Wagering (often WR in the terms) is the multiplier that says how many times the bonus amount has to be played through before the money from the bonus becomes withdrawable. It is the most important number in any offer — more important than the percentage on the banner.
An example with real numbers
A 100 USDT bonus with 30× wagering means 3,000 USDT of turnover. At an average stake of one USDT that is about 3,000 spins, and at 96% RTP the statistical cost of that turnover is roughly 120 USDT. In other words: the average player pays more for the wagering than the bonus gives them — the gain comes from variance, not from the maths. You can do the same calculation for any offer.
Three things to check in the small print
- Does the multiplier apply to the bonus or to the bonus + deposit? "30× (D+B)" is in fact twice as harsh a requirement as "30× on the bonus".
- Game weighting. Slots usually fill the wagering in full, live tables and low-variance games often only with a fraction — or not at all.
- Max bet and the deadline. While a bonus is active a stake cap applies, and exceeding it voids both the bonus and the winnings from it. The deadline decides whether the requirement is feasible at all.
Rule of thumb
Up to 30× on the bonus is a fair term, 40× and above is marketing. On a no-deposit offer a higher multiplier is understandable, because the money came from the house — there, look instead at the win cap and at whether volatility even allows the requirement to be met. If one of the three numbers (multiplier, max bet, deadline) is hidden or missing, that is the first warning. We state these terms separately at every casino; the withdrawal speed depends on the network — see the payments page.
Is the bonus worth taking on average
The cost calculation is a single product: required turnover times the house edge. Assume a 100 USDT deposit, a 100 USDT bonus and 30x wagering on the bonus, i.e. 3,000 USDT of turnover on a slot with 96% RTP, meaning a 4% house edge. The expected loss is 3,000 x 0.04 = 120 USDT. You start with 200 USDT, so by the end of the requirement you are left with about 80 USDT on average, less than the deposit. This is a simplification, because the balance can run out before the requirement is met, but the direction is clear: a bonus is not free money. You can see the effect of the house edge in the house edge calculator and the requirement itself in the wagering calculator.
How much time and how many spins the requirement takes
Divide the turnover by the stake. 3,000 USDT at a 2 USDT stake is 1,500 spins, at 1 USDT it is 3,000 spins. With a seven-day deadline that is 215 to 430 spins a day. If the number looks too high, the offer is probably out of reach for you; use the playthrough time calculator.
What to check separately at a crypto casino
- Currency. The requirement is set in the bonus currency. A bonus given in BTC changes its euro value with the exchange rate even if your turnover stays the same; a stablecoin adds no such risk.
- What counts as turnover. Bets count, not the winnings amount. A win that you put back into play counts again.
- Game weight and bet cap. These affect fulfilling the requirement as much as the multiplier does, see game weighting and max bet.
- Alternative. Offers without a requirement are listed on the page casinos without wagering; the wording is also explained in the post how the wagering fine print works.
A warning sign not to ignore
If you notice that you are raising your deposit to complete the requirement, or playing only so as not to "waste" the bonus, you are chasing losses. Stop and ask for help: the Estonian support service can be found at 15410.ee. The background mathematics is in Wikipedia: House edge.
The same topic from the point of view of Estonian-licensed casinos: wagering requirement on freespin.ee and calculating the wagering requirement.