40x Wagering Requirements Worked Out in Dollars
By The BonusCasino Counter6 min read
A $100 bonus at 40x means $4,000 of bets. The bonus-only and deposit-plus-bonus sums, the worst-case slot cost, and where weighting shifts it.
A 40x wagering requirement means you must place bets worth 40 times the bonus before the bonus, and anything won with it, can be withdrawn. On a $100 bonus that is $4,000 of bets. On a slot paying back the 83 percent RTP floor in New Jersey, the expected cost of that play is as much as $680, which is more than six times the bonus you were given.
Below, each sum is shown in full so you can redo it with your own bonus amount.
What 40x wagering requirements mean in dollars
The multiple tells you how many dollars of bets each bonus dollar costs to release. At 40x, every $1 of bonus needs $40 of bets.
BetMGM states the method plainly for its own offer: every $1 of bonus needs $15 of wagering at 15x, so a $10 bonus needs $150. Swap 15 for 40 and the counter reads:
- $1 of bonus x 40 = $40 of bets
- $10 of bonus x 40 = $400 of bets
- $100 of bonus x 40 = $4,000 of bets
The figure is the total of every stake you place, win or lose. The UK Gambling Commission calls this playing the bonus through before withdrawal, and its own example is a £10 bonus at 50x, which means £500 of play. The same £10 at 40x is £400.
Bonus-only versus deposit-plus-bonus terms
The multiple applies to whatever amount the terms name, so read which one it is before you work the sum. BetMGM and Caesars both multiply the bonus alone: Caesars writes its no-deposit term out as $10 multiplied by 1, within 7 days (accessed 16 Oct 2026).
When a site's terms apply the multiple to the deposit and the bonus together, the base doubles on a full match. A $100 deposit matched with a $100 bonus works out as:
- Bonus-only: $100 x 40 = $4,000 of bets
- Deposit plus bonus: ($100 + $100) x 40 = $200 x 40 = $8,000 of bets
Even on bonus-only terms, your own money can be held as well. BetMGM states that the deposit, match and winnings stay restricted until the requirement is completed (as of September 2026). So the $100 you deposited is not free to withdraw while the $4,000 counter is still running.
What does 20x wagering mean?
A 20x requirement means bets worth 20 times the bonus: $2,000 on a $100 bonus, half of what 40x asks. Every multiple works the same way, so the table below puts the multiples found in current terms side by side.
| Multiple | Where it appears | Bets needed on a $100 bonus | Worst-case slot cost at a 17% house edge |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1x | Caesars no-deposit bonus | $100 | $17 |
| 10x | UK cap; BetMGM bonus-spin winnings | $1,000 | $170 |
| 15x | BetMGM bonus; Caesars deposit match | $1,500 | $255 |
| 20x | Mid-range example | $2,000 | $340 |
| 40x | This guide's example | $4,000 | $680 |
| 50x | UK regulator's worked example | $5,000 | $850 |
The last column is turnover multiplied by 17 percent, the largest house edge New Jersey allows on a slot (explained below). It is a ceiling, not a forecast.
Caesars sets its deposit match at 15x on select slot games, on a match of up to $1,000 (accessed 16 Oct 2026). A full $1,000 match at 15x needs $15,000 of bets. The same $1,000 at 40x would need $40,000.
How 40x compares with the UK's 10x cap
Against the British yardstick, 40x is four times the legal maximum. The UK Gambling Commission capped bonus wagering at ten times, saying the cap lowers the chance of harm, cuts complexity and improves transparency. The rule came into force on 19 January 2026.
Work the regulator's own £10 example at each multiple:
- £10 x 10 = £100 of play under the UK cap
- £10 x 40 = £400 of play at 40x
- £10 x 50 = £500 of play in the regulator's example
The cap is a British rule. It is shown here as a measuring stick for US terms, which are set by each operator and state.
What 40x wagering requirements cost at slot house edges
The expected cost of clearing a bonus is the turnover multiplied by the house edge, and the house edge is 100 percent minus the game's return to player (RTP).
New Jersey requires every slot that takes a wager to have a theoretical return of at least 83 percent. That puts the house edge at no more than 17 percent. Promotional payouts such as a limited time payout do not count toward that RTP figure.
The worst-case sum for a $100 bonus at 40x:
- Turnover: $100 x 40 = $4,000
- House edge: 100% - 83% = 17%
- Expected cost: $4,000 x 17% = $680
You rarely play at the floor, so it helps to price one point of edge instead: $4,000 x 1% = $40. Read the RTP on the game's info screen, subtract it from 100, and multiply the result by $40. That is your expected cost at 40x on a $100 bonus.
The break-even point follows from the same sum. The bonus covers the expected cost only while turnover x edge is smaller than the bonus, so $100 / $4,000 = 2.5% at 40x. At 20x the limit is $100 / $2,000 = 5%, and at 10x it is $100 / $1,000 = 10%. Above those edges the play-through costs more than the bonus, on average. Variance can still finish you early or late.
Table games follow the same formula, using the house edge the game publishes in place of the slot figure.
How game weighting and max-bet caps change the result
Weighting decides how much of each bet counts toward the counter, and a max-bet cap decides how fast you can move it. Both make 40x longer than the headline sum.
The Caesars match counts only on select slot games, so bets on any other game do not move the counter at all. Where a game counts at a fraction of each bet, divide the turnover by that fraction. As a worked illustration, a game counting at half weight turns $4,000 of credited wagering into $8,000 of real bets, and at the same house edge the expected cost doubles too.
A max-bet cap sets the smallest number of bets you can clear the requirement in: divide the turnover by the cap. Put that next to the clock. BetMGM gives bonus-spin winnings a 10x requirement over three days (as of September 2026), and Caesars gives its no-deposit bonus 7 days. A low cap and a short clock together can make a 40x term impossible to finish in time.
For the question of whether a given bonus is worth claiming at all, see how to beat wagering requirements, which prices the bonus first.
Questions at the counter
What does 40x wager mean?
It means placing bets worth 40 times the bonus before you can withdraw it or its winnings. A $10 bonus needs $400 of bets, and a $100 bonus needs $4,000.
What does wagering mean in gambling?
In bonus terms, wagering is the total of stakes you must place before bonus money turns into withdrawable cash. The UK regulator's example is a £10 bonus at 50x, which needs £500 of play.
What is an example of a wagering requirement?
BetMGM's bonus runs at 15x the bonus amount, so a $10 bonus needs $150 of bets. Its bonus-spin winnings carry 10x and must be cleared within three days.
Can I withdraw my deposit before the wagering is done?
Not at BetMGM. Its terms keep the deposit, the match and any winnings restricted until the requirement is completed, so your own money waits with the bonus.
Terms and sources we read
- UK Gambling Commission, Gambling promotions to be safer and simpler, 26 March 2025
- BetMGM Casino, BetMGM Online Casino Bonus Codes: How They Work & How to Use Them, 15 September 2026
- Legal Information Institute (New Jersey Administrative Code), N.J. Admin. Code 13:69E-1.28A - Standards for the approval of a slot machine game, accessed 16 October 2026
- Caesars Palace Online Casino, Caesars Palace Online Casino - Promo Details, accessed 16 October 2026
Written by
The BonusCasino Counter
The desk name on every BonusCasino guide, not a person. Guides are drafted with AI tools from terms and sources we read first, then checked by code against them before they go up.
How we write guidesBefore you claim
Multiply the bonus by the wagering requirement, then check the max-bet rule. If the daily play it needs is more than you'd bet anyway, skip the offer.
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