Understanding Bonus Wagering Requirements

Published: October 30, 2018

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Deposit bonuses have become an integral part of online casino gaming. When you make an eligible deposit, the online casino will offer you a bonus that would usually be a percentage of the deposit. This bonus money is not to take home. You have to use it to play at the online casino. Online casinos specify wagering requirements to ensure that this is adhered to. Only after you have completed the wagering requirements in full, you will be allowed to take home the winnings, subject to given limits.

The wagering requirements for deposit bonuses are usually specified as follows: The bonus must be wagered X times the deposit and bonus amount before the winnings can be withdrawn. X will be a number that will vary from case to case. The calculation of the wagering requirement is best explained by an example.

Deposit amount = $25

Bonus percent = 100%

Wagering requirement = 30 times

Wagering requirement in amount = (25 + 25) x 30 = $1500

You will have to wager $1500 before the eligible winnings are transferred to your cashable account.

The most complicated aspect is the understanding of the mechanism of keeping track of the wagering requirements that have been met. It works in the following manner. When you claim a bonus of $25 the amount is credited to your bonus balance. When you place a bet of $1 to meet the wagering requirement, the bet amount is reduced from your bonus balance, which now becomes $24. If the bet loses there is no change to the bonus balance. If you win $100 on the bet then the payout is transferred to your bonus balance, which will become $124. You have met $1 of the wagering requirement and have $124 to meet more of the wagering requirement.

Next you bet $1 again from the bonus balance and win $1000 this time. Your bonus balance will be reduced by $1 and increased by $1000 and become $1123. Hopefully your winnings will be sufficient to cover the total wagering requirement. Then the permissible winnings will be transferred to your regular real money balance. If your bonus balance becomes zero before you can complete the total wagering requirement, then you do not get any benefit from the bonus. But you have not paid anything from your pocket and have enjoyed playing at the online casino.

The wagering requirements for deposit bonuses come with some fine print. The most important of these is the game contribution to wagering requirement. Different game categories contribute different percentages towards meeting wagering requirements. Online slots usually contribute 100%, so $10 bet on slots will contribute $10 towards meeting wagering requirements. Other casino games, like video poker may contribute say 50%. $10 bet on these games will contribute only $5 towards meeting wagering requirements. The net effect is that the wagering requirement will be doubled.

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