Sports bonus wagering: what a betting bonus is really worth in euros

Sports bonus wagering is the amount you have to stake before the bonus and its winnings can be withdrawn. Every euro staked costs, on average, the bookmaker's commission. At odds of 1.90 / 1.90 that is 5 cents per euro, so a EUR 50 bonus with 5x wagering is worth EUR 37.50 on average, and with 10x wagering on deposit plus bonus it is worth zero. Below are five cases worked out to the cent. This lesson is part of the money section of our Betting Academy.

Where the cost of wagering comes from

The cost of wagering is the wagering amount multiplied by the bookmaker's commission.

The commission is built into the odds. In a two-way market at 1.90 / 1.90 the implied probabilities of both outcomes add up to 105.26%, so the margin is 5.26% and the payout rate is 95%. Out of every EUR 100 staked, the bookmaker pays back EUR 95 on average. How to calculate the margin for any market is covered in our lesson on the bookmaker margin.

Wagering works the same way as with casino bonuses, which we explained in the wagering requirements guide. Only the commission differs: in a casino it is the slot's house edge, for example 4% at 96% RTP; at a sportsbook it is the margin of the market you bet on.

The example bonus

The figures are an example, not a specific sportsbook's offer, because offers change faster than this article.

• Deposit: EUR 50.
• Bonus: 100% up to EUR 50, so the balance is EUR 100.
• Minimum odds: 1.80 on every bet that counts towards wagering.
• Commission: 5% of the amount staked unless the case says otherwise (a 1.90 / 1.90 market).

Every calculation shows the long-run average. Over one weekend the balance can vanish after three lost bets or double.

Case 1: 5x the bonus

5 x EUR 50 is EUR 250 in stakes, the average cost is EUR 12.50, and the bonus is EUR 37.50 in profit on average.

250 x 0.05 = EUR 12.50. 50 - 12.50 = EUR 37.50. That is the best result this bonus can give, and it only holds if you bet singles on low-margin markets.

Case 2: 10x the deposit plus bonus

10 x EUR 100 is EUR 1,000 in stakes, the average cost is EUR 50, and the bonus is worth zero on average.

1,000 x 0.05 = EUR 50, exactly the size of the bonus. That is why the first word to find in the terms is whether wagering is counted on the bonus or on the deposit plus bonus. With 10x on the bonus only, the stakes are EUR 500, the cost EUR 25 and the bonus EUR 25 in profit on average.

Case 3: the same 5x, on side markets

The commission on side markets is often higher, and the same wagering costs about EUR 18 instead of EUR 12.50.

In our measurement of 24.10.2026, the Optibet feed (Optibet, Laimz, Klondaika) charged an average margin of 7.72% on "over/under 2.5 goals" across five Premier League matches, against 5.77% on 1X2. A 7.72% margin means a payout rate of 92.83%, so the commission is 7.17% of the amount staked. 250 x 0.0717 = EUR 17.93, and the bonus is EUR 32.07 in profit on average. TonyBet showed no such gap the same evening, which is why we say "often", not "always".

Case 4: the same 5x, on accumulators

In a three-leg accumulator the commission compounds to 14.26%, and the bonus's average value shrinks to EUR 14.34.

If each leg pays back 95%, three legs together pay back 0.95 x 0.95 x 0.95 = 85.74%. The commission is 14.26% of the amount staked. 250 x 0.1426 = EUR 35.66, 50 - 35.66 = EUR 14.34. With 10x wagering on deposit plus bonus, the same accumulators would cost EUR 142.63 on average and the bonus would be EUR 92.63 in the red. How the margin compounds with every leg is shown in the table in our article on single, accumulator and system bets.

An accumulator does not clear wagering any faster: what counts is the stake, not the number of legs. It only makes every euro wagered more expensive.

Case 5: a EUR 10 free bet

A free bet returns only the winnings, not the stake, so a EUR 10 free bet at odds of 2.00 is worth EUR 4.75 on average.

Formula: free bet x (odds - 1) x payout rate / odds. At a 95% payout rate:

• Odds 1.50: 10 x 0.50 x 0.95 / 1.50 = EUR 3.17.
• Odds 2.00: 10 x 1.00 x 0.95 / 2.00 = EUR 4.75.
• Odds 4.00: 10 x 3.00 x 0.95 / 4.00 = EUR 7.13.

So higher odds suit a free bet, while for ordinary wagering the odds do not matter, the margin does. If a risk-free bet refunds a lost stake as a free bet, the refund is also worth less than the stake. How risk-free bets work is covered on our page about risk-free bets.

Minimum odds: where the bigger commission hides

Minimum odds do not raise the cost by themselves, but in one-sided matches they push you onto the outcomes with the bigger cut.

If the favourite is priced at 1.25 and the minimum odds are 1.80, only bets on the draw or the underdog count towards wagering. In our measurement of 24.10.2026, in the Champions League match Barcelona - Aston Villa, TonyBet cut about 4% off the fair price of the favourite and about 15% off the draw and the underdog. Wagering EUR 250 on outcomes with a 15% cut costs about EUR 37, not EUR 12.50. That is one match, not a law, but in balanced matches with odds around 1.90 wagering is cheaper.

What to check in the terms before you deposit

Five points decide whether the bonus is in profit or in the red, and all of them are in the bonus terms, not on the banner.

• What wagering is counted on: the bonus, or the deposit plus bonus. That is a twofold difference.
• Minimum odds: whether they apply to each leg or to the whole accumulator.
• Which bets do not count: check whether bets settled early (cash-out), void bets and system bets count.
• Deadline: how many days you have to complete wagering. A short deadline pushes you to place more bets in less time.
• Who offers it: in the State Revenue Service register of licensed gambling organisers, as of 03.11.2026, Optibet was listed with interactive gambling licence TI-01, LVBet with TI-14 and Tonybet with TI-18. On a licensed site the bonus terms are in Latvian, and there is somewhere to turn in a dispute.

How to work out any sports bonus yourself

Three figures and one multiplication are enough.

• Wagering in euros: multiplier x base (the bonus, or the deposit plus bonus).
• Commission: 1 - 1 / (1 + margin). At a 5.26% margin that is 5%. For an accumulator, multiply the payout rates of all legs.
• Value: bonus - wagering x commission.

At a 5% commission the break-even point is 20x the bonus: there the bonus is worth zero on average. On side markets with a 7.17% commission it is about 14x, and on three-leg accumulators about 7x. If the calculation shows zero or less, depositing without the bonus is the fairer choice: then you can withdraw your winnings at any time.

Play within your means

A bonus is no reason to place more or bigger bets than you planned. Set a budget before you start and stop when it is spent. Our responsible gambling page collects the tools that help, and you can add yourself to the State Revenue Service self-exclusion register at any time. The Centre for Disease Prevention and Control addiction support line 67037333 is anonymous. Gambling is for people aged 18 and over only.