What Is a Wagering Requirement For A Sportsbook Bonus?

wagering requirements sportbooks

A wagering requirement is a term that all punters, whether they are sports betting enthusiasts, or if they prefer other forms of gambling, should be aware of.

Used across all forms of the betting industry, wagering requirements are key for a customer to understand when they activate a bonus on a site – particularly a new customer Welcome Offer.

In this article, we look at what wagering requirements are, how to work out what they mean and how broadly they are used across the gambling industry. But first let's define wagering requirement to have a better understanding.

What Is A Wagering Requirement?

A wagering requirement is a condition that is applied to a bonus or other promotional offer. It requires the user to perform a certain task, or to spend a stated amount, to release the bonus funds (and funds attributable to it) into a withdrawable cash balance.

That sounds complicated, but in truth, wagering requirements are very simple to understand.

If a bonus has a wagering requirement, then it will usually be stated in the key terms and conditions of that offer. If not, it should definitely be included in the full T’s & C’s of the offer.

Wagering Requirements are often stated as a multiple of the bonus amount received (or sometimes, the deposit triggering the bonus amount PLUS the bonus amount received).

Wagering Requirement Examples

For example, if you deposit £20 and get a £20 bonus from a sportsbook that comes with a 2x wagering requirement on the bonus AND deposit - Then this means you need to wager 2 x (£20 + £20) which is £80 worth of wagering before any cash can be withdrawn.

But if you deposit £20 and get a £20 bonus from a sportsbook that has just a 1x wagering requirement on the bonus alone, then essentially, once you wager the £20 bonus, any winnings you receive are yours to withdraw if you so wish.

What’s the best type of Wagering Requirement for a customer?

In general terms, the lower the multiplier on a wagering requirement, and the fewer parts of your account (cash balance, bonus account etc) it applies to, then the better it is for the customer.

The higher the multiplier on a wagering requirement and the more parts of your account that it applies to, then the more difficult it is for customers to convert the bonus into withdrawable cash.

Do Sportsbook Offers Have Wagering Requirements?

Yes, a significant number of sportsbooks offers will have wagering requirements attached.

However, what those wagering requirements are, and what they apply to, varies greatly from one bookmaking site to the next and even from one promotion to the next with the same bookmaker at times.

For example, at bet365 Sport, any offer that comes with a bonus in the form of bet credits or similar, there is usually a 1x wagering requirement on the bonus. This is the case with the Welcome Offer, where you can release your bonus as bet credits and then you need to bet with the credits to try and turn any returns into withdrawable cash.

This means once you have released the bonus, you just need to bet it once and any winnings you receive are yours to keep.

Popular Exceptions to Wagering Requirements on Sportsbook Sites

An exception to this rule is the Free Play games, such as the 6 Scores Challenge, Free 4 All and Goals Giveaway offers, all of which offer prizes that are entirely wagering requirement free.

Additionally, the Boost promotions, such as the Soccer Acca Boost, Multi-Sport Acca Boost and similar also pay their bonuses as wagering requirement free returns.

It is a similar story on other sites such as William Hill, where there £40 Free Bet bonus for new customers comes with a 1x wagering requirement on the bonus after you have made your qualifying £10 bet to activate the offer.

One important thing to note here is that Sportsbooks tend to be a little more generous with their wagering requirements when applied, compared to casino, bingo or poker bonuses.

Very High Wagering Requirements

Some sites can have high wagering requirements, especially those that specialise in esports betting, where wagering requirements of 40x your deposit, or triggering bet, plus the bonus are not uncommon.

For example, if you make a deposit of £20 to trigger a £20 bonus and the site imposes a 40x wagering requirement on your deposit and bonus, that means you need to wager 40 x £40 = £1,600 before any funds will be released into your withdrawable cash balance.

When wagering requirements are so high, it is incredibly unlikely you will be able to release the funds tied up in the bonus. You’ll still be able to play with them on the site, but they are likely to run out before you reach the 30x or 40x wagering requirement.

This may seem like a bad thing, but it isn’t. After all, you still get the chance to enjoy some free betting even if you don’t convert the bonus, so the only thing you stand to lose, is the initial deposit you make to trigger the relevant bonus.

How Extensive Are Wagering Requirements In The Gambling Industry?

That’s a good question and the truth of the matter is that they are used extensively across all forms of gambling. However, the size of wagering requirement imposed can vary significantly.

Betting sites tend to offer the lowest wagering requirements when it comes to bonuses and offers. Some, as we have already seen, can be wagering requirement free. Others have a small 1x wagering requirement which makes converting them much easier than higher wagering requirements.

Casino, Poker, Bingo and Esports sites, particularly the latter, do seem to have higher wagering requirements for their bonuses. Although this is not universal, you can still find sites which offer lower Wagering Requirements compared to others.

What is the key information I should take regarding Wagering Requirements?

As we have seen wagering requirements can differ in size, scope and will vary from offer to offer and site to site.

More beneficial to punters are offers with no wagering requirement at all, or with very low wagering requirements (1x the bonus and deposit, for example).

However, even offers with high wagering requirements can still offer punters a chance to bet on site only spending their deposit. The chances of converting the bonus to cash is smaller of course, but you can still enjoy the betting process.

Wagering requirements are here to stay in the gambling industry and we hope you now have a clearer understanding of what they are, where you will find them, and what they mean.

What Is a Wagering Requirement For A Sportsbook Bonus?

What Is A Wagering Requirement?

Do Sportsbook Offers Have Wagering Requirements?

How Extensive Are Wagering Requirements In The Gambling Industry?

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