Almost every bonus at a UK online casino carries a wagering requirement, and that single term decides whether bonus winnings ever reach your bank account. The arithmetic is simple once you see it laid out, yet plenty of players still misread it, opt in to an offer they cannot realistically clear and then watch locked winnings disappear. Below you will find wagering requirements explained step by step: what the multiple means, how the total is calculated, which games count, why operators use these rules and how to pick offers that work in your favour.
What are wagering requirements?
Wagering requirements are the amount you must stake in real money before winnings from a bonus can be withdrawn. You will also see them called playthrough requirements. They belong to a specific offer, such as a welcome package or a reload promotion, rather than to your account as a whole, so two bonuses at the same casino can carry different rules.
The requirement is written as a multiple: a number followed by an “x”. A figure of 10x tells you to bet ten times the qualifying amount before cashing out anything won with the bonus. In most cases the qualifying amount is the bonus itself, although some operators fold the deposit into the calculation too, which changes the maths considerably (see the worked examples further down).
Take a £20 bonus with a 10x multiple. To unlock it, your bets have to add up to £200, because £20 multiplied by ten equals £200. Every eligible £1 spin or hand moves the counter on by £1, and most casinos display your progress in the bonus or promotions area of your account. Only when the counter reaches the target do the winnings tied to that bonus become withdrawable.
Free spins and their winnings
Free spins carry a playthrough requirement as well, but it works differently, because a spin has no obvious cash value of its own. Rather than applying the multiple to the spins, casinos normally apply it to whatever the spins win. Imagine 20 free spins return £40: that £40 is credited as bonus money, and you must stake it the stated number of times before it can leave your account.
The multiples attached to spin winnings tend to be noticeably lower than those on deposit match offers, which is one reason spins are such a common first promotion. Our free spins guide looks at the different spin offers in more detail.
Why do casinos attach wagering requirements to bonuses?
Casinos use wagering requirements to stop instant bonus cash-outs and to prevent bonuses being used for money laundering. Without a playthrough rule, anyone could register, collect the free cash and walk away, leaving the operator with nothing except the cost of the promotion.
The second reason matters just as much. A bonus that could be withdrawn untouched would give criminals a convenient route for passing funds through a casino and taking them out as apparently legitimate winnings. Requiring real play before a withdrawal closes that gap, which is why regulators treat wagering conditions as part of the wider anti-money-laundering framework that licensed operators must follow. Our explainer on casino licensing in the UK covers how that framework is enforced.
Within the regulator’s boundaries, each operator decides the details for itself: the size of the multiple, which games count, and whether the deposit is included. That freedom explains why two offers with the same headline figure can be very different to clear in practice.
How game contribution affects wagering
Game contribution sets how much of each bet counts towards casino wagering requirements: slots usually count in full, table and live games far less. A typical UK lobby holds slots, jackpot games, blackjack, baccarat, craps, poker variants and live dealer tables, and some sites add bingo, game shows, lottery-style draws and scratch cards. The bonus terms rarely treat all of these equally.
| Game type | Example contribution (%) | Counted from a £1 bet (£) |
|---|---|---|
| Online slots | 100 | 1.00 |
| Table games | 25 | 0.25 |
| Live casino games | 25 | 0.25 |
| Excluded slot titles | 0 | 0.00 |
With slots at 100%, every pound you stake reduces the outstanding requirement by a pound. At a 25% weighting, a £1 bet on a table or live game knocks only 25p off the total, so clearing the same target takes four times as much betting. Some casinos go further and remove particular slot titles from bonus play altogether, often to steer players towards new releases or away from games with a particular return to player. If you want to know why RTP influences these decisions, read our guide to RTP and volatility.
Working out your progress
Slot wagering requirements are the easiest to track, because the counter moves in step with your stakes. With the £20 bonus at 10x from earlier, you could reach the £200 target with 200 spins at £1 each or 400 spins at 50p each, provided every game you choose counts in full.
Mixing game types slows things down. Suppose you stake £100 on slots and another £100 on blackjack weighted at 25%. Your progress is £100 from the slots plus £25 from the blackjack, so only £125 counts towards the £200 target, even though you have bet £200 in total. Check the contribution table in the terms before you play: finding out after £100 of bets that your favourite game counted for nothing is an expensive way to learn the rule.
Bonus-only wagering versus bonus plus deposit
Most UK casinos apply the multiple to bonus money only; some also count the deposit, which can double the betting required. The difference is easiest to see when the same type of offer is calculated both ways.
| Scenario | Amount the multiple applies to (£) | Multiple | Total bets required (£) |
|---|---|---|---|
| £20 bonus, bonus only | 20 | 10x | 200 |
| £30 bonus, bonus only | 30 | 10x | 300 |
| £30 deposit matched 100%, deposit and bonus counted | 60 | 10x | 600 |
In the second row you only need to turn over the £30 of bonus funds ten times, which comes to £300. In the third row a £30 deposit unlocks a £30 match, and because both sums are counted, the 10x multiple applies to £60 and the target climbs to £600. The headline offer and the multiple are identical, yet the betting needed is twice as high.
Look for wording such as “deposit plus bonus” in the terms; if you see it, the larger base applies. To test your own offer, run the figures through our wagering requirements calculator. Our overview of deposit bonuses explains how match offers are put together.
What counts as a reasonable wagering requirement?
