Wagering calculation: bonus only or deposit plus bonus?

Two offers with the same multiplier can require very different amounts of qualifying play. The important question is what the multiplier applies to: the bonus, your deposit, or both.

Illustrative example only, not an available offer: a £50 deposit and a £50 bonus at 10× bonus wagering would require £500 of qualifying wagering. At 10× deposit plus bonus it would be £1,000. Neither figure says how much money you will lose or win.

Next check game contribution, the maximum permitted bet, the expiry time and any withdrawal cap. A game that contributes less than 100% changes the relationship between money staked and progress towards the requirement.

If a term is unclear, quote a short relevant sentence in plain text and say what part you cannot interpret. Which balance does the promotion actually name?

Here is a second calculation to separate contribution from wagering. If a hypothetical promotion requires £500 of qualifying wagering and an eligible game contributes 20%, £100 staked on that game counts as £20 of progress. Reaching £500 of progress would require £2,500 staked at that contribution rate, assuming no other restrictions.

This is arithmetic, not a strategy or a prediction. A bonus can still be poor value or unsuitable even when its headline requirement looks small. Do not increase your gambling to complete a promotion.

Before accepting a bonus, save the terms shown to you and check whether withdrawing a cash balance cancels the bonus or changes eligibility. Ask support to point to the relevant clause if the wording is ambiguous.

When comparing two promotions, use the same example deposit and show all the assumptions. A simple multiplier ranking can hide differences in contribution, expiry and excluded bets. Our bonus-terms guide explains the comparison in more detail.

Worked example only: a £40 deposit receives a £40 bonus. One set of terms says 20× bonus and another says 20× deposit plus bonus. Is the difference really £800 versus £1,600 in qualifying wagering, even though both headlines use the same 20× figure?

Yes, for those exact illustrative inputs: 20 × £40 is £800; 20 × (£40 + £40) is £1,600. The multiplier and the balance it applies to must be read together. These are qualifying-wagering figures, not a predicted loss, payout or available offer.

The next question is which bets count towards that figure. A £10 stake does not necessarily add £10 of progress if the chosen game has a reduced contribution.

To extend the arithmetic, suppose a permitted game contributes 20% and every other condition is unchanged. Would £10 of actual stakes move the requirement by only £2? That would make comparing the wagering headline alone particularly misleading.

Correct in that hypothetical: £10 × 20% gives £2 of qualifying progress. Reaching £800 using only that contribution rate would take £4,000 of actual stakes, assuming the terms allow that play and the rate stays fixed.

That is arithmetic, not a recommendation to complete a bonus. Check the maximum bet, expiry and excluded games too. If a promotion does not suit your budget or the rules remain unclear, there is no need to accept or continue it.