A wagering requirement is the total amount you must stake before bonus funds — and anything won with them — can be withdrawn. It is written as a multiplier, like 35x. The multiplier alone tells you very little: what it is multiplied by, which games count toward it, and how long you have are what actually decide the cost.
The multiplier is only half the term
Two casinos can both advertise 35x and mean completely different things. The number is a multiplier, and the thing it multiplies is either the bonus alone, or the bonus plus your deposit. That single distinction doubles the requirement.
Always read the phrasing rather than the number. "35x bonus" and "35x (deposit + bonus)" sit one word apart and are not remotely the same offer.
Hypothetical: £100 deposit with a 100% match
- Deposit
- £100
- Bonus received
- £100
- 35x on the bonus only
- £3,500 must be staked
- 35x on deposit + bonus
- £7,000 must be staked
Same headline number, twice the work. Staking is cumulative turnover, not money lost — but every pass through the game gives the house edge another chance to apply.
Game weighting decides how fast you get there
Not every game moves the counter at the same rate. Slots usually contribute 100%, meaning £1 staked counts as £1 wagered. Table games are commonly weighted far lower, and some are excluded outright.
If blackjack contributes 10%, then £1 staked counts as 10p toward the requirement — so clearing £3,500 of wagering at that weighting means staking £35,000. This is why a bonus can be technically clearable and practically not, if you only enjoy the low-weighted games.
- Slots: typically 100%, though individual titles are often excluded
- Roulette, blackjack, video poker: frequently 10% or less, sometimes 0%
- Live dealer tables: often excluded from bonus wagering entirely
- Jackpot games: commonly excluded, or capped in how much they can contribute
The terms that void a bonus without warning
Most bonuses are lost to a breached rule rather than to bad luck. These conditions are rarely in the headline and are the ones worth checking before you deposit.
- Maximum bet while wagering — a per-spin cap, often a few pounds. Exceeding it once can void the entire bonus and any winnings from it.
- Time limit — commonly 7 to 30 days. Anything unwagered when it expires is removed.
- Maximum conversion — a cap on how much of the bonus winnings can become withdrawable cash, sometimes expressed as a multiple of the bonus.
- Excluded games — playing one while a bonus is active can forfeit it, even if you did not know it was excluded.
- Feature buys — buying a bonus round is disallowed on many offers while wagering is outstanding.
Sticky and non-sticky bonuses
A non-sticky bonus keeps your deposit separate: you play with your own money first, and if you withdraw before touching the bonus, no wagering applies. These are much more player-friendly and much rarer.
A sticky bonus merges the two, so the wagering requirement governs everything until it is met. Most welcome offers are sticky. If a term sheet does not say, assume sticky.
How to read the real cost in one minute
Work out the total stake required, then ask whether you would have played that much anyway. If clearing the bonus means playing considerably more than you intended, the bonus is shaping your behaviour rather than rewarding it — which is precisely what it is designed to do.
A smaller bonus with a 20x requirement on the bonus alone is usually worth more than a large one at 45x on deposit plus bonus. The headline figure is the marketing; the multiplier and its base are the product.
Common questions
Does wagering £3,500 mean losing £3,500?
No. It means cumulative stakes must total £3,500 — winnings get restaked as you go. Your expected loss is roughly the total staked multiplied by the house edge, so on a 96% RTP slot, £3,500 of turnover implies around £140 of expected loss. That is the realistic price of clearing the bonus, not the full £3,500.
Is a lower wagering requirement always better?
Usually, but check what it multiplies and what the maximum conversion is. A 10x requirement with winnings capped at the value of the bonus can be worth less than a 30x requirement with no cap.
Can I withdraw my deposit before completing the wagering?
With a non-sticky bonus, generally yes — though doing so normally forfeits the bonus. With a sticky bonus the deposit is bound by the same requirement. Which type you have is set out in the offer terms.
What happens if I bet above the maximum bet limit by accident?
Most operators reserve the right to void the bonus and any winnings derived from it. Some only void the offending spin. It depends entirely on the terms, and it is one of the most common reasons a withdrawal is refused.
Read next
This page explains how bonus terms work. It is not advice to gamble, and none of the maths here makes a game profitable — every offer described still carries a house edge. 18+ only. Free, confidential support is at BeGambleAware.org.