Game Weighting: Why Not All Games Count Towards Wagering

Since the 10x cap on wagering came into force in January 2026, the multiplier is no longer the biggest variable in a bonus. Game weighting — sometimes called game contribution — has taken its place as the term most likely to change what an offer actually costs.

What weighting is

When you place a bet while a bonus is active, the casino counts only a percentage of that bet towards the wagering requirement. That percentage depends on the game type. A typical table:

So if you have £200 to wager and play blackjack at 10%, each £10 hand counts as £1. You’d need to stake £2,000 to complete the requirement — the equivalent of a 100x multiplier.

Why casinos do this

Weighting reflects house edge and volatility. Blackjack with basic strategy has a house edge around 0.5%; a player could wager through a bonus with very little expected loss. Slots at 3–5% edge give the operator a far larger margin. Weighting equalises the expected cost to the casino across game types. It also discourages using a bonus purely to play low-edge games.

The Gambling Commission, when introducing the wagering cap, chose not to regulate contribution rates but indicated it would act if operators used weightings that had a “considerable effect” on customers. Weightings of 0% on entire product categories remain common.

The excluded-games list

Alongside the weighting table, most bonus terms include a list of specific slots that contribute 0% or are prohibited while a bonus is active. These are usually high-RTP titles, games with bonus-buy features or games with very low volatility that could be used to grind through wagering with minimal risk. Playing a prohibited game with bonus funds can void the bonus and any winnings from it.

Reading a weighting table properly

• Find the table in the promotion’s specific terms, not only the general bonus terms; they can differ.
• Check whether your preferred games are listed as excluded.
• Work out the effective multiplier: headline wagering ÷ contribution percentage. 10x at 10% is effectively 100x.
• Note whether contribution changes for bets above a certain size — some sites cap counted stakes.

Practical implications

If you mainly play table games or live casino, most bonuses will be poor value for you: either the games don’t count, or they count so little that completing wagering requires far more play than the bonus is worth. For those players, no-wagering offers or loyalty cashback are usually more useful than a matched deposit.

If you play slots, weighting matters less — but the excluded-games list still does. A bonus you can’t use on the game you actually want to play isn’t worth accepting.

The bigger picture

Weighting is the main reason two bonuses with identical headline terms can have very different values. The cap simplified one number; it left this one alone. Reading it is now the most important step in evaluating any offer.

Only claim a bonus you’d be comfortable playing without. If the terms are unclear, ask for support in writing before you deposit.