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4 types of Slots Bonuses
Free Spins
Free spins are a slot-specific bonus. As the name suggests, you can spin the slot for free, for a defined number of spins. Usually they are for a specific game (Starburst is a popular one) and have a pre-defined bet per spin.
Free spins can come in welcome bonus packs, in weekly promotions, in competition prizes – they come in just about any form you can imagine, including within slot games themselves – hit a combination of wilds and scatters, and the next spins on the slot are free.
No-Deposit Bonus
To attract new players, some casinos will offer a small no-deposit bonus when you sign up. This bonus will let you play slots or any other game for free, so you can see if the casino is your cup of tea before you commit a single cent.
A no-deposit bonus can come as free spins or as pure casino credit. Whatever form it comes in, you can play slots for free with this bonus. The bonus tends to be rather small, so depending on your coin size, you might get 100 spins. This will give you a reasonably good feel for the payout before you decide to tank up.
Sign Up Bonus
Also called a Welcome Bonus. When you make your first deposit, most casinos will give you a bonus.
The bonus will be a percentage of your deposit – typically, it’s 100%, meaning that if you deposit £100, you will get an extra £100 worth of casino credit. You can use the credit on any slot or on other games. And unlike free spins, you can choose your coin size, coins per line, plus the number of lines to bet on. you’ll find guaranteed bonuses on the first few deposits, with free spins packed in for some extra punch. Just beware that some bonuses have limits on your max bet per spin, normally between £5 and £10 per spin.
Vegas Bonus
You won’t find this at every online casino, but the bigger names in the business now often have a Vegas section. Vegas is an instant-play, no-download, slots-focused platform, with a smattering of arcade games and scratch cards. If you’re into mobile gaming, then this can be a perfect fit – you’ll be playing in a blink.
The bonuses here tend to be smaller than at the regular casino, however the terms are often significantly easier. Often, you’ll find Vegas has games from multiple developers. It varies by casino – NetEnt slots are popular, but you’ll also find games from smaller, niche developers like Aristocrat and B3W. This is worth checking out – even experienced players will find the Vegas slots selections impressively extensive.
Editor’s Picks: Our Favorite Slots Games
- Starburst: A 5 reel 10 payline slot from NetEnt. Neon gems burst through this cosmos with free spins every time you see a wild symbol. It’s a simple game, but pays out often. This makes Starburst a great go-to game when you need to meet wagering requirements.
- Cleopatra: A 5 reel 20 payline slot from IGT with an Egyptian theme. It’ a non-progressive jackpot, but it has a very big fixed jackpot. The max payout is £10,000 which is exceptional for a standard video slot. There are lots of scatters, wilds, free spins and multipliers.
- Deal or No Deal: A 5 reel 20 payline progressive jackpot slot from Playtech. It’s based on the TV show and has 3 different jackpots. Other than the jackpots, there are tons of wilds, scatters and multipliers that can boost your stake to 20x.
- Tomb Raider: A 5 reel 15 payline slot from Microgaming, based on the video game and movie. A non-progressive game with a big fixed jackpot. Lots of free spins and scatters. It’s an older game, but people still love Tomb Raider because it’s a fast slot with bonus games that will get you a nice payout.
What Makes a Good Slots Game?
Slot graphics have improved in the last few years and you can find some smooth, out-of-the-box designs. Finding a slot with a theme up your alley is practically guaranteed. But you got to go further than just the looks.
Part of it depends on your playing style, your experience and your mood – there is literally a slot for everything occasion. There are classic fruit machines with just 1 payline, video slots with 250 paylines, and progressive jackpots.
But regardless of everything, a good slot game should have bonus features. Wilds and multipliers will make you win more, and more often. But a bonus feature will unlock another part of the game with all sorts of prizes. A slot bonus game will have you solve different challenges. These might involve uncovering tiles to find matching symbols, or similar tasks. You can win all sorts of prizes in these bonus games, such as free spins, multipliers, cash and jackpots. Bonus games are proof that the slot designer has put thought into making the game financially exciting. Which is what a real-money slot boils down to.