online. But how exactly do they work?

In this guide, you’ll learn everything you need to know about wagering requirements – from how they work and how to calculate them, to finding casino low wagering requirements, no wagering deposit bonuses, and ways to beat them altogether.

Table of Contents

What are Wagering Requirements?

To understand what wagering requirements are, we must first clarify what a wager is. Simply put, a wager is another term for a bet, and the wager amount is the amount of money put down on your bet. When you play at an online casino, you can claim bonuses and get extra money to play with. Most casino bonuses and promotions come with specific conditions that you have to meet in order to turn them into cash, bonus wagering meaning the specific amount of times you need to wager that bonus before you can withdraw it and any subsequent winnings. The multiplier number depends on the NJ online casino and the bonus involved.

Wagering requirements are also called turnover or playthrough requirements. They are all frequently used terms and mean the same thing.

How do Wagering Requirements Work?

A wagering requirement is an amount you must wager in order to have the bonus money paid out to your account. The wagering requirements vary depending on the casino and bonus, but the idea remains the same. To better understand how wagering requirements work, let’s take an exact example of a welcome bonus package. Let’s say you sign up at an online casino and the welcome bonus consists of free spins and a deposit match. Upon signing up, you receive $25 free spins. Once you make your first deposit, you receive a 100% match for it, up to $1.000. This is how the turnover requirements will work in this situation:

At first, it might seem like the $25 free play deposit bonus has it all: free spins, no deposit, no wagering requirements. Unfortunately, this is not the case. All winnings from the $25 free spins can’t be cashed out unless you make a deposit and meet the wagering requirements. So, if the wagering requirement is 1x the free play amount, for every $1 in free play value, you must wager $1. In this example, if you receive $25 free play, you must wager $25 to cash out the bonus and any associated winnings.

Moving on to the 100% deposit match, this is how it works: you make your first deposit of $10, and the casino matches it with another $10. The deposit amount, bonus match amount, and all related winnings are restricted until the turnover requirements are met. This means that these limited amounts cannot be cashed out until you’ve wagered the deposit and bonus amount a certain number of times.

How to Calculate Wagering Requirements

Calculating casino wagering requirements is relatively easy. Simply follow this formula to find out the wagering requirements you have to meet:

Formula

(Bonus Amount) x (Wagering Requirement) = Total Wager

Here’s an example to make it clearer – let’s say you deposit $10, you get a deposit bonus of $10, and the casino wagering requirement is 30x. The formula then looks like this: 10$ x 30 = $300. This means that you need to wager $300 to cash out the bonus money and all winnings. Sometimes your first deposit is also part of the wagering requirements and the formula is changed:

Formula

(Bonus amount) + (Initial Deposit) x (Wagering Requirement) = Total Wager

Following the first example, this is how you calculate this type of wagering requirement: $10 + $10 x 30 = 310. Even though these amounts look like high stakes, you should keep in mind that you can use the winnings from the bonus money for wagers as well. And if you use them wisely, you can usually exceed the requirements and still have money left in your account balance in the end.

If you don’t want to do the math every time, you can use a wagering requirements calculator. There are plenty of such tools you can find online. A wagering requirements calculator will remove human error from your calculations and you’ll know right away how much you need to bet.

Other Wagering Requirements T&Cs

Before you claim a bonus, it’s important to carefully read the Terms and Conditions (often abbreviated “T&Cs” or “Ts and Cs”) associated with it. Aside from the bonus-specific rules, there are other terms that can affect whether or not you meet the casino wagering requirements. They are often attached to the following T&Cs:

  • Time limits: Find out how long your bonus is valid so you can use it before it expires. This time frame varies depending on the bonus and the casino – most welcome offers expire between 7 and 90 days;
  • Betting limits: Most bonuses also have a betting limit (the maximum amount you can wager), which is set depending on the game you’re playing;
  • Claiming too many bonuses at once: Even if a bonus seems too good to pass up, be sure to read the T&Cs for any bonus before claiming it, because you might break the rules set by the casino without realizing it. As a general rule, you should always try to fulfill the wagering requirements for a bonus before claiming another one;
  • Some games and strategies might be banned: Any bets or methods that could be used to exploit the system, such as low-risk bets or winning at low-contributing games and then playing high-contributing games with your winnings, will be marked by casinos. Certain games may also be prohibited from being played while fulfilling wagering requirements.

