Casino bonus wagering requirements, explained
Last updated: 20 October 2026. This page contains affiliate links; see how we make money.
A bonus is only useful if you can turn it into money you can withdraw. The wagering requirement decides whether that is realistic.
What wagering means
A wagering requirement (also called playthrough or rollover) is the amount you must bet before bonus funds, and sometimes the winnings from them, can be withdrawn. It is written as a multiplier, such as 15x or 35x, applied to a base amount set by the casino. The bet total is what counts, not your profit. A 10 USDT bet that loses still counts as 10 USDT wagered.
How to calculate it
- Find the base amount. Terms use one of three bases: the bonus only, the deposit only, or deposit plus bonus. The same multiplier gives very different totals depending on the base.
- Multiply the base by the multiplier. That is the total you must wager.
- Adjust for game weighting. If a game counts 10% toward the requirement, a 10 USDT bet adds only 1 USDT to your progress.
- Divide by your stake size to see roughly how many bets that takes, and check the time limit.
Worked examples (hypothetical numbers)
These numbers are made up to show the method. They are not any casino's real terms.
- Bonus only: 100 USDT deposit, 100 USDT bonus, 35x on the bonus. 35 x 100 = 3,500 USDT to wager.
- Deposit plus bonus: the same offer with 35x on deposit plus bonus. 35 x 200 = 7,000 USDT to wager, twice as much.
- With weighting: 3,500 USDT to wager on a game that counts 20%. You need 3,500 / 0.20 = 17,500 USDT of bets on that game.
The max-bet rule
Many bonus terms cap the size of a single bet while a bonus is active. The cap stops players clearing the requirement quickly with a few large bets. It also limits how fast you can finish. If the cap is 5 per round and you must wager 1,500, you need at least 300 bets. Breaking the cap is usually treated as a breach of terms, and the usual penalty is losing the bonus and any winnings made with it. Check whether the cap applies to every game, and whether bonus buy features are banned.
What forfeiture means
Forfeiture means the casino removes the bonus, and often the winnings from it, from your balance. Common triggers are:
- Requesting a withdrawal before the requirement is met.
- Breaking the max-bet rule or playing an excluded game.
- Letting the bonus expire before you finish.
- Opening more than one account or otherwise breaching the bonus terms.
Read what exactly is forfeited. Some terms remove only the bonus, others remove the bonus and your winnings, and some remove all bonuses at once.
Game weighting
As a general principle, slots often count fully toward wagering, table games and live games often count a smaller share, and some games or whole providers are excluded. Casinos apply this because low-edge games let players clear a requirement with little expected cost. Weighting and exclusion lists differ between casinos and between bonuses, so only the terms of the specific bonus can tell you. Anything below that names a casino comes from that casino's own published terms.
Real terms: the CryptoCasino.com welcome bonus
CryptoCasino.com publishes its bonus terms on its site, and we summarise them here from those pages. The welcome bonus is 200% up to 10,000 USDT, paid as cash in 4 equal chunks. Each chunk unlocks after wagering 15x the first deposit. The maximum bet while clearing is 5 EUR or USD per round. You must activate the bonus within 30 days of registering, and unreleased cash expires 14 days after activation. Requesting a withdrawal before wagering is done forfeits the bonus and winnings. See our welcome bonus page for the full offer.
The arithmetic for a 100 USDT deposit
Assumptions:
- You deposit exactly 100 USDT, above the 20 USDT minimum for the bonus.
- You play only slots from providers that are not on the exclusion list. The terms say slots count 100%.
- We treat 5 EUR and 5 USD as about 5 USDT for the max bet. Exchange rates move.
- Each chunk needs its own 15x turnover. The terms we read give the per-chunk example but we did not find whether one bet counts toward several chunks at once, so the total below is the upper figure.
| Bonus size | 200% of 100 USDT = 200 USDT |
|---|---|
| Per chunk | 200 / 4 = 50 USDT |
| Wagering per chunk | 15 x 100 = 1,500 USDT (the terms give this same example) |
| All four chunks | 4 x 1,500 = 6,000 USDT of bets |
| Fewest bets at the 5 USDT cap | 1,500 / 5 = 300 bets per chunk, 1,200 bets for all four |
| If the 6,000 had to fit in 14 days | 6,000 / 14 = about 429 USDT of bets per day |
What does that cost in expectation? Suppose, purely as an illustration, that a slot returns 96% over the long run. Each 1 USDT bet then loses 0.04 USDT on average. Over 6,000 USDT of bets the average loss is 6,000 x 0.04 = 240 USDT, which is more than the 200 USDT bonus. Real results vary widely, and a given session can finish well above or below that average. Treat the figure as a way to size the cost, not a forecast.
If you instead played roulette, which the terms count at 5%, a 1,500 USDT chunk would need 1,500 / 0.05 = 30,000 USDT of roulette bets. Baccarat and dice count 0%. CryptoCasino Originals, all Plinko and several named providers are excluded entirely.
Checklist before you accept a bonus
- What is the multiplier, and is it applied to the bonus, the deposit or both?
- What is the total in real money, and can you afford the bets needed at the allowed stake?
- What is the max bet, and what is the penalty for breaking it?
- Which games count, at what percentage, and which are excluded?
- How long do you have to activate it and to finish it?
- What happens if you withdraw early? Is it only the bonus, or the winnings too?
- Is there a maximum cashout from bonus winnings?
- Can you decline the bonus? If so, is that the better choice for you?
Want to see these terms in context? Our welcome bonus page covers the offer itself, and the withdrawal rules cover the fees and limits that decide what you keep.
FAQ
Does wagering count winnings or only my bets?
Wagering counts the total amount you bet, not your profit. Losing bets count the same as winning bets, subject to game weighting. Some terms also count winnings you re-bet.
Is a lower wagering multiplier always better?
No. The base amount, game weighting, max bet, time limit and exclusions all change the real cost. A 15x requirement on the deposit with strict exclusions can be harder to clear than a higher multiplier with fewer limits.
Can I withdraw before I finish wagering?
Usually only by giving up the bonus, and often the winnings from it as well. CryptoCasino.com's terms say requesting a withdrawal before wagering is done forfeits the bonus and winnings.
Is it safer to skip the bonus?
Often it keeps things simple, because there is no turnover target, max bet or forfeiture risk. Whether it is better depends on the terms and on how you play. If a casino lets you decline the bonus, compare both options before depositing.
Last updated: 20 October 2026. 18+ only. Gambling can cause harm, and a bonus does not change the odds in your favour. Only stake what you can afford to lose and set limits before you start. See our responsible gambling page for help.