Expected Reading Time | 5 Minutes
Last Updated: November 20, 2023
Written by Stephen Cummings
We suspect that you have come to this page because you have claimed a casino bonus but haven’t been able to withdraw your winnings due to wagering requirements? Alternatively, maybe you are just curious as to what the hell casino wagering requirements actually are?
Either way, in this guide we will help you to discover all the tips which will ensure that you are confident when it comes to understanding wagering requirements. Continue reading to find out how you can figure out wagering requirements and also where you can find the best offers.
Follow this guide and you won’t go far wrong when it comes to wagering requirements!
WHAT ARE WAGERING REQUIREMENTS?
Wagering requirements play a fairly important role in the world of online gambling, especially for players who like to take advantage of bonus offers.
First of all, let’s explain the definition. A wager is another term for a bet placed on any online slot or casino game.
When you claim a bonus from a casino, be it a slots bonus or any other type of bonus, the money you get paid/win is usually paid in bonus money rather than cash. It is the same with free spins, any payouts you get when using them are almost always paid in bonus money and come with a wagering requirement attached to them.
You cannot withdraw bonus money until you complete the wagering requirements surrounding them and due to this, many newbie casino players are caught in a trap and struggle to comprehend these terms. A wagering requirement is the amount of money the player must wager before being able to make a cash withdrawal with winnings associated with the bonus.
Completing the wagering requirement will turn your bonus money into real money. However, if you can never complete these bonus requirements, you will never be able to withdraw your bonus money.
IS IT POSSIBLE TO AVOID WAGERING REQUIREMENTS?
Over 90% of bonuses will come with wagering requirements attached to them – there is simply no getting away from this fact. Of course, it is completely up to the online casino how high the wagering requirements are (they are usually a multiple of the bonus amount or bonus winnings).
You can always renounce your casino bonus but we wouldn’t recommend that. Wagering requirements can be restrictive, but even the harshest ones can still be utilised in a positive way. A casino bonus can boost your bank roll by two, three or even fourfold.
A bonus will give you more chances to win and can be used on different jackpot slots, for example. If you hit a good win, before you know it you’ve hit the wagering requirements and you may be able to withdraw a huge win which would not have happened if it wasn’t for your casino bonus.
If you want to avoid wagering requirements altogether, then you do have some options available. Casinos offering cashback or ones offering wager-free welcome bonuses (see our list of these below).
WAGER FREE CASINO BONUS OFFERS: WHAT ARE THEY?
Whenever you see wager free in a bonus offer, it is a bonus offer without any wagering requirements attached to it. The undisputed advantages of these bonuses is that you can withdraw any winnings immediately.
Due to the nature of these bonuses, you may need to make a deposit and stake that deposit prior to taking advantage of them. These winnings are paid in cash and come in the form of the following:
- Cashback
- Wager free deposit bonuses
- Wager free spins
BEST NO WAGERING BONUSES
Here are the online casinos offering bonuses with no wagering requirements in the UK. You can keep what you win, if you get lucky.
Stake £10 Get 30 Free Spins on Double Bubble (No Wagering Requirements)
18+. Min deposit £10. New players only.T&C's Apply and BeGambleaware #ad
Stake £10 Get 30 Free Spins on Rainbow Riches (No Wagering Requirements)
18+. Min deposit £10. New players only.T&C's Apply and BeGambleaware #ad
Stake £10 Get 30 Free Spins on Monopoly Paradise Mansion (No Wagering Requirements)
18+. Min deposit £10. New players only.T&C's Apply and BeGambleaware
Deposit £10 Get 50 Book of Dead Free Spins (No Wagering Requirements)
18+. Min deposit £10. New players only.T&C's Apply and BeGambleaware #ad
75 Big Bass Splash Free Spins (No Wagering Requirements) when you Deposit and Spend £20
18+. Min deposit £10. New players only.T&C's Apply and BeGambleaware #ad
Up to 200 Free Spins (No Wagering Requirements) when you Stake £10 (Code: WELCOME200)
18+ Only. Min. deposit is £10. New players only. T&C's Apply. Read the full T&C's Apply and BeGambleaware #ad
HOW YOU CAN EASILY CALCULATE THE WAGERING REQUIREMENTS OF A BONUS
Learn this and you will always be able to accurately understand how casino wagering requirements work and which bonuses to pick which will help you to use your bankroll effectively.
If a new online slot site appeals to you and you decide to sign up, it will be up to you to calculate the wagering requirements on the welcome bonus. There are several different factors which will determine how you can calculate the wagering requirements – i.e. how much you need to bet/play before you can withdraw. We explain how you can do this below.
HOW TO CALCULATE WAGERING ON FREE SPINS
When you claim a no deposit free spins offer, you will usually need to work out the requirements based on how much you win.
