Game weighting: why slots-only rules decide bonus EV

Game weighting is the silent multiplier on every bonus. The headline number is the wagering requirement: 35x on a €100 bonus means rolling €3,500 through eligible games before withdrawal. The quieter number is the weighting matrix that decides what counts as eligible.

On a Dutch KSA bonus, slots usually count for 100%, table games for 10%, live casino for 10% or 0%, video poker for 0%. Play blackjack at 10% weighting to clear that same 35x bonus and the effective rollover becomes €35,000, not €3,500. Same wagering requirement, ten times the turnover.

The article that explains the headline number without the weighting matrix is giving you half the math.

How game weighting works

Each game category contributes a fixed percentage of your stake toward clearing the bonus. The standard NL matrix is slots 100%, table games 10%, live casino 10%, video poker 0%. A €10 spin on a slot counts as €10 toward the rollover, the same €10 bet on blackjack counts as €1, the same €10 hand of video poker counts as €0.

The categories are not chosen at random. Slots have a house edge of 3% to 5% and high variance, which is exactly the revenue profile operators want during a clearance. Blackjack played at basic strategy sits closer to 0.5% house edge, low variance, and a skilled player can grind a bonus down without much risk.

Capping table-game contribution at 10% closes that arbitrage. The weighting matrix is a margin-protection rule dressed as a gameplay choice.

The effective wagering requirement

A €100 bonus at 35x wagering needs €3,500 in eligible turnover. On 100% slots that is €3,500. On 10% table-game weighting it is €35,000. On 0% video poker the bonus simply cannot be cleared on that game.

The matrix is operator-specific, the headline wagering number alone does not capture the difference.

Excluded games

Beyond the percentage matrix, most operators publish a list of fully excluded titles. A stake on an excluded game contributes 0% and, at some operators, voids the bonus entirely. The pattern is targeted: very high-RTP slots above 97%, jackpot games where variance breaks the house-edge math, and the occasional table-game variant that sits outside the live-casino bucket.

Operators like LeoVegas and BetMGM maintain published exclusion lists with named titles, which is the honest way to do it. The exclusion lives in the bonus terms, not on the promo page, so a slot that looks eligible because it appears in the lobby may still contribute zero. Reading the terms before you start the rollover is the only safe move.

Combine those three with the headline wagering number and the slot RTP and you have the actual EV of the offer. The full term sheet, wagering definition included, lives on every BonusWijs casino detail page so the matrix can be compared across operators on one screen. Walk through the workflow on bonus kiezen.