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For many online casino players, the best slots are slots with free spins. And the more free rounds, the merrier! I don’t think you need any definition of what free spins are. But just in case, let’s start with a brief description.
A free spins round is a bonus feature in a slot game. These bonus spins need to be triggered. There are different ways how to activate a free spins round. The most common way is by getting a specific combination of symbols on the reels. Although the bonus rounds are free (which is why we call them ‘free spins’) you can still win real money from them. And that is what makes them so attractive.
The first thing you do when playing a slot