What wagering means exactly
Wagering (in English-language terms you will find the word wagering) is the volume of bets you have to put through the games before the bonus balance and the win from it turn into money you can withdraw. It is not a fee or a hidden loss; it is a condition that determines what activity the casino expects in return for the bonus.
Until you meet this requirement, the win from the bonus stays locked and the system will not allow you to withdraw. That is why it makes sense to know how the number is calculated before you accept any bonus. You will find a more detailed introduction to the topic on the Wagering page; here we focus only on the calculation itself.
The basic formula
The whole calculation rests on a single equation:
bonus amount x wagering multiplier = total amount to wager
The multiplier is the number that says how many times the bonus (or, in some offers, the deposit plus bonus) has to be wagered. If, for example, the requirement were 30 times and the bonus were 50 euros, the calculation looks like this:
€50 x 30 = €1,500
This figure is the total value of the bets you have to place altogether. It is not the amount you will lose; part of it comes back to you during play as winnings that you can bet again. It is important to understand whether the multiplier is calculated only from the bonus or from the deposit and bonus together, because that significantly changes the resulting figure. You will always find this information in the terms of the specific offer.
Step by step
When you face a specific offer, go through these five steps:
- Find out the size of the bonus. That is the amount the casino credits you, for example €50.
- Find the wagering multiplier. It is stated in the terms of the offer as a multiplier or in words.
- Check the basis of the calculation. Find out whether the multiplier applies only to the bonus or to the deposit and bonus together.
- Multiply the two numbers. Multiply the bonus (or deposit plus bonus) by the multiplier and you get the total amount to wager.
- Factor in the game contribution. Different game types contribute to wagering at different percentages, so the real time needed to meet it depends on what you play.
This procedure works for every type of bonus, from a welcome offer to free spins, where the win from the spins is wagered. You can reach the specific offer types via the Welcome bonus page.
Illustrative calculation examples
The following table shows how the total amount to wager changes with different inputs. The multiplier numbers are hypothetical and serve only to demonstrate the mechanics; they are not the real terms of any offer.
| Bonus | Multiplier (hypothetical) | Amount to wager |
|---|---|---|
| €20 | 30x | €600 |
| €50 | 30x | €1,500 |
| €50 | 35x | €1,750 |
| €100 | 40x | €4,000 |
The neat thing about it is that the formula holds linearly: when the bonus doubles, the amount to wager doubles too. If an offer calculates the multiplier from the deposit plus bonus, you simply use the sum instead of the bonus alone. For example: with a €50 deposit, a €50 bonus and 30 times, the calculation would read (€50 + €50) x 30 = €3,000. The difference compared with wagering only from the bonus is fundamental, so always check this detail.
How the game contribution enters the calculation
The amount to wager on its own is not the whole story. Not every bet counts equally: casinos commonly set what percentage each category of games contributes towards meeting the requirement. This mechanism is again only general and indicative; check the specific figures in the terms.
| Game type | Typical contribution (indicative) |
|---|---|
| Slots | often a full 100% |
| Table games and roulette | often significantly lower |
| Live casino | depending on the offer's rules, sometimes limited |
What does this mean in practice? If you bet €10 on a game with a 50% contribution, only €5 counts towards wagering. So for the same amount to wager you will meet the requirement faster on games with a 100% contribution. This logic is the reason why two players with the same bonus can need a completely different volume of real bets. Related restrictions are covered on the Bonus restrictions page.
The most common mistakes in the calculation
The same errors keep recurring when people calculate wagering. If you avoid them, you will spare yourself an unpleasant surprise:
- Confusing the bonus with the win. The multiplier applies to the value of the bonus, not to how much you want to withdraw.
- Ignoring the basis. Wagering from the bonus gets confused with wagering from the deposit plus bonus. The latter is noticeably harder.
- Overlooking the game contribution. Anyone who counts only the bare amount and plays table games with a low contribution underestimates the real volume of bets.
- Forgetting about validity. Even correctly calculated wagering has to be completed within the given time; more on the Bonus validity page.
- Overlooking the bet limit. Some offers limit the maximum bet during wagering, and exceeding it can void the bonus.
When you watch out for these points, the calculation gives you a real, not merely theoretical, picture of the difficulty.
Where to check the exact numbers
All the calculations on this page rest on hypothetical multipliers meant to explain the mechanics. We do not present them as the real terms of the Dukat.bet brand.
Check the exact terms and wagering figure on the official Dukat.bet site - there you will find the exact multiplier, the basis of the calculation, the contribution of individual games and the validity. Only with these values plugged into the formula do you get a result that holds for your specific offer. If you first want to clarify the concept itself, the Wagering FAQ will help you.