Wagering requirements explained
A wagering requirement is the amount you must bet before bonus money or bonus winnings can be withdrawn, written as a multiple such as 35x. A R1,000 bonus at 35x means R35,000 in bets, and at a typical 4% house edge that play costs about R1,400 on average.
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Every bonus has a price, and the wagering requirement is most of it. This guide shows you how to read the terms, work out what a bonus will really cost you and spot the ones worth claiming.
What a wagering requirement is
A wagering requirement (also called a playthrough or rollover) is a rule that says you must place a certain value of bets before you can withdraw bonus money, or winnings made from it. It’s shown as a multiple:
- Bonus x35 means bet 35 times the bonus.
- Bonus + deposit x15 means bet 15 times the total of your deposit and the bonus.
- Winnings x10 (common on free spins) means bet 10 times what your spins won.
The casino isn’t asking you to lose that amount. It’s asking you to turn it over. Wins and losses along the way both count, and every bet you place is subtracted from what’s left.
Working it out in Rands
Here’s the maths on three common types of offer.
A deposit match
You deposit R1,000 and get a 100% bonus of R1,000.
| Wagering applies to | Multiple | Total you must bet |
|---|---|---|
| Bonus only | 35x | R35,000 |
| Bonus + deposit | 35x | R70,000 |
| Bonus + deposit | 15x | R30,000 |
The first and second lines look the same in an advert (“35x wagering”) but one needs twice as much play. Always check what the multiple applies to.
Free spins
You get 50 free spins and they win R200. With 10x wagering on winnings, you must bet R2,000 before you can withdraw. If there’s a maximum cashout of R600, anything above that is removed when you withdraw.
A sports free bet
Betting bonuses work slightly differently. Instead of a multiple of casino bets, you often have to place the bonus a number of times at minimum odds, such as “3x at odds of 3.00 or higher”. Higher minimum odds mean each bet is less likely to win, which makes the requirement harder than the number suggests.
What wagering really costs you
Every casino game has a house edge, the percentage of each bet the casino keeps on average. A slot with 96% RTP has a 4% house edge. So on average:
Expected cost of wagering = total you must bet × house edge
| Bonus | Wagering | Total bets | Expected cost at 4% edge | Bonus minus cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| R1,000 | 10x bonus | R10,000 | R400 | +R600 |
| R1,000 | 35x bonus | R35,000 | R1,400 | −R400 |
| R1,000 | 35x bonus + deposit (R1,000) | R70,000 | R2,800 | −R1,800 |
| R1,000 | 50x bonus | R50,000 | R2,000 | −R1,000 |
These are averages. Some players will finish ahead and many will lose the bonus well before finishing. But the averages tell you which offers lean in your favour and which don’t. Anything with a negative number on the right is, on average, worth less than nothing in pure cash terms, even though it gives you longer play.
Our wagering calculator does this sum for any bonus, and the bonus value calculator adds the game’s RTP and the max cashout.
Real South African examples
Here’s how the terms compare on a few current SA offers (live from our data):
- Easybet’s casino bonus: wagering 15x on deposit plus bonus, minimum deposit R50, valid 7 days.
- Playabets’ casino bonus: wagering 40x on deposit plus bonus, valid 7 days. That’s a lot of play for a seven-day window.
- Supabets’ 100 free spins on sign-up: wagering 5x on winnings, with a cap of R999.
| Brand | Bonus | Wagering | Min deposit | Code | Claim |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 PantherBet | 50 free spins on Gates of Olympus No deposit bonus | — | None | — | Claim bonus |
 Springbok Casino | Free R250 no deposit needed No deposit bonus | 60x | None | Claim bonus | |
 Supabets | 100 free spins on Lucky Lucky / Knockout Football Rush (Habanero) No deposit bonus | 5x | None | — | Claim bonus |
 Hollywoodbets | 50 free spins on Hot Hot Hollywoodbets, Hot Hot Fruit or Rainbow Mania (Habanero) No deposit bonus | 10x | None | — | Claim bonus |
 10bet | 100 free spins No deposit bonus | No wagering | None | — | Claim bonus |
Game weighting
Most casinos count slots at 100% towards wagering and give other games a lower weighting:
| Game type | Typical contribution |
|---|---|
| Slots | 100% |
| Crash games and instant games | 0% to 100% (check the terms) |
| Live casino | 0% to 10% |
| Table games (blackjack, roulette) | 0% to 20% |
YesPlay’s sports welcome bonus, for example, counts slots at only 10% and live casino at 3%, because the bonus is meant for sports. If you play a game that counts 10%, R1,000 of bets clears only R100 of your requirement.
