Casino bonus calculator: what $X with Yx wagering costs

How to read the table

Each row assumes bonus-only wagering and slot play that counts fully. Total to bet is bonus × multiple. Spins at $0.50 shows how long that turnover takes. Average house take is turnover × 4%, the long-run cost at 96% RTP. Average value left is the bonus minus that take. Positive means the offer favours you on average. Negative means it does not.

These are averages over a very large number of spins. In a real session of a few hundred spins you might bust early or finish well ahead. The table tells you whether the odds are tilted, not what will happen to you.

Patterns the table shows

• At 96% RTP the break-even multiple is 25x, because 4% of 25 is exactly 1. At 20x the average value left is positive; at 30x and above it is negative.
• Raising the bonus does not fix a high multiple. A $100 bonus at 60x costs $240 on average.
• The size of the bonus only changes the scale. The multiple decides the sign.

What changes the numbers

Use 97% RTP and the take shrinks to 3% of turnover. Use a slot that counts only 50% toward wagering and the turnover doubles. If wagering is on deposit plus bonus, the base doubles. Add a max cashout and the upside is truncated, which hurts you more when variance is high. Our explainer walks through each factor.

A word on RTP assumptions

RTP is a long-run average published by providers for specific game versions, and casinos can use different settings. We assume 96% here because many popular slots sit near it. Use the figure the game's information screen gives for your own calculation, and treat anything unsourced as an estimate.

Using the table before you claim

1. Find the base, the multiple and the cap in the terms.
2. Find the nearest row. If your multiple is between rows, interpolate.
3. If average value left is negative, ask what else the offer gives you: spins, a lower deposit, a cash-out cap that is generous.
4. If you still want it, set a deposit limit and a time limit first.

Two quick rules you can do in your head

Rule one: turnover is bonus times multiple. Rule two: average cost is turnover times the house edge, so at 96% RTP divide turnover by 25. A $60 bonus at 30x means $1,800 of bets and an average cost of $72. Rule three, for the cautious: if cost is more than the bonus, ask what you gain beyond the average, such as free spins or a lower deposit requirement, or skip it.

Check the row against the clock

Turnover also has to fit the expiry. A $600 requirement due in 7 days is about $86 of bets a day, which at $0.50 a spin is roughly 170 spins daily. If you would not play that much anyway, the deadline will force you to either rush or lose the bonus.