A reasonable wagering requirement for UK players is 10x or lower, the maximum UKGC rules have allowed on casino promotions since 2026. Every step down in the multiple cuts the amount you must stake before withdrawing, so a lower figure is always the better deal.
Before 2026, the benchmark looked very different: UK offers commonly sat between 25x and 35x, a multiple of 40x marked the expensive end of that range, and anything above 40x was generally worth passing over. Those older figures still turn up in archived promotions and on casino sites that target other markets, but a multiple above 10x on an offer aimed at British players deserves a close look before you accept it. Our list of low wagering bonuses shows what lighter terms look like in practice.
The size of the bonus matters less than many players assume. A large headline figure paired with a steep multiple can demand far more betting than a modest bonus with light terms, which means the smaller offer is frequently the better choice. Judge the bonus amount and its multiple together rather than looking at either one in isolation, and you will avoid most of the offers that sound generous but rarely pay out.
Casinos with no wagering requirements
No-wagering casino offers exist in the UK but are uncommon, and winnings from them can be withdrawn straight away. PlayOJO is the best-known example among fully licensed UK casinos. The brand built its reputation on bonuses without playthrough, including a welcome offer of 50 free spins on Book of Dead and a separate welcome bonus for bingo players, with no wagering on the winnings. Promotions change, so confirm the current terms on the casino’s own site before signing up.
If you cannot find a suitable no-wager offer, two other routes let you sidestep wagering:
- Skip the bonus. Playthrough rules attach to bonus funds, so playing with only your own deposit normally leaves you free to withdraw whenever you like. A small number of casinos do set a requirement on deposits as well, but it is rare and the multiple is very low.
- Enter slot tournaments. Tournament prizes are usually paid as cash, which can be withdrawn without further play. Pragmatic Play’s Drops & Wins network is one of the most widespread examples at UK casinos.
How to get value from wagering requirements
You get value from wagering requirements by picking low multiples, playing games that count in full and using the bonus to test the casino. Many players do clear their requirements and withdraw winnings; those who struggle have usually chosen a steep offer or spent their stakes on games that barely counted.
A few habits make the difference:
- Compare multiples first. A lower requirement means less money at stake and a better chance of completing the playthrough quickly.
- Read the terms in full. Check the multiple, whether the deposit is included, the contribution table and any excluded titles.
- Treat the bonus as a test drive. Even if the bonus funds produce nothing you can withdraw, they let you explore games and see how a casino operates without spending much of your own money. That experience helps you decide whether to stay.
- Look out for no-deposit bonuses. They are small and hard to find, and they still carry wagering, yet because you deposit nothing they are the lowest-risk way to try new games.
- Stick to licensed sites. A properly licensed and regulated casino must meet fair-play standards, which protects your withdrawal once you have met the terms.
Reading the terms before you claim
The bonus terms and conditions set out every detail of a wagering requirement, so reading them before you opt in prevents unwelcome surprises. Requirements appear at nearly every casino, but each operator implements them in its own way, and the rules you learned at one site may not hold at the next.
Before claiming, make sure the terms answer these questions:
- What is the multiple, and does it apply to the bonus alone or to the deposit as well?
- Which games count, and at what percentage?
- Are any slot titles excluded from bonus play?
- How many times must free spins winnings be staked?
If an answer is missing or unclear, ask the casino’s support team before you deposit. For broader advice on picking a site, see how to choose a casino, and compare current promotions on our bonuses page. New to the jargon? The casino glossary defines the terms you will meet in bonus small print, and our guides hub gathers every explainer in one place.
Frequently asked questions
What does wagering requirements mean on a casino bonus?
Wagering requirements mean you have to bet a set multiple of a bonus before any winnings from it can be withdrawn. The multiple is shown as a number followed by an x, such as 10x, and it tells you how many times the qualifying amount must be staked. Until your bets reach that total, winnings linked to the bonus stay locked and cannot be cashed out.
Do slot games count in full towards a bonus playthrough?
Yes, in most cases. Slot wagering requirements are usually met with every stake counting in full, so each pound staked on an eligible slot reduces the outstanding amount by a pound, making slots the quickest way to clear a bonus. Check the terms for excluded titles, because some casinos remove particular slots from bonus play, often to promote new games or because of their return to player.
How can you beat wagering requirements?
You beat wagering requirements by choosing offers with low multiples and playing games that count in full, which usually means slots. Check whether the deposit is included in the calculation, since that can double the betting needed. Alternatively, decline the bonus and play with your own money, or look for no-wager offers and slot tournaments that pay cash prizes you can withdraw.
Do table games count towards wagering requirements?
Yes, but usually only in part. Table games such as blackjack and baccarat, along with live dealer games, often contribute far less than slots, sometimes as little as 25 per cent. At that rate only a quarter of each stake counts towards the target, so clearing the same requirement takes four times as much betting as it would on slots that count in full.
Does your deposit count towards the playthrough total?
No, not at most UK casinos, where the multiple applies to the bonus money alone. Some operators, however, calculate wagering on the deposit and the bonus combined. On a full deposit match that doubles the amount the multiple is applied to, and therefore doubles the total betting required. The bonus terms state which method applies, so check them before you opt in.
Can you withdraw bonus winnings before completing the playthrough?
No. Winnings linked to a bonus remain unavailable for withdrawal until the full playthrough has been completed. Money from your own deposit is treated differently: if you decline the bonus, wagering rules normally do not apply and you can withdraw whenever you like, although a few casinos set a small requirement on deposits too. Reading the terms before opting in avoids unpleasant surprises.