Online casinos entice players through exciting games that feature alluring visuals alongside the chance to win great prizes. But often, what makes the experience even more thrilling is the in-game bonuses.
Predominantly found within slot games, these bonuses take numerous forms and work in various ways. However, the one thing they all have in common is that they allow you to the chance to bag more significant wins without wagering any of your deposited funds
To help you better understand these, we’ve compiled a list of the most common forms of in-game bonuses and how they operate.
Triggering Bonuses
Triggering in-game bonuses is incredibly simple, as most slots use a scatter trigger function. This function is automatically triggered when three or more scatter symbols land on any of the game reels. Each game has its own unique scatter symbol that is often not substitutable, even by wilds.
Some slots allow bonus buys if you’re not patient enough to wait for three scatters to trigger a bonus. This allows you to purchase an instant bonus for an amount usually several times your current bet.
Free Spin Bonuses
Free spin bonuses are by far the most common form of bonuses in slot games. These award you a predetermined number of free reel spins that don’t use your credits. Whatever you win, however, is yours to keep and is added to your balance once the free spins are complete. This makes them a great way to experience free gameplay with high potential rewards.
The number of free spins given within a bonus depends on the game being played. Although some games offer just five spins for three scatter symbols, others might offer 15 for the same number of scatters. In most cases, the more scatters that land on your reels, the more free spins you’ll receive.
Another defining feature of free spin bonuses is that other advantages, including multipliers, stacked symbols, and wild features, often accompany them.
Multipliers
An active multiplier means any win you earn is multiplied by the active multiplier. As such, if you have a five-time multiplier and win $10, your account will be credited with $50. While this is a standard reward bundled with free spins, some games offer multipliers of 20 or more times your win amount.
Stacked Symbols
Some slots feature a stacked symbol feature alongside free spins. When this is active, additional symbols are added to each reel, increasing their chance of appearing on each spin. These symbols, typically high-paying, are added to enhance the chances of larger payouts.
Wild Features
Finally, wild features come in various types, but all use the wild symbol to help boost win amounts. This could be by making all wilds during free spins sticky (meaning they remain across spins), expanding (where they fill a reel), or walking (where they can move from one reel to another). Each of these can easily help turn a mediocre win into a substantial one.
Pick and Click Bonuses (Pick Me Bonuses)
Aside from free spin options, many slot games also use pick-and-click bonuses (sometimes called a pick-me bonus). These act more as mini-games than free spins but don’t quite hold the same level of interaction as a proper mini-games.
Commonly, pick-and-click bonuses will present you with a variety of hidden options. Based on the game’s theme, these may be closed doors, locked treasure chests, or mystery boxes. You will then need to select one by clicking on it. Depending on the game, you may or may not be able to select more than one option.
Various rewards can be uncovered by selecting the correct option in this type of bonus. Each time the bonus is triggered, the rewards are randomized to ensure no player can detect a pattern and use it to win more. The most common types of rewards offered in these bonuses include:
Instant Wins
These provide an instant win amount that, depending on the game, can range from a few dollars to thousands. When uncovered, this is added to the total bonus win and will be credited to your account balance once the bonus is complete.
Free Spins
Some games use a pick-and-click bonus as a precursor to a free spin bonus. However, the number of free spins granted depends on which option in the pick-me bonus is chosen. After being revealed, these free spins are usually triggered immediately.
Jackpots
Occasionally, slots use a pick-and-click bonus to deliver randomized jackpot wins. By selecting the correct symbol, a jackpot (or chance at a jackpot) can be granted.
Bonus Wheels
Bonus wheels are primarily popular among progressive jackpot games like Mega Moolah and are a way to allocate incredible prize pools fairly. However, these wheels could also hold other prizes, such as free spins, instant credit prizes, multipliers, or even the ability to trigger other bonuses (like a pick-me bonus). Alternatively, they award huge jackpots offered by the game.
In some games, scatter symbols do not trigger bonus wheel bonuses. Instead, these appear entirely random at any point during regular gameplay.
Mini-Game Bonuses
The final type of bonus commonly associated with slots is mini-game bonuses. These vary in complexity and can be simple arcade-style games or more complex games that require a degree of thought before engaging.
Like pick-me bonuses, these provide a variety of unique benefits, from multipliers to instant credit amounts or free spins. However, they are earned in a significantly more interactive and enjoyable way.
Key Takeaways
Bonuses provide a unique twist to the continuous spinning of reels and take the thrill of slot games to another level. From spinning wheels that tempt huge bonuses to pick-and-click options where you never know what you’ll uncover, these games bring fantastic rewards in the most enjoyable manner possible.
