You may have noticed many casinos advertising on TV recently with tag lines such as ‘no nonsense’ or ‘no wagering’ bonuses, as well as sites like PlayOJO dubbing themselves the ‘Fair Casino’. But what do these sites actually mean by these claims and why are they important?
The fact is, some casinos came under fire a few years ago for having promotional terms that were very difficult to understand and that, more importantly, made it difficult for players to win any real money using bonus offers. So, with players demanding more transparent T&Cs and fairer practices, a lot of casino operators stepped up to the plate and started offering deals with far more straightforward rules.
One of these was the invention of bonus deals without wagering requirements attached, which is why you now have sites like MrQ, PlayOJO and SkyVegas all shouting about their no wagering bonuses from the rooftops.
But what exactly are wagering requirements and how do they affect players? Plus, how do no wagering bonuses compare to the more traditional online casino offers? Finally, what is a no wagering casino and why are these sites advertised so much?
Today, we’re going to take a look at wagering requirements, and discover how these controversial little game rules have shaken up the gambling industry in recent years.
What are wagering requirements?
Generally speaking, a ‘wagering requirement’ is a caveat which appears in the terms and conditions of almost every bonus deal on offer at an online casino. So any player who wishes to take on deals, such as deposit bonuses or free spins offers, will run into wagering requirements almost instantly.
And, as we’re about to find out, this specific term directly affects how a player can use their bonus, as well as the likelihood of the player being able to successfully cash out real winnings using bonus funds.
Wagering and game weighting explained
Simply put, wagering requirements refer to the amount of times a player must play through their bonus cash before they can withdraw any real-money winnings.
To clarify, let’s look at an example:
The player comes across a no deposit bonus of £10 at a casino site. ‘No deposit’ means that the player does not have to deposit any funds into the casino in order to get their hands on this bonus cash. So this money is effectively a gift from the casino.
However, in the terms and conditions the player finds a number marked with an ‘x’. This is the wagering requirement.
Now let’s say this is ‘50x’. This means that the player must turn over that £10 of bonus cash they received from the casino 50 times before they will be allowed to take cash out any real money. That’s the equivalent of turning over £500.
So, as you can see, this little rule will have a huge impact on whether or not the player can walk away with any real money.
Also, wagering rules don’t just apply to no deposit offers. Even if a player makes a large deposit into the casino site, or they’ve chosen a free spins offer over bonus cash, they shouldn’t expect to escape wagering requirements, as they are usually added to every casino bonus.
But that’s not all. We’re assuming that every game at the casino is worth 100% towards the requirement and, unfortunately, this is not always the case. This is what’s referred to as ‘game weighting’ and it is imperative for calculating wagering requirements.
For the most part, slot games are typically worth 100% of wagering at most online casinos. But, if a player enjoys games like blackjack, roulette and live casino games, then the game weight tends to be much lower.
For example, some versions of blackjack count for as little as 10% towards a player’s wagering requirement, and some games have a 0% contribution. Thus, the player is left to recalculate their overall wagering requirement, which can lead to confusion, frustration and considerably lower chances of the player winning any real money.
Why do so many casinos use wagering requirements?
The answer as to why most casinos use wagering requirements is simple: these caveats are a method of safeguarding the casino from giving out too much money in bonus funds and not getting it back.
Looking at the example from earlier, if a player were to take £10 in bonus cash as part of a no deposit deal, then the player takes on no financial risk whatsoever. Therefore, if he/she goes on to win a cash prize, the casino is out of pocket. Therefore, many casinos use wagering requirements as a way to protect themselves against players taking out stacks of cash without first depositing an appropriate amount into the site.
That said, as we’ve seen, it’s not just no deposit players that fall foul of wagering; depositing players will also see wagering attached to their bonus cash.
In the face of all these tricky gaming rules, many casino brands faced serious backlash as players became dissatisfied with heavy wagering requirements and unrealistic cashout terms, and started complaining to the powers that be, including the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC).
For example, at NoWagering.com, they discovered that ‘the vast majority of these complaints are as a result of wagering requirements that weren’t communicated clearly to the player before being offered the bonus or free spins’.
The end result of this dissatisfaction and anger felt by gamblers has since given rise to the inception of ‘no wagering casinos’.
What are no wagering casinos?
As the name suggests, a ‘no wagering casino’ is a site that offers bonus deals without wagering requirements attached.
These sites are becoming increasingly popular, as players want bonus deals that have clear and transparent terms. So, rather than having to calculate wagering requirements and also consider game weight as well, a lot of players prefer a straightforward bonus deal where they know exactly what they are getting.
These no wagering casino deals were initially a reaction to the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) and the Advertising Standards Agency (ASA) cracking down on some casinos that they felt were taking advantage of players with misleading offers filled with deceptive terms and conditions, including wagering requirements.
