Guide · 6 min read

Bonus wagering requirements: what a rollover really costs

A €100 bonus is not €100. Before you can withdraw it, you usually have to stake a multiple of it at minimum odds within a deadline, and every euro you stake costs a little on average. This guide shows how to read the terms, how to estimate the expected cost of wagering, how covered low-margin bets reduce it, and the traps that void a bonus.

Updated 22 October 2026

Contents

The four terms that decide a bonus's value
The expected cost of wagering
Wagering with covered, low-margin bets
Traps that void a bonus
Working out a bonus yourself
Frequently asked questions
Sources

The four terms that decide a bonus's value

Wagering factor (rollover). How many times the bonus must be staked, for example 6×. Sometimes it applies to the bonus only, sometimes to deposit plus bonus, which doubles the turnover for a 100% bonus.
Minimum odds. Only bets at or above these odds count, for example 1.80. On accumulators the minimum may apply to each selection or to the total odds.
Deadline. How long you have, for example 30 days. After that, the bonus and usually any winnings from it are removed.
What counts. Which sports, markets and bet types count, and at what rate. Voided bets, cashed-out bets and certain markets often count for nothing.

required turnover = wagering factor × bonus
or = wagering factor × (deposit + bonus)

The terms say which version applies, usually in the promotion's own terms rather than the general terms. Read both.

The expected cost of wagering

Every bet at a bookmaker carries the bookmaker's margin. On average, each euro you stake loses roughly that margin. So the expected cost of wagering a bonus is:

expected cost ≈ required turnover × bookmaker margin

Worked example: €100 bonus, 6× rollover, minimum odds 1.80

The rollover applies to the bonus only: 6 × €100 = €600 turnover. With single bets in markets carrying about a 5% margin, the expected cost is €600 × 5% = €30. The bonus is worth about €70 on average.

If the same 6× applies to deposit plus bonus (€100 + €100), the turnover is €1,200 and the expected cost about €60. At 10× on deposit plus bonus it is €2,000 and about €100: on average, nothing left.

These are averages over many bets. A single attempt can end well above or below them, and with uncovered bets you can lose the deposit and the bonus before the turnover is reached.

Two refinements. First, the margin differs by market: main football markets at large bookmakers often run around 4 to 6%, niche markets and accumulators much higher, because an accumulator multiplies the margins of its selections. The bookmaker margin guide shows how to calculate it. Second, in Austria a bookmaker that passes on the 5% betting fee adds 5% of every stake to the cost: €600 turnover then costs about €30 more.

Wagering with covered, low-margin bets

The cost of wagering falls sharply if each bet at the bonus bookmaker is covered at another bookmaker with prices that together come close to fair. The bonus bet counts towards the turnover; the cover removes most of the risk. What remains is the small gap between the two prices.

Worked example: the same €600, covered

At the bonus bookmaker you bet €100 at 1.90 (above the 1.80 minimum). At a second bookmaker you cover the other side at 2.07 with €190.00 / 2.07 ≈ €91.90. Whatever happens, you stake €191.90 and get back €190.00: a cost of about €1.90 per €100 of turnover.

For €600 of turnover that is about €11.40 instead of €30, if every bet is accepted at these odds and stands. With pairs that form a real sure bet, wagering can even leave a small surplus, but those prices are rarer and short-lived.

The cost of this route is capital and work: you need money at two bookmakers, each pair has to be found and placed quickly, and the cover bets don't count towards the bonus. Cover and bonus bets must be on the same event, market and settlement period, as with any sure bet. Check the bonus terms too: some explicitly forbid covering a bonus bet with an opposite bet, at least at the same operator.

Traps that void a bonus

Maximum stake while a bonus is active. A bet above the cap can void the bonus and its winnings.
Excluded markets. Draw no bet, Asian lines with refunds, handicaps or certain sports often don't count, or count only partly.
Voids, pushes and cash-out. Bets that are voided, refunded or cashed out usually don't count towards the turnover.
Payment methods. Deposits by some e-wallets are often excluded from welcome bonuses.
Order of balances. Some bookmakers use your cash first and the bonus second, others the reverse; it changes when the turnover starts counting and what you can withdraw.
Withdrawing early. A withdrawal before the turnover is complete often forfeits the bonus.
Maximum conversion. Some terms cap how much bonus money can become withdrawable cash.
One bonus per person. Multiple accounts or accounts in someone else's name break the terms and can be fraud.

Bonus terms differ between bookmakers; always check the terms and conditions before you deposit, and save a copy of the version you accepted.

Working out a bonus yourself

Turnover: factor × bonus, or factor × (deposit + bonus).
Cost per euro: the margin of the markets you will use, or the cost of your covered pairs (about 1.9% of the counted turnover in the example above). Add 5% if the bookmaker passes on the Austrian betting fee.
Expected cost: turnover × cost per euro.
Expected value: bonus − expected cost. If it is small or negative, skip the bonus.
Feasibility: can you place that turnover at the minimum odds, within the stake cap, before the deadline?

In the ArbVantage app, "Track bonus wagering" on a bookmaker card adds up your logged, settled bets at that bookmaker at or above the minimum odds, against the requirement and deadline you enter. Free-bet stakes and voided bets don't count. We don't list or recommend bonus offers or codes, and we don't know your bookmaker's terms; the numbers come from you. Bonuses often go together with free bets, covered in the free bets guide and as part of matched betting.

Frequently asked questions

Is a 100% deposit bonus worth it?

It depends on the rollover. A €100 bonus with 6× on the bonus only needs €600 of turnover, which costs about €30 at a 5% margin. With 10× on deposit plus bonus it needs €2,000 and costs about €100, which leaves nothing on average. Work out the turnover and expected cost before you deposit.

Do sure bets count towards the wagering?

The bet at the bonus bookmaker usually counts if it meets the minimum odds, the market rules and the deadline. The cover bet at the other bookmaker does not. Some terms forbid covering bonus bets with opposite bets, so read them first.

What happens to wagering if a match is abandoned?

Bets voided because a match was abandoned or postponed usually don't count towards the turnover, and the stake goes back to your balance. You then need to place that turnover again before the deadline.

Why does the minimum odds requirement matter?

Only bets at or above the minimum odds count. Higher minimums rule out the most liquid low-odds markets and can push you towards markets with higher margins, which raises the expected cost of wagering.

Sources

As of October 2026. Bookmakers' rules, odds and offers change; their current terms and betting rules always apply.

A bonus is a bookmaker's promotion, not an entitlement, and wagering it puts real money at stake. Only use money you can do without. Our responsible gambling page lists free help in Austria and Germany.

Information, not betting, legal or tax advice. 18+.