Wagering requirements calculator: true cost of a bonus

Wagering requirements calculator

Turnover required: -
Spins at max bet: -
Expected loss while wagering: -
Bonus value after wagering: -

Key facts

A wagering requirement is how many times you must bet the bonus (or deposit plus bonus) before you can withdraw winnings from it.
40x on a $100 bonus means $4,000 of bets; 40x on $100 deposit plus $100 bonus means $8,000.
Your expected loss while clearing it is the turnover multiplied by the house edge: $4,000 at 96% RTP costs $160 on average.
If the expected loss is bigger than the bonus, the bonus is worth less than nothing on average.
Max bet rules (often $5 to $8 a spin) and game weighting decide how long clearing takes and whether winnings are kept.

How the wagering requirements calculator works

The calculator turns the small print of a bonus into four numbers: the turnover you need, how many spins that takes at the maximum bet, what that turnover costs on average, and what the bonus is worth once that cost is taken off. Fill in the bonus terms exactly as the casino states them.

Wagering (x) is the multiplier, such as 35x or 40x.
Applies to is either the bonus alone or the deposit plus the bonus. This single setting can double the work.
Game contribution is the percentage of each bet that counts. Pokies are usually 100%.
RTP is the return of the games you will play. Higher RTP means a cheaper clear.
Max bet is the largest bet allowed while the bonus is active.

What a wagering requirement means

A wagering requirement is the amount you must bet before bonus money turns into money you can withdraw. Casinos use it so that a bonus cannot be taken straight to the cashier. The bonus is real value only after you have bet through it, and every bet along the way carries the house edge.

A worked example: $100 bonus at 40x

Say you deposit $100 and get a $100 bonus with 40x wagering on the bonus only, playing pokies at 96% RTP with an $8 max bet.

Turnover needed: 40 x $100 = $4,000.
Spins at the max bet: $4,000 / $8 = 500 spins. At $1 a spin it is 4,000 spins.
Expected loss while wagering: $4,000 x 4% house edge = $160.
Bonus value after wagering: $100 - $160 = minus $60.

On average this bonus costs you more than it gives. Change one setting, wagering on deposit plus bonus, and the turnover doubles to $8,000, the expected loss to $320 and the value to minus $220. The same headline offer can be a fair deal or a poor one depending on two lines of the terms.

Offer	Turnover needed	Expected loss at 96% RTP	Value of $100 bonus
20x bonus only	$2,000	$80	+$20
35x bonus only	$3,500	$140	-$40
40x bonus only	$4,000	$160	-$60
35x deposit + bonus	$7,000	$280	-$180

The terms that change the answer

The multiplier gets the attention, but four other terms decide whether a bonus is any good.

Max bet. Usually a fixed amount per spin. Our partners Wild Tokyo and Mino Casino both set AUD 8 while a bonus is active. One bigger bet can void the bonus; our max bet rule guide explains why the cap exists.
Time limit. Wild Tokyo's terms give 48 hours to activate a bonus and 5 days to use it once active. 500 spins in 5 days is easy; 8,000 spins is not.
Game contribution and excluded games. Some high RTP pokies and most table games are excluded or count less. Playing them can slow the clear to a crawl or break the terms.
Max cashout. Some bonuses cap what you can withdraw from bonus winnings. A cap turns a lucky run into a fixed amount, which lowers the real value further.

When a bonus is worth taking

A bonus is worth taking when the expected loss from wagering is clearly smaller than the bonus and you would have played that much anyway. Low multipliers, bonus only wagering, full pokies contribution and no max cashout point that way. If the calculator shows a negative value, the bonus buys you extra playing time, not extra money. That can still be fine, as long as you know it. Whether the bonus is sticky matters too: a sticky bonus stays in your balance until you cash out, then disappears.

Pundit tip: variance hits bonus players hard. Many players bust their balance before they finish wagering, so the average result in the calculator is better than what most individual players get. Our guide to pokies hit frequency shows how likely a dry spell is.

Before you claim any offer, read whether online pokies are legal in Australia and what that means for you as a player. To see what plain pokies play costs per hour, without a bonus, use the pokies calculator.

Our partner sites

Terms checked 8 to 9 October 2026

We earn a commission if you join through these links; it pays for the site and does not change the facts we show. Listed in no particular order. Every detail comes from the casino's own terms, except ACMA notes, which come from ACMA's blocked list. These are offshore casinos without an Australian licence, so BetStop and Australian dispute services do not cover them: read whether online pokies are legal in Australia and our affiliate disclosure.Commission links. Offshore sites with no Australian licence or BetStop cover: is it legal?

LuckyOnes

Partner · termsTerms checked 9 Oct 2026

Visit LuckyOnesVisit 18+ Affiliate link · T&Cs apply

Withdrawals: AUD 6,000 a day
Max bet (bonus): AUD 8
Min deposit: AUD 30

Names no licence or operating company in its terms or footer
luckyones.com, luckyones1.com and luckyones7.com are on ACMA's blocked list (8 Oct 2026)Main domain on ACMA's blocked list

Wild Tokyo

Partner · termsTerms checked 8 Oct 2026

Visit Wild TokyoVisit 18+ Affiliate link · T&Cs apply

Withdrawals (entry): AUD 800 a day
Max bet (bonus): AUD 8
Monthly cap (entry): AUD 13,000

States a Curacao eGaming licence (no number shown)

18+ Offers and terms change often; the casino's own terms always apply. Never gamble money you need. Free help: Gambling Help 1800 858 858, 24/7.

Frequently asked questions

What does a 40x wagering requirement mean?

It means you must place bets worth 40 times the bonus amount before the bonus and its winnings can be withdrawn. On a $50 bonus that is $2,000 of bets. If the requirement applies to deposit plus bonus, you multiply the total of both.

What is the difference between bonus only and deposit plus bonus wagering?

Bonus only wagering multiplies just the bonus. Deposit plus bonus wagering multiplies both, so a 35x deposit plus bonus requirement on a matched bonus needs twice the turnover of 35x on the bonus alone. Always check which one the terms use.

Why does game contribution matter?

Game contribution is the share of each bet that counts towards wagering. Pokies usually count 100%, while table games often count 10% or 0%. At 10%, a $10 blackjack hand only clears $1 of wagering, so the real turnover needed is ten times higher.

Are no wagering bonuses better?

Usually, yes, because anything you win is yours to withdraw straight away. They tend to be smaller, so compare the actual amount with what a wagered bonus is worth after the expected loss. The calculator shows that value.

What happens if I break the max bet rule?

Most casinos can cancel the bonus and any winnings made with it. The max bet is often set in the bonus terms per spin or per round. Our partners Wild Tokyo and Mino Casino both cap bets at AUD 8 while a bonus is active.