Wagering Requirements 101: Everything You Should Know

Casino wagering requirements, also known as bonus requirements, are often overlooked in the gambling industry. Some people might be content to ignore them, but we know better.

Without knowing how wagering requirements work, you’ll never be able to realize the full potential of US online casino bonuses. In fact, you’ll be missing out on hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars in bonus cash by ignoring wagering requirements.

We don’t want that, so here’s everything you need to know about one of the most important aspects of online casino gaming, poker, and sports betting.

What is Wagering?

Wagering is a gambling term used to explain the act of betting money on a casino game, sport, or poker. It comes from the term “to wager,” which means to risk a sum of money on an uncertain event. Because casino games are unpredictable, you’re wagering money each time you play.

What Are Wagering Requirements?

Wagering requirements are terms and conditions that govern sports betting, poker, and casino bonuses. Since our focus is casino gaming, my explanation will be within this framework. However, all bonuses in the online gambling industry are subject to wagering requirements.

Something I noticed over the last decade is that the phrase wagering requirement has become an umbrella term. By that, I mean people use it two ways. Old-school gamblers like me use wagering requirements to explain all of the terms and conditions attached to bonuses.

More recently, it’s become an alternative way of referring to playthrough targets. A playthrough target is one of the terms and conditions that govern bonuses, so I can see why it's become synonymous with wagering requirements. However, if I’m being pedantic, the phrase “wagering requirements” refers to all the terms of a bonus.

Now that’s clear, here are the main wagering requirements you need to know about:

• Eligibility: some bonuses are reserved for new customers, while others are for everyone. There may also be times you can only claim bonuses by playing certain games or after completing tasks.

• The minimum deposit: all deposit-based bonuses have a minimum deposit requirement.

• Valid deposit method: you won’t be able to claim deposit bonuses using certain payment methods. This is often due to KYC issues, i.e., the casino operator can’t instantly verify your identity via certain payment methods.

• The maximum payout: casino bonuses have a maximum payout. For example, if you’re offered a 100% deposit bonus of up to $1,000, the maximum amount of site credit you can get is $1,000. Even if you deposit $2,000, you’ll only trigger the maximum bonus of $1,000.

• Promotional period: online casino bonuses have expiry dates. This means you’ve only got a limited amount of time to claim a bonus and a subsequent amount of time to hit your playthrough target.

• Maximum bet and win: the amount you can wager with a single bet is often capped when you have an active bonus. There may also be a cap on the amount you can win using bonus credits. This condition is most commonly in place for free spins bonuses.

• Playthrough requirement: bonus credits can’t be withdrawn until you’ve hit a playthrough target. You hit targets by wagering money, which is why it’s often called a wagering requirement.

• Game contribution weightings: the bets you make have a certain weighting based on the game you’re playing. Sometimes, the full amount goes towards your playthrough target. Sometimes, only a small percentage of your bet goes towards your target. 

The Playthrough Requirement

Because the terms "wagering requirement" and "playthrough" are often used interchangeably, it’s worth examining this condition in more detail. 

A playthrough requirement/target is the amount of money you need to wager before a bonus can be withdrawn. Bonuses are paid in credits that can be used to play real money casino games.

However, because site credits don’t have any real-world value, they can’t be withdrawn. Therefore, when you hit a playthrough target, what you’re actually doing is converting bonus credits to withdrawable cash.

Failing to reach your target within an allotted amount of time or requesting a withdrawal results in the bonus credit being removed from your account. That’s why playthrough targets are so important.

Calculating Wagering Requirements

Playthrough targets (wagering requirements) are a multiple of your bonus’s value. In some cases, the playthrough is a multiple of your bonus's value plus the value of a deposit. However, in most cases, it’s the amount of bonus credit you receive that matters.

Let’s take a look at some actual playthrough targets at the top US online casinos:

• BetMGM Casino: Get a $25 sign-up bonus (1x playthrough) and a $1,000 first deposit match (15x playthrough).