It’s very important to pay attention to these terms and conditions because if you don’t understand and follow them, you can risk losing your bonus balance and any winnings.

The Various Types of Wagering Requirements

Let’s take a look at some of the different bonuses you can benefit from and the playthrough requirement they may have.

Free Spins

Since free spins aren’t cash values, you must first use them to play and win on specific slots. The casino slots wagering requirements will then apply to your bonus winnings. In order to cash out the money that you won with free spins on an online slot as part of a casino bonus, you must wager an amount that’s a multiple of your winnings.

Casino slots wagering requirements are calculated by multiplying your total winnings. For example, if you win $100 and the wagering requirement is 10x, you must wager the $100 a total of 10 times ($1,000) before you can cash out your winnings. It’s important that you know this rule before you start playing to avoid any issues when you try to claim your money from the free spins. There is little to no chance of finding a real free spins, no deposit, no wagering requirements type of bonus.

Match Bonuses

The playthrough requirement for match bonuses works in a similar way to those for free spins. If you deposit $100, the casino will match your deposit with another $100. If the wagering requirement is 10x, you must wager the bonus 10x to meet the wagering requirements (so in this example, a total of $1,000)

However, you should know that some online casinos consider your initial deposit as part of the match bonus. So, if you deposit $100 and the casino adds $100 to it, you’ll have to wager a total of $200 and wager it 10x to meet the wagering requirements, so a total of $2.000. This is why it’s so important to read the terms and conditions.

No Deposit Bonus

The casino wagering requirements for a NJ online casino no deposit bonus (where you receive money to play with, but don’t have to deposit your own money) are also based on the multiplier system for the amount received.

For example, if you receive a $50 no deposit bonus and the wagering requirement is 10x, you’ll need to wager a total of $500 to meet the wagering requirements before you can access your winnings. If you choose casino low wagering requirements, no deposit bonuses can be a great way to enjoy games without having to spend your own money right away.

How to Beat Wagering Requirements

Considering that wagering conditions can be really inconvenient, we understand why you would like to find the lowest wagering requirements casino bonus or even no wagering deposit bonuses. We’re here to help! Use these methods to beat wagering requirements and get the most out of your bonuses:

Find Low Wagering Casinos

Some casinos offer attractive bonuses, but they come with very high wagering conditions that you may not be able to meet. To avoid this, sign up at a gambling site with low turnover requirements. You can always find the bonus conditions in the terms and conditions.

Play the Right Games

Casinos usually have so-called “weightings” for all their games, which determine how the platform calculates playthrough requirements based on the games you play. This means that each game counts differently toward meeting the wagering requirements.

For example, a game may have a contribution of 50%. In other words, only 50% of each bet contributes to your wagering requirement. Therefore, if you have a playthrough requirement of $500 and you bet $50, only 25$ will be deducted from the $500. So, it’s best if you opt for games like online slots, which usually contribute 100% toward the playthrough condition. In other words, if you bet $50 and have a $500 wagering requirement, the casino subtracts $50 from $500.

Can You Avoid Wagering Requirements?

Unfortunately, the short answer is that you can’t really avoid wagering requirements. You have to fulfill them to get cash bonuses from online casinos. However, there are ways around this rule. For example, some NJ online casinos offer free spins, no deposit, no wagering requirements bonuses. Some of the best casino sites no wagering requirements in New Jersey that offer free spins are Party Casino NJ and Hard Rock Online Casino NJ. Unfortunately, while you don’t have to spend any money on the spins at these casinos, you will eventually need to meet the wagering requirements in order to withdraw the winnings.

Therefore, the only real way to play with no wagering requirements is to pass on the bonuses completely and play only with your deposit. However, this isn’t the best idea as you will miss out on a lot of opportunities to gain money.

