If you’ve ever played casino games online, then you may have encountered the concept of wagering requirements before. These are conditions that most online casinos impose on bonuses, free spins, and other promotional offers in order to prevent players from abusing them. The specifics vary from offer to offer, but in general, wagering requirements describe how many total bets a player must make before they can withdraw bonus funds or winnings as real cash.
Wagering requirements can apply to a variety of casino offers, including deposit match bonuses, first bet refund offers, and other promos that issue site credit to gamblers. They often come with a time limit, and players must meet the wagering requirements within that window or risk forfeiting any unused bonus amounts. However, there are ways to reduce the amount of time it takes to clear a wagering requirement, such as by choosing games that contribute a higher percentage towards the required total.
The way wagering requirements are calculated varies from casino to casino, and it’s not uncommon for a game to be listed as contributing zero percent towards a requirement – but this is typically only the case with high-risk games such as blackjack or roulette. Most online casinos will list a percentage contribution for each individual game, and most will only accept bets on those games that add up to the necessary total.
Another factor that influences how quickly a player can clear a wagering requirement is the number of games available to them. Some online casinos will only allow players to place bets on a limited number of popular games, and these are the ones that tend to contribute more towards a player’s wagering total. By choosing to play only those games, players can make the most of their bonus funds and clear the requirements more quickly.
When it comes to clearing a wagering requirement, players must also pay attention to the terms and conditions of each offer. Some casino sites will not allow players to use their bonus money on all casino games, and may also set a maximum bet amount that cannot be exceeded. These restrictions help to ensure that players do not attempt to abuse the bonuses by using them on high-risk bets or by chasing their losses.
The amount of bonus funds that a player must use to meet a wagering requirement is usually specified in the terms and conditions of each offer. Any winnings generated while playing a bonus will be stored in a pending balance until the requirement is met, at which point they will be released into the player’s main wallet. Depending on the terms of the bonus, these winnings may be subject to a higher or lower multiplier than the total bonus amount.
Another important consideration when it comes to wagering requirements is the types of games that count toward a player’s total. Certain casino games will only contribute a percentage of each bet toward meeting the requirement, while others may not contribute at all. This is usually decided by the game’s Return to Player (RTP) value, which is an indicator of how much money a particular game pays back to players on average. RTP values for online slots, for instance, are usually high and contribute the full amount of each bet to a player’s wagering total.