Wagering, also known as the wagering requirement or playthrough, is the total amount a casino requires you to stake before it allows you to withdraw a bonus and the winnings obtained with it. It is expressed as a multiple: 30x, 35x, 40x. That multiple means nothing until you know which amount it applies to.
What wagering measures
Wagering counts stakes, not losses. Every bet placed on an eligible game is added to the counter, whether it wins or loses. If you bet €1 a hundred times in a row, you have staked €100, even if your balance has barely moved.
Winnings obtained during wagering are staked again in turn: this is how a modest balance can generate a volume of bets far greater than the amount deposited. But each bet also exposes the balance to the house edge, which explains why a high multiple is costly.
Bonus only or deposit plus bonus: the calculation basis
The same “35x” label can correspond to two very different requirements. Example: you deposit €100 and receive a 100% bonus; your balance is €200.
- 35x wagering on the bonus: 35 × €100 = €3,500 to be staked.
- 35x wagering on the deposit and the bonus: 35 × €200 = €7,000 to be staked.
The second case requires twice as much staking for the same bonus. In this example, an offer at 35x the deposit and bonus is equivalent to an offer at 70x the bonus alone. Always convert offers to the same basis before comparing them.
Winnings from free spins often have their own wagering. Example: €20 of winnings subject to 40x means an extra €800 in stakes.
Game contribution
The counter does not progress at the same rate on every game. The terms specify a contribution rate for each category. Example: if slots count 100% and blackjack 10%, €100 staked on blackjack only advances the wagering by €10. To complete €3,500 of wagering solely on a game counting 10%, you would need to stake €35,000.
Some games are excluded outright, and playing them with an active bonus can lead to its cancellation. Other casinos only accept a closed list of eligible games. Read this list before you start, not afterwards.
The expected cost of wagering
The return to player (RTP) of a game is the share of stakes it pays back on average, over a very large number of rounds. The house edge is the remainder: a game with an RTP of 96% keeps, on average, 4% of the amounts staked.
The reasoning below is an illustration, using an RTP of 96% as an example. The expected cost is obtained by multiplying the house edge by the volume of stakes:
- €3,500 in stakes × 4% = €140 expected cost;
- €7,000 in stakes × 4% = €280 expected cost.
With a €100 bonus, the expected cost exceeds the bonus in both cases: by €40 in the first, and it reaches 2.8 times its amount in the second.
This calculation remains an approximation. A real session can deviate sharply from the average, in either direction; the balance may run out before the required stakes are completed, and any winnings cap is not taken into account. It is nonetheless enough to show that a high multiple can wipe out the entire value of a bonus.
RTP varies from one game to another and, for some slots, from one version of the same game to another. It is usually shown in the game’s information.
Time limits and the maximum bet
The time limit to finish
Wagering must be completed within a set period, often ranging from a few days to a few weeks. Set against the required volume, this time limit imposes a pace: €3,500 in stakes over 7 days means €500 in stakes per day. If that pace suits neither the way you play nor your budget, the offer is not right for you. When the period expires, the bonus and related winnings are removed.
The maximum bet during wagering
While the bonus is active, each bet is capped. A single bet above this cap can allow the casino to cancel the bonus and the winnings, sometimes several days later, during the check that precedes a withdrawal. Depending on the terms, the cap also applies to bonus-buy features on slots. Clauses that prohibit certain betting patterns, such as alternating very small and very large bets, follow the same logic.
Before accepting a bonus
- Identify the wagering basis: bonus only, or deposit plus bonus.
- Calculate the required volume of stakes in euros.
- Check the contribution of the games you plan to play.
- Estimate the expected cost using the RTP of those games.
- Divide the volume by the number of days allowed to get the daily pace.
- Note the maximum bet and keep it in front of you while you play.
Our bonuses page shows the wagering basis and multiple for each offer we track, and the comparison lets you view them side by side. To read the other parts of an offer, see the guides section.