That’s why we recommend you find ways to beat them instead. As we’ve already mentioned, if you want to minimize your spending and still claim bonuses, you should look for the lowest wagering requirements casino bonus and play the right games.

Online Casino Versus Sports Betting Wagering Requirements

For the most part, wagering requirements for casinos and sportsbooks work in a similar way. Whether on an online casino or on a sports betting platform, the turnover requirements vary depending on the bonus. In both cases, if it’s a cash bonus, you have to wager the bonus through a certain multiplier. The multiplier depends on the platform and the bonus in question.

The main difference between wagering requirements at online casinos versus sports betting platforms is related to free spins and free bets. For online casinos, you can use the free spins to play slots. Then, the turnover requirements apply to the bonus winnings. When it comes to free bets on a sports betting platform, there’s a slight difference. In most cases, bettors have to wager a certain amount to trigger the free bets. For example, you have to bet $10 to get $25 free bets. The sportsbook also sets the minimum odds for the bet.

What’s a Good Wagering Requirement?

Now that you have a better understanding of what wagering requirements are and how to calculate them, you’re probably wondering what exactly is a reasonable playthrough condition. The way to determine a convenient wagering requirement is by finding out the cashback rate of a bonus. You can use this simple formula to calculate the cashback rate:

Formula

Cashback % = 100 / Wagering Requirement

So, following this formula, if the playthrough condition is 20x, the cashback rate would be 5%. When you add the cashback rate to the RTP of a game, you get the actual return. For example, if a slot game’s RTP is 94.6% and you get 5% cashback, the true return is 99.6%. This would be a pretty good wagering requirement, as the game is almost breaking even. If the cashback rate plus the RTP of a game is above 100%, that’s a really good wagering requirement.

How to Choose the Right Games

As we’ve already mentioned, games contribute differently toward the playthrough condition. To choose the right games, you need to find out which games qualify and what percentage of your wager they contribute to the requirement.

Online slots usually contribute 100% of your wager to the requirements, while table and card games only contribute 50% or even less. You’ll find that you’ll meet your requirements faster and easier if you choose slots. Don’t forget to also pay attention to the cashback rate and the RTP. Games with lower RTP have higher variance – they don’t pay out as often, but when they do, they pay out more money.

Three Warning Signs of Low-Quality Bonuses

To determine whether a bonus is a hit or a miss, you should consider three other important aspects besides the turnover requirements. We have already briefly mentioned two of them, but let’s go further into the warning signs you should look out for when it comes to online casino bonuses.

Bonus Versus Deposit + Bonus

A commonly used tactic among online casinos and sports betting platforms is to claim that the wagering requirements for a bonus are a certain amount, when in fact they are twice that amount. In some cases, online casinos consider your first deposit as part of the deposit match bonus. However, some casinos don’t clearly indicate this when they advertise the bonus.

For example, in case of a 10x wagering requirement, if you deposit $100 and the casino adds $100 to it, if you’d only have to wager the bonus amount, that would be $1.000. But if the casino considers your first deposit as part of the match bonus, you’ll have to wager a total of $200 instead of just $100 (the bonus amount), for a total of $2.000. The difference is quite big, so make sure to read the terms and conditions of a bonus carefully before claiming it.

Less Than 100% Deposit Matches

While 100% matches on new player bonuses are the norm (but there are exceptions for this as well), regular promotions are usually not as good. A reload bonus generally offers between 10% and 50% extra on deposits.

Let’s say an online casino offers a 25% match bonus for up to an extra $1,000 on your next deposit. You then deposit $1,000 and receive $250 in bonus money, so your account is credited with a total of $1.250. The wagering requirements for this bonus are a “convenient” 10x the deposit + bonus amount. While a 25% reload bonus with a 10x wagering requirement may sound great at first, it’s actually not a very good offer. The bonus is only $250, but the wagering requirements are $1,250 (deposit + bonus) x10, for a total of $12.500. This results in an effective wagering requirement of 50x, which is definitely not a good offer.

