Playthrough or wagering requirements are something you’ll encounter at every online UK casino. However, exactly what they are and how they work is still confusing for many players.
Get all your questions answered and learn exactly how wagering requirements work in our guide.
What Are Wagering Requirements?
In this review, players can find wagering requirements explained alongside some key information that will be beneficial on their next visit to the best online casinos.
Wagering casino requirements are usually tied to specific offers that players receive, such as the welcome bonus offer or other special promotions.
The wagering requirement or the wagering number is represented by a number and an ‘x’, such as 10x. This figure represents the amount that you must wager in real money in order to be able to withdraw any cash winnings from the bonus money received.
Let’s present a wagering requirements explained scenario, where you have received a £20 bonus with a wagering casino requirement of 10x. In order for you to fulfil the wagering requirement, you must wager 10 times the bonus amount in real money. Therefore, your total bets must have a value of £200 in order for you to be able to withdraw any potential winnings from this bonus offer.
Certain promotions such as online slot free spins will also have playthrough requirements attached to them, but this can be a bit more tricky to calculate since free spins may not have a currency value.
Generally speaking, the wagering requirements here are set on any winnings that you get from the free spins. If you receive 20 free spins, and you end up winning £40, you would have to wager that x times before being able to withdraw winnings from these free spins.
For free spins in particular, wagering casino requirements are generally much lower when compared to other bonuses. In fact, we always recommend to our readers to read bonus offer terms and conditions very carefully, as each and every online UK casino has its own wagering requirements.
Why do UK casinos have wagering requirements?
Now that wagering requirements have been explained, a lot of players might be wondering why are they present in the first place. Simply put, these playthrough requirements are imposed in order to ensure that players do not simply redeem bonuses without depositing any funds at the casino. They are also an important anti-money-laundering tool.
If there were no wagering casino requirements, there would be nothing stopping players from redeeming a welcome bonus, taking the bonus cash and leaving. Not only does this leave the online UK casino without any profits, but it also opens up a convenient avenue for criminals to launder their money.
As such, it should come as no surprise to UK players that wagering requirements are a requirement of many online casinos UK that are set by gaming regulating bodies. Despite this, the specific amounts and application of these playthrough requirements are at the description of each individual casino.
Games Contribution to Wagering Casino Requirements
At each UK casino online, you’re going to find all sorts of exciting and entertaining games. These include online slots, jackpots, table games such as baccarat, blackjack, and craps, poker, and even live dealer casino games. Some casinos may even offer bingo, game shows, lottery, or scratch cards.
It’s important to note that not all games actually contribute the same amount to the wagering requirements. Generally, when you play online slots UK, 100% of the wagers placed will count towards the playthrough requirement. Online casino games, such as table games and live casino selections, will only contribute a portion of their wagers. This can sometimes be as little as 25%, which mean that for every £1 bet wager on these games, only £0.25 will be counted towards the wagering casino requirement.
Some online UK casinos may exclude certain online slot titles from this requirement, which is a decision taken to promote new UK online slots or even to focus on online slots with specific RTPs.
As we have already discussed, all of these specifications are usually listed in the bonus terms and conditions. So do read these carefully, as nothing can be worse than wagering £100 on your favourite game to then realise that you have not started meeting the online casino’s wagering requirements.
Wagering of Bonus Money Only / Including Deposit
At most UK online casinos, you only have to worry about wagering the bonus money. On the other hand, other casinos may apply wagering requirements to both the bonus money and your deposit. Let us take a look at two examples to show how this works.
Example 1 — £30 in bonus funds, with a 20x wagering requirement
You will be required to wager £30 x 20, for a total of £600.
Example 2 — a 100% match on £30 deposit, with a 20x wagering requirement
You must deposit £30 in order to receive £30 in bonus money, multiplied by 20x. Therefore, you must wager £60 x 20, for a total of £1,200.
How to Benefit Despite Wagering Casino Requirements
Of course, wagering requirements can be tedious to work through, but you can still benefit from them. Plenty of players have been able to fulfil wagering requirements and withdraw winnings.
The best thing to do is look for online casinos UK with lower wagering requirements. This way, you’ll have to spend a lot less money, and there’s a greater chance that you meet the requirements quickly to withdraw your winnings potentially.
Even if you don’t necessarily win anything off of your bonus funds that you can withdraw, there’s another way you can look at it. At the very least, you could try out some different games and see how the casino works without spending too much of your own money. Afterwards, you’ll have a better idea of whether you should continue at the casino or not.
In some cases, you’ll also find a no-deposit bonus. These are rare, so you might have to look around until you find one. A no-deposit bonus is a small bonus from the casino without depositing anything yourself. Although these also come with wagering requirements, it’s the best way to try out new UK casino games. No deposit bonuses are deemed as being less risky for players.
Regardless of which casino you choose to play at, it must be fully licensed and regulated. This ensures that all fair play standards have been met and that you’ll be able to withdraw your money easily in the end. Having a thorough knowledge of everything listed in the bonus terms is a good idea.
UK Casinos with no wagering requirements
Finding the best casino sites with no wagering requirements is extremely difficult but not impossible. However, there are certain ways to get around this. Remember that wagering requirements only apply to the bonus you receive.
In some cases, players may even forego the bonus entirely and play with their own deposit. Even though it’s rare, we have seen casinos with wagering requirements even on deposits, although these are very low.
Another way that you can benefit is by playing in slot tournaments. These are quite popular at many casinos now, and Pragmatic Play’s drops and wins are one of the most widespread. The prizes at these tournaments are usually awarded in cash which you can then withdraw.
Below, you’ll find two no wagering casinos in the UK that are both fully licensed:
PlayOJO Casino: a top UK online casino that offers its clients no wagering requirement bonuses. This includes the welcome bonus package with free spins and a specific welcome bonus for bingo players.
Pokerstars Casino: When opening a new account at Pokerstars Casino UK, players will instantly receive 50 free spins that can be used on top UK slots including Diamond Stars Classic, Stars Invaders Classic, Tomb of Ra Classic and Sticky Fruits Classic. Winnings from free spins can be paid out once all free spins are used, at no wagering casino requirement.
Looking for free spins no deposit no wagering requirements at top UK casinos? We’ve got you covered. Find all the best no deposit free spins in the UK!
Casinos with low wagering requirements in the UK
Casinos with lower wagering requirements are probably the most common types and the ones that you should be looking out for. This raises the question: what’s considered a low wagering requirement?
A low wagering requirement explained is one that is based on the average requirement that the top UK online casinos set out. The usual range for wagering requirements that we see at UK casinos is between 25x and 35x. S
For example, a casino with the wagering requirements of 40x would be classified as being on the higher end of the average. If it’s above 40x, we recommend you look elsewhere.
While a large bonus may initially seem attractive, you must watch out for the wagering requirements. A casino with smaller bonuses and lower wagering requirements is still a better choice for many players.
In other words, you should consider the bonus amount and the wagering requirements that come with it.
Here are two UK casinos with low wagering requirements that you can check out:
Mr Green Casino: There are several offers at Mr Green Casino that come with reasonably low wagering requirements. These include a welcome offer of 50 free spins on Lucky Mr Green online slot with a 35x playthrough and a bonus offer of 20 free spins on Chilli Heat Megaways with a 35x wagering requirement.
Conclusion
We hope you’ve come away with a better idea of wagering requirements and how you can use these when deciding on the next top UK online casino to play at.
These wagering casino requirements are found at almost every casino and will vary depending on how each operator implements them. As such, you should always read all the terms and conditions carefully before redeeming any offer, so that you can enjoy your gaming experience without any unexpected surprises.