15x Wagering at a 1% House Edge
A bonus with a 15x wagering requirement has to be wagered 15 times before it can be withdrawn. At a house edge of 1%, that is expected to cost 15% of the bonus, so on average it is worth 85% of its face value.
The numbers for a bonus of 100
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Bonus face value | 100 |
| Total you must wager | 1,500 |
| Expected cost of wagering it | 15 |
| Expected value of the bonus | 85 |
| Break-even wagering requirement at this edge | 100x |
| Bets of 1 needed to clear it | 1,500 |
How the maths works
Every unit wagered is expected to lose the house edge. Wagering 15 times a bonus of 100 means staking 1,500, and at 1% that loses 15 on average. Subtract that from the bonus and you have its expected value: 85. The break-even wagering requirement is 1 divided by the house edge, here 100x: above that, the bonus is expected to cost more than it gives.
What changes the answer
This is the average over many players, so any single bonus can finish ahead or behind. Real terms add things this simple model leaves out, and each one can only make a bonus worth less: wagering that applies to the deposit as well as the bonus, games that count for only part of the wagering, a maximum bet while the bonus is active, a cap on what you can withdraw, and a time limit. Read all of them before you accept.
What to check before you accept a bonus
Find the wagering multiple and whether it applies to the bonus alone or to the deposit plus the bonus. Find which games count and for how much. Look for a maximum bet and a maximum cash-out. Work out the house edge of the game you will play, then compare your number to the break-even above. If you cannot find these in the terms, treat the bonus as worth nothing.
Other combinations
- 5x wagering at a 1% house edge: worth 95% of face value
- 10x wagering at a 1% house edge: worth 90% of face value
- 20x wagering at a 1% house edge: worth 80% of face value
- 25x wagering at a 1% house edge: worth 75% of face value
- 15x wagering at a 2.5% house edge: worth 62.5% of face value
- 15x wagering at a 5% house edge: worth 25% of face value
- Is a Wagering Requirement Worth It?
- 1% house edge