Wagering calculator

How the wagering calculator works

A wagering requirement (also called playthrough or rollover) is the amount you have to bet before a bonus turns into withdrawable money. The calculator works it out in four steps:

1. Bonus. Deposit × match %, capped at the maximum bonus. A R200 deposit with a 100% match up to R5,000 gives a R200 bonus.
2. Amount to wager. The bonus (or bonus plus deposit, if the terms say so) × the wagering multiple.
3. Expected cost. Amount to wager × the house edge. The house edge is 100% minus the game’s RTP, so a 96% slot has a 4% edge.
4. Bonus value. The bonus minus the expected cost. Positive means the bonus is worth something on average; negative means you would expect to lose the bonus (and some of your own money) while clearing it.

The meter colours the multiple the same way our bonus pages do: up to 10x is easy, 11x to 35x is average, and above 35x is hard.

A worked example in Rands

Take a 100% match up to R5,000 with 35x wagering on the bonus, and a R1,000 deposit.

• Bonus: R1,000 × 100% = R1,000.
• To wager: R1,000 × 35 = R35,000 of bets.
• Expected cost on a 96% RTP slot: R35,000 × 4% = R1,400.
• Bonus value: R1,000 − R1,400 = −R400.

Now switch “applies to” to bonus + deposit. You must wager (R1,000 + R1,000) × 35 = R70,000, the expected cost doubles to R2,800, and the value falls to −R1,800. The headline “100% bonus” is identical; the terms make it four times worse.

Drop the wagering to 10x on the bonus and the picture flips: R10,000 of bets, an expected cost of R400, and a bonus value of +R600.

Reading the result honestly

The expected cost is an average over a very large number of spins. Any single session can end far above or below it. With high-volatility slots you are more likely to bust the balance early, and occasionally you hit a big win that clears everything. What the number tells you is the price of the bonus in the long run, which is the fairest way to compare two offers.

Remember the other terms the calculator can’t see: maximum bet while wagering (often R50 or less), games that count less than 100%, expiry dates, and a maximum cashout on the winnings. Each one makes clearing harder. Our bonus policy explains how we check those terms, and every bonus card on the site lists them.

Using it with real offers

Open any offer on our welcome bonus or no deposit bonus pages, copy the match, cap and wagering into the calculator, and compare. For free spins, the bonus value calculator handles spin value and winnings caps.

A bonus should never be a reason to deposit more than you planned. If you find yourself chasing a wagering target, stop and take a break. The NRGP offers free help on 0800 006 008.