What are wagering requirements?

When you claim a casino bonus, you almost never receive "free" money. Instead, the bonus comes with wagering requirements — also called playthrough or rollover. They tell you how many times you must bet a certain amount before you can withdraw any bonus-related winnings.

If a welcome offer says "100% up to €100, 35× wagering", the 35× is your playthrough multiplier. The higher it is, the harder the bonus is to clear.

35× wagering explained with examples

Let’s look at the most common structures you will see in 2025:

  • Bonus only: The requirement is applied to the bonus amount only.
    Example: You get a €100 bonus with 35× wagering. You must place €3,500 in total bets (35 × 100) before withdrawing bonus winnings.
  • Deposit + bonus: The requirement is applied to both your deposit and bonus.
    Example: You deposit €100 and get €100 bonus (total €200) with 35×. You must wager €7,000 in total (35 × 200).
  • Free spins winnings: Sometimes the requirement is applied to what you win from free spins.
    Example: You win €20 from free spins with 35× wagering on winnings. You must wager €700 (35 × 20).

Remember: wagering is about turnover, not losses. You can go up and down in balance while you work through the required amount.

Game contribution: why slots clear faster

Not all games contribute equally to wagering:

  • Slots: usually 100% contribution. Every €1 spin counts as €1 towards wagering.
  • Table games (blackjack, roulette, baccarat): often 10–25% contribution.
  • Live casino: sometimes 0–10% contribution or excluded completely.

If roulette only contributes 10%, a €10 spin counts as just €1 towards wagering. That means you effectively need to bet 10 times more to clear the same requirement compared to slots. This is why serious bonus hunters almost always clear wagering on slots.

How many spins is that, really?

Let’s take the earlier example of a €100 bonus with 35× wagering (bonus only):

  • Required turnover = €3,500.
  • If you play at €1 per spin, that is around 3,500 spins.
  • If you play at €2 per spin, it is around 1,750 spins.
  • If you play at €5 per spin, it is around 700 spins.

This doesn’t tell you whether you will win or lose – only how much action you need to put through before the bonus becomes withdrawable.

Other terms that matter as much as the multiplier

When comparing welcome offers, don’t just look at the headline 35×. Check these details too:

  • Expiry: how many days do you have to complete wagering? 7 days is tight; 30 days is friendlier.
  • Max bet: many casinos limit you to €5–€10 per spin while wagering. Bigger bets can void winnings.
  • Game restrictions: some slots are excluded; most table games contribute less or 0%.
  • Max win from bonus: some offers cap how much you can cash out from a bonus (e.g. bonus amount × 5).

How to compare wagering requirements quickly

  1. Work out whether the requirement is on bonus or deposit + bonus.
  2. Multiply by the relevant amount to get the total turnover required.
  3. Check contribution: if slots are 100%, assume you will clear on slots.
  4. Divide by your usual bet size to get a rough number of spins.

As a rule of thumb, a lower requirement (20×–25×) with clear terms is usually better value than a huge headline bonus with 40×–50× and lots of small print.

When no-wagering and cashback are better

In 2025, more casinos are offering no-wagering bonuses or simple cashback instead of big, complicated match offers. These can be much easier to understand:

  • No wagering: whatever you win from the bonus is cash straight away.
  • Cashback: a percentage of your net losses back in cash or bonus with low requirements.

If you don’t like doing maths while you play, these offers are often a better fit than traditional high-wagering bonuses.

Always read the full bonus terms at the casino before you deposit. The numbers and examples in this article are general — each brand can set its own rules.