What wagering requirements actually mean
The headline multiple is the start of the cost, not the end of it. This guide explains each term in plain language — and the wagering requirement calculator turns your own offer’s numbers into a total.
The basic idea
A wagering (or playthrough) requirement is the total amount you must stake before money connected to a bonus can typically be withdrawn. “35x” means bets totalling 35 times a qualifying amount. Which amount qualifies — and which games count — is where offers differ, and where most of the real cost hides.
Bonus only vs. deposit + bonus
If a 100-unit bonus carries 35x on the bonus only, the requirement is 3,500 units of stakes. If the same multiple applies to deposit + bonus on a 100-unit deposit, the base doubles to 200 and the requirement doubles to 7,000. Two offers with identical headlines can demand entirely different totals.
Game contribution changes everything
Contribution is the share of each bet that counts toward the requirement. At 100%, a 10-unit spin counts as 10 units of wagering. At 20% it counts as 2, so clearing the same requirement takes five times the stakes. Divide the gross requirement by the contribution rate to get the number that matters: effective playthrough. The companion guide game contribution rates: why 100% is rarely the whole story stays on that weight, mixed play, and games that count for nothing.
The terms around the multiple
- Max bet:many offers cap the single bet while wagering is active, and a breach can void the bonus under the offer’s terms. A cap also sets a floor on how many bets clearing the requirement takes.
- Expiry: a requirement that must be cleared in a few days implies a daily staking pace. If that pace is beyond your limits, the bonus is not usable at your stakes — that is a useful thing to know before accepting it.
- Max cashout and sticky bonuses:some offers cap what you can withdraw or never convert the bonus itself to withdrawable funds. Those rules are outside the calculator’s model but belong on your reading list before any deposit.
How to compute it by hand
- Qualifying base = bonus, or deposit + bonus (read the offer).
- Gross requirement = base × multiple.
- Effective playthrough = gross requirement ÷ contribution rate.
That is the whole model. The calculator does the same three steps, shows the substitution, and adds the max-bet and expiry arithmetic. Our sourcing rules are on the methodology page.
A safer-play note
A big requirement is not a challenge to beat; it is a price tag. Set money and time limits before playing, treat the effective playthrough as a cost disclosure, and never chase losses to “finish” a requirement. Independent help resources are on the responsible gambling page. 18+ only.
Frequently asked questions
What does a wagering requirement mean in plain language?
It is the total amount you must stake before money connected to a bonus can typically be withdrawn. A “35x” line means bets totalling 35 times a qualifying amount — usually the bonus only, or deposit plus bonus, depending on the offer.
Why can two 35x offers demand different totals?
The multiple is only one input. Whether it applies to the bonus alone or to deposit plus bonus changes the qualifying base, and game contribution rates change how much of each stake counts. Identical headlines can hide very different playthrough.
How do I calculate effective playthrough by hand?
Take the qualifying base, multiply by the wagering multiple for the gross requirement, then divide by the contribution rate. Gross ÷ contribution is the turnover that matters once games count for less than 100%.
Does clearing a wagering requirement mean I made money?
No. Clearing only means you met the staking condition in the terms. It says nothing about whether your balance went up or down, and it is not a profit target.
Should I accept a bonus just to finish the multiple?
Treat the effective playthrough as a cost disclosure first. If the implied staking pace or total exceeds your money and time limits, the bonus is not usable at your stakes — declining it is a valid choice.
Ready to check a real offer’s numbers? Open the wagering requirement calculator.
Sources
Every figure on this page is a definition or a worked arithmetic example with its formula shown — no external factual claims are made, so no external sources are cited.
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