You have found a betting bonus that looks great: perhaps a 100% deposit match, 100 bonus spins or some bonus cash added to your account. But somewhere in the terms and conditions you spot something like “20x wagering requirement” or “bonus must be wagered 10 times before withdrawal.” What exactly does that mean?
Wagering requirements are one of the most important things to understand before claiming a betting bonus. They determine how much qualifying play is required before certain bonus funds or associated winnings can become eligible for withdrawal. Fortunately, the basic calculation is much easier than it might initially sound.
What Is a Wagering Requirement?
A wagering requirement, sometimes called a rollover requirement, tells you how many times a particular amount needs to be wagered to fulfil the conditions of a promotion. For example, imagine you receive a R100 bonus with a 10x wagering requirement.
If the wagering requirement applies only to the R100 bonus: R100 × 10 = R1,000 you would therefore need to place R1,000 worth of qualifying bets before completing the wagering requirement. Importantly, that does not mean you need to lose R1,000. Wagering refers to the total amount placed in qualifying bets. If you make ten R100 qualifying bets, for example, you have wagered R1,000 regardless of the individual results of those bets.
What Does 10x Wagering Mean?
The “x” simply means “times”. A 10x requirement means the relevant amount carries a ten times wagering. A 20x requirement means 20 times, while 50x means 50 times. Here is a simple example using a R200 bonus:
| Wagering Requirement | Calculation | Required Wagering |
|---|---|---|
| 5x | R200 × 5 | R1,000 |
| 10x | R200 × 10 | R2,000 |
| 20x | R200 × 20 | R4,000 |
| 30x | R200 × 30 | R6,000 |
| 50x | R200 × 50 | R10,000 |
As you can see, the difference between a 10x and 50x requirement can be substantial. That is why the headline size of a bonus doesn’t tell you everything about an offer.
Does Wagering Apply to the Bonus or Deposit + Bonus?
This is where things become particularly important. Operators can calculate wagering requirements in different ways. Imagine you deposit R500 and receive a 100% match bonus of R500.
If the promotion has a 20x bonus wagering requirement, the calculation could be: R500 bonus × 20 = R10,000
But suppose the terms instead state that the wagering requirement applies to the deposit plus bonus. Your total qualifying amount is then R1,000 and hence you need to wager R1,000 × 20 = R20,000. The headline still says “20x wagering”, but the actual amount of qualifying play required has doubled.
Always check exactly which amount the multiplier applies to.
Do Free Spins Have Wagering Requirements?
Any type of promotion can have requirements. Free spins , also commonly called bonus spins, may not cost you anything to use. However, there can still be conditions attached to the resulting winnings.
For example, you might receive 50 bonus spins when registering with Spin-A-Bet and win R100 from them. If the promotion states that bonus-spin winnings have a 10x wagering requirement, you would need R1,000 of qualifying wagering based on those R100 winnings. Other promotions may credit winnings directly as cash with no wagering requirement.
Once again, the specific promotion terms matter more than whether the operator calls the reward “bonus spins” or “free spins”.
Do All Bonuses Have Wagering Requirements?
No, some promotions advertise no wagering requirements, particularly where rewards are paid as cash. In such cases, there is no turnover target attached to the reward under that particular condition. Other bonuses can have relatively low rollover requirements, while some require considerably more qualifying wagering.
This makes wagering requirements one of the most useful factors to compare when looking at two otherwise similar bonus offers. A R1,000 bonus with a 50x wagering requirement isn’t necessarily more attractive than a R500 bonus with a much lower requirement simply because the headline bonus is bigger. You need to look at the complete offer.
Do All Bets Count Towards Wagering?
Not necessarily. Promotional terms normally specify which games or betting products contribute towards the wagering requirement.
On a slot game promotion, for example, selected titles might contribute 100% towards wagering while table games, live games or other products contribute at a different rate or don’t qualify at all. There may also be restrictions on certain betting patterns or maximum bet sizes while wagering a bonus. This is another reason why simply calculating “bonus × wagering requirement” doesn’t always give you the complete picture. Check the eligible products and contribution rules before you start.
What Is a Maximum Bet During Wagering?
Some bonuses impose a maximum qualifying bet while bonus funds or wagering requirements are active. For example, the terms might state that the maximum permitted stake is R50 per spin or bet while completing wagering. Placing a larger bet could breach the promotional conditions.
Don’t confuse this with a maximum win. A maximum bet controls how you can stake at once. A maximum win on the other side limits how much you can ultimately withdraw under the terms of a particular promotion.
What Is a Maximum Win From a Bonus?
Some promotions also place a cap on the amount you can win from a bonus, bonus spins or other promotional reward. Imagine you receive no deposit spins and the promotion has a maximum win of R500. Even if the spins generate winnings above R500, the promotional terms may limit the overall amount. This is particularly important with no deposit promotions.
A large number of free spins might look impressive. Nevertheless always evaluate the number of spins alongside their value, wagering requirements and any maximum-win restriction.
Do Wagering Requirements Expire?
Often, yes. A promotion may give you a certain number of days to complete its wagering requirement. Bonus funds themselves may also have an expiry date. If you don’t complete the required wagering before the deadline, the remaining bonus funds and potentially associated winnings can expire in accordance with the promotion’s terms.The time limit therefore deserves just as much attention as the multiplier. Completing 10x wagering over 30 days is a very different proposition from completing the same amount within 24 hours.
How to Compare Wagering Requirements
When looking at a bonus, don’t stop at the big headline promising hundreds of bonus spins or thousands of rand in bonus cash.
Look for five important pieces of information:
- The wagering multiplier: Is it 5x, 10x, 20x, 50x or something else?
- What the multiplier applies to: Bonus only, deposit plus bonus or winnings generated from promotional spins?
- Which bets qualify: Do all games contribute equally towards wagering?
- The deadline: How long do you have to fulfil the requirement?
- Other restrictions: Is there a maximum bet, maximum win or withdrawal restriction?
Once you have those answers, it becomes much easier to understand the actual conditions attached to the offer.
Are Lower Wagering Requirements Better?
If everything else about two bonuses were identical, a lower wagering requirement would generally mean less qualifying turnover is required to satisfy that particular condition. But promotions are rarely identical. One might provide a larger bonus, another more spins. One could have a lower minimum deposit, while another might provide cash winnings without wagering. This is why it makes sense to consider wagering as one part of the overall bonus package, rather than judging an offer by one number.
Look Beyond the Headline Bonus
Wagering requirements might initially look complicated, but the underlying idea is straightforward. If a R100 bonus carries a 10x wagering requirement and the multiplier applies to the bonus, R1,000 of qualifying wagering is required. At 20x, that becomes R2,000. At 50x, it becomes R5,000. The important part is checking what amount the multiplier applies to and what counts as qualifying wagering. Before claiming a welcome bonus, free spins promotion, cashback reward or any other offer, read the promotional terms and look beyond the headline reward. A few minutes spent understanding the wagering requirement can give you a much clearer picture of how the bonus actually works.