Wagering Requirements – All You Need to Know to Beat Them

What are Wagering Requirements?

“What are wagering requirements?” will usually be the first question to come up once you come across a casino bonus for the first time. Now, if all (or most) online casino offers have one thing in common, it would be the presence of terms and conditions. And to have wagering requirements explained in simple terms, they are the number of times you need to stake or wager the bonus amount. Then once you have completed these wagering requirements, you can release your bonus winnings and withdraw them if you choose.

Now, the reason why all bonuses, with the exemption of rare instances, have such requirements in place is to ensure that casinos do not lose money on their promotional offers. Hence, bonuses are essentially a form of free cash available to play offered by gaming sites. However, if it were entirely free, then these casinos would quickly go bankrupt. And so they need to make sure players don’t simply abuse these offers.

In addition, it’s an effective technique to prompt players into actually spending time at the online casino. Thus, they can really get a feel for the environment and experience the many different games in the library. And finally, if the players like what they see, they will want to continue playing at the same online casino even after completing the wagering requirements.

What Kind of Bonuses Have Wagering Requirements?

For the most part, all bonuses will be subject to specific online casino wagering requirements. Of course, the exact requirements may vary from casino to casino and even from bonus type to bonus type. But the bottom line is that there will usually be some form of wagering necessary before you can cash out any winnings from such offers.

Take, for instance, casino welcome bonuses. These are among the most widespread type of promotional offers out there. And, typically, they will come in the form of a cash bonus, for example, offered upon your first deposit. In this case, it will usually be offered as a match bonus (e.g., 100% match, 200%, etc.). But sometimes, such welcome promotions can be even bolder and come as no deposit offers. This virtually means that players are not required to make any deposit in order to be able to claim such a bonus. The downside, however, is, of course, the casino sites wagering requirements on no deposit bonuses tend to be higher.

Another form of welcome offer used to greet new players at online casinos includes free spins on sign-up. These can be either a part of the whole package or they may even be a stand-alone offer. And due to their nature, they may also have additional limitations to them. For example, the wagering requirements may have a shorter deadline, etc. Furthermore, since these are free spins, they may also be limited to specific games, as opposed to a regular cash bonus.

And then, not to mention all the numerous promotions aimed at reactivating existing players’ accounts, such as reload bonuses. These will typically be of lesser value since they don’t aim to attract brand-new customers. But on the bright side, the wagering requirements are also a lot less challenging to fulfill.

How to Calculate Wagering Requirements

Calculating your desired bonus offer’s wagering requirements certainly doesn’t require a Ph.D. and is actually relatively easy to do. All you need to do is check what the wagering requirements are in the bonus terms and conditions. And from that point on, it’s all just simple mathematics. Let us provide an example to illustrate how you can easily calculate the casino wagering requirements all on your own.

So, say you have claimed a welcome bonus of 100% on your R1,000 deposit. This means, essentially, that the bonus you’ve claimed is also worth R1,000. According to the bonus terms, the wagering requirements are x40 for the bonus amount. Now, all you need to do is multiply the wagering requirements by the bonus amount to get the total amount necessary to wager.

40 x R1,000 = R50,000

Wagering Requirements Calculator

Our wagering requirements calculator can do all of the above calculations for you in less than a second. All you need to do is enter the deposit amount, bonus percentage, the wagering requirements, and select the type of wagering requirements from the dropdown menu. Then click the large Calculate button to receive the amount necessary to wager.

Wagering Requirements Explained with Examples

Online casino wagering requirements can vary significantly from one another, depending on a range of factors. Things such as target audience, bonus value, game contribution weight are some of the things that come into play. But as long as you know the exact wagering requirements and know how to apply them to the bonus you have claimed, you should be able to calculate the total amount you need to wager with ease. We’ve also decided to list examples of some of the most common wagering requirements for even speedier calculations in the future.

• 20x Wagering Requirement

If you have claimed a 50% deposit bonus on your R500 deposit, then the amount you need to wager to clear the bonus winnings will be calculated as follows: 20 x 50% * R500 = 20 x R200 = R5,000.

• 30x Wagering Requirement

If you received a R100 no deposit bonus with 30x wagering requirements, then you will need to wager a total of 30 x R100 = R3,000.

• 35x Wagering Requirement

Say you have received a 100% match bonus on your R2,000 deposit. The wagering requirements will be calculated as follows: 35 x R2,000 = R80,000.

• 40x Wagering Requirement

You’ve been credited with a 200% first deposit bonus on your bonus of R300. The amount you will need to stake to release your winnings will comprise: 40 x 200% * R300 = 40 x R700 = R30,000.

