Wagering contribution, or game weighting, is the rule that determines how much each unit staked on a given game counts toward clearing a bonus's wagering requirement. Slots usually contribute 100%, so a 1 stake reduces the remaining wagering by 1.
Definition
Wagering contribution, or game weighting, is the rule that determines how much each unit staked on a given game counts toward clearing a bonus's wagering requirement. Slots usually contribute 100%, so a 1 stake reduces the remaining wagering by 1. Lower-house-edge games contribute far less or nothing: table games and video poker often count 10-20% or are excluded, live casino frequently contributes 10% or 0%, and some specific games are barred entirely while a bonus is active.
The purpose is to stop players clearing a bonus cheaply on low-edge games where the operator's expected margin is too thin to cover the bonus cost. It means the headline wagering multiple ("35x") only applies at full contribution; on a 10%-weighted game the effective requirement is ten times higher in turnover, and on an excluded game the play does not count at all and may void the bonus.
In context
For affiliates, wagering contribution is one of the details that separates honest bonus content from misleading bonus content. A welcome offer with "35x wagering" is a very different proposition for a blackjack player (where the game may contribute 10% or be excluded, making the bonus impractical or void-risking) than for a slots player.
Accurate content presents the contribution table, or at least flags that non-slots games contribute little or nothing and that playing an excluded game with an active bonus can forfeit it — because "I played blackjack and lost my bonus and winnings" is a common, avoidable complaint that traces directly to this rule.
Contribution rules also interact with the maximum-bet-while-bonus-active rule and with game restrictions to form the real difficulty of a bonus. When comparing operators, the useful metric is effective wagering — the multiple adjusted for what the player actually intends to play — not the headline number.
For table-game players, the honest conclusion is often that a given bonus is not worth taking. Affiliates that lay this out build trust and reduce the downstream complaint volume that operators associate with low-quality affiliate traffic; those that quote only "35x" and a big match percentage produce disappointed players and weak cohorts.
Worked example
An affiliate's bonus review includes the full contribution table: slots 100%, video poker and table games 10%, live casino 0%, three named games excluded. It calculates that for a slots player the 35x requirement is realistic, but for a roulette player the effective requirement is 350x turnover and the bonus is not worth claiming, and warns that playing an excluded game voids it.
Related terms
Frequently asked questions
Browse the full iGaming & affiliate glossary — hundreds of EN/RU terms with examples.
← Back to glossary