Casinoly Slots Slot math for US players

Calculator

Wagering Requirement Calculator

Enter a bonus and its playthrough terms to see the total you must bet before it turns into withdrawable cash, what that play costs on average at the game's RTP, and how long it takes at your pace.

By Casinoly Slots Editorial Desk · Updated

Your bonus

Enter an amount above $0.

Enter $0 or more.

The playthrough applies to

The terms say which. Deposit + bonus doubles the work on a 100% match.

Enter 0 to 200.

Enter 1 to 100.

Enter 70 to 100.

Enter a bet above $0.

Time a minute of your own play for a real figure.

Enter more than 0, up to 60.

How it is worked out

Requirement = playthrough × bonus

(or × deposit + bonus)

Total to bet = requirement ÷ contribution

Expected cost = total × (1 − RTP)

Spins = total ÷ bet

At 96% RTP, a playthrough above 25x on the bonus alone costs more than the bonus, on average.

Result

Fix the highlighted field to see a result.

$1,500

total you need to bet to clear the bonus

Playthrough requirement
$1,500
Expected cost of that play
$60.00
Bonus minus expected cost
$40.00
Spins at your bet
1,500
Time at your pace
2 hr 30 min

On average you keep about $40.00 of the $100.00 bonus after the house edge on $1,500 of play. That assumes your balance lasts the whole way; the simulation below shows how often it does.

Will your balance last to the end?

The averages assume you never run out. This plays the requirement out on a model slot, starting with your deposit plus bonus, to show how often a balance survives.

Model slot volatility
Finished the play-through
53%
Average balance at the end
$155.82
Median balance at the end
$40.00
Middle 80% of results
$0.00 to $468.00

2,000 attempts on our medium volatility model slot, each starting with $200.00 and betting $1.00 a spin for up to 1,500 spins. An attempt stops early when the balance cannot cover a bet. The formula above assumes you never run out, so its average end balance is $140.00.

Estimates from the formulas under The formula, step by step. The casino's own terms decide what counts, so check them before you rely on a number.

On this page 7 sections
  1. How to use the calculator
  2. The formula, step by step
  3. Why the expected cost matters more than the multiple
  4. What the averages leave out
  5. Reading your result
  6. Common questions
  7. The terms, explained

How to use the calculator

Every input comes from the bonus terms or from the game you plan to play. Read the terms first: they decide what counts.

  • Bonus amount: the bonus credited to your account, in dollars.
  • Your deposit: what you paid in to trigger the bonus. Enter 0 for a bonus that needs no deposit. It matters for the requirement only when the playthrough applies to deposit plus bonus, and it is part of the starting balance in the simulation.
  • The playthrough applies to: the terms say whether the multiple is applied to the bonus alone or to the deposit and bonus together. On a 100% match the second doubles the work.
  • Playthrough: the multiple, often written as 15x, 20x or “wager 15 times”.
  • Game contribution: the share of each bet that counts toward the requirement on your chosen game. Slots commonly count in full; other games often count for less or nothing.
  • Game RTP: the return to player shown in the game’s help or paytable screen. The guide to RTP explains where to find it.
  • Bet per spin and spins per minute: your own pace. They turn the requirement into a number of spins and a length of time.

The formula, step by step

The calculator runs four short steps. Nothing is hidden.

Requirement = playthrough × bonus (or × deposit + bonus)

Total to bet = requirement ÷ game contribution

Expected cost = total to bet × (1 − RTP)

Spins = total to bet ÷ bet per spin, and time = spins ÷ spins per minute

The default figures make a worked example: a $100 bonus on a $100 deposit, 15x on the bonus only, played on a slot that counts 100% and returns 96%, at $1 a spin and 10 spins a minute.

Step Working Result
Requirement 15 × $100 $1,500
Total to bet $1,500 ÷ 100% $1,500
Expected cost $1,500 × (1 − 0.96) $60
Bonus minus expected cost $100 − $60 $40
Spins $1,500 ÷ $1 1,500
Time 1,500 ÷ 10 a minute 2 hours 30 minutes

Change one term and the picture moves fast. If the same 15x applied to deposit plus bonus, the requirement would be 15 × $200 = $3,000, the expected cost $120, and the bonus would be worth less than nothing on average. If you played a game that counts 20%, the $1,500 requirement would take $7,500 of bets. Game contribution explains why casinos weight games this way.

Why the expected cost matters more than the multiple

The house edge is charged on every dollar you bet, bonus money included. So the cost of clearing a bonus is the total you must bet multiplied by the edge, and the edge on a slot is 100% minus its RTP. At 96% RTP that is 4 cents of every dollar.

That gives a quick break-even rule. A playthrough on the bonus alone costs as much as the bonus itself when the multiple equals 1 ÷ (1 − RTP).

RTP of the game House edge Break-even playthrough on the bonus
94% 6% about 16.7x
95% 5% 20x
96% 4% 25x
97% 3% about 33.3x

Below the break-even multiple the bonus keeps some value on average; above it, clearing the bonus is expected to cost more than it gives. The table assumes a full 100% contribution. A requirement on deposit plus bonus moves the break-even point down, because you bet more for the same bonus. How to work out what a bonus is worth runs the comparison for several common shapes.

What the averages leave out

The formula assumes you always have money to keep betting. Real balances run out. The simulation in the calculator plays the requirement out on a model slot, starting with your deposit plus bonus, and stops an attempt when the balance cannot cover a bet.

With the default figures, the medium-volatility model finished the $1,500 of play in about half of 2,000 attempts. The low-volatility model finished nine times in ten, and the high-volatility model fewer than one time in five. The average end balance in the simulation is higher than the formula’s $140, because an attempt that runs out stops paying the house edge. That is a real effect, but it is not free money: most of those attempts end with nothing left to withdraw.

The terms add rules the math cannot see:

  • Maximum bet rules can void winnings if one spin goes over a stated limit. See bonus rules that can void winnings.
  • Excluded games count nothing, even when they are slots.
  • Expiry windows turn the time figure into a deadline. If the calculator says 40 hours of play and the bonus expires in 7 days, plan for it or skip it.
  • The order money is used: some casinos spend your cash balance before bonus funds, so you may be playing your own money while the requirement ticks over.

Reading your result

A positive “bonus minus expected cost” is the average value you keep after clearing, before the chance of running out. A negative figure means the play-through is expected to cost more than the bonus is worth. Neither number predicts one session: volatility decides how far a single attempt lands from the average.

If the time figure is long, ask whether you would play that much anyway. A bonus that needs ten hours of play you would not otherwise do is not a saving. What a playthrough requirement means covers how the requirement is counted and tracked.

Common questions

How do I calculate a wagering requirement?

Multiply the bonus by the playthrough multiple, or the deposit plus the bonus if the terms say so. A $50 bonus at 20x means $1,000 of bets. If your game counts less than 100% toward the requirement, divide by its contribution rate, so the same $1,000 at 20% contribution takes $5,000 of bets.

What does a 1x playthrough mean?

You must bet the bonus amount once before it can be withdrawn. A $25 bonus at 1x needs $25 of bets on eligible games. At a 96% RTP slot that play costs $1 on average, so almost all of the bonus value survives.

Is a lower playthrough always better?

For the same bonus on the same game, yes, because the expected cost grows in direct proportion to the multiple. When you compare two different bonuses, compare the bonus minus its expected cost, not the multiples, because a bigger bonus at a higher multiple can still leave more value.

The terms, explained