Guide to Casino Game Weighting

Most online casino players will be aware of the many terms and conditions that gaming sites throw at us. We have come to accept that there will always be hidden clauses with everything we do. The UK Gambling Commission has made the ability to find a casinos terms much easier. Their introduction of regulations meant that there has to be an easily accessible terms and conditions page. Also that the main aspects such as wagering requirements, have to be displayed on the bonus and its banner or promotional images. Yet most of us are still unaware of the fact that most of the games we love are weighted? So, we’re here to bring you our guide to casino game weighting and what it means to players.

What is Game Weighting?

The first thing we have to point out is that game weighting will mainly impact you when you take up a bonus or promotion and there are wagering requirements attached. You will see the weighting is shown as a percentage and is broken down by category of game, for example bingo, slot and casino. On some online gaming sites, it is broken down to another level, so for casino you will see varying percentages for blackjack, poker and roulette. You may also find weighting against each slot, so your favourite feature slot game may be lower than some of the unknown brands.

You will probably know that by opting for a welcome bonus or promotion, many sites will add on wagering requirements before you can withdraw any winnings. To reduce the amount of wagering requirement you are tied into, you simply have to play games. This is where game weighting comes in because how fast your wagering requirement reduces, completely depends on the specific games you have chosen.

In general, you’ll find that slots have 100% weighting, which means that the amount you credit and wager, will be removed from the wagering requirement total. It is always worth just checking that the game is 100%, because if not then you may want to choose another.

Table casino games can be more complicated than slots, because the average for blackjack is about 10% and for roulette 25%. To break this down in money terms, if you wagered £1 on slots the entire £1 is taken from the wagering requirement that you owe. With roulette that same £1 amount will only remove 10p from your wagering requirement. This is where you need to balance out enjoyment with practicality. Because depending on the multiplier of the wagering requirement and the amount you deposited, you may have quite a bit of wagering to work through.

There actually is a valid reason why there is a huge percentage difference between slots and casino games. Both blackjack and roulette games have a lower house edge. So even though slots may have a high RTP (Return to Player), in general the house return is higher. When you break that down as a percentage then it averages out to be fair for the casino and player.

With all of the information we have provided, it would make sense to choose slots to work through your wagering requirement. But of course, this is completely down to you, because playing online games is about enjoyment. If you are wanting to get through the wagering requirements as fast as possible, then choose lower risk games so you don’t use up your credit too quickly.

As we mentioned at the beginning of this article, finding bonus information is relatively easy. But sadly, establishing standard game weightings on most sites isn’t as accessible. Some of the more popular and established brands such as Bet365 and Betfair are more on the ball than the smaller sites and provide a set page with a list of the games and their percentages.

Summary of Game Weighting Casino

Wagering requirements and game weighting are pretty much found on all online gaming sites, so it is something we have had to become accustomed to. The percentages will tend to be the same, but its always worth taking a look on different sites or even messaging customer service and asking. You do have the option of not taking any bonuses at all and as such will not be affected by wagering or game weighting. But for some players the freebie credit is all part of the fun and terms are just an added hindrance.

Overall, we hope this has explained the importance of standard games weighting in relation to wagering requirements. If you go ahead then think carefully about what games you are picking and how that affects the wagering balance. Other than that, we wish you happy gaming!