Everything You Need to Know about Low Wagering Casinos
It’s safe to say every online casino player wants to find the best value possible when comparing bonus offers. When weighing up your options, it’s all too easy to make the mistake of only looking at the value of the bonus offered. What many players often forget is that online wagering requirements can make or break a casino bonus. A lower wagering requirement could give you a much better chance of getting your hands on your bonus winnings – but this doesn’t make them the best deal for every single player out there. Wondering if it’s a perfect match for you? Let’s find out as we take you through the ins and outs of low wagering bonuses.
Wagering Requirements
Before we get into what makes a good low wagering bonus, let’s run through the basics first. The majority of casino bonuses come coupled with a wagering requirement, sometimes referred to as the playthrough requirement. This is the amount of money you need to wager before any winnings can be withdrawn from the bonus.
Here’s an example:
You’ve been offered a seemingly generous matched deposit bonus of 100% up to £200, but it comes with a hefty 40x wagering requirement. If you take full advantage of the offer and deposit £200, you’ll land a total of £400 in your account, half of which will come at the casino’s expense. But in order to take home any winnings from that £400, you’ll first have to wager a total of £8,000 (40 x 200).
In this example, the value of the bonus alone may be extremely enticing but, on closer inspection, the wagering requirement makes this a bonus more suitable for high rollers than regular players. If you’re an infrequent player or on a tight budget, and you’re hoping to net some winnings with your bonus, it’s highly unlikely that you’ll meet the 40x wagering requirement on a £200 bonus. Instead, you could be better off claiming a smaller bonus with lower wagering requirements. Of course, you could also view this bonus as being a risk-free way to get acquainted with a site and its games.
When it comes to a free spins bonus, the difference is that the wagering requirements are based on the amount you win with the free spins rather than the bonus’s monetary value.
Here’s how wagering requirements work on a free spin bonus:
You’ve found a good-looking offer of 100 free spins, again with a wagering requirement of 40x. The wagering requirements are then applied to the winnings gained from the 100 free spins. Let’s say you manage to land a jackpot of £300 on the video slots using those free spins – this would mean you’ll need to wager a total of £12,000 (300 x 40) before you could take home any spins winnings.
What is Classed as a Low Wagering Bonus?
A low wagering casino bonus is one that falls below the industry standard of 35x. Within these parameters, you’ll find low wagering bonuses that are more attractive than others – a wagering requirement of 30x is technically still a low wagering bonus as it falls below this average, but the lowest wagering requirements can go as low as 5x.
By contrast, anything above the 35x mark can be considered a high wagering requirement. At high rolling casinos, or at sites with particularly steep wagering requirement bonuses, these can rise as high as 50 or 60x. In these instances, committing to a bonus is a significant investment and one that should not be taken lightly.
Are Low Wagering Casino Bonuses the Best Type of Bonus?
It’s easy to assume that low wagering casinos are head and shoulders above their counterparts with higher wagering requirements, but that’s not always the case. Each player has their own unique individual needs and play style, so there isn’t a universal best casino bonus.
The majority of low wagering bonuses will offer a modest bonus that doesn’t hit the heights of those huge matched deposits. Expect to find low wagering bonuses max out at around the £100 mark. Offering bonuses bigger than this would put casino operators at a much greater risk of paying out large amounts – they’re designed to make money, after all. These bonuses are a great deal for players looking for an easier route to withdrawing their bonus winnings. However, a player with a big bankroll and plenty of time to spare on gambling sites might prefer a larger bonus value, despite the more demanding wagering requirement that likely comes paired with it.
So if you’re looking for a bonus deal that requires less wagering, lower stakes and has a shorter clearing time, a low wagering bonus is your best bet.
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