Understanding Wagering Requirements In Casino Bonuses

Online casinos aggressively market their deposit bonuses, making it seem like they are handing out free money.


The reality is that these promotional funds are heavily restricted by a mechanism called a playthrough requirement.

What Exactly is a Wagering Requirement?

This rule specifies the total volume of bets you need to place before the bonus money converts into real cash.


If the terms state 20x on both the deposit ($100) and bonus ($100), you must wager $4,000 in total.

The goal of the casino is for you to lose the bonus money before hitting the targetAlways check if the multiplier applies only to the bonus, or the deposit + bonus combinedUnderstanding this math is crucial to determining if an offer is actually worth taking
Not All Casino Games Count Equally

To make things even more complicated, not every game on the platform contributes 100% towards the requirement.


However, playing roulette might only contribute 10%, meaning a $10 bet only counts as $1 towards the playthrough.

ActivityContribution RuleNoteVideo Poker0% - 5%House edge is too low for the casino to allow itProgressive SlotsUsually RestrictedCheck terms; often completely banned with active bonuses

By playing low-risk slots, you can slowly grind through the mathematical requirement and emerge with a profit.