Wagering Requirements Explained

A wagering requirement is the amount a player must bet before bonus winnings can be withdrawn. Also known as a playthrough or rollover, this rule is usually shown as a multiplier, such as 10x, 20x, 35x, or 50x. But that simple x-number does not always translate to a straight calculation.

The size of the bet needed to clear a bonus depends on two things: which total the multiplier is applied to, and how much of each wager actually counts toward the total. These two levers can transform the same headline requirement into very different amounts of stake to make the bonus money real.

What the wagering multiplier actually means

A wagering requirement is a bet-to-win condition that must be met before a bonus can be withdrawn. Offer terms will show this as a playthrough or rollover multiple – 20x, for example, meaning the bonus amount must be wagered 20 times over.

So a $100 bonus with a 20x wagering requirement means (in basic terms) that $2,000 in real-money wagers must be placed. That figure is where most players stop reading, and it is not yet the real stake.

Bonus Only vs Deposit Plus Bonus

The blocky-sounding terminology makes a material difference. "20x bonus" means 20 times the bonus amount. So a 20x requirement on a $100 bonus multiplies to $2,000.

But if the terms say "20x deposit and bonus", then the calculation changes. A 20x requirement on a $100 bonus with a $100 deposit becomes 20 times the $200 total – $4,000.

So the same 20x multiplier, playing the same $100 bonus where the customer also put down a $100 deposit, can just about double the stakes needed to clear the bonus and make those $100 of bonus money eligible for withdrawal.

Game Weighting Changes the Real-Cash Cost

The same bonus multiplied by the same wagering requirement can cost a different amount in real wagers, depending on which games are played.

Weighting is the second lever. Slots usually count at the full 100% of the stake, table games at 20% or 10%, and roulette, craps or live-dealer tables often at 5% or nothing at all. Take that $2,000 requirement: cleared on slots it costs $2,000 in turnover, but on a game counting at 20% it costs $10,000, and on a game counting at 0% it can never be cleared however long you play.

Most casinos will allow all games, but apply a different contribution for each. That weighting can be enough to turn a headline x10 requirement into a much higher real stake, simply because the game you actually want to play contributes 10% of each stake instead of all of it.