A wagering requirement (sometimes called a playthrough or rollover) is the total amount you must bet before winnings from a bonus become withdrawable as real cash. It's expressed as a multiplier of either the bonus, or the bonus plus deposit combined.
This is where the single most common misunderstanding happens. Players see "30x wagering" and think "I need to lose €3,000 before I can cash out." That's wrong. You need to wager €3,000 — meaning the total of every bet you place counts, whether each one wins or loses. If you bet €10 and win €15 back, that's €10 toward the wagering, and you now have €15 to bet again.
You deposit €100 and claim a 100% match bonus — so you have €100 cash + €100 bonus in your account. Wagering is 30x the bonus only.
Translation: you're mathematically expected to lose €120 clearing the €100 bonus. That's a negative-EV deal — unless you're specifically after entertainment volume, you're better off declining the bonus.
This is the trap 90% of players never notice. The wagering multiplier looks the same, but the base it's applied to can double your real commitment.
| Type | Formula | €100 deposit + €100 bonus @ 30x |
|---|---|---|
| Bonus only (better) | Bonus × wagering | €100 × 30 = €3,000 |
| Deposit + bonus (worse) | (Deposit + bonus) × wagering | €200 × 30 = €6,000 |
A "30x wagering" casino that applies it to deposit + bonus is effectively operating at 60x if you're comparing to a bonus-only casino. Always check which base the multiplier uses — it's usually buried in the bonus terms under a heading like "Wagering Calculation" or "Bonus Terms."
Even when you hit "100% contribution," that only applies to slots. Other games contribute much less:
| Game type | Typical contribution | Real wagering needed |
|---|---|---|
| Slots | 100% | €3,000 → €3,000 wagered |
| Video poker | 10–25% | €3,000 → €12,000–€30,000 wagered |
| Blackjack | 5–10% | €3,000 → €30,000–€60,000 wagered |
| Live blackjack | 10–20% | €3,000 → €15,000–€30,000 wagered |
| Roulette | 10–50% | €3,000 → €6,000–€30,000 wagered |
| Baccarat | 10% | €3,000 → €30,000 wagered |
| Progressive jackpots | 0% (excluded) | No contribution at all |
If you prefer table games, bonuses at 30x+ on slots-weighted wagering are almost never worth claiming — the true cost scales to 60–90x. Look for casinos with equal weighting across games (rare but they exist), or simply decline the bonus and play with your deposit only.
To evaluate any bonus, use this simple expected-value formula:
Expected cost to clear = Bonus × Wagering × Average house edge
| Bonus | Wagering | House edge | Expected cost | Net value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| €100 bonus | 15x | 4% | €60 | +€40 |
| €100 bonus | 30x | 4% | €120 | -€20 |
| €200 bonus | 45x | 4% | €360 | -€160 |
Notice how the €200 bonus at 45x is actually worse than the €100 bonus at 15x, even though it's twice the bonus amount. High-wagering "big bonuses" almost always underperform smaller low-wagering offers.
As a rough rule, crypto casinos have better wagering terms than fiat casinos — because their operating costs are lower and the competition is fierce. You'll routinely find 20x wagering at crypto-first casinos, versus 35–45x standard at fiat sites. We track the casinos with the lowest wagering here.
Our free Wagering Calculator takes the bonus amount, multiplier, and your preferred games, and tells you the expected value — before you deposit.
Published: 22 April 2026 · Last reviewed: 22 April 2026 by CasinoAce Ireland editorial team.