What are free spins bonus in online slots?

Free spins are one of the most common features that you will come across in an online slot. This gives you the opportunity to increase your wins.

Free spins might vary with developers and titles, but they perform the same role. You are going to be provided with a certain number of additional rolls or rounds. At times, you can also win a multiplier with it.

The good thing is it is possible to re-trigger them. You can also find extra bonus icons and the wild when this plays out. This is an excellent way to improve your bankroll. It is one of the most important features.

Free spins: What is it?

This is a common bonus special feature. Usually, it is provided to you when you land the scatter or special symbols. In their rudimentary form, they offer extra rolls for boosting the winning chances.

There are many games that have a fixed number of extra spins and have multipliers attached to it. For instance, you might win 10 extra rounds with 3x multipliers added to your wins. When the feature comes to an end, you are going to return to the base game and keep playing. If you win in this bonus round, it is going to be added to the bankroll once the round ends.

How can you trigger free spins?

You can trigger this feature in 3 different ways.

• By landing 3 or more bonus icons anywhere on the reels;

• By completing special missions or filling the level meter;

• By gathering special icons that can cause you to win this feature.

To know how you have to activate it, you will have to take a look at the paytable. You are going to learn about the symbols that will activate the round. Generally, this is going to be the scatter icons that pay whenever you land them on the reels.

The paytable will list the description of each feature and any added rolls. Usually, the more scatter icons you land on the reels, the more free spins you are going to win. So, for example, 3 scatter icons are going to provide you with 10 extra rolls, 4 provides 20, and 5 gives 30 rolls.

How many free spins can you trigger?

The total number of extra rounds that you can trigger will vary from one slot game to the other. It usually depends on the number of icons you land on the paylines. There are many titles that let you win an unlimited number of them. This is one of the best ways to increase your payout in a game.

What are the types of free spins?

There are various types of the free slot with bonus spins. In fact, the feature also varies from one game to the other. Let’s take a quick look at these.

Fixed rolls with multipliers

This is one of the most common ones. With this, you will be able to secure a specific number of rounds with a multiplier. For instance, Lucky Charm Deluxe by Novomatic offers 10 free spins along with a 3x multipliers on every turn of the reels. Even though 10 rounds is not high enough in comparison to other games, you can retrigger the round to land bigger wins.

Variable free spins and multipliers

Many manufacturers will provide you with more rounds when you land more scatters. NetEnt and Microgaming will provide you with a great number of titles with variable extra rounds. One of the top examples is King of Slots that comes with 25 paylines that are played out on 5 reels where you will get a chance to win 10 to 30 extra rolls with 3 times multiplier with every spin.

Second screen

There are a few titles that have the bonus appear on the same base screen where you play it. Nevertheless, there are many others that have separate ‘Second Screen’ that is full of exciting icons and is loaded with additional bonus icons.

Choice of multipliers and spins

A few titles are not going to give you a choice on the total spins you can win. Others are going to offer you a choice between 3-4 rounds and multipliers. Generally, the choice is between a large number of rolls and low multiplier or a big multiplier with a small number of rolls. So, you will have to decide whether you want to go with a big multiplier and fewer rolls or small multiplier and more extra rounds. One of the good examples of such a title is Game of Thrones by Microgaming.

Pick’em bonus

There are some slot developers that introduce extra rolls and try to make it a little more interesting. Instead of giving you a fixed number of rolls for hitting scatters, you will have to play a Skill game or Pick’em round. One good example of this type of title is Happy Birds. This is going to provide you with extra rolls by offering you a screen that is full of balloons. For instance, the more balloons you will shoot down, the more rounds you are going to win.

How to re-trigger free rounds?

Prior to starting with the game, you will have to check the paytable to find out if you will be able to retrigger it. There are some slots that allow it, but there are several that do not. Usually, you can retrigger the extra rounds once or twice. However, there are some that will allow you to retrigger it an unlimited number of times. The retrigger round is done in the same manner as you activate it initially.

Is it worth it?

Free spins are excellent for the punter, as well as software developers. It gives you a chance for the bigger jackpot in the title. In case the round can be re-triggered, it can be even better.

However, these always have a trade-off. Software developers need to balance the frequency with which the rounds are going to appear in the title with usual payouts. In case a free spin feature is profitable, it cannot be activated that often. This will make the title more volatile and will make it difficult for you to land short-term wins.