Casino Bonus Calculator: Wagering and Expected Value
Evaluate casino bonuses by calculating their expected value
Online casinos often try to get gamblers to sign up and put money in by offering big deposit bonuses. Sometimes these bonuses can be hundreds or even thousands of EUR. Even though these deals might look good, the fine print – the terms and conditions – can show if it’s really a good deal or not.
So, we made a casino bonus calculator. It shows you how much you’ll need to bet based on the games you play and it also tells you what the bonus is really worth. We hope this tool helps you avoid bad casino deals.
Important to know
The amount you have to bet to turn the casino bonus into real money usually counts both the bonus and the deposit amounts. So, always check the terms and conditions of the bonus.
Remember to factor in the contribution % of the games you’ll be playing. To find out the exact contribution % for the games you want to play, look at the bonus’s terms and conditions. If the contribution % is low, you’ll have to bet more money to turn the bonus into cash.
The RTP % (Return to Player) shows, on average, how much of the bets a game will give back to players. For instance, if a game has a 96% RTP, it means that for every €10,000 bet, it will return about €9,600 to players. You can find the RTP for a game on the game provider’s page or by searching on Google.
The expected value of the casino bonus tells you how much you might win or lose while trying to meet the bonus’s betting requirements:
If the expected value is positive (more than 0), that number is how much of the bonus you’ll likely turn into cash after you meet the betting requirements.
Example: Let’s say you deposit €100 and receive a €100 bonus, giving you a total balance of €200. If you’ve calculated an expected value of €50, this means that, on average, after meeting the bonus wagering requirements, you can expect a €50 profit. This leaves you with a total balance of €150.
If the expected value is negative (< 0), this typically represents the average amount of real money you’ll lose while attempting to wager the bonus.
Example: Say you deposited €100 and got a €100 bonus, making your total balance €200. If the calculated expected value is -€50, this means that once you’ve met the wagering requirements, you’ll only be left with €50 of your original deposit, reducing your total balance to €50.
The expected value of a casino bonus is an average estimate. This means that many players who obtain the bonus are likely to achieve this outcome. However, a positive expected value doesn’t guarantee you’ll win money, just as a negative expected value doesn’t guarantee a loss.
Good luck, and always remember to gamble responsibly! 