• FanDuel Casino: Get a $500 bonus with a 1x playthrough when you deposit $10.

Naturally, as savvy players, we want the lowest targets possible. Of the three offers I’ve picked out, BetMGM and FanDuel have the lowest playthroughs at 1x. Let’s calculate our wagering requirement based on this target:

• BetMGM no deposit bonus = $25 x 1 = $25 playthrough target

• FanDuel first deposit bonus = $100 x 1 = $100 playthrough target

I should point out that 1x playthrough targets are pretty rare, so grab these offers whenever you find them. Because of this, let’s also look at what you’d need to wager at BetMGM Casino:

BetMGM welcome bonus = 100% first deposit match up to $1,000 (i.e., your bonus matches your deposit amount up to $1,000)

• You deposit $100

• You receive $100 in bonus credit

• You have a 15x playthrough to hit

• 100 x 15 = $1,500 playthrough target

IMPORTANT!

Wagering doesn’t mean losing. People wrongly assume that wagering $1,000 means you’ve got to lose that amount. That’s not the case.

Wagering is the amount you’ve staked, regardless of wins or losses. So, even though a $1,000 target might seem like a lot of money, it’s actually not when you consider a single slot spin takes less than 10 seconds.

Don’t Forget About Contribution Weightings

I said before that bets aren’t counted equally when you’re clearing bonuses. Contribution weights determine the percentage of a bet that goes toward your playthrough target.

Every casino has its own contribution weightings, but these figures are representative of the industry averages:

• Slots = 100% weighting

• Instant win games/scratch cards = 100% weighting

• Table games = 10%-20% weighting

• Live Games = 10% weighting

As the percentages suggest, 100% weighting means 100% of your bet goes towards clearing a bonus. Twenty percent means $0.20 of a $1 bet goes towards the playthrough, and so on. Some games have a 0% weighting, so be aware of that.

Why Do Casino Bonus Requirements Exist?

Bonus requirements keep things fair because they stop people from exploiting the system. Let’s say BetMGM Casino creates a new deposit bonus. There’s $500 up for grabs, but there aren’t any wagering requirements.

While that might sound like a good thing, it’s not. Casinos are businesses. They can’t afford to give away money and not get anything in return. Anyone wanting to exploit BetMGM’s oversight could deposit $1, get $500 in cash, and withdraw it instantly.

The player is happy because they risked $1 to get $500, and BetMGM takes the hit. Now, suppose a thousand players did this. The executives at BetMGM wouldn’t be happy with the promo team that didn’t attach wagering requirements to the bonus.

Therefore, to prevent people from abusing offers and not contributing to the casino’s ecosystem, bonuses need terms and conditions. There are, of course, favorable and unfavorable wagering requirements. In fact, that’s how you separate generous casino bonuses from poor ones, as I’ll explain in the next section. 

Good vs. Bad Wagering Requirements

Unfavorable wagering conditions can ruin an otherwise impressive-looking casino bonus. That’s why I always read the terms and conditions before recommending offers.

Here’s how I defined good and bad wagering requirements so you know which offers to claim and which ones to avoid.

Final Tip: Don’t Ignore Wagering Requirements

We’re all guilty of skipping to the end of a contract and signing it without noting all of the terms and conditions. That’s OK in certain cases, but not this one. Wagering requirements make or break casino bonuses.

Unfavorable conditions make it almost impossible to get anything tangible from a promotion. Because of this, you need to read through the terms and understand what’s required. If the terms are too restrictive or not compatible with your playing style, don’t take the offer.

The beauty of using licensed online casinos is that they’re required to provide clear terms and conditions. That’s why you’ll often see the main wagering requirements listed underneath the offer.

Don’t ignore them because they’re an easy way to tell if a bonus is worth claiming without going through the full terms and conditions. Keep this in mind, and you’ll never miss out on free bonus cash ever again.