A player who opens a casino bonus page is usually trying to answer one practical question: what do I have to do before this money is mine. The offer headline is the least informative part of the page. The conditions underneath it decide whether the bonus is worth taking, and those conditions are written to be read in a specific order.
The offer headline is a price tag, not a promise
Every bonus page leads with the most attractive version of the offer: a deposit match, a batch of free spins, a cashback percentage, a no-deposit credit. That headline tells the reader what they could receive if every condition is met. It does not tell them what they will receive. The gap between those two things is the wagering requirement, the game weighting, the time limit, and the maximum withdrawal cap.
A deposit match, for example, is not free money added to the account. It is a conditional credit. The player deposits their own funds, the operator adds a bonus amount, and the combined balance is then subject to a playthrough condition before any of it can be withdrawn. The player's own deposit is usually locked into that condition along with the bonus. That is the single most important fact about deposit matches: the wagering requirement typically applies to the deposit plus the bonus, not just the bonus.
Free spins are narrower. They apply to one game or a small group of games, and the winnings from those spins are credited as bonus funds, not as cash. Those winnings then carry their own wagering requirement. A player who wins a large amount from free spins may find that the entire win is converted into a bonus balance that must be played through before withdrawal.
Cashback is different again. It is usually calculated on net losses over a defined period, and it is paid as bonus funds with a wagering requirement, or as cash with no requirement, depending on the terms. A cashback offer that pays in cash is materially different from one that pays in bonus funds, and the bonus page must state which applies.
No-deposit offers are the smallest in headline value but the most conditional in practice. Because the player has not deposited, the operator protects itself with a high wagering multiple, a low maximum withdrawal, or both. A no-deposit bonus is best read as a trial of the wagering system, not as a way to withdraw money.
How a wagering requirement is computed
The wagering requirement is a multiple. It is written as a number followed by an x, and it multiplies a base amount. The base amount is the part that varies between offers. The most common bases are:
| Base for wagering | What it means for the player | Where it is stated |
|---|---|---|
| Bonus only | The player must wager the bonus amount a set number of times. Their deposit is not counted in the requirement. | In the offer's terms section, under a heading such as "Wagering" or "Playthrough". |
| Deposit plus bonus | The player must wager the sum of their deposit and the bonus. This roughly doubles the total wagering burden compared with bonus-only. | In the same terms section, often phrased as "deposit + bonus" or "the total of your deposit and bonus". |
| Free spins winnings | Only the amount won from free spins is wagered. The spin stake itself is not part of the requirement. | In the free spins terms, under "Winnings" or "Wagering on winnings". |
| Cashback amount | The cashback credited is wagered. If cashback is paid as cash, there is no wagering at all. | In the cashback terms, under "Payment form" or "Wagering". |
| No-deposit bonus | The bonus amount is wagered, but the multiple is usually higher and a withdrawal cap applies. | In the no-deposit terms, under "Wagering" and "Maximum withdrawal". |
The wagering requirement is not the only number that matters. The game weighting is equally important. Not all games contribute equally to the wagering requirement. Slots commonly contribute fully, while table games, live dealer games, and video poker may contribute a fraction of each stake, or nothing at all. A player who intends to clear a bonus on blackjack or roulette must check the game weighting table before they start. If the weighting is zero, every stake on that game is wasted for wagering purposes.
The time limit is the third number. A wagering requirement must be completed within a set number of days, typically ranging from a few days to a month across operators. If the time expires, the bonus and any winnings from it are removed. The clock usually starts when the bonus is credited, not when the player first logs in.
Which items decide what happens to the money
On a bonus page, the reader is looking for a small number of controlling items. Everything else is presentation. The controlling items are:
- The wagering base. Whether the requirement applies to the bonus only or to deposit plus bonus changes the total wagering burden by a factor of two or more.
- The wagering multiple. The number itself. It is the largest single determinant of whether the offer can be completed.
- Game weighting. Which games count, and at what percentage. A high multiple on slots-only is very different from the same multiple with table games at ten percent.
- Time limit. How many days the player has. A short window makes high multiples practically impossible.
- Maximum withdrawal. Whether winnings from the bonus are capped, and at what amount. This is most common on no-deposit and free spins offers.
- Eligibility. Whether the offer is open to new players only, existing players, or specific deposit methods. A player who is not eligible can still claim the offer but will have the bonus removed at withdrawal.
Each of these is stated on the operator's own bonus page, in the terms section. The headline never contains them. A reader who reads only the headline has read nothing that binds the operator.
Where each item is stated on the page
The bonus page is usually structured in layers. The top layer is the offer summary: the match percentage, the spin count, the cashback rate. The second layer is the terms and conditions, sometimes collapsed behind a link or a "Full terms" button. The third layer is the general promotions terms, which apply to every offer and contain the default rules when an individual offer is silent.
The wagering base and multiple are in the individual offer terms. The game weighting table is sometimes in the individual terms, sometimes in the general promotions terms. The time limit is in the individual terms. The maximum withdrawal is in the individual terms for no-deposit and free spins offers, and in the general terms for everything else. Eligibility is in the individual terms, often under "Who can claim".
If an item is not stated on the bonus page, the reader should look in the general promotions terms before concluding that it does not exist. The general terms are the default. If neither the individual terms nor the general terms state a game weighting, the reader cannot assume that all games count equally. The absence of a weighting table is itself information: it means the operator has not committed to one, and the player has no way to know which games clear the bonus.
