Short answer. A 40× wagering requirement means you must place bets totalling 40 times the bonus before the bonus and its winnings can be withdrawn. A $100 bonus becomes $4,000 of required bets. If the casino applies 40× to deposit plus bonus, a $100 deposit with a $100 bonus requires $8,000. On a 96% RTP slot the expected loss while clearing $4,000 is about $160, so a 40× bonus-only offer has a negative expected value of roughly −$60 per $100 of bonus; it only breaks even on games with RTP above 97.5%.
40× in numbers
Turnover and expected cost on a bonus-only base, slot play, no cashout cap:
| Bonus | Turnover at 40× | Expected loss at 94% RTP | at 96% | at 97% | at 98% | Spins at a €5 max bet |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $50 | $2,000 | $120 | $80 | $60 | $40 | 400 |
| $100 | $4,000 | $240 | $160 | $120 | $80 | 800 |
| $200 | $8,000 | $480 | $320 | $240 | $160 | 1,600 |
| $500 | $20,000 | $1,200 | $800 | $600 | $400 | 4,000 |
Net expected value of the bonus = bonus − expected loss. At 96% RTP it is −$30, −$60, −$120 and −$300 for the four rows. The sign flips only above the break-even RTP of 97.5% (1 − 1 ÷ 40).
10× to 50× compared
For a $100 bonus on a bonus-only base, 96% RTP:
| Multiplier | Turnover | Expected loss | Net EV | Break-even RTP | Where we found it (verified 22 Oct 2026) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5× | $500 | $20 | +$80 | 80% | sports welcome bonuses on accumulators at Melbet, 22Bet, Megapari (odds ≥ 1.40 per leg); Rollbit's "Bonus Balance" (casino only) |
| 10× | $1,000 | $40 | +$60 | 90% | Pin-Up sports welcome bonus (singles and accumulators at odds ≥ 1.6, one month) |
| 20× | $2,000 | $80 | +$20 | 95% | none in our verified set |
| 30× | $3,000 | $120 | −$20 | 96.7% | Stake's help-centre example, but on deposit plus bonus (see below) |
| 35× | $3,500 | $140 | −$40 | 97.1% | Megapari (PL, 30 days, max bet 25 PLN), 22Bet (PL, 7 days, 20 PLN), Betwinner (RS, 7 days, 600 RSD) |
| 40× | $4,000 | $160 | −$60 | 97.5% | BitStarz (all bonuses, 7 days for the welcome package, €5 max bet) |
| 50× | $5,000 | $200 | −$100 | 98% | Pin-Up casino welcome bonus (72 hours, €6 max bet, ×5 cashout cap) |
Sports multipliers look cheap, but they come with minimum odds and accumulator rules: the expected loss is set by the bookmaker's margin per leg, not by slot RTP, and three-leg accumulators at 1.40 each compound that margin. Treat the 5× and 10× rows as "lower", not "free".
The deposit-plus-bonus trap
"30× deposit + bonus" at a 100% match is 60× the bonus. Stake's own worked example: deposit $100, bonus $100, requirement 30× on both, turnover $6,000, which is harder than BitStarz's 40× on the bonus ($4,000). When you see a lower multiplier, check the base before you compare.
Time and bet-size limits at 40×
BitStarz gives 7 days for welcome-package bonuses and caps bets at €5 (also $5, 5 CAD/AUD/NZD/USDT, 50 NOK, 500 JPY, 0.00006 BTC, 0.0015 ETH, 0.05 LTC, 0.01 BCH, 25 DOGE). A €100 bonus therefore needs at least 800 spins in a week, or about 115 per day; at €2 per spin it is 2,000 spins. Table games count 5%, so clearing on blackjack would take €80,000 of real bets. The 24-hour expiry on BitStarz's non-welcome bonuses makes 40× effectively unclearable at normal stakes: €100 × 40 ÷ 24 hours is €167 of turnover every hour.
What 1×, 5× and "no wagering" mean
- 1× wagering or playthrough: bet the amount once. Found in US sweepstakes and fantasy products, and as a deposit playthrough rule at Stake, Shuffle and Cloudbet (you must bet 100% of a deposit once before withdrawing, with or without a bonus).
- 5× on sports: typical for the first-deposit bonuses of Melbet, 22Bet and Megapari, but only accumulator bets of three or more selections at minimum odds count.
- No wagering: rakeback, cash drops and level-up rewards at Stake, Roobet, Shuffle, Cloudbet, Rollbit and Duelbits are paid as cash. They are compared on the no-wagering crypto casinos page and valued on the rakeback calculator.
FAQ
Is 40× wagering good or bad? It is the middle of the offshore market: lower than Pin-Up's 50×, higher than the 35× used by 22Bet, Megapari and Betwinner in their regional versions. On slots it is negative-EV unless the RTP exceeds 97.5%.
What does "40× the bonus amount within 7 days" mean in money? Bonus × 40 in total bets, finished within a week, counting only bets settled before expiry. BitStarz: "All bonuses that are a part of the Welcome Package are valid for 7 days."
Can I withdraw my deposit before clearing 40×? At most casinos in our data, withdrawing cancels the bonus and its winnings (Pin-Up, Mostbet, 22Bet, Megapari, Betwinner). Stake's help centre says the requirement is lifted once you either finish it or use up the funds in that currency.
Does the max bet apply to bonus-buy features? At BitStarz, yes: the €5 cap "also applies to double-up wagers and purchased bonus features".
Independent reference. Terms quoted were read on 22 October 2026 and change without notice. Not financial advice. 18+.