Bonus Features in Online Slots
Online slots bonus features are used to improve the quality of gameplay by offering additional rewards or boosting potential winnings. As the online slot industry has grown exponentially over the last few decades, competition in the market has been intense. However, taking advantage of technological advancements and ambitious budgets, prolific game developers such as Pragmatic Play and Red Tiger have sought to incorporate more and more bonus features into their games to give their products the edge.
Read our exclusive LeoVegas guide to understand what a slots bonus features are, how they work, and which slot titles with bonus features are worth giving a go. Let's begin!
Fundamentals of Bonus Features
Once upon a time, slot games had standard extras like wild and scatter symbols. After a short while, some titles introduced features like free spins. Today, it’s commonplace to have slot titles with innovative bonus features including cascading reels, avalanche mechanics, multipliers, bonus games, re-spins, and much more.
The inclusion of slot bonus features allows players to try something different and add twists and turns to the conventional slot experience. Instead of simply clicking the spin button and waiting for an outcome, players can look to manually utilise bonuses by participating and picking specific objects or playing beyond the 'basic' slot game to access enticing jackpots.
Common Types of Bonus Features
Free Spins
Free spins are one of modern online slots' most popular and frequent bonus features. They represent a sequence of a specific number of spins (5, 10, 15, 20, etc.) played automatically, free of charge. In most cases, players must land three or more scatter symbols anywhere on the reels to trigger this bonus.
To make things more interesting, many online slots include free spins with extras promising bigger payouts. For example, there are slots where every win is multiplied by two or more times during a round. Also, it's important to remember that most games will re-trigger free spins when players hit three or more scatters during a round. It's also not unusual to find stacked symbols that increase the odds of landing substantial wins.
Book of Dead and Big Bass Bonanza are great examples of fun slot games with free spins available at LeoVegas.
Wild Symbols
Simply put, wild symbols can substitute for regular symbols. For the most part, this rings true for all paying symbols with the exception of special symbols in specific games. Since they are wild, they can help players create winning patterns and combinations by substituting for a missing symbol needed to say, launch a bonus. In many games, they are the highest-paying symbol.
Casino software developers were looking to innovate when they unleashed different types of wild symbols as there are now numerous variations. For instance, expanding wild symbols can takeover and cover all positions on the reels. Sticky wilds stay in their place during free spins, re-spins, or other specific situations. And stacked wilds can cover two or more adjacent positions. Almost every online slot at LeoVegas includes a wild symbol, which means it's easy to find one and test it to see how this icon works.
Scatter Symbols
Scatter symbols can help you land winning combinations anywhere on the gameboard. Typically, you need to land three or more scatter symbols on any position to get rewarded. In addition to providing instant wins, combinations with scatters usually activate a round of free spins. In other words, they are crucial for activating this popular feature. In rare cases, scatters can launch mini-games or re-spins. It's worth pointing out that many slots have scatters as top-paying symbols.
Bonus Games
Another popular online slot bonus feature is the bonus game. Bonus games are interactive side mini games that can be triggered randomly, or in some cases, through a specific combination of symbols landing on the grid.
These interactive bonus games often allow you to choose one of several objects to reveal an instant prize (pick-and-click bonus games). In other titles, they let you click on different objects until you match three and get the corresponding rewars, including a jackpot. There are also bonus games in which you must click on a path to progress and collect random prizes until you reveal an object that will end the round. Finally, you can play slots with bonus wheels where you spin the wheel for a chance to win a jackpot prize, big win, multiplier, or another reward.
Cascading Reels
Slots in which winning symbols are removed and replaced with new symbols once you get paid, are slots with cascading reels. With the help of this feature, you practically get an opportunity to land one or more additional wins without wagering more money. This slots bonus feature remains active and continues as long as you hit new winning patterns.
Some slots include an increasing win multiplier that grows with each consecutive cascading win. Sugar Rush and Dynamite Riches are just two examples of slots with cascading reels you can play at LeoVegas.
Progressive Jackpots
Progressive jackpots are cash prize pots that accumulate until they are won. There's no limit to their maximum size. Still, a guaranteed minimum prize is available from the moment someone hits the progressive jackpot courtesy of seeding.
