Wagering requirements are often found tucked away in an online casino’s bonus terms and conditions, but not everybody knows how they work or why they’re important characteristics to consider. This is a significant issue that is especially prevalent among beginners, and it can really come back to bite you if you’re not careful.
We’ll go into more detail throughout this article, but the fundamental thing to remember regarding wagering requirements is that they can effectively prevent you from withdrawing any winnings after claiming a bonus. They’re not designed as unfair constraints, rather as an element of insurance for online casino platforms, and they form part of mandatory anti-money laundering regulations.
After learning the bare bones of what wagering requirements are, it’s also important for players to consider what acceptable requirements may be. This will help you choose the best bonuses with the least restrictive terms and conditions, an essential part of maximizing value for first-time, introductory promos.
So, want to learn more about wagering requirements and what the most acceptable ones are? Keep reading for a comprehensive breakdown into this crucial online gambling topic. We’re going to fully explain the wagering requirements concept. Read on and get to grips with this essential casino bonus concept.
What are wagering requirements?
Before speculating on the most acceptable wagering requirements at online casinos, we need to clearly outline what these terms and conditions are. Often also known as playthrough requirements, these rules are attached to bonuses, causing players to gamble through their initial deposit, bonus amount or free spins winnings a specified number of times before anything can be withdrawn as real money.
So, let’s use an example to put things into perspective. If a casino is offering a 100% up to £100 welcome bonus with 30x wagering requirements on the bonus funds, you would need to wager the £100 bonus 30 times over before anything can be withdrawn. That’s equal to £3,000 in stakes on games like slots.
In an ideal scenario, you would still win more than you lose here, ultimately coming away with cash ready to be withdrawn. But this isn’t always the case, so it highlights why finding the most acceptable wagering requirements will enhance the possibility of walking away from a bonus offer in the green.
What is the point of wagering requirements?
Are you wondering what the point of wagering requirements could be? For beginners and those new to the online casino world, it can seem a little unfair. While some casinos take things too far with drastic and unwarranted wagering requirement rules, most platforms are simply trying to cover themselves and ensure long-term profitability.
These sites regularly give away hefty welcome bonuses to new players, and make various other ongoing offers available to existing customers, so they need some kind of insurance policy to ensure that players don’t simply claim the bonus and immediately withdraw the funds without playing any games. It can also stop players from claiming a welcome bonus and then winning even more money from the house with a few strategically placed wagers.
And wagering requirements aren’t just something put in place to protect the casinos themselves. Many gambling regulators worldwide also require wagering requirements to make sure casinos are complying with anti-money laundering regulations. Without a playthrough on these bonuses, criminals could get clever with concealing cash and making it appear to have come from elsewhere.
What are acceptable wagering requirements?
That’s the fundamentals regarding wagering requirements out of the way, now let’s turn our attention to the main point of this page – what are the most acceptable rules? Playthroughs can differ depending on the region and type of casino, but across the UK, anything between 10x and 40x is deemed as acceptable.
Obviously, the emphasis for most players is finding sites at the lower end. In fact, some of the very best platforms nowadays are even starting to offer wagering requirement-free bonuses – just bear in mind that these will also have smaller deposit matches.
Easy ways to spot wagering requirements
Wagering requirements should be easy to spot at most platforms, especially the best rated online UK casino sites. If you’re struggling to find any mention of wagering requirements, don’t just assume there are none. Weirdly shady behaviour like this is typically evidence of a rogue platform, rather than one with no wagering requirements. Industry-leading sites with no playthrough rules will make a song and dance about this fact, so don’t get tricked.
Here are some of the easiest ways for spotting wagering requirements:
- Promotional banner: Most reputable online casinos will feature the welcome bonus wagering requirements in the promotional banner at the top of their homepage. Look out for the small print running along the bottom, as this also typically holds information regarding minimum deposits and valid time periods.
- Terms and conditions: If you can’t find the wagering requirements in the promotional banner, it’s time to delve a little deeper into the terms and conditions. A good way to skip over reading the whole thing is to search specifically for “wagering” or “playthrough” to find the relevant clause.
- Social media: Platforms like Reddit or Facebook can occasionally provide clues as to bonus wagering requirements, especially if they’re social media-exclusive offers.
- Player reviews: Reading other player reviews will also alert you to wagering requirements. This can be a particularly useful way to spot any strange, additional rules that you may have missed when reading through the terms and conditions.
Key tips for clearing wagering requirements
While wagering requirements can be frustrating, they shouldn’t ruin your overall experience. Here are some of the key ways to clear playthroughs without too much frustration:
- Choose high RTP games: Where possible, always try to complete wagering requirements on high RTP games, as these will give you a better statistical chance of walking away in the green.
- Don’t overdo it: You should never gamble simply to clear wagering requirements, as this can lead to concentration lapses and silly losses.
- Track progress: Always keep an eye on your remaining playthrough to avoid overspending for no reason.
