What a wagering requirement (playthrough) means
A wagering requirement — also called a playthrough requirement or rollover — is the number of times you must stake a bonus amount in real-money bets before any winnings tied to that bonus can be withdrawn. It's usually written as a multiplier, such as "30x" or "35x", attached to the bonus terms.
The key thing to understand is that wagering refers to your total stakes, not your net losses. If you bet €10 and it comes back as a €10 win, that still counts as €10 wagered — the requirement tracks turnover, not how much money leaves your account.
A simple example: say a casino credits you a €20 free bonus with a 30x wagering requirement. To unlock any winnings from that bonus, you'd need to place a total of 30 × €20 = €600 in qualifying real-money bets. You could reach that figure through many small spins or fewer larger ones — what matters is the cumulative total, tracked automatically by the casino's system as you play.
It helps to think of the wagering requirement as a turnover target rather than a spending target. Your balance can go up and down many times along the way — a winning streak doesn't finish the requirement early, and a losing run doesn't reset it. The counter only cares about the sum of every qualifying stake you place, right up until it reaches the target set by the multiplier.
Note: wagering requirements apply specifically to bonus funds and bonus-linked winnings. Money you deposit and play with outside of an active bonus is normally withdrawable at any time, subject to the casino's standard verification process.
How it's calculated: bonus-only vs deposit+bonus
Not every wagering requirement is calculated the same way. The multiplier can apply to two different bases, and the difference has a big effect on how much you actually need to bet:
- Bonus-only: the multiplier applies just to the bonus amount. This is the more player-friendly version.
- Deposit + bonus: the multiplier applies to the combined total of your deposit and the bonus you received, which roughly doubles the wagering needed for the same headline multiplier.
| Structure | Wagering needed (35x, €50 deposit + €50 bonus) |
|---|---|
| Bonus-only (35x bonus) | 35 × €50 = €1,750 |
| Deposit + bonus (35x combined) | 35 × €100 = €3,500 |
This is why comparing two offers by their multiplier alone can be misleading. A "25x deposit+bonus" offer can require more total turnover than a "35x bonus-only" offer on the same amounts. Always check which base the multiplier is applied to — it's usually stated in the same paragraph as the percentage match, though sometimes it's tucked into a separate full terms page.
It's also worth noting that some promotions calculate wagering on a percentage of the bonus, rather than a flat sum you deposited. Cashback offers and free-spin winnings, for example, are often converted into bonus funds first and then carry their own separate wagering multiplier — so it pays to read each offer's terms individually rather than assuming they all follow the same formula.
Game weighting: slots 100%, table games less
Not every bet contributes equally toward clearing a wagering requirement. Casinos assign a "contribution" or "weighting" percentage to each game category, largely based on the game's house edge and how much of a stake theoretically returns to the player over time.
Slots typically weight at or close to 100%, meaning every euro staked counts fully toward the requirement. Games with a lower house edge — where skilled or optimal play narrows the casino's advantage — are usually weighted down so they can't be used to clear wagering with minimal risk.
| Game category | Typical contribution |
|---|---|
| Slots | 100% |
| Live casino / roulette | 10%–20% |
| Blackjack, baccarat, video poker | 0%–10% |
| Jackpot slots | Often reduced or excluded |
Important: figures above are typical industry ranges, not fixed values. Some casinos exclude certain games from bonus play entirely, and staking on an excluded game can void the bonus and any winnings attached to it. Always check the specific game list in the terms before you play.
Max bet & time limits
Two rules outside the multiplier itself can make or break a bonus offer:
- Maximum bet per spin/round: most bonus terms cap how much you can stake on a single bet while wagering is active — commonly around €5. Placing a bet above that cap can breach the terms and put the bonus and its winnings at risk.
- Time limit: bonuses usually expire after a set window, often somewhere between 7 and 30 days. Any wagering left unfinished when the clock runs out is typically forfeited, along with the linked winnings.
Tip: before opting in, work out roughly how many bets you'd realistically place per day. If the total wagering required doesn't comfortably fit inside the time limit at a sensible stake size, the offer may not be practical for your usual playing pace.
How to read bonus terms
Promotional banners rarely show the full picture — the details that decide whether a bonus is workable live on the dedicated terms page. Before accepting an offer, look for:
- The wagering multiplier and what it's applied to (bonus-only or deposit+bonus).
- The game weighting table and any games excluded from bonus play.
- The maximum bet allowed while the bonus is active.
- The expiry window for completing the wagering.
- Any maximum cashout cap on bonus winnings.
- The minimum deposit required to trigger the offer, and any minimum odds rules for sports-linked promotions.
Reading this once, before you deposit, takes a few minutes and avoids the far more common scenario of finding out about a restriction only after a withdrawal request gets queried. It's also worth screenshotting or saving the terms page at the time you opt in — promotions occasionally get updated, and having a record of the version you accepted can make any support query much faster to resolve.
A realistic worked example of clearing a bonus
Put the pieces together with a single scenario. Say you deposit €100 and receive a 100% match bonus of €100, with a 40x deposit+bonus wagering requirement, a €5 max bet, and a 30-day window.
The total wagering required is 40 × (€100 + €100) = €8,000 in qualifying stakes. Playing slots at 100% weighting, an average stake of €2 per spin means roughly 4,000 spins to clear the requirement — spread across 30 days, that's around 130-140 spins a day, which is achievable for a regular slots session but worth being realistic about before you start.
If you mix in table games along the way, the math changes quickly. A €50 stake on blackjack weighted at 10% only counts €5 toward the €8,000 target — you'd need ten times the turnover on that game to make the same progress as on slots.
Keep in mind: wagering a large total doesn't change the underlying odds of any individual bet, and it isn't a way to guarantee recovering a loss — each spin or hand remains an independent, random outcome. Clearing a wagering requirement simply unlocks the possibility of withdrawing whatever balance you end up with once the turnover target is met.
Disclaimer: this article is for general information only. Wagering multipliers, game weighting, max bet limits, expiry windows and cashout caps vary by casino and by promotion. Always read the official terms of the specific bonus before opting in, and check the licensing and gambling regulations that apply in your country.