A wagering requirement is the number of times you must bet a bonus (or bonus + deposit) before you can withdraw winnings derived from it. A 35× wagering requirement on a £100 bonus means you must place £3,500 in qualifying bets before any withdrawals are permitted. If your balance falls to zero before you reach that threshold, the bonus is gone.
The match percentage is almost never the headline number that matters. A 100% match up to £200 sounds generous until you read that (a) wagering is 40× the bonus+deposit amount, not just the bonus, and (b) only slots contribute 100% — table games contribute 10%. If you play roulette, your effective wagering multiplier is 400×, not 40×.
How to compare requirements across casinos. The cleanest comparison metric is the expected cost of clearing the bonus. For a slots-only player: Cost = (bonus amount × wagering multiplier) × house edge. Using a typical 3–4% house edge on slots, a 35× requirement on a £100 bonus costs approximately £105–£140 to clear in expected losses. A 50× requirement on the same bonus costs £150–£200. The higher bonus amount is not always the better deal once wagering is factored in.
Contribution rules are where bonuses quietly fail. Many casinos advertise a headline wagering number but bury the contribution table in terms and conditions. Slots often contribute 100%, but video poker may be 20%, classic blackjack 5%, and live dealer 0%. If you play mixed games, calculate your effective multiplier by weighting your typical session split across contribution rates.
Time limits add another layer of risk. Most bonuses expire in 7–30 days. If you cannot realistically complete a 40× wagering requirement in that window — which requires playing through roughly 40× the bonus amount in qualifying bets — the bonus will expire and your winnings from it will be forfeited. Shorter time limits are a material negative in our scoring.
No-deposit bonuses have the worst optics but sometimes the best value. Because the casino is taking on 100% of the risk, no-deposit bonuses typically carry 50–60× requirements. However, since no deposit is at stake, the expected cost is just your time. The exception: some no-deposit bonuses require a deposit before withdrawal is permitted, which changes the calculus entirely.
The "exclusive" label matters here. Exclusive bonuses negotiated directly with the operator — like the ones you'll find marked on Gamgrid — sometimes carry lower wagering requirements than the publicly advertised offer. Always read the terms, but exclusive deals are often genuinely better.