Wagering requirements explained (with a full worked example)

A wagering requirement is the amount you have to bet before a bonus turns into cash you can withdraw. It is written as a multiple, like 35x, applied to either your bonus or your deposit plus bonus. On a €50 bonus, 35x means €1,750 of bets before you can cash out. The same 35x can cost €3,500, depending on one clause most players never read.

What is a wagering requirement?

A wagering requirement (also called a playthrough requirement) is the total value of bets you must place before bonus-linked money becomes withdrawable cash. It is written as a multiple: 35x means you wager thirty-five times a base amount. It is not a fee, and it is not money you lose the moment you accept the bonus. It is a volume of turnover you have to push through the games before the withdraw button unlocks.

The catch is the word “base.” The multiple means nothing until you know what it multiplies, and that is the part the terms tend to bury. The UK Gambling Commission’s own glossary defines the requirement as one a player must meet “whether the total requirement is expressed as a fixed amount or as a multiple of another amount, such as the size of a deposit made by, or bonus received by, the consumer.” Read that clause again: the regulator names two possible bases — the deposit or the bonus. Same 35x, two very different sums.

What does 35x really cost? A €50 bonus worked through

Take a €50 bonus. On a bonus-only basis, the multiple applies to the €50 alone. Now assume that €50 bonus came from a 100% match on a €50 deposit, so the combined figure is €100. On a deposit-plus-bonus basis, the multiple applies to the full €100 instead. Here is every number for that €50 example, worked both ways:

The headline multiple is identical down each column. The turnover required is double on the right. A “35x” bonus can mean €1,750 of bets or €3,500 of bets, and the multiple on its own never tells you which. You have to find the clause that names the base.

Some operators go a step further and wager each component separately. Casumo’s bonus terms state that “both the bonus and deposit amounts must each be wagered 30 times before withdrawal, meaning a total wagering requirement of 60x” (terms checked July 2026). That is two 30x requirements running side by side, not one. On our matched €50 deposit, a 60x effective requirement is €6,000 of turnover before a withdrawal is even possible.

Two clauses that quietly change the maths

The base and the multiple set the target. Two other clauses decide how quickly you can reach it, and both sit several screens into the terms.

Game weighting (contribution rates)

Not every euro you stake counts as a full euro toward the requirement. Slots usually contribute at or near 100%. Table games contribute far less. I read the weighting tables published by two operators and the shape is consistent even where the exact figures differ. Casumo’s terms weight slots at 100%, table games such as roulette and blackjack at 10%, and live casino and video poker at 5% (terms checked July 2026). LeoVegas’s casino offer terms weight slots at 100%, table games at 10%, and live games at 0% (terms checked July 2026).

So the honest statement is a range, not one universal figure: slots weight far higher than table games, commonly 100% against roughly 10%, with live tables often lower or nil. In practice, clearing a requirement on table games can take many times more real staking than the headline number implies, because each bet counts for only a fraction of its value. If your preferred game sits at 0% on the weighting table, playing it does nothing at all for the requirement, and the counter simply will not move.

The max-bet rule

While a bonus is active, most operators cap the size of a single bet. Casumo’s terms set it plainly: “the maximum bet allowed when using Bonus Money is €5 per spin” (terms checked July 2026), and breaching a max-bet clause typically forfeits the bonus and any winnings built on it. A per-spin cap around €5 or $5 is common across the terms I reviewed, though the exact figure varies, so check the number rather than assume it.

This is the clause that voids winnings after the fact, sometimes on a single mistake. You can clear most of a requirement, place one oversized spin out of habit, and lose the lot to a terms breach rather than a losing bet. The cap also sets a floor on how long clearing takes: at €5 a spin, a €3,500 requirement is a minimum of 700 qualifying spins, win or lose.

How to work out whether a bonus is clearable for your budget

Here is the heuristic I use. It does not need to be precise; it only needs to stop you starting something you cannot realistically finish. Three numbers settle it.

First, find the base: is the multiple applied to the bonus, or to deposit plus bonus? Second, find the weighting for the game you plan to play. Third, put them together: multiply the requirement by the correct base, then divide by that weighting. A €50 bonus at 35x on a deposit-plus-bonus basis is €3,500 of turnover if you stick to 100%-weighted slots, but €35,000 of real staking on a game weighted at 10%. Then compare that figure to your deposit. If the turnover comes out at more than roughly twenty to thirty times the money you are putting in, you are relying on a long winning run just to survive long enough to clear it, with the house edge working against every spin. Our bonus wagering calculator runs the exact figure once you know the base and the weighting.

The regulator backs this up from its side. The UK Gambling Commission’s transparency guidance says players “must be told when they are playing with restricted funds and any requirements or restrictions associated with this,” and that “simply including the information in website terms and conditions is not sufficient.” If an offer makes the real requirement genuinely hard to find, that is a mark against the offer, not a puzzle you are expected to solve alone.

The checklist before you accept a bonus

Wagering is not there to be feared, but it is there to be read. Before you accept any offer, run the same four checks every time:

• Find the base. Bonus only, or deposit plus bonus? That choice alone can double the turnover.
• Find the weighting. Confirm the contribution rate for the game you plan to play — 100% slots and 10% table games are different products.
• Find the max bet. Note the per-spin cap so a single oversized bet cannot void the lot.
• Do the arithmetic. Multiple × base ÷ weighting gives your real turnover target; compare it to your deposit before you commit.

Get those four numbers and the offer stops being a headline and becomes a figure you can decide on. When we assess an operator’s bonuses in a full review, such as our Unibet and 888 Casino reviews, the base, the weighting and the max-bet rule are exactly what we read first. If you would rather set deposit or time limits than run that maths under pressure, BeGambleAware and GamCare are the places to start. 18+. Bonus terms change; always confirm the current terms on the operator’s own site before you deposit.