Editor: Marijan Karajanov. Last reviewed 20 May 2026.
A wagering requirement is the multiple of a casino bonus you must bet through before any winnings tied to that bonus become withdrawable cash. If you accept a £100 bonus with a 35x wagering requirement, you must place £3,500 in qualifying bets before the bonus and its winnings can be cashed out.
The wagering requirement does not mean you will lose £3,500. It means you must wager that much in total bets. The same chips can be wagered many times over as you win and lose individual rounds.
Casinos display wagering requirements in two common forms:
The second form roughly doubles the requirement. Many sites display it as "35x" with no explanation; the actual mechanic is in the bonus terms.
Not every bet counts equally toward the wagering target. Operators publish "game contribution" tables in their bonus terms. Typical figures:
A 35x wagering target hit on slots is a meaningfully different commitment from one hit on blackjack. Read the contribution table before deciding which game to use to clear a bonus.
Almost every casino caps the maximum bet you may place while the bonus is active. The cap is typically between £2 and £10 per spin or hand. Exceeding the cap voids the entire bonus, including winnings that have already been paid out. This is a common reason for "cancelled withdrawal" complaints in our complaint-mediation queue.
Most bonuses expire after 7 to 30 days. The wagering requirement must be completed within that window. Unfinished wagering at expiry means the bonus and any tied winnings are removed. The deposit you made to claim the bonus usually remains in your balance.
A useful estimate of how much a bonus is actually worth to you:
Realistic value = (bonus amount) - ((wagering target) x (1 - average game RTP))
For a £100 bonus with a 35x wagering target cleared on a 96 percent RTP slot:
£100 - (£3,500 x 0.04) = £100 - £140 = -£40
That bonus is statistically a losing proposition before you even start. The expected value goes positive only if the wagering requirement is low (under 20x) or the contribution-weighted RTP is very high.
Our hands-on review procedure for any casino we cover includes accepting the welcome bonus on a separate test account and walking the wagering through to completion (or to the point of expiry). The full procedure is published in our Editorial Policy.
If you have already had an issue with a bonus that was wagered through but withheld at withdrawal, you can file a complaint via our Report a Problem page or directly through the licensing regulator listed on the operator's profile.