But some clever bods at the most innovative casino brands saw the potential of no wagering bonuses as a way to gain a better reputation and level of trust with players. So, naturally, no wagering offers have since become a very powerful marketing tool, tempting customers towards a casino site that offers ‘fairer’ bonuses than their competitors.
But are ‘no wagering’ deals always better than other types of casino offers? Let’s find out.
What’s better – traditional or no wagering casinos?
A lot of players will opt for a bonus at a no wagering site, as the offers advertised come with the clearest, most straightforward T&Cs. However, that’s not to say that other types of bonuses where wagering applies are dead in the water.
Overall, it comes down to personal taste, and both wagering and no wagering deals come with their own pros and cons; one not necessarily being better than the other.
For example, you will never see a no wagering offer as generous as one where wagering is applied.
For instance, at many sites you’ll find, on average, between £5 and £20 offered as part of a no wagering bonus. However, at a traditional casino, it’s not uncommon to find match deposit bonuses where you can pick up hundreds of pounds in bonus funds. But, of course, this bonus cash will come with wagering requirements.
Furthermore, no wagering casino deals are not free of other terms and conditions. There are still many other T&Cs that players should consider before taking on a casino’s offer. These include things like cashout limits, expiry dates and excluded games.
Therefore, it’s still highly advisable for players to read through all of the terms and conditions on any offer before they take it on.
Conclusion
In summary, the reason why no wagering sites are advertised is because, firstly, these deals are great marketing tools for casino brands and, secondly, because these bonuses work.
While a no wagering bonus might be lower in value than a traditional casino deal, the fact that a player doesn’t have to contend with wagering requirements and game weighting means they have a far greater chance of cashing out successfully.
Furthermore, it shows a genuine level of transparency and trust from the casino, which a lot of players believe to have been lacking in recent times.
Therefore, no wagering bonuses are fairer to players all-round. After all, a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.
FAQs
What does no wagering requirements mean? ›
A Wagering Requirement is a condition applied to a promotion that affects how a player is able to spend the winnings generated by that promotion. For example: • A $50 Sign Up Token has a twenty times (20x) wagering requirement: ▪ Therefore, Wagering Requirement = $50 x 20 =$1000.
What is a no wagering bonus? ›No-Wager Casinos
However, a small amount of bonus money or wager free spins can be just as profitable. Both of these bonuses generally require a deposit, but will not require you to wager your winnings a specific number of times before you can collect them. Honest Bonuses, No Surprises.
These wagering requirements are mandatory and if you do not meet them your bonus money will never be turned into real money you can withdraw. Another thing to note is that some games give you a lot less towards your requirements than others.
What is wagering in casino offers? ›A wagering requirement is a multiplier that represents the number of times you have to play though a bonus before you are able to withdraw any winnings.
How do I get around wagering requirements? ›With wagering requirements in place, punters have to commit more real money to the gaming site before they can walk away with the extra funds. The term works as an insurance policy for the establishments. There is no way to go around bonus wagering requirements. The only way to beat these terms is by clearing them.
Why is wagering illegal? ›Currently, all betting and gambling-related activities are governed by The Public Gambling Act of 1867. According to the act, any activity that involves betting money or any other equivalent is deemed illegal. The only exemption to the aforementioned regulation that is permitted in India is games that require a skill.
Why do casinos offer no deposit bonuses? ›Types of No Deposit Bonuses
No deposit bonuses are a type of bonus offered by online crypto casinos to incentivize new players to sign up and start playing. These bonuses usually come in the form of cash bonuses, free spins, or match bonuses.
Bonus bets are usually of small value. I personally don't see the point of crunching numbers, doing form and “safely” placing the bet when I will not win any more than I would using my own money. Like I said above…. $50 bonus bet at $2 odds gives you $50 profit after the bonus stake is returned.
How do I convert my casino bonus to cash? ›Remember that the body of the bonus can never be directly cashed out; the players can only cash out what they win after wagering the bonus money in casino games. Such bonuses are called cashable, or non-sticky. There are also sticky bonuses; for those, even the winnings cannot be cashed out.
Can I withdraw winnings from a free bet? ›No, your Sportsbook free bets cannot be withdrawn, but winnings as a result of placing Sportsbook free bets will be credited to your main wallet and are free to use at your disposal. Your original 'free bet' stake will not be returned to you.
Do you get your wager back if you win? ›
When you win a bet, you'll get back the amount of your stake plus a profit for winning. The amount of profit will vary and depend on the odds. To demonstrate, let's consider the following betting line for an NBA game.
How does wagering work? ›A wagering requirement is how much you need to bet to withdraw all the money in your account. For example, if you have $100 in your account but $50 of that is bonus funds, you'll need to complete the wagering requirement to cash out. Wagering requirements can range from 1x to 5x for online sports betting bonuses.
