Rollover is a term you commonly find when betting online, often in the terms and conditions of a promotional offer. But what does rollover really mean, and why is it so important?
What is Rollover?
Rollover is exactly the same as a wagering requirement or play-through. The wagering requirement is the more commonly used term in online casinos India online, while rollover is mainly used in sports betting. Play-through is occasionally used for both niches.
All terms indicate the number of times a bonus needs to be wagered or "rolled over" before it becomes real money which you are free to withdraw or use on any games you’d like.
Rollovers exist to prevent you from claiming a free bet on registration in India and cashing it out right away, but some rollovers are predatory, and you may never see the money if you aren’t careful.
How Rollover Works?
A rollover is the amount of money you must bet before you can cash out any winnings from a sportsbook.
If you deposit ₹2000 and receive a 10x rollover bonus, you must wager ₹20,000 to see your money.
It might seem innocent at first glance because you most likely deposited at that sportsbook to bet, not to win once and run. However, when you do the math, you’ll realise you might never see the bonus money.
Sportsbooks frequently bury rollover requirements deep within their terms and conditions, leaving new bettors unaware that they are not getting a fair shake. To avoid this, always check the bonus rollover before you claim any bonus bet offer or free bets.
Examples:
Once you start doing the math, you can clearly see the impact of the rollover term. In the below example, you can see how much you need to wager in total when claiming a small ₹500 bonus.
| Rollover X | Amount to Wager | Total Rollover |
|---|---|---|
| 1X | ₹500 | ₹500 |
| 3X | ₹500 | ₹1.500 |
| 5X | ₹500 | ₹2.500 |
| 10X | ₹500 | ₹5.000 |
| 15X | ₹500 | ₹7.500 |
| 20X | ₹500 | ₹10.000 |
| 30X | ₹500 | ₹15.000 |
If you claim a ₹2.000 bonus, the math would look like this:
| Rollover X | Amount to Wager | Total Rollover |
|---|---|---|
| 1X | ₹2.000 | ₹2.000 |
| 3X | ₹2.000 | ₹6.000 |
| 5X | ₹2.000 | ₹10.000 |
| 10X | ₹2.000 | ₹20.000 |
| 15X | ₹2.000 | ₹30.000 |
| 20X | ₹2.000 | ₹40.000 |
| 30X | ₹2.000 | ₹60.000 |
In the most extreme cases, you need to wager a total of ₹60.000! Even the best bettor in the world would struggle to make much profit from such a bonus. If the rollover terms are too high, it might be better to skip it, and find a different bookmaker.
Why do Bookmakers Have Betting Requirements?
They mainly impose rollover requirements on bonuses to protect themselves. The rollover ensures the player spends some time in the sportsbook.
Without such requirements, users could sign up for a site, receive the bonus, and then leave without wagering on the site. That would be a terrible business for a sportsbook because such manipulation could bankrupt them. They would essentially give away free money.
As a result, such a requirement ensures that a bettor who signs up and receives the bonus will continue to use the site.
Are the Rollover Conditions Always the Same?
No, some bookmakers count bets differently toward your rollover and have rules to prevent you from trying to abuse the system. Some of the most common rollover rules are further explained below.
Sports and Market Limits
You will often find limitations on sports, leagues and markets you can bet using bonus money.
For example, the conditions can be that only bets on IPL cricket matches are valid, except for live bets. Any bets placed on football matches or IPL live bets will not count towards the rollover requirement.
Odds Limits
The odds also need to be somewhat high, as you otherwise could have rollover the full amount using sure bets. You will commonly need to place bets with odds higher than 2.5 or 3.0, but it might be higher on some sportsbooks. If you place bets on lower odds, they will not count towards your rollover requirement.
Sportsbook or Casino Games
As most betting sites have a casino section as well as a sportsbook, you need to ensure that the bonus is to be used for sports betting. Normally, a betting site will offer two welcome offers: one for casino players and one for sports bettors. If you claim a casino bonus, you will not be able to use this in the sports book and vice versa.
One Bonus at a Time
You normally won’t be able to use multiple bonuses on the same time, so make sure you complete the rollover before claiming a new bonus. This is another reason why you should avoid bonuses with high rollovers. You will limit the number of promotions available to you.
No Withdrawal
You will normally not be able to make withdrawal requests while having a bonus active, which will be a greatly impact players looking for quick withdrawal betting sites. Some bonuses might be valid for days while others for weeks, so make sure you have enough time to wager the bonus before your need your next withdrawal to take place.
Other sportsbooks will count winnings on winning bets as well as the total amount risked on losing bets.
Final Tips
You should prioritise bonuses with good rollovers in most cases. Unreasonable rollovers, on the other hand, should be avoided because the hassle of the bonus does not match the risk and effort required to claim the bonus.
Before you claim a bonus, you should always take a close look at the rollover to ensure it’s worth your time. You should also check which bets you can play along with other conditions. Pay special attention to the following:
- Time limits - How much time do you have to rollover your bonus?
- Odds restrictions - What are the minimum odds you can bet on?
- League/Sports limitations - Which sports and leagues are valid with a bonus?
If you check these three aspects, along with the rollover itself, you avoid setting yourself up for disappointments later on.
Arjun Jindal | Last Modified: August 30, 2022
