What are Wagering Requirements and How to Beat Them?
Wagering requirements can make or break a casino bonus. We will explain how wagering requirements work, and how players can find the best bonuses around.
- What is Wagering: Essential Information for Casino Players
- The Differing Types of Wagering Casino Bonuses
- How to Beat Wagering Requirements
- How to Avoid Wagering Requirements
We all love bonuses, whether we're shopping for groceries, buying digital video games, or gambling at online casinos. In fact, the online casino world seems to revolve around casino bonuses, which keep us coming back for more, and provide a way for new contenders to stand out from the crowd. But when redeeming bonuses, beware. Wagering requirements can turn seemingly amazing bonuses into a nightmare. So it certainly pays to understand wagering inside out before you gamble.
Wagering requirements can turn seemingly amazing bonuses into a nightmare. So it certainly pays to understand wagering inside out before you gamble.
What is Wagering: Essential Information for Casino Players
In this life, nothing seems to come without strings attached, and that's something that almost always applies to casino bonus promotions. These bonuses always seem appealing at first glance, offering free credits and spins aplenty. But when you look under the hood, they almost always have another side: wagering requirements. Bonus wagering requirements demand that players deposit and bet a certain amount of money before a bonus kicks in. As you might already know, we usually refer to bets as "wagers". That's pretty much all there is to it. But the way these bets are managed is all-important. By making players wager a certain amount before they cash out, casinos can offset any losses and make sure that the house always wins. Even if you win big with your free spins or credits, things will even out across everyone who uses the bonus. It's a neat trick, and something which can be absolutely infuriating if you don't know how to find a workaround. And it's also a useful policy for fighting money laundering. If gamblers have to make a set number of bets before making withdrawals, it's much harder to deposit and withdraw illicit funds. However, that doesn't help the regular gambler much. Fortunately, there are ways to game a wagering requirement, providing you to consult the right information sources and use a little savvy. So let's look further and explore how to make your money go further, and how to beat the house whenever you play.
The Different Types of Wagering Casino Bonuses
Before you bet a penny online, we need to talk about the various types of wagering bonus you'll encounter. The most common wagering bonuses involve having to gamble multiples of your bonus amount. These bonuses could be described as 35x, 30x, 20x, or even 1x, and that number is extremely important. Here's why. If you choose a 50x bonus, and the bonus is £50, wagering requirements mean that you'll need to meet a requirement of 50x50 before cashing out your winnings - a total of £2,500. That's a lot of money to risk, even if the bonus is generous. By contrast, a 1x bonus is incredibly generous, which is probably why they aren't all that common. In other cases, bonuses come with free spins attached, and wagering requirements state that players need to wager a certain amount before the free spins are available. In the terminology of the trade, we generally refer to anything below around 30x as low wagering bonuses. Above that, you may see terms like medium and high wagering bonuses, which is a rough guide to how expensive or risky those bonuses will be.
You may also see the term "high roller bonuses" when you play larger casinos. This means that the bonuses are available only for members, and specially selected members who make larger wagers. For now, we'll focus on regular wagering bonuses. Still, it's worth remembering that loyal customers tend to enjoy generous perks if they choose the right casinos. As far as regular casino bonus promotions go, players need to be aware of how much they have to spend before withdrawals can be made. That's a fundamental part of online gambling, and getting it wrong can cost you a lot of money. Now that we've got that out of the way let's offer some expert suggestions about beating the house wagering rules at your favourite online casino.
How to Beat Wagering Requirements
If you want to minimise the amount you bet when redeeming bonuses, there are two main strategies: finding cheap bonuses with minimal requirements or avoiding wagering requirements altogether.
The first strategy requires a bit more work, but that work will pay off when you make your first withdrawal. It also requires a bit of calculation, so have a calculator ready when you browse the online casino listings. When you check out bonus listings, wagering requirements will be specified somewhere in the text. If they aren't, don't assume that requirements are absent. Check the small print or the terms and conditions, and you may well see that wagering is an issue. As we explained earlier, most bonuses will come with a multiplier. This could be 10x, 30x, 50x - the amount varies, and the lower it is, the better.
But that's not all. Some bonuses are restricted to specific slots or games. In that case, you'll find it harder to meet the requirements, so be aware of those limitations. Others impose wagering contributions. This means that some slots will contribute 100% towards your wagering requirements, while others may only pay 50%. In those cases, it will take longer to meet the requirements, and your overall spend will be much higher. As you can probably tell by now, the key is mastering the fine print. So read through T&Cs carefully. Finally, make sure the bonus applies to games you enjoy and which payout reliably. If you're stuck with a dull slot or one that doesn't pay regularly or blackjack only when poker is your game, meeting the requirements will be much harder. Having said all of that, when you shop around for bonuses, you'll find plenty of appealing promotions which offer low multiples on great slots. So take the time to read the Casino Horse listings, and make a wise decision.
How to Avoid Wagering Requirements
The other strategy we need to cover involves avoiding wagering demands altogether. Sounds like an impossible dream? Not at all. It's actually becoming surprisingly widespread. Many online casinos offer what is called no wagering bonus promotions, which don't include requirements.
Recommended No Wagering Welcome Bonuses
- PlayOJO Casino Welcome Bonus - 50 Bonus Spins of Book of Death + Prize Twister (No Wagering Requirements)
- Wolfy Casino Welcome Bonus - 100% up to 200€ (No Wagering Requirements)
These promotions have mushroomed in recent years, partly due to a few shocking cases where operators, especially newcomers among UK Casinos, imposed ridiculous terms and conditions for standard casino bonus deals. However, there are a few key things to keep in mind when you come across no wagering bonuses. First of all, they often apply to new sign-ups, rather than established customers, and they also tend to come with time limits attached. So, if you sign up for a £50 no wagering bonus at a new casino, you may only have one week to redeem it. Check the terms and conditions carefully to avoid missing out, as casinos regularly try to hide them from savvy players.
Sometimes, casinos also impose minimum deposits for no wager bonuses, most likely because they are missing out on revenue that wagering requirements deliver. Again, check the fine print for any nasty surprises, and avoid bonuses which force you to deposit more than you are comfortable with. Finally, some bonuses describe themselves as no wagering bonus deals, but actually impose minimum withdrawals.
So, you may benefit from 50 free spins or £100 credit, but not be able to cashout any winnings until you have £500 in your account. That's not good news for gamblers on a budget or who are trying to manage their cashflow. Despite these potential issues, there are many attractive no wagering deals around, and more are appearing all the time. Check out the Casino Horse listings for reviews and in-depth information about their terms and conditions, compare bonuses, and pick ones which offer the best value and range of games.
Wagering is a core aspect of the online casino experience, and it's also an area that can catch out novice players and veterans alike. Almost all of the bonuses you find at CasinoHorse entail wagering a certain amount before you can withdraw funds. And the amount you need to wager can be either high or low, depending on the terms of the deal. To avoid paying over the odds, double-check the small print. Search for low wagering deals, calculate the outlay required, and be sure to hunt for no wagering bonuses as well. With a little help and insider knowledge, you can make your money go further. So don't get caught out. Be sure to check the our listings. It's always a safe bet when hunting for the best bonuses around.