What is the best wagering strategy? ›- Early cashout in sports betting.
- Bet live on over 1.5 goals.
- Specialize in a league.
- What's a Money Race?
- Betting on a draw.
- Betting on late goals.
- Betting on cup games.
- Betting on live games.
Noun He has a wager on the game. I don't think the horse will win. What's your wager? Verb She wagered $50 on the game.
Is wagering the same as gambling? ›Gambling and gaming are two different things. Gaming is when you participate in legal, state sanctioned wagering. Gambling is when you place bets or wager at locations or online platforms that are not permitted in the State, which remains a criminal activity.
How do I cash out my wager? ›Bettors can visit the active bets area of their account online to see the current price available to Cash Out. If the bettor likes the Cash Out price being offered they simply click the Cash Out button then confirm that this is the correct action. Once complete the money will appear in the player's financial account.
How much does it cost to wager on slots? ›Many games allow you to wager anywhere from $0.20 to $100 per spin. This range satisfies most low and high rollers. The common $0.20 minimum stake also lets pretty much anybody enjoy online slots. Of course, with so much variety in the betting range, you might have trouble deciding on a wager size.
Which banks allow real money wagering? ›...
Fortunately, most banks are eligible including, but not limited to:
- Bank of America.
- Chase.
- Capital One 360.
- HSBC.
- PNC.
- Santander.
- TD Bank.
- Wells Fargo.
In the USA a business cannot violate Federal, state, and local anti-discrimination laws, but aside from those issues it can bar or ban anyone it wants from their casino for any reason whatsoever. A casino is a private business and can set whatever rules it wants. So yes, a casino can ban you if you're winning.
Why is gambling illegal in most of the US? ›Professional leagues held firm that gambling was bad for their games, building their arguments around integrity. And that's how we ended up with the PASPA, which served as an overarching ban on sports gambling at a federal law, despite most states already prohibiting it.
What states have no gambling? ›
Gambling is legal in some form or another in 48 states across the country. The two holdouts that ban it in its entirety are Utah and Hawaii. Utah has a large Mormon population, which is a deeply religious community.
Are no deposit bonuses really free? ›Websites offering no deposit bonuses allow players to try out a new casino for free. They are opposite the deposit bonuses. Casinos that generally promote a no deposit bonus do not take any sum of money as a prior deposit from the punter.
What casino has the biggest no deposit bonus? ›Cafe Casino: Top ranked for free no deposit bonus
On their first deposit, new players are eligible for a 250% match offer up to $1,500.
Withdrawals are free of charge and are processed within 24 hours. However, if this is your first time making a withdrawal from the casino, you'll need to verify your account by providing identification documents.
What happens if you win with a bonus bet? ›A bet placed with a Bonus Bet will pay out the winnings minus the bonus bet stake. For example, if you placed a $20 Bonus Bet at odds of $10 your winnings would be $180. This is calculated by multiplying the stake by the odds ($20x $10 = $200) and then subtracting the stake of the bet ($200 - $20 = $180).
What percentage of bets to win money? ›In order to break even when betting on spread sports (considering standard -110 juice), a bettor must win 52.38% of the time. Anything above 55% is considered to be highly profitable.
How to double $100 at casino? ›The best way to double your money when gambling in a casino—if you're playing a game where the house has an edge—is to make the maximum boldness move. Bet your entire bankroll on an even-money bet. The best bets for this purpose are roulette and casino war, but roulette is actually superior.
How do I transfer money from casino to bank account? ›...
How to withdraw from a casino using Wire Transfer
- Head to the cashier. When you're ready to withdraw funds from your account, go to the cashier section at the casino and select 'withdrawal'.
- Select Wire Transfer. ...
- Check your details. ...
- Withdraw your funds.
With a free bet, you're making a wager without any real cash attached. If you use a free bet and win, the winnings you receive back will not include the free bet amount. Instead, you'll only receive back the amount of the winnings.
How does $1000 free bet work? ›So when you see a book offer a “Risk-Free Bet Up to $1,000” it simply means that if you lose you'll get the amount of your initial wager back in something other than cash, and if you win, the book has decided that you don't really deserve anything extra.
Do free bets pay real money? ›
Free bets may sound too good to be true. Do bookmakers really offer their customers free money? Well potentially, yes – especially if you're smart about it. You can think of a free bet as an opportunity to place a bet without risk, and get paid out the net winnings on the bet if it wins.
How much does a wager pay? ›– To calculate your potential payout on an underdog, all you need to do is multiply your stakes (the amount of money you wagered) by the value resulting from the moneyline odds divided by 100. Put simply: Potential profit = Wager x (Odds/100).
Do you pay taxes on the wager? ›Your Gambling Winnings are Considered Income
All income is taxable and gambling winnings are considered income. They apply even if you aren't a professional gambler. If you win money from lotteries, raffles, horse races, or casinos – that money is subject to income tax.