What changes, and why a figure read today may not hold tomorrow
Bonus terms are the most frequently changed documents on any casino site. An offer that is live today may be withdrawn tomorrow. A wagering multiple that applies this week may be different next week. A game weighting table may be updated without notice. The reason is structural: bonuses are marketing instruments, and the operator adjusts them in response to player behavior, game releases, and commercial conditions.
This means a player who reads a bonus page and then returns a month later must re-read the terms, not rely on memory. The offer headline may look identical while the conditions underneath have changed. The only version of the terms that binds the operator is the version live on the page at the moment the player claims the offer.
Some items change more often than others. The wagering multiple on a specific offer is relatively stable while the offer is live. The game weighting table is more volatile, because game providers and game categories are added and removed. The time limit is usually fixed for the life of the offer. The maximum withdrawal on no-deposit offers is often adjusted between campaigns.
| Item to confirm | Why it can change | Where it is stated |
|---|---|---|
| Wagering multiple | Offers are re-priced between campaigns; the same headline may carry a different multiple. | Individual offer terms, under "Wagering" or "Playthrough". |
| Game weighting | Game categories are added and removed; weighting percentages are adjusted. | Individual terms or general promotions terms, under "Game weighting" or "Contribution". |
| Time limit | Usually fixed per offer, but a re-launched offer may carry a different window. | Individual offer terms, under "Validity" or "Time limit". |
| Maximum withdrawal | Adjusted between no-deposit and free spins campaigns. | Individual terms, under "Maximum withdrawal" or "Withdrawal cap". |
| Eligibility | Offers are opened and closed to player groups; deposit-method exclusions are added. | Individual terms, under "Eligibility" or "Who can claim". |
How to work out whether an offer can be completed at all
The reader can test any bonus offer with a simple calculation. The steps are:
- Identify the wagering base. Is it bonus only, or deposit plus bonus?
- Multiply the base by the wagering multiple. That is the total amount that must be staked.
- Check the game weighting. If the reader intends to play a game with a weighting below one hundred percent, divide the total stake requirement by that weighting to get the effective staking burden.
- Compare the result with the time limit. How much must be staked per day to complete the requirement within the window?
- Check the maximum withdrawal. If the cap is lower than the potential winnings, the offer's value is capped regardless of how well the player performs.
This calculation does not require any figure from this article. Every number in it is read off the operator's own bonus page. The reader who cannot find one of the numbers cannot complete the calculation, and that is itself a reason to treat the offer with caution. An offer whose terms are incomplete is an offer whose cost cannot be known in advance.
One further point: the wagering requirement is a condition on withdrawal, not a gift. The player is not being given a sum of money and asked to play with it. They are being given a conditional credit that becomes withdrawable only after a specified amount of staking. The house edge on every stake remains with the operator. The expected cost of clearing a bonus is the house edge multiplied by the total wagering requirement. That is the real price of the offer, and it is not printed on the headline.
What the absence of an item means
When a bonus page does not state a wagering multiple, the reader cannot know what the offer costs. When it does not state a game weighting table, the reader cannot know which games clear the bonus. When it does not state a time limit, the reader cannot know how long they have. When it does not state a maximum withdrawal, the reader cannot know whether winnings are capped.
Each absence is an answer. The page that omits the wagering multiple is not offering a bonus with no wagering; it is offering a bonus whose cost is undisclosed. The page that omits the game weighting is not offering a bonus that counts all games equally; it is offering a bonus whose clearing conditions are undisclosed. The reader should treat an undisclosed condition as the most restrictive possible condition, because the operator has no obligation to be generous in silence.
The general promotions terms are the fallback. If the individual offer terms are silent, the general terms apply. If the general terms are also silent, the reader has no binding statement of the condition, and the only safe assumption is that the condition exists and is unfavorable.
FAQ
Does the wagering requirement apply to my deposit or just the bonus?
It depends on the offer. Some offers apply the wagering requirement to the bonus only; others apply it to the deposit plus the bonus. The bonus page states which base applies, usually in the terms section under "Wagering" or "Playthrough". If the page says "deposit + bonus", the player's own deposit is locked into the requirement along with the bonus.
Can I clear a bonus on any game?
Not necessarily. The game weighting table states which games contribute to the wagering requirement and at what percentage. Slots commonly contribute fully, while table games and live dealer games may contribute a fraction or nothing. If a game has a weighting of zero, stakes on that game do not count toward the requirement at all.
What happens if I don't complete the wagering in time?
The bonus and any winnings from it are removed when the time limit expires. The time limit is stated in the individual offer terms, and the clock usually starts when the bonus is credited. A player who cannot complete the wagering within the window loses the bonus balance.
Is a no-deposit bonus free money?
No. A no-deposit bonus is a conditional credit with a wagering requirement and usually a maximum withdrawal cap. The player can play with it, but cannot withdraw it or its winnings until the wagering is complete, and the withdrawal may be capped at an amount stated in the terms.
This page is an independent summary of what a casino bonus page covers, it is not published by MyPrize, and it states no figure or status for the operator; the operator's own bonus page is the only binding source for any offer's terms.
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This article is general information about how these mechanics work. It is not legal advice and not a recommendation to gamble or to use any particular operator. Availability and legality differ by jurisdiction — check the rules that apply where you are.