Wagering requirements decide whether a casino bonus is worth having. A wagering requirement (sometimes called a playthrough) is the amount you have to bet before bonus money — or winnings from bonus spins — turn into cash you can withdraw. It’s the single most important number in any casino offer, and the one most people skip.
How to read wagering requirements
If a £20 bonus has a 10x wagering requirement, you need to place £200 of bets (£20 × 10) before you can withdraw anything linked to that bonus. Some offers apply the multiplier to the bonus only; older offers sometimes applied it to your deposit and the bonus, which doubles the amount you need to play through.
Why it matters
Every spin has a small built-in house edge. The more you have to wager, the more of your bonus you can expect to lose along the way. A £20 bonus with 10x wagering on a slot with 96% RTP costs you roughly £8 on average to clear (£200 × 4%), leaving an expected value of about £12. The same bonus at 40x would, on average, cost more than it’s worth.
What the UKGC cap changed
Since January 2026 the UK Gambling Commission has capped wagering requirements on new casino bonuses at 10x. It also banned promotions that force you to play across different products (for example, bet on sport to unlock casino spins). That makes today’s offers far more transparent than the 35x–50x deals that used to be common — but it doesn’t make every offer good value.
Our quick checklist
- No wagering is best. Winnings paid as cash can be withdrawn straight away.
- Check what counts. Slots usually count 100%; table and live games often count less or not at all.
- Check the time limit. Bonuses and spins often expire in 1–7 days.
- Check the max bet. Staking more than the bonus limit can void your winnings.
- Cash usually goes first. On many offers your deposit is played before bonus funds and may not count towards wagering.
Every offer on our casino offers page shows the wagering up front, and we filter out anything we think isn’t worth your time.