A wagering requirement (also called a playthrough requirement) is the amount you must bet — not win, bet — before bonus funds or winnings from bonus funds become withdrawable. It's the single most important number on any casino bonus offer, more important than the headline bonus amount itself.
How to calculate it
A wagering requirement is expressed as a multiplier, applied to either the bonus amount or the deposit-plus-bonus total — the two produce very different real numbers, so which one applies matters:
Bonus only: $50 bonus x 30 = $1,500 must be wagered
Deposit + bonus: ($50 deposit + $50 bonus) x 30 = $3,000 must be wageredAlways check which base the multiplier applies to — operators are not consistent about this, and it roughly doubles the real requirement in the second case.
Game weighting
Not every game counts equally toward clearing a wagering requirement. Slots commonly count 100% of the amount wagered; table games like blackjack and roulette are often weighted much lower (sometimes 10-20% or excluded entirely), since they typically have better player odds. Check the specific game-weighting table before assuming a game will count fully.
Maximum cashout
Many bonuses, especially no-deposit offers, cap how much you can actually withdraw from bonus winnings regardless of how much you technically won — a $10 no-deposit bonus with a $100 max cashout means anything won above $100 is forfeited, even after fully clearing the wagering requirement.
Time limits
Wagering requirements usually come with an expiry window (commonly 7-30 days). Unused bonus funds, and sometimes any related winnings, are forfeited if the requirement isn't cleared before the deadline.
The practical takeaway
A bonus with a smaller headline number but a low wagering multiplier and full slot weighting is often genuinely worth more than a larger bonus with a high multiplier, restrictive weighting, and a low max cashout. Always read the specific terms — the headline percentage is marketing, the wagering requirement is the actual product.