Bonus value calculator, because “100% up to £100” says nothing about whether it’s any good. The wagering does. Here’s a normal offer: deposit £100, get £100, 35× wagering on the bonus, and you play a 96% slot.
35 × £100 is £3,500 of spins before you can cash out. The slot keeps 4% of everything you bet on average, so those spins cost about £140. You were given £100. On average you’re £40 down for taking it.
Same bonus at 20× wagering: £2,000 to bet, £80 expected cost, +£20 for you. That’s why the small print matters more than the headline.
What goes into the bonus value calculator
- Deposit, match and maximum bonus. A 200% match capped at £100 only gives £100, no matter how much you deposit.
- Wagering requirement. Tick the box if it applies to deposit plus bonus. That doubles the amount to bet on a 100% match.
- RTP of the game you’ll play. Check the slot’s info screen. Some casinos run lower RTP versions of popular games.
- Game contribution. Blackjack counting 10% means £10 bet clears £1 of wagering.
The formula
EV = bonus − (wagering ÷ contribution) × (1 − RTP)
That last bit is the trap with table games. Blackjack at 99.5% RTP sounds perfect for clearing a bonus. At 10% contribution, though, 35× on £100 becomes £35,000 of hands, and even half a percent of that is £175. Worse than the slot.
What it doesn’t tell you
EV is the average over lots of players. Some will hit something big early and cash out, plenty will bust before they’re done. Max bet rules, max cashout caps and excluded games can all push the value lower than this number. Read the terms, then use the calculator.
Why 10× beats 35×
The multiplier does more to a bonus than anything else in the terms. A £100 bonus at 10× means £1,000 to bet. On a 96% slot the expected cost is £40, so the bonus is worth about +£60 on average. At 35× the same bonus was a loss.
10× or lower is a good offer. 30× to 50× is still common, and on slots it usually means the bonus costs more than it gives. Put in the real number from the terms rather than the one on the banner, because they’re not always the same.
Already took the bonus and just want to know how much betting is left? The wagering requirement calculator tracks your progress.
Max bet rules
Almost every bonus has a max bet while you’re wagering, often £5 a spin. Go over it once and the casino can void the bonus and any winnings. It doesn’t change the expected value, but it’s the most common way people lose a bonus they’d actually cleared.
A bonus is never free money. Only deposit what you’re fine losing. If it stops being fun, BeGambleAware.org can help.