So what are these dreaded wagering requirements that inspire fear in some online casino players? The concept of bonus wagering is not the easiest one to grasp, especially if one is new to gambling on the web.
Wagers are the money you spend, or bet in this context, on casino games like online slots, blackjack, roulette, baccarat, video poker, or bingo. When you deposit the minimum required to obtain a given bonus, it is released in the form of free credits that are added to your bonus balance. Simply put, bonus wagering covers the amount you need to bet using your own money to release your winnings from your bonus balance so that they can be added to your real-money balance for you to withdraw.
We can make a distinction between two types of bonuses, the first one being the so-called “sticky” or “phantom” bonus where the free credits are removed from your account after wagering has been met. The other category consists of bonuses which are transferred from your bonus to your real-money balance after you clear their wagering. In other words, you can cash out both the bonus and its related profits from your balance, which is not the case with the “phantom” free credits.
Wagering requirements sometimes cover both the deposit and the bonus amount. So if the terms state “30x wagering of the deposit plus the bonus”, you practically need to meet wagering conditions of 60x. For example, suppose you have deposited $50 to receive the extra $50 in free credits but need to wager both amounts 30x. You will have to risk $3,000 instead of half the amount of $1,500.