• 50x Wagering Requirement

You have claimed free spins that amount to the total value of R100. As per the bonus terms, the amount necessary to wager to clear all winnings will be: 50 x R100 = R6,000.

• Free Spins Wagering Requirement

Free spins wagering requirements are calculated in a similar fashion; only you will need first to find the credited free spins’ total value. So if you have received 20 free spins, each worth R5 – that gives you a total value of R90. If the wagering requirements are 25x, then: 25 x R90 = R2,000.

Why do Casinos Have Wagering Requirements?

You might be wondering why casino bonuses have wagering requirements attached to them and why they may differ so much from one bonus to the next. And the answer is actually quite simple. Wagering requirements prevent the abuse of bonuses and promotional offers. If they weren’t present, players could simply use the bonus, cash out their winnings and leave the platform. And if that were the case, even the best online casinos would go bankrupt in no time.

So in order for players and casino sites to both benefit from such offers, wagering requirements are necessary to be put in place. They ensure two things. One is that players actually make enough wagers at the casino to ensure that they “play back” the bonus funds they received. And on the other hand, they also make sure that players spend a little more time at the online casino and get a chance to actually appreciate it. That way, they may stick around longer and become returning customers.

Picking the Right Casino with Wagering Requirements

When you’re considering casino bonuses, the wagering requirements aren’t the only thing you need to pay attention to. The South Africa slot sites and other such gaming platforms offering said bonuses should be carefully assessed, as well. Namely, you want to claim promotional offers at only the best casino sites out there. And the first thing to do in order to make sure of that is to ascertain their safety. Any casino offering its services must hold an active license in order to do so. And if it doesn’t – you wouldn’t want to be anywhere near it.

Furthermore, online gaming sites must also use adequate encryption technology and be socially responsible in order to protect their players accordingly. Then on top of that, there are other things to consider, as well. For example, the casino you’re interested in must have a decent game library. It should be varied and numerous enough to include titles you like to play and would also like to try out in the future.

Then another crucial aspect of any online gaming platform is its choice of supported payment methods. Not only should it include methods that are accessible to you, but these should also be affordable, fast, and available for deposits and withdrawals alike.

• Licenses. For a casino to operate in South Africa, it must, by all means, hold a valid license issued by the operator's licensing authority. It doesn’t hurt if there are additional licenses from other respected gaming regulators, either. Good examples are the Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) and the Alderney Gambling Control Commission (AGCC).
• Game Selections. The kind of games available at the casino is vital to your experience at that casino. You need to make sure that it supports the brands you like and, at the very least, features a few of the titles you enjoy playing.
• Security. Aside from being regulated and legally allowed to operate, the online casino must also proactively be able to ensure a safe gaming environment for its players. What this means is, for example, the casino site must use industry-standard encryption technology. In addition, it must handle players’ personal details and documents in strict confidentiality.
• Payment Methods. Pay close attention to the listed payment processors at the casino. These must include options that you are comfortable with using. And furthermore, these same options must be available for both deposits and withdrawals. Be sure also to take note of any potential fees or surcharges mentioned, as well as time frames for each method.

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How to Beat the Wagering Requirements?

If you think there may be some way to magically get around the wagering requirements and avoid them altogether – that’s not what this is about. First of all, it’s not a possibility. Secondly, what we would like to do here is give you some pro tips on how to complete them in a more effortless and possibly even much quicker way.

And the first step towards doing that is actually assessing the wagering requirements before you accept the bonus. Some casinos (usually sketchy sites that we don’t list here anyway, but it’s still good to be aware of) play dirty. And by that, we mean they may have ridiculously high wagering requirements in place that no player alive can meet. So avoid those and only consider bonuses whose wagering requirements seem reasonable to you.

Your next step is to note the contribution weight of the games. Until you fulfill the requirements, stick only to the games that contribute the most towards their completion. Contribution weight is always stated as a percentage, and it’s ideal to have it as close to 100% (or even equal to) as possible.

What Other Terms Do Bonuses Have?

In addition to the number of times players are expected to wager the bonus they’ve received, such promotional offers may have other terms and conditions as well. For instance, if it’s a deposit bonus, there will likely be a minimum deposit amount necessary to be eligible for the said bonus. In addition, oftentimes, casinos may put a cap on the amount you can win from a given bonus. This is especially true for no deposit bonuses and even more so for no wagering offers. Then most, if not all, promotional offers are usually time-bound in one way or another.

For example, free spins may have an expiry date, put in place to encourage players to use them up quickly. But there may also be a limited amount of time within which you may be required to meet the wagering requirements. These are all things necessary to consider before claiming any bonus.

