Bottom line: A wagering requirement (or playthrough) is the number of times you must bet a bonus before any winnings from it can be withdrawn. A$100 bonus at 35x means A$3,500 in total bets before cash-out. The multiplier is only half the story: whether it applies to the bonus alone or the deposit plus bonus, and which games count toward it, change how hard the bonus is to clear.
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The A$3,500 worked example
Take a A$100 bonus with a 35x wagering requirement. Multiply the bonus by 35 and you get A$3,500. That is the total value of bets you must place before the bonus and its winnings unlock for withdrawal. It is not money you lose, it is turnover, the running total of every stake you make. If you bet A$1 a spin, that is 3,500 spins of clearing work; at A$2 a spin it is 1,750 spins.
Wagering requirements across the casinos we review sit between 35x and 50x, so on the same A$100 bonus the turnover ranges from A$3,500 up to A$5,000. Lower is easier, and the gap is real exposure.
Bonus-only versus deposit-plus-bonus base
The base the multiplier is applied to matters as much as the number itself. There are two common setups:
- Bonus only: 35x is charged on the bonus amount alone. A$100 bonus at 35x = A$3,500. This is the friendlier version.
- Deposit plus bonus: the multiplier hits your deposit and the bonus combined. Deposit A$100, get a A$100 bonus, and a 35x requirement on the combined A$200 is A$7,000 of turnover, double the work for the same headline number.
Always read which base applies. A "35x bonus only" offer can be easier to clear than a "35x deposit plus bonus" offer even though the multiplier looks identical. Among our casinos, CrownPlay is one example that states its 35x on the bonus only.
Game contribution changes everything
Not every game clears wagering at the same rate. Contribution is the percentage of each bet that counts toward the requirement:
- Pokies: usually 100%. A$1 pokie bet clears A$1 of the requirement.
- Table and live-dealer games: far less, often 10% or 20%, and sometimes zero. A$1 blackjack bet might only clear A$0.10, or nothing at all.
A$3,500 requirement cleared on pokies needs A$3,500 of pokie bets. The same requirement on a game that counts 10% would need A$35,000 of bets, usually impossible before the bonus expires. This is why pokies are the standard choice for clearing a bonus. Check the terms for excluded games too, because betting on a barred title can void the bonus entirely.
Before you claim
Weigh three things together: the multiplier, the base, and the max-bet cap (often A$5 while a bonus is active). A modest bonus with a low multiplier on a bonus-only base can be worth more than a huge headline stack at 50x on deposit plus bonus. Our bonus pokies page compares the current offers, and the glossary defines the related terms in one place.
Frequently asked questions
Multiply the bonus by the wagering number. A$100 bonus at 35x is A$3,500 in total bets. If the requirement applies to deposit plus bonus, multiply the combined figure instead.
No. Pokies usually contribute 100% of each bet, while table and live-dealer games contribute far less or nothing, which makes clearing a bonus on them slow or impossible.
Bonus-only applies the multiplier to the bonus alone, while deposit-plus-bonus applies it to both your deposit and the bonus, which roughly doubles the turnover you need.