Understanding Online Casino Wagering Requirements and Deposit Turnover Rules
If you are a passionate gambler who loves to spend some time wagering real money on slots and different types of online casino games you probably know that nowadays, every online casino has its own rulebook that you must follow to eligibly claim any offer, participate in the events organised by the casino, as well as make a legitimate withdrawal.
My today’s blog post will focus exactly on these major rules, helping you understand them better and evade common mistakes which can lead to losing your winnings and even getting fined by the company that operates the casino.
Before we officially start I’d like to introduce you to some basic online casino terminology, that you will encounter almost in every online gambling house. Wagering requirements, minimum deposit and withdrawal, and deposit turnover are among the most common expressions that you will find on gambling websites where you enjoy your favourite games. What they mean and how they apply and affect your gameplay is what you are about to find out in the further headlines of the blog post.
Get concentrated and keep reading the coming-up titles to learn the most important words in the online gambling world.
Wagering requirements
No matter which online casino you play at, wagering requirements are always part of the “Terms and Conditions” of an online gambling promotion. To put it simply the wagering requirements tell you how much money you must wager before you can withdraw the bonus or withdraw any winnings acquired from playing with the bonus funds. Here’s how they work and how you can mathematically beat them:
Calculating WR on Free Spins bonus
To meet the wagering requirements of Free Spins, usually, you have to fulfil the wagering requirements based on the amount you’ve won from playing with these additional funds. For instance, if you receive 20 free spins as a part of the bonus offer, and you win €5 as a result of playing with the extra funds, the fulfilment of the x10 wagering requirements will look like this:
- €5 (earnings from FS) X 10 (WR) = €50
- Formula: Total winnings from free spins whilst playing X the amount of WR
The example above clearly shows you that the amount you win from free spins multiplied by the wagering requirements equals the minimum amount you have to spend to complete the wagering requirements.
Calculating WR on deposit bonuses (ex.1 = without deposit amount)
Let’s suppose that you claim the 300% bonus offer from the casino and the wagering requirements don’t include the amount of your deposit in the funds. It means that in this case, you calculate the wagering requirements of the bonus you obtain. Assuming you deposit a minimum of €20 and the casino rewards you with €60 extra money with wagering requirements of x5, it works as follows:
- €60 (bonus funds) X 5 (WR) = €300
- Formula: Bonus amount X the amount of WR
This is how you calculate the sum you have to wager to be able to withdraw your winnings. Keep in mind that failing to fulfil the wagering requirements results in losing your funds.
Calculating WR on deposit bonuses (ex.2 = with deposit amount)
Now let’s suppose again that to calculate and fulfil the wagering requirements you must also include the amount of your deposit attached to the bonus. Following the example above, it goes as follows:
- €20 (deposit amount) + €60 (bonus funds) X 5 (WR) = €400
- Formula: Deposit amount + bonus amount X the amount of WR
Compared to the 1st example, now the amount increased by €100 because the deposit is attached to the bonus. Obviously, wagering requirements calculate differently depending on the type of bonus you get. Note that online casino and poker sites often call them “Playthrough” requirements, and you can rarely meet them under the name of “Rollover” requirements.
Games that contribute and do not contribute towards the wagering requirements
This is another term associated with the wagering requirements which states that whenever there is a bonus offer, different games contribute differently towards fulfilling the wagering requirements. But what this exactly means? It means that before you start playing your favourite games, you have to check which category contributes the most if you want to complete the wagering requirements more quickly.
Practically, playing games that do not contribute towards the wagering requirements at all, means that you still can’t withdraw your money because they do not fulfil the progress bar of the wagering requirements. Generally, the slots are the ones that 100% contribute towards the wagering requirements, while other categories such as table games and live dealer games may have a lower percentage of contribution, or sometimes they do not contribute at all.
Why does every casino apply wagering requirements?
Although wagering requirements may frustrate you because they delay the withdrawal of your winnings, there is a legitimate reason behind them. This rule is not a trick by the casino to extract more money from your wallet, but it has to do with the anti-money laundering laws, preventing criminals and fraudsters from justifying their dirty illegal money by depositing and withdrawing whenever they want.
Deposit turnover
Depending on the online casino platform you choose to play games, there can be another type of casino turnover which is the deposit turnover. Whenever you meet this condition in the “T&C” of an online gambling platform, it means you must wager your deposit at least once before requesting a withdrawal. Many casinos will require you to play it twice or three times before you can withdraw, and you may wonder why. As a player, you should always keep in mind that online casinos are not banks, so you must play your money. The second reason is to prevent money laundering and justify illegal activities.
What is a good deposit turnover and wagering requirements?
Most gambling experts suggest that a solid deposit turnover is x1 or maybe x2, while good wagering requirements range between x30 and x35. The majority of gamblers would also agree that even wagering requirements of x40 are fair, but everything beyond x50 should make you think about whether you can endure such requirements.
Gambling experts also recommend playing at highly regulated casinos, so they can’t meddle with the requirements once you meet them. Besides being supervised by specialised agencies and having transparent rules, these casinos are also transparently run. Playing in such a casino is worthwhile even if it has a higher wagering requirements limit.
Conclusion
Understanding the wagering requirements and deposit turnover rules can help you decide in which casino you will create an account and spend your money. It is really important to check all the previously mentioned rules since they play a significant role in the gameplay and affect your winnings. The first piece of advice is to choose a highly-reputable platform with solid deposit turnover/wagering requirements because gambling experts consider that wagering requirements of x50 make it very difficult for you to win anything.
Next, check the percentage of contribution particular games have towards the completion of wagering requirements. Since slots contribute 100%, that’s the best option you have at almost every gambling house.
Keep in mind that in some cases you can only avoid wagering requirements by refusing the bonus offer which is not advisable because the extra funds boost your bankroll, increasing your chances to win especially on jackpot slots with rocketing prizes. Other scenarios where you can escape wagering requirements include finding casinos that offer wager-free welcome offers, or claiming bonuses like cashback with no strings attached.