The other terms that matter
Wagering is rarely the only condition. Read these too:
- Maximum bet. Many bonuses cap your stake while wagering (for example R25 or R50 a spin). Breaking it can void the bonus.
- Expiry. You may have as little as 2 to 7 days to finish. A big requirement in a short window pushes you to bet faster than you’d like.
- Maximum cashout. A cap on what you can withdraw from bonus winnings, common on no deposit offers.
- Excluded games and payment methods. Some deposits (often e-wallets) don’t qualify, and some high-RTP games are excluded.
- Sticky or non-sticky. A sticky bonus can’t be withdrawn, only played with. A non-sticky bonus uses your real money first, so you can walk away with a win before the bonus kicks in.
A worked example from start to finish
Say you deposit R500 and take a 100% casino bonus of R500 with 20x wagering on the bonus only, a R25 maximum bet and seven days to finish.
- Your target is R10,000 in bets (R500 × 20). Your balance starts at R1,000.
- You choose a slot with 96% RTP that counts 100%. At R10 a spin, you need 1,000 spins. At five seconds a spin, that’s under 90 minutes of play, so the seven-day window is realistic.
- The expected cost is R400 (R10,000 × 4%). On average you’d finish with about R600 of your R1,000 starting balance, but the range is wide: plenty of players hit zero first, and a few finish well ahead.
- If your balance hits zero, the bonus is gone. Nothing is owed and nothing is withdrawable. That’s why it pays to know the expected cost before you start rather than after.
- Once the counter reaches zero, the balance is real money. Withdraw it or keep playing, but the conditions no longer apply.
Now change one term: make it 20x on bonus plus deposit. The target doubles to R20,000, the expected cost doubles to R800, and you’d expect to finish with about R200. Same headline, very different deal.
Wagering on betting bonuses
Sports bonuses use the same idea but with odds instead of RTP. A sportsbook’s margin is usually 5% to 10% on popular markets, higher on accumulators. If a R1,000 bet bonus needs 5x wagering at odds of 1.40 or higher, you’ll place R5,000 in qualifying bets. At a 7% margin that costs around R350 on average.
Watch for rules that make a betting requirement harder: accumulator-only wagering (each leg adds margin), high minimum odds, and short expiry. Our guide to how betting odds work shows you how to work out a bookmaker’s margin.
How to pick a better bonus
- Compare the total amount to bet, not the multiple alone.
- Prefer bonus-only wagering over bonus plus deposit.
- Prefer longer expiry and no maximum cashout.
- Look at no-wagering bonuses and cashback paid as real money.
- Skip a bonus whose requirement is bigger than you’d ever play anyway. You can always deposit without one.
Is wagering worth it?
A bonus with fair wagering gives you more play for your money and a small chance of a better result. A bonus with harsh wagering mostly keeps your deposit locked up longer. Neither turns gambling into a way to make money. Decide your budget first, choose the bonus second, and if you find yourself chasing a requirement, stop. Help is free on 0800 006 008.
For the definition in brief, see wagering requirement in our glossary, or browse every offer with its wagering on our bonuses page.
Frequently asked questions
What does 35x wagering mean?
It means you must bet 35 times the bonus amount (or the bonus plus deposit, depending on the terms) before you can withdraw. A R500 bonus at 35x needs R17,500 in total bets.
Do I have to wager my deposit as well as the bonus?
Only if the terms say the requirement applies to 'bonus plus deposit'. Many SA offers do. Easybet's casino bonus, for example, applies wagering to the deposit and bonus together, which doubles the amount you need to bet compared with bonus-only wagering.
Do all games count towards wagering?
No. Slots usually count 100%, while table games, live casino and sometimes crash games count far less or not at all. Betting on a game that counts 10% means only R10 of every R100 staked comes off your requirement.
What is a good wagering requirement?
Lower is better. Under 10x is very good, 10x to 30x is fair for a casino bonus, and 40x or more makes it unlikely you'll finish with money left. A no-wagering bonus is best of all.
What happens if I withdraw before completing wagering?
Usually the bonus and any winnings made with it are cancelled. Some sites let you keep your own deposit if you haven't played with the bonus yet, but check before you request a withdrawal.
Is there a wagering calculator?
Yes. Our free wagering calculator works out the total you need to bet and the expected cost in Rands for any bonus.
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Mark has been writing about online gaming since 2007, covering everything from sportsbooks to casino and slot reviews, offering insights for players of all levels.