If a team was at +140, that means you only have to risk $1 to win $1.40 or $100 to win $140. The key thing to keep in mind is that the payouts are constant regardless of how much you bet. To figure out the exact amount of risk/return, just divide the moneyline by 100.
What is a wagering limit? ›A limit is the maximum amount that a sportsbook allows its bettors to wager on a given game or event. If, for example, you attempted to wager $150 on a game where the book wasn't comfortable taking bets over $100, you'd likely receive some sort of error message with the indication, “Limit: $100.”
Is wagering forbidden by law? ›It has been laid down by the Supreme Court, in Gherulal Parekh v. Mahadeo Das[xii] that though a wager is void and unenforceable it is not forbidden by law . Hence a wagering agreement is not unlawful under section 23 of the Contract Act and therefore the transactions collateral to the main transaction are enforceable.
What is real money wagering? ›Anyone who deposits money into an online casino and places a wager on any gambling related game via the internet in order to win a prize or money.
Which slot gives most free spins? ›- Super Slots: 50 free spins on Gemini Jokes.
- Ducky Luck: 150 free spins.
- mBit: 175% bonus + 300 free spins exclusive bonus.
- Mirax: 5 BTC + 150 free spins.
- Las Atlantis: 100 free spins.
- Lucky Tiger: 66 bonus spins.
- Slots of Vegas: 250% match bonus + 50 bonus spins on Wild Hog Luau.
If you're willing to put in a little work, blackjack offers the best odds. I'm talking about a . 5 percent casino edge, depending on which table you're sitting at. (Meaning for every dollar you gamble, you'll lose only half a penny on average.)
Which slot machines have the best bonus? ›...
Best free slots with bonus and free spins
- Big Bonus slot. ...
- Banana Splits slot. ...
- Monopoly 250k. ...
- Amazing Ripley's Believe It or Not slot. ...
- Chilli Mama's slot. ...
- Family Guy slot.
In which state wagering is illegal? ›
Gambling laws in Telangana, Arunachal Pradesh, and Karnataka
The Telangana State Gaming Act, 1974, has illegalized both online and offline gambling activities.
What is a wagering agreement? Agreement between two parties where the money payable by the one party to the other party on the happening of uncertain events and the other party to first-party, when the event doesn't take place. These agreements are known as the wagering agreement.
What does in wagering mean? ›A wager, simply put, is simply a bet. But what does wager mean at your online Casino? A wager refers to the amount of money you stake with each hand of cards, spin of reels, or sports match. It can also refer to the amount of money that you bet overall, in a session or specific time period.
Does the Bible say that gambling is a sin? ›Religious scriptures like the Bible do not explicitly say that gambling is a sin. They also don't explicitly mention that gambling is immoral. In addition, many governments all over the world operate charity casinos.
Which country forbid their rules to make money by gambling? ›Qatar is the strictest country of all when it comes to gambling laws. All forms of gambling activities are considered illegal, and even sports betting is not permissible.
Who invented gambling? ›Gambling's Earliest Evidence
The earliest time of when and how people started gambling was mentioned in the first-ever form of gaming that came from Ancient China. Basing from the Chinese book “Book Of Songs,” which refers to a wood drawing, suggesting that the tiles may have become a component of a lottery game.
If a bonus has wagering requirements, this means that it must be wagered (or played through) a set number of times before you can withdraw any winnings generated by that bonus. The amount that you need to wager is not a set figure. It will always be a multiplier of the bonus you receive.
What is a wagering requirement in Caesars? ›What is a wagering requirement? In order for your Bonus Cash to become real cash (meaning you can withdraw it or bet it), you need to wager an amount equal to your bonus cash amount (so if have $1,000 in bonus cash and a 1x playthrough, you need to wager $1,000 to "unlock" it).
Do you ever win on free spins? ›Free spins are pretty much what they say on the tin: spins on a slot game that you can enjoy without betting any of your real money on the outcome. You can still win money on these, but you cannot lose – which makes them an appealing offer to many gamblers, regardless of whether they're a novice or a professional.
Can I win real money with free spins? ›In short, yes! You should always be able to cash out anything you win using free slots spins. However, some casinos might require you to follow strict bonus wagering requirements before you can withdraw winnings.
How does the Caesars $5000 free bet work? ›
Make an initial deposit in the amount that you wish to place on your risk-free first bet. Place your first wager risk-free up to $5,000. If it wins, you take home the cash. If your bet loses, Caesars Sportsbook will refund your account in site credit.
Can you withdraw Caesars free bet? ›The amount of the bet credit isn't eligible for withdrawal. You must use it to bet on the Caesars Sportsbook website or app. You also get 1,000 tier credits and 1,000 reward credits.