Online casino bonuses have wagering or playthrough requirements that must be met before cashing out any winnings that result from playing games with the bonus.
If you read the welcome bonus terms and conditions (which you should), you’ll often see the wagering requirement noted like 30x(D+B). That means that your bets must add up to 30 times your deposit plus the bonus amount.
For example, let’s say you deposit $1,000 and accept a welcome bonus of 200% up to $2,000.
With a 30x playthrough your bets need to total $90,000 [30 x (1,000 + 2,000)] before the bonus is “cleared” and you’re able to cash out any winnings. Note: You can still cash out before the wagering requirements are met, but the bonus will be deducted from your balance.
So if you’re playing real money slots, betting $1 per spin, it will take you 90,000 spins to meet the bonus requirements. If you are playing real money blackjack, betting $10 per hand, it will take you 9,000 hands.
As you might have guessed, the higher the wagering requirements are, the more likely the house edge is to eat away your bankroll.
With sports betting and poker bonuses, you don’t have to worry about house edge, but it’s still important to calculate the rollover requirements. At sportsbooks, you simply bet the deposit + bonus the required number of times.
With poker bonuses, you have to play a certain number of hands in order to clear the bonus.