Progressive jackjpots continually grow as bets are placed on the slot or a collection of slots. Heres how it works. A pre-determined amount from each wager is sent to the progressive jackpot, increasing it’s amount in increments until it is eventually won. Often, progressive jackpots are part of networks that cover multiple games across multiple online casinos, or multiple games from one particular provider. As you can imagine, these jackpots can get extraordinarily high, with many featuring life changing million dollar figures! Once won, they are reset to their seeded amount and the entire process starts again.
If you're looking for slot games with progressive jackpot features, you can find many here at LeoVegas, including Book of Atem WowPot! and Mega Moolah.
Multipliers
Thanks to multipliers, winnings can be multiplied two or more times. The exact value of the multiplier depends on the game and can vary from x2 to x1,000 (or more). Sometimes, the multiplier is attached to a specific icon, like multiplier wilds. Other times, there's a general multiplier applied to wins in the base game, during a free spins or bonus round, or even for cascading wins.
Gamble Feature
The gamble feature is an optional bonus you can use after landing a winning pattern. Slot titles with a gamble feature will offer a mini-game like a coin toss or guessing a card's colour or suit to help double your winnings. Of course, this option is ill-advised as making a wrong prediction will lead to losing all your winnings.
Bonus Buy Feature
Many online slots offer a bonus buy feature for impatient players. Consider it a side bet, usually worth 50-100x your current bet. With its help, you can instantly activate the game's main bonus feature.
Bonus Features: Strategies and Tips
Choosing the Right Slot Game If you are ready to try a slot game with attractive bonus features, you should know that there are a few factors you should consider when selecting a title:
Game Developer: One of the most important things you should check is the game developer behind the title. At LeoVegas, we feature online slots from leading casino software developers vouching for fair and random outcomes.
Theme: You might be an avid fan of all things Norse, or interested in Greek mythology. Filter down your options within the online library to cater to your tastes.
Volatility: Pay close attention to the volatility of the slot game you are interested in because this classification can impact your gaming experience significantly. The volatility (low, medium, or high) describes the frequency and average size of wins. High volatility means large payouts that occur fewer times than usual. In contrast, low volatility slots provide wins more often, but these are usually smaller wins. You should stick to the option that matches your balance and willingness to accept risk.
Return to Player (RTP) percentage: The RTP shows you the average amount of money you can expect to get back in the long run. Generally, it's better to stick to games with a higher RTP because they provide better odds of winning.
*Remember that volatility and RTP are theoretical indicators.
Understanding Bonus Feature Triggers
Always read up on the mechanisms of the slot title BEFORE you begin to play. Analyze the specific icons and combinations needed to trigger bonus features and take note, as every title varies. Generally, you usually need three or more scatter icons anywhere in view to start Free Spins.
Another thing to remember is that it's typical for low and medium-volatility slots to offer bonus rounds more frequently than high-volatility releases.
Wagering the highest possible amount or high bets increases the chances of activating bonus features in many slots. Unless you can use a Bonus Buy Feature, you should remember that luck plays a central role in bonus activation. Essentially, being patient is often the only thing you can do to access bonus features. Understanding the game's mechanics and analyzing its paytable should help you get the most from your next gaming session.
Utilising AutoPlay and Quick Spin Features AutoPlay and Quick Spin features are available in most online slots.
With the help of AutoPlay, you can set a specific number of spins that are played automatically. In this way, you will save time and effort and get an opportunity to work on something else while the reels are spinning. On the other hand, this feature doesn't provide the same level of control. It can lead to overspending, especially if you don't set loss limits.
As for the Quick Spin feature, it makes the animations associated with the reel spins go faster, leading you to speedier gameplay. Using this option will reduce the immersive experience and excitement. Set limits and check your results regularly to maximise the effects of AutoPlay and Quick Spin features.
Bonus Features FAQ
What are the most popular bonus features among players? Free Spins, progressive jackpots, and cascading reels are some of the most popular bonus features among slot players.
How often do bonus features typically occur in slot games?
The frequency of bonus features in slot games depends on your chosen title. Generally, the game's mechanics, volatility, and RTP impact their occurrence.
Are bonus features available in both online and land-based slot machines?
Yes. You can expect bonus features in both online and land-based slot machines. Still, the ones found in online slots are usually more entertaining and engaging.
Is it possible to influence the outcome of bonus features?
There's no way for players to affect the outcome of bonus features because every spin vouchers for a random result. Of course, learning more about the slot's rules through the paytable will help you understand what to expect.
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