Game Weighting
Game weighting is the percentage at which bets on a particular game count toward clearing a bonus's wagering requirement.
Definition
Game weighting (also called game contribution) is the rate at which stakes on a given game or game category are counted toward a bonus's wagering requirement, expressed as a percentage. Operators set these rates in the promotion's terms and conditions, commonly weighting slots at or near 100% while reducing table games, video poker and live-dealer titles to a fraction of that — or excluding them entirely — because those games tend to carry a lower house edge or let players hedge outcomes to run down turnover cheaply. As a result, the same nominal wagering requirement takes far more staked money to clear on a low-weighted game than on a fully weighted one. Weighting tables work alongside other bonus controls such as maximum-bet limits and restricted-game lists.
Worked example
Suppose a player accepts a £20 bonus with a 35x wagering requirement, so £20 × 35 = £700 of qualifying turnover is needed. On slots weighted at 100%, every £1 staked contributes the full £1, so £700 in bets clears it. On blackjack weighted at 10%, every £1 staked contributes only £0.10, so the player would have to stake £7,000 (£700 ÷ 0.10) to satisfy the identical requirement. On a game weighted at 0%, those stakes count for nothing toward the requirement, even though real money is being risked.
Why it matters
For players, the weighting table is one of the most overlooked reasons a bonus never converts to withdrawable cash: a requirement that looks modest on slots can be effectively unreachable on low-weighted games. For operators, weighting is the primary lever for managing the cost and abuse risk of a promotion, steering play away from high-RTP or hedge-friendly games that would otherwise let bonus funds be cleared with minimal margin. For compliance and marketing professionals, unclear or buried weighting tables are a frequent source of player complaints and regulatory criticism, since disclosure rules require bonus terms to be transparent and not misleading.
Related
Note: The concept is stable, but the specific numbers are not: weighting percentages, which games are excluded, and whether the wagering multiple applies to the bonus alone or to deposit-plus-bonus all vary by operator, game supplier and individual promotion, and are defined in each bonus's terms. Disclosure and fairness obligations also differ by jurisdiction (for example, the UK's LCCP and CAP transparency requirements). Always verify against the exact promotional terms rather than assuming standard rates.