Two bonuses can both say “100% up to C$500” and cost you completely different amounts to unlock. The difference hides in one line of the terms: the wagering requirement. It decides how much you have to bet before bonus money turns into cash you can withdraw, and it’s the single number that separates a strong offer from an expensive one. Here’s how to read it in under a minute, plus the 🧮 maths on what it really costs.
- Total to bet = wagering base x multiplier. Check whether the base is the bonus or deposit plus bonus.
- Average cost = total to bet x (100% - RTP). At 96% RTP, every C$1,000 in bets costs about C$40.
- Game weighting can multiply the bets: a game counting 8% needs 12.5 times the play of a slot.
- Break-even for a bonus-only offer on 96% slots sits at about 25x.
What a wagering requirement is
A wagering requirement (also called playthrough or rollover) is the amount you must bet before a bonus and anything you win with it become withdrawable. It’s written as a multiplier: 35x, 40x, 30x. Until you’ve hit the target, the bonus sits in your account as bonus funds. You can play with them, but you can’t cash them out.
It exists because a deposit match without wagering would be cash handed over for nothing. The multiplier makes you put the bonus through the games, where the house edge takes its slice. That’s not a scam; it’s the price of the offer. The trick is knowing the price before you pay it.
The formula, step by step
Every wagering calculation runs on two inputs: the base and the multiplier.
Step 1: find the base. The terms say whether the multiplier applies to the bonus only, written “(B)”, or to your deposit plus the bonus, written “(D+B)”. Some free spins offers apply it to the winnings from the spins instead.
Step 2: multiply. Base x multiplier = total you must bet.
Step 3: price it. Every bet loses a little on average, and that average loss is 100% minus the game’s RTP. Total to bet x (100% - RTP) = the average cost of clearing the bonus.
Here’s a worked example with illustrative numbers. You deposit C$50 and get a C$50 bonus at 40x on the bonus only.
| Step | Sum | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Base | Bonus only | C$50 |
| Total to bet | C$50 x 40 | C$2,000 |
| Average cost at 96% RTP | C$2,000 x 4% | C$80 |
| Expected value | C$50 - C$80 | -C$30 |
On average, that bonus costs C$30 more to clear than it’s worth. That doesn’t make it useless, as you’ll see below. It does mean you’re buying playtime, not collecting value. Our wagering calculator runs the same three steps for any offer you paste in.
🧮 Deposit plus bonus: how 30x eats a C$50 bonus
Illustrative: C$50 deposit and C$50 bonus, wagering on both, at 96% and 97% RTP
Bonus only vs deposit plus bonus
This is where most players misread an offer. A lower multiplier can cost far more if it applies to more money.
Same C$50 deposit, same C$50 bonus, but now the terms say 30x (D+B). The base is C$100, so you must bet C$3,000. At 96% RTP that averages C$120 in losses, against a C$50 bonus. The “30x” looks friendlier than “40x” and costs half as much again. The curve above shows it: on deposit-plus-bonus terms with a 100% match, the expected value hits zero at about 12.5x, not 25x.
That’s why our welcome bonus rankings sort on total bets needed, not on the headline multiplier. The chart below does the same for every welcome offer we track, on a C$100 deposit.
🧮 Total bets to clear each welcome bonus
Total wagering needed on a C$100 deposit (or the free cash), shortest first.
| LeoVegas | C$2,500 |
|---|---|
| CasinOK | C$3,500 |
| Gravira | C$3,500 |
| Jackpot City | C$3,500 |
| Oxibet | C$3,500 |
| 20Bet | C$4,000 |
| Goldex | C$4,000 |
| HellSpin | C$4,000 |
| Lucky7even | C$4,000 |
| Slotrave | C$4,000 |
| Spinjo | C$4,000 |
| V.Vegas | C$4,800 |
- Average of all 18 offers C$6,016
🎰 Game weighting: not every bet counts
Casinos decide how much of each bet counts toward wagering. Slots usually count in full. Table games count a fraction, and some games don’t count at all. We pulled the contribution tables from four Canadian-facing casinos’ own bonus terms:
| Game type | Jackpot City | Grizzly’s Quest | Casino Classic | V.Vegas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Slots | 100% (NetEnt 50%, re-spin 10%, progressives 0%) | 100% (NetEnt 50%, re-spin 10%, progressives 0%) | 100% | 100% (one named slot 15%) |
| Roulette | 8% | 8% | 2% | Excluded |
| Blackjack | 8% (Classic Blackjack 2%) | 8% (Classic Blackjack 2%) | 2% | Excluded |
| Video poker | 8% (two titles 2%) | 8% (two titles 2%) | 2% | Excluded |
| Baccarat | 0% | 0% | 2% | Excluded |
| Live casino | Not listed | Not listed | 2% | Excluded |
Sources: each casino’s published bonus terms, read October 2026.
Weighting divides how much each bet clears. Take the C$2,000 target from the example above. On a slot counting 100%, C$2,000 in spins clears it. On roulette at 8%, you’d need C$25,000 in bets. At 2%, C$100,000. The average cost scales with the bets, so a low-edge table game can still be the expensive way to clear a bonus.
