Short answer. A wagering requirement (also called playthrough, rollover or turnover) is the total amount you must bet before bonus money, or winnings from it, can be withdrawn. It is written as a multiplier: 35× means you must place bets worth 35 times the base amount. The base is either the bonus alone or the deposit plus the bonus, and that single word in the terms changes the cost by up to 2×. A $100 bonus at 35× costs $3,500 of turnover on a bonus-only base and $7,000 on a deposit-plus-bonus base.
The formula
Required turnover = base × multiplier
base = bonus (bonus-only terms)
base = deposit + bonus (D+B terms)
Expected cost = turnover × (1 − RTP) ÷ contribution rate
Break-even RTP = 1 − bonus ÷ turnoverUse the calculator to run these with a casino's verified terms, or the 40× guide for ready tables at 10× to 50×.
Bonus-only versus deposit plus bonus
| Terms | Deposit | Bonus | Multiplier | Turnover | Expected cost at 96% RTP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bonus only | $100 | $100 | 35× | $3,500 | $140 |
| Deposit + bonus | $100 | $100 | 35× | $7,000 | $280 |
| Bonus only | $100 | $100 | 40× | $4,000 | $160 |
| Deposit + bonus | $100 | $100 | 30× | $6,000 | $240 |
Which base a casino uses is stated in its rules. Verified on 22 October 2026: BitStarz ("All bonuses … need to be wagered 40 (forty) times"), Pin-Up ("Вейджер, х50" on the bonus amount), Megapari and 22Bet in their Polish versions ("x35 wagering requirement" on deposit bonuses) and Betwinner's Serbian version all apply the multiplier to the bonus. Stake's help centre describes deposit-plus-bonus for its partner deposit bonuses: "$200 × 30 = $6,000" on a $100 deposit with a $100 bonus. Marketing banners rarely show the base; the rules page does.
Game contribution: why tables cost more
Most casinos count only slots at 100%. From the verified rules:
| Casino | Slots | Table / RNG games | Live dealer | Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BitStarz | 100% | 5% | 5% | progressive jackpots excluded |
| Sportsbet.io | 100% | 10% (Originals and RNG tables) | 10–20% | sports bets count only at odds ≥ 1.50 |
| Cloudbet | by RTP; slots above 99.5% RTP only 10% | 10% | 10% | listed games 0% |
| Pin-Up | 100% | 0% (roulette and card games do not count) | 0% | listed slots excluded |
| 22Bet, Megapari (PL) | 100% | listed games excluded | n/a | in-house game sections count double |
At a 5% contribution, clearing $4,000 of nominal turnover on blackjack means $80,000 of real bets. That is why "I'll clear it on low-edge blackjack" almost never works: the contribution rule neutralises the lower house edge.
Max bet, expiry and cashout caps
Three rules turn the multiplier into a schedule:
- Maximum bet while wagering. BitStarz: €5 (and equivalents in 12 currencies). Pin-Up: €6, with bets above that counted only as €6. Megapari (PL): 25 PLN. 22Bet (PL): 20 PLN. Betwinner (RS): 600 RSD. Dividing the turnover by the cap gives the minimum number of bets.
- Expiry. BitStarz: 7 days for the welcome package, 24 hours for other bonuses. Pin-Up: 72 hours for the cash bonus, 48 hours for free-spin winnings. Sportsbet.io: 72 hours after activation. Megapari (PL): 30 days. Turnover ÷ days = the pace you must keep.
- Cashout cap. Pin-Up pays at most 5× the bonus from bonus winnings; BitStarz caps no-deposit bonus winnings at €100. A cap removes the rare large win that would otherwise justify a negative-EV bonus.
Rules that void the bonus
Every rule set we read contains an abuse clause. BitStarz names "betting red and black together in roulette, or player and banker together in baccarat" as minimal-risk play that does not count. Cloudbet lists delaying bonus rounds and leaving "parked" bets until wagering is complete. BC.Game lists arbitrage and "low-risk betting strategies designed solely to convert the promotional balance". Shuffle prohibits "bonus stacking, or hedging bets across accounts or platforms". Withdrawing while a bonus is active forfeits it at Pin-Up, Mostbet, 22Bet and Megapari. Several brands exclude crypto deposits from bonuses (22Bet and Betwinner in the versions we read), while Megapari (PL) allows them.
"How to beat wagering requirements"
You cannot beat the math; you can only choose terms where the math is less bad, or choose rewards that have no wagering at all. What legitimately lowers the cost:
- A bonus-only base instead of deposit plus bonus.
- A lower multiplier and a longer expiry, which lets you play at normal stakes without racing the clock.
- Playing games with 100% contribution and the highest RTP the casino allows for bonus play.
- Checking the cashout cap before depositing: a ×5 cap on a ×50 requirement makes a lucky run worthless.
- Reading whether your payment method qualifies: a crypto deposit at 22Bet receives no bonus at all.
What does not work and gets winnings voided: opposite bets on the same table, hedging across accounts, bonus stacking, bots, exploiting a game bug. Every casino in our data reserves the right to confiscate bonus winnings for these, and some also close the account.
Rewards without any wagering exist: rakeback and cash drops at Stake, Roobet, Shuffle, Cloudbet, Rollbit and Duelbits are paid as withdrawable cash. They are smaller per deposit but have no clearing risk; the no-wagering crypto casinos page compares them.
Worked example from start to finish
Deposit €50 at BitStarz, receive €50 (100% up to €100). Requirement 40× on the bonus: €2,000. Maximum bet €5, so at least 400 spins. Seven days to finish. On a 96% slot the expected loss over €2,000 of play is €80, so the expected net result of the bonus is −€30. If you play a 97.5% slot the expected loss falls to €50 and the bonus breaks even. If you play live blackjack, each €100 bet counts €5, so you need €40,000 of real bets, and the expected loss at a 0.5% house edge is €200. The slot is the cheaper way to clear even though its house edge is eight times higher.
FAQ
What does 1× wagering or playthrough mean? The bonus must be bet once before withdrawal. This is common in US sweepstakes and daily-fantasy products, not in the offshore casinos covered here, where 35× to 50× is the norm.
Do deposits have wagering requirements without a bonus? Some sites require you to bet 100% of a deposit once before withdrawing, as an anti-money-laundering rule: Stake (terms 8.5 and 8.10), Shuffle (10.2) and Cloudbet (8.8) state this. It is not a bonus condition.
Do free spin winnings have wagering? Usually yes, on the winnings rather than the spin value: BitStarz 40×, Pin-Up 50× within 48 hours. Roobet credits RooSpin winnings directly to the balance without wagering; Duelbits does not state a requirement for its Rookie Rush spins on the promotion page.
Is a higher multiplier always worse? For the same base, yes, linearly. But 35× on deposit plus bonus (effectively 70× at a 100% match) is worse than 50× on the bonus alone. Compare turnover, not multipliers.
Independent reference, not a casino and not financial advice. Terms were read on the dates shown and change without notice; the casino's current rules prevail. 18+.