• Minimum deposit. The minimum deposit amount will naturally apply to all deposit bonuses. And for the most part, it will usually match the minimum deposit amount at the casino in general, although sometimes it may also be a bit higher. In any event, make sure to know the minimum deposit necessary to claim the bonus.
• Wagering time limit. One of the two key components in the wagering requirements is the time frame they come with. Without knowing the time within which you are expected to wager the bonus, you cannot determine whether or not the requirements are, in fact, reasonable.
• Time limit. Unrelated to meeting the wagering requirements, casino bonuses may have a separate time limit on the bonus itself. In other words, you may have a certain amount of time provided to use the bonus funds (or bonus spins) before they disappear.
• Max bet. Pretty much all casino bonuses will have a cap on the amount you can stake or the amount of your stake that is counted towards fulfilling the wagering requirements. This is done so that you don’t simply try to wager the entire bonus in just a single bet.
• Win limits. Certain bonuses, especially those offered without a deposit and bonuses that may not have other wagering requirements, will usually have a cap on the winnings you can receive from them. So be sure you are aware of that exact limit so you can determine whether the bonus is worthwhile or not.
• Game contribution. Different casino games will usually have a different contribution weight towards the wagering requirements. Usually, games with a lower house edge will have a lesser contribution weight, whereas higher house edge titles will contribute more. Hence, try to play games with a higher contribution weight to roll the bonus over faster.

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Casino Wagering Game Contribution

Every game type has its own contribution to the wagering requirements based on several factors. One of these factors is the house edge, which is the average percentage of total wagers that go to the casino. Certain games have a lower house edge than others, such as most notably, roulette and blackjack. And for this reason, these games will likely have a lesser contribution weight as far as the wagering requirements go. In turn, a lesser contribution weight means that less of your stakes will be counted towards meeting the wagering requirements.

Thus, simply put: playing these games will take you longer to roll over the bonus. In contrast, slot games have a somewhat higher house edge, and many of them tend to have a 100% contribution towards the wagering requirements. Hence, it’s a better idea to play these games until you’ve rolled over your bonus.

Best Slots for Wagering

When considering the best slots for wagering, your starting point should be the bonus terms and conditions. Namely, the first step in determining the best slots to play for this purpose are the titles that have a 100% contribution weight towards the wagering requirements. Then once you have your selection of those titles, you can proceed to narrow it down further. The next step to take is to consider the titles that have a higher RTP. A higher RTP (return to player ratio) means that you can expect to receive more of your bets back in payouts comparing to other slots games. Basically, these are better-paying offerings in the long term.

Now, from amidst this selection of titles, it’s time to pinpoint the slot games you like most. What appeals to you personally? Are you an experienced player with a knack for high variance titles? Are you a fan of adventure slots, or do you enjoy laid-back games more? Remember that online casinos and their bonuses are, after all, there for us to have fun. So be sure to use bonuses on slots you already enjoy playing. And you can check out our list of new South Africa slot sites to see if any of those may already feature some of your favorite titles.

Comparing Casino Bonus Wagering Requirements

Once you have gotten the hang of the different aspects relating to wagering requirements, you can start comparing them. And that will, in turn, help you make the best possible bonus choice for yourself. For example, say you have two welcome offers on the table from two different online gaming sites. One is a 100% deposit bonus that needs to be wagered 40 times within 60 days. And the other, also a 100% match bonus, needs to only be wagered 30 times, but within 30 days. In both cases, you are ready to deposit exactly R500.

So based on some simple calculations, here is the comparison you can draw between the two. In the first case, you will need to wager a R500 bonus 40 times: R500 x 40 = R20,000 within 60 days. In the second case, that amount will be: R500 x 30 = R15,000 within 30 days.

Now, if your gaming style isn’t very active and you don’t believe you will come close to staking R15,000 in only 30 days, you will likely look towards the first bonus, even though its wagering requirements are higher. Broken down, it will only demand that you wager an average of R9,000 per 30 days, which may seem much more reasonable to you.

Are there No Wagering Bonuses?

Although less commonly found at online casinos, there are actually bonuses out there that do not have wagering requirements attached to them. It’s rare to find such offers simply because there’s a more substantial likelihood that casinos may lose money on them. And for this reason, they tend to come with tighter restrictions when compared to other bonus types.

For example, no wagering bonuses may be subject to shorter time limits. Usually, they are also of much smaller value. And, in addition to the above, they will typically have a limit on the amount players can win with them. So there will only be so much you can actually be able to cash out in the end.

But just as with other bonus types, no wagering bonuses can also come in a variety of forms and be granted on an array of different occasions. They may be (very rarely) offered as part of a welcome promotion. But it’s more common for them to be given as free spins, for example, and as part of the casino’s loyalty program. It does, after all, make sense to offer such gestures to returning customers who are likely to come back again.

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