Introduction
Is the casino where you play full of generous bonuses? Are you sure? Hmm…and what about wagering requirements? Having for example 100%, 200% and more match + some free spins for the deposit is great and really generous but you need to know that wagering requirements are attached to each bonus. For each of the bonuses they are different, but the essence of all wagering requirements is the same: you always need to wager the bonus before you can withdraw money. Of course, there are also bonuses that you do not need to wager, but they are quite rare and today we are not talking about them.
What are wagering requirements?
When it comes to online casino bonuses, players need to be aware of the number wagering requirements. These requirements are enforced by online casino websites to protect themselves from players who may try to abuse bonus offers. In a nutshell, the wagering requirements determine how much money you must spend before you can cash out any winnings generated by the bonus funds. Depending on the size of the bonus and the policy of the casino, these requirements can vary from reasonable to completely impossible.
Let’s say you create an online casino account and receive a $100 welcome bonus. The casino has a 10x wagering requirement on this bonus, which means you will need to wager $1,000 before you can withdraw your winnings. At first glance, this may not seem like a very high requirement, but it becomes much more difficult when other factors, such as the weight of the game, are taken into account.
Game weighting is a term that refers to the percentage of wagers that will contribute to the wagering requirements of a bonus. Slots will usually have a weight of 100% i.e. all your bets go towards fulfilling the requirements whereas table games can only have a weight of 50%.
The reason is simple. Casinos want to encourage you to play certain types of games. Slots are generally more profitable for casinos than table games, so by giving them a higher weight they can encourage players to keep playing slots rather than move to tables where they might not make as much money for the house.
This is just one example. In fact, there are many ways that casinos can make their bonuses difficult or even impossible to cash out. Some common ways include attaching high playthrough rates (70x or higher is not uncommon), excluding certain games altogether and adding strict time limits within which the requirements must be met. All these different moving parts make understanding exactly how the bonus wagering requirements work quite confusing for the casual observer.
Why should you ALWAYS read the wagering requirements?
You should always read the wagering requirements and there are many reasons for this. First, the wagering requirements will tell you how much you need to bet in order to clear the bonus. Secondly, they will tell you which games contribute to wagering. Finally, if you don’t meet the wagering requirements within the specified time frame, you will forfeit the bonus!
The information attached to the bonus is not a joke! We received letters from many disappointed players who lost their bonus due to the fact that they were not attentive and / or not serious when it came to the information attached to the bonus. Guys who lost their bonus, if you’re reading this article, please understand that you didn’t lose your bonus because you were scammed. It’s not the casino’s fault. Just be more careful next time.
Casino with the easiest wagering requirements
We are experienced players who are familiar with many online casinos. We are aware of the wagering requirements and all their pitfalls and so far we have found several casinos that have simple requirements when it comes to bonus wagering. Here they are:
Conclusion
Do not rush to take this or that bonus, even if it seems like manna from heaven to you. Open the information attached to the bonus and read it (ALL!). Find out the amount of a wagering requirement. Find out how and in which games you can wager the bonus before you can withdraw money. Finally, learn the tricks that casino websites use to make their bonuses difficult or even impossible to cash out.
