Casino Bonuses and Promotions: Guides, Wagering Math and Tips

Casino bonuses and promotions, from no deposit offers to deposit matches and free spins, all come with conditions. The most important is the wagering requirement: how many times you must bet the bonus before you can withdraw it. Every one of those bets is subject to the house edge, so the real value of a bonus is a sum you can work out before you accept it.

This hub collects our guides to bonus math and bonus terms. We don't list casinos, offers or codes. Instead, we give you the formulas and the house edges, taken from our own simulations and cited sources, so you can test any offer yourself.

How casino bonuses work

Most promotions fit one of three types:

• No deposit bonus: a small credit or free spins for registering.
• Welcome or deposit match: a percentage of your first deposit added as bonus funds.
• Free spins: a set number of slot spins at a fixed stake, with winnings usually subject to wagering.

Whatever the type, two formulas decide what it's worth:

The key numbers: what wagering costs on each game

The house edge of the game you use to clear a bonus decides how much of it you should expect to lose along the way. Here is the average cost of 1,000 USDT of wagering on common games, using our data:

The spread is huge. Clearing 1,000 USDT of wagering on a 1% game costs about 10 USDT on average; on double-zero roulette it's about 53 USDT. Before you pick a game, check the bonus terms: low-edge games are often excluded or count only partly towards wagering.

Our bonus guides

• Online casino no deposit bonus: how it works: the full wagering math, worked examples with real house edges, the UKGC 10x cap and CMA guidance, and the red flags to look for in terms.
• No deposit bonuses in the USA: where online casinos are legal according to the American Gaming Association, how state-licensed offers generally work, and why unlicensed offshore sites are a risk.

What regulators have changed

In Great Britain, the UK Gambling Commission capped wagering requirements at 10x from 19 January 2026. Its example of the old problem: a £10 bonus at 50x meant £500 of play. Earlier, the Competition and Markets Authority told online gambling companies that players must be able to withdraw their own deposits and that wagering should attach to the bonus only.

Many offshore and crypto casinos aren't covered by these rules, so the formulas above matter even more there.

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Bonuses and USDT

Crypto casinos often pay bonuses in USDT or other coins. A bonus paid in a volatile coin can gain or lose value while you clear it, adding risk that has nothing to do with the game. A stablecoin keeps the math clean: 10 USDT of bonus is 10 dollars' worth throughout. Deposit fees also count when a welcome bonus requires a deposit; our USDT and payments guides explain networks and fees.

Before you claim any bonus

• Work out required play and expected cost.
• Read the game weighting, time limit, maximum bet and any cap on winnings.
• Check whether wagering applies to your deposit as well as the bonus.
• Make sure gambling, and the operator, are legal where you live.
• Set a budget. A bonus is not a reason to play longer than you planned; our responsible gambling page lists free help.

For the house edge of every game we cover, see our odds and house edge guides.