Game Weightings Explained

Casino game weightings explained

Every bonus has a wagering requirement: the amount you must bet before winnings can be withdrawn. Game weightings decide how much of each bet actually counts towards that total. A game weighted at 100% counts in full; one weighted at 20% counts for a fifth; one weighted at 0% doesn't count at all and may be banned while the bonus is active.

You'll see this called game contribution, wagering contribution or game weighting. It's the same idea under three names. And it matters most on a no deposit bonus, where the balance is small and wasting bets on low-contribution games can end the offer quickly.

How game contribution wagering works

Take a A$10 free chip at 40x. You need A$400 of qualifying bets. Here's how the same session plays out under different weightings, using an illustrative set of percentages rather than any one casino's terms.

The weightings above are a typical pattern seen in bonus terms, not a quote from a specific casino. Always check your casino's own table. The maths, though, is always the same: divide the requirement by the weighting to see how much you'd really need to bet.

Why casinos use game weighting percentages

A bonus costs the casino money, and the casino expects to recover some of it through the house edge while you wager. Pokies have a built-in edge, so a full-weight pokie spin returns a predictable amount to the casino over time. Some table games, played with good strategy, have a much smaller edge. If they counted in full, players could clear wagering while losing very little. Lower game weighting percentages close that gap.

Live dealer games are often weighted at zero for a different reason: they're expensive to run, and the casino doesn't want bonus money flowing into them at all.

What our database shows about game restrictions

We don't have full weighting tables for every casino, so we only state what's recorded in our database. Here's what's recorded for some of the no deposit offers on this site.

• Ozwin: the A$10 free chip is for pokies only, per the official site.
• PlayCroco: the A$10 chip covers pokies, bingo, keno and scratch cards.
• SunnySpins: the A$55 chip covers pokies, keno and scratch cards.
• Lincoln Casino and Liberty Slots: the A$15 chips are listed for Cleopatra's Pyramid II.
• Free spins offers are tied to named games, such as Wrath of Medusa at Ripper or Primal Warriors at Mega Medusa. Weightings then apply to the winnings you wager afterwards.

When a chip names specific games, playing anything else isn't just slow, it can break the terms. Our free chip page lists those restrictions where we have them, and the free spins page names the game for each spin offer.

Worked example: one mistake, three outcomes

Here are casino game weightings explained through a single session. Imagine you claim a A$10 chip at 40x and you've already bet A$300 on pokies, so A$100 of wagering remains. Your balance is A$25. Now consider three ways to finish.

Stay on pokies

You bet the remaining A$100 on pokies at full weight. If the balance survives, wagering is done and the leftover is withdrawable up to the cap.

Switch to roulette at 20%

You'd need A$500 of roulette bets to clear the last A$100. With a A$25 balance, that's a long way to go, and the house edge keeps chipping away the whole time.

Switch to an excluded live game

None of it counts, and the casino may void the bonus for playing a restricted game. The A$25 and the progress are gone.

That's casino game weightings explained in one story. The lesson is simple: on a no deposit bonus, stay on the games that count fully until wagering is finished.

Free spins, free chips and weightings

Game contribution wagering works slightly differently depending on the type of no deposit bonus. With a free chip, the weighting applies from your very first bet, so every spin on the wrong game costs you progress. With free spins, the spins themselves run on a fixed pokie and don't need weighting; the rule only kicks in once the spin winnings become a bonus balance that you must wager.

That second stage is where most players slip. The spins finish, the balance shows A$8, and it's tempting to try a few hands of blackjack. If blackjack counts 10% or is excluded, that's the fastest way to lose a no deposit bonus. Stay on the pokies the terms allow until wagering is complete, then play whatever you like with real money.

One more point: some casinos weight games differently for deposit bonuses than for a no deposit bonus. A table game that counts 10% on a welcome match may be fully excluded on a free chip. Read the terms for the specific offer you've claimed, not just the general rules page.

Weightings and loyalty rewards

Weightings don't only apply to sign-up offers. Free spins, cashback credited as bonus, and reload codes for regular players often carry the same rules. Our guide to no deposit bonuses for existing players covers those rewards and the terms to watch on each. The general advice holds: read the contribution table before you play, and keep the bonus balance on full-weight games.

Quick checklist before you play

1. Find the contribution table. It's usually in the bonus terms under wagering contribution or restricted games.
2. Note any excluded titles. Some pokies are excluded even when pokies generally count 100%.
3. Do the division. Requirement divided by weighting gives the real amount to bet on that game type.
4. Stick to full-weight games until done. Then play what you like with cash.

For a wider view of no deposit offers and their rules, start from our Australian no deposit bonus guide.

About this guide

Written by our editorial team, with casino game weightings explained from published bonus terms. Weighting examples are illustrative; specific casino restrictions come from our database and the casino's terms decide.

Game weightings FAQ