Not All Casino Games are Wagering Requirements-Friendly

Sports betting bonuses can be subject to either of the above problems, but this third one only applies to online casino bonuses. Online casino platforms usually have “weightings” for all their games, which determine how the casino calculates wagering requirements based on the games you play. The logic behind this weighting is that games with better odds of winning should contribute less to clearing a bonus than games with poorer returns, such as slots.

That’s why slots usually count for 100% and online roulette for 50% towards the wagering requirements. However, for games with high RTP rates like blackjack, a contribution of only 10% is very common. Sometimes video poker, online blackjack, and even sports betting don’t count at all toward the wagering requirement.

Why Do Casinos Use Wagering Requirements on Promotions?

There are two main reasons why casinos use wagering requirements and other T&Cs on promotions. The most important one is to prevent users from abusing them. Without any regulations in place, any customer would be able to claim them and cash out the winnings, which would eventually be a great loss for the operators. Let’s talk in detail about the two main reasons online casinos in New Jersey use apply these conditions:

Attracting Players

When an online casino offers an attractive bonus package, players may not pay that much attention to the playthrough requirements. Instead, they would simply want to play more and claim other similar bonuses. However, it’s important to note that it wouldn’t be so easy for online casinos to offer such enticing promotions if there were no wagering requirements. On the other hand, the platforms that have both good offers and reasonable wagering conditions are the ones that not only attract players but also keep them for a longer period of time.

Preventing Instant Withdrawing

If it weren’t for wagering requirements, some players would just claim bonuses and cash out them right away. Therefore, it would be impractical for online gambling platforms to offer no wagering deposit bonuses, as players would then only withdraw the bonus and not make a deposit. With these requirements, players must bet at least once on that platform. Simply put, these conditions ensure that casino and sports betting platforms can get their free money back and avoid losses.

Tips for New Players

As we’re approaching the end of our guide, it’s time to draw some conclusions and put together some important tips and tricks that will make it easier for new players to get the grips with turnover requirements.

  • Always read the terms and conditions before claiming a bonus
  • Calculate the cashback and pay attention to the RTP for every game you play – the actual bonus wagering meaning is not just the number displayed on a bonus offer
  • Know the games’ contribution rates – video poker, blackjack, and sports betting may contribute less to the wagering conditions than slots, and sometimes they’re excluded altogether
  • Look out for phrases like “deposit plus bonus”, as they indicate that the actual turnover requirements are higher than stated

Conclusion

Wagering requirements may seem like a game breaker, but they’re just a safety measure that casinos take to avoid losses and retain players. Besides, they can help you increase your winnings, because the more you play, the higher your chances of winning are. However, make sure that you choose low wagering casinos and always pay attention to the terms and conditions before claiming a bonus.

FAQ

What are wagering requirements?

A wagering requirement is how many times you have to bet a bonus amount before it is converted into real money that can be withdrawn.

How do I beat wagering requirements?

You can beat them by playing at casinos that have low wagering requirements and playing games with a large weighting toward those requirements (e.g., slots).

What does no wagering requirement mean?

No wagering requirement refers to a type of casino bonus in which you don’t have to meet any wagering requirements to withdraw the bonus.

What is a wager amount?

A wager amount represents the number of times you need to wager a bonus before you can withdraw it and any winnings.

Why are there wagering requirements?

The main purpose of the turnover requirements is to prevent players from cashing out the bonus amount immediately. Therefore, it would be impractical for online gambling platforms to offer no wagering deposit bonuses, as players would then only withdraw the bonus and not make a deposit.

What is 1x wagering requirement?

A 1x wagering requirement means that you must wager the bonus amount just one time to receive your bonus and subsequent winnings.

What does 10x wagering requirement mean?

A 10x wagering requirement means that you must wager the bonus amount 10 times to receive your bonus and any winnings.

Can I withdraw free bet winnings?

Absolutely. Once you’ve qualified for the bonus and made your wager, the winnings will be credited to your casino account and you can withdraw them.

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