Here’s an example for you: if you have claimed 50 free spins with a 10x wagering requirement and you are successful enough to win £10 whilst playing you would use the following sum:
£10 (Free spins winnings) x10 (Wagering) = £100.
You will need to complete wagering requirements of £100 before you are able to withdraw the winnings.
HOW TO CALCULATE WAGERING ON A DEPOSIT BONUS
Here’s an example for you when you need to calculate the wagering on a casino deposit bonus:
If you claim a 200% deposit bonus and the wagering requirements do not include your deposit, you simply need to calculate based on the bonus you receive.
Let’s say that with a deposit of £20 the casino is rewarding you with £40 in bonus cash, and there is a wagering requirement of x10 – you would use the following mathematical sum:
£40 (Bonus) x10 (Wagering) = £400
HOW DO I FIND A CASINO BONUS’ WAGERING REQUIREMENT?
UK gambling laws and regulations require that all casinos must display the bonus terms and conditions all to players. This means that you will have access to all of the relevant information.
In the terms and conditions, you will find the wagering requirements and all other info which may hinder you from withdrawing any winnings associated with the bonus.
Before claiming a bonus, you should always read the fine print. You will usually find the Ts and Cs info in the small print below the bonus itself.
If, for whatever reason, you are unable to find the wagering requirement amount, you should speak to customer support. it is important that you know what you are opting in for before you depart with any of your own money.
SlotsHawk advise you to register to one of our listed best payout casino’s in order to get the best value for your money.
WHY DO BONUSES COME WITH WAGERING REQUIREMENTS?
There is one major reason for wagering requirements on bonuses. Although many people think it is simply down to greedy casinos trying to get as much money from the players as possible, this is not actually the case.
The real reason is due to the fact that casinos must comply with anti-money laundering regulations. Without wagering requirements, criminals could easily clean their funds by depositing and withdrawing their cash straight away.
WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO BEAT WAGERING REQUIREMENTS AT ONLINE CASINOS?
Now that we have explained to you how to calculate wagering requirements, you can now follow our advice on the best ways to beat them.
Our advice is simple and revolves around simple research.
PICK THE RIGHT CASINO
Researching the right casino for you is essential. You should always ensure that it is regulated and licensed by a reputable gaming authority. A licensed casino adheres to laws and regulations deigned to protect the player.
All of the casinos promoted here at SlotsHawk are licensed by the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC).
ALWAYS READ THE FINE PRINT DETAILS
All respected and reputable online casinos must follow the strict conditions imposed by the gambling authority – in the UK’s case, the UKGC.
The UKGC enforce all licensed casinos to have the relevant terms and conditions of bonuses clearly displayed. In these terms and conditions, you should be able to find all of the important info associated with the bonus. The terms and conditions fine print may consist of the following:
- The minimum deposit required to trigger the bonus
- The number of free spins available
- The wagering requirement of the offer
- The cap on winnings
- The time limit of the bonus
- Eligible games
- Maximum bet limit
Always read the terms and conditions before you claim the bonus.
Once you have read the terms and conditions and are content with them, you can sign up to the casino and make your first deposit.
OUR PICKS OF THE BEST SLOTS TO COMPLETE YOUR WAGERING REQUIREMENTS ON
When trying to complete the wagering requirements, one of the best things that you can do is to choose the right game to play.
UK casinos tend to weigh games differently in regard to wagering requirements. For example, live casino games and table usually only count 10% towards completing the wagering.
We always recommend payers to play online slots as casinos almost always have a 100% weighting on slots. This means that all the money you bet when playing slots will count towards completing your wagering requirements.
In addition, it is best to play medium or low variance slots, as these are more stable. Play a high variance game and you could lose all of your bonus money very quickly. Of course, it is mainly down to chance to it is completely up to you. Finally, try to pick an accepted game which classifies as a high RTP slot, just to improve your chances of completing the wagering requirements further. See more info and an explanation to RTP here.
For additional information about what to consider when picking a slot machine, read our article discussing how to choose slots.
EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT WAGERING REQUIREMENTS AT SLOTSHAWK
We have written this guide for you, our players. We truly hope you have found this guide useful and informative.
Now it is time to put your new found knowledge to the test. You can check out our top slots bonus offers and begin playing today.
If you are still looking for inspiration on which slots to play to complete the wagering requirements, check out our picks on the best Megaways slots and the newest slots to play.
CONTRIBUTORS
Greetings, I’m Stephen Cummings
Stephen Cummings is often referred to as ‘The Oracle’. What he doesn’t know about slot games isn’t worth knowing. He’s our genius slot machine analyst who spends most of his time reviewing new games & sites.
Slots analyst since 2020