🧮 How much a C$100 bet clears at Jackpot City
| Most slots | C$100 |
|---|---|
| NetEnt slots | C$50 |
| Re-spin slots | C$10 |
| Roulette, blackjack, video poker | C$8 |
| Classic Blackjack | C$2 |
| Baccarat, craps, progressives | C$0 |
Two practical rules. Clear on games that count 100%, and check the studio list in the terms, since some casinos weight specific providers lower. Our slots guide covers which games fit, and the table games page explains why blackjack’s low house edge rarely helps with a bonus.
⚠️ The rules that void a bonus
Hitting the target isn’t the only condition. Bonus terms also restrict how you bet while wagering, and breaking one can wipe the bonus and its winnings.
- Max bet. Jackpot City caps each round at 8 currency units (50 cents per line on line-based slots) while a bonus is live. V.Vegas caps at 5 per spin and counts a bonus-buy purchase as a spin.
- Irregular play. Single bets of 25% or more of the bonus at Casino Classic, or 30% at Jackpot City, can be treated as irregular. So can low-risk betting such as covering both sides of an even-money bet.
- Gamble features and autoplay. Grizzly’s Quest and Casino Classic exclude double-up features and autoplay from wagering, or count them against you.
- Playing 0% games mid-wagering. Jackpot City’s terms say playing games that don’t count before you finish can void winnings.
The clock and the cap
Two more terms change the value. Expiry: every bonus has a window to finish wagering, and a bonus you can’t clear in time is worth nothing. Some offers on our list give you less than a week. Work out whether your usual session pace covers the total to bet before you claim. Max cashout: some bonuses limit what you can withdraw from bonus winnings. A cap turns a big win into a fixed ceiling, so read it next to the wagering, not after.
Sticky vs non-sticky
One more word to find in the terms. With a non-sticky bonus, your deposit plays first; win early and you can withdraw your own money and forfeit the bonus. With a sticky bonus, the bonus is locked to your balance and removed when you withdraw. Non-sticky gives you an exit; sticky doesn’t. If the terms don’t say, ask support before depositing.
When a bonus is worth it
At 96% RTP and 100% weighting, a bonus-only offer breaks even at 25x. At 97% RTP, break-even moves to about 33x, because each C$1,000 in bets costs C$30 instead of C$40. Below those lines, the bonus is worth more than it costs on average. Above them, you’re paying for a longer session.
100% up to C$500 + 33 Free Spins
Package: up to C$1,500 + 100 FS over 3 deposits
- Wagering
- 25x
- Min. dep.
- C$20
- Payout
- < 48 h
- Malta-licensed, running since 2012
- Choice between a slots offer and a live-casino offer at sign-up
- Native apps and a Canadian payment mix led by Interac e-Transfer
- No phone support
- Smaller welcome bonus than most offshore competitors
- Max cashout: Not stated
- Licence: Malta Gaming Authority
19+ | New players only | T&Cs apply. Wagering 25x on deposit, C$20 min. deposit, offer valid 7 days. Full terms
LeoVegas has the lightest wagering on our list (25x on the deposit), which is why it sits closest to break-even. Jackpot City is a good example of a mid-range multiplier that applies to the bonus only, and Casino Classic shows how far an outlier can stretch the bets on a single deposit match.
Averages hide swings in both directions. A bonus with negative expected value still buys a bigger balance and a real chance of a hit big enough to clear the wagering with money left over. Higher-RTP slots shrink the average cost, which our RTP and volatility guide covers in depth. Always check the RTP on the game’s info screen, since many slots run in more than one setting.
Offers with no wagering at all
The cleanest fix is skipping the multiplier. Wager-free offers pay winnings as cash, which our wager-free bonuses page tracks, and our wager-free vs match bonus guide puts the two side by side. No deposit spins usually wager the winnings only, a smaller target covered on the no deposit bonuses page.
🍁 Before you claim in Canada
Every offer we list is for players aged 19 or over outside Ontario and Alberta, which run their own regulated markets. Bonuses are entertainment, not income. Set a deposit limit in your account before you start wagering, and our responsible gambling page lists the helpline for every province.
FAQ
What does 35x wagering mean?
You bet the wagering base 35 times before the bonus and its winnings can be withdrawn. On a C$100 bonus with 35x on the bonus only, that's C$3,500 in total bets. If the terms say deposit plus bonus, a C$100 deposit and C$100 bonus mean C$7,000.
Do table games and live casino count toward wagering?
Usually only a little, sometimes not at all. In the terms we read, roulette and blackjack count 8% at Jackpot City and 2% at Casino Classic, and V.Vegas excludes them entirely. Slots count 100% almost everywhere, with exceptions for some studios and jackpot games.
What happens if I bet over the max bet while wagering?
The casino can void the bonus and any winnings made with it. The game usually lets you place the bet; the check happens when you ask to withdraw. Read the max bet in the terms and set your stake under it before the first spin.
Can I withdraw my deposit before I finish the wagering?
It depends on whether the bonus is sticky or non-sticky. With a non-sticky bonus your own money plays first, so you can withdraw it and drop the bonus. With a sticky bonus the funds are locked together until the wagering is done. The terms say which.
Is a bonus with high wagering ever worth it?
On average, a bonus-only offer above about 25x on 96% RTP slots costs more in expected losses than it gives. It can still be worth taking as extra playtime with a shot at a big hit. Just claim it knowing the average, and set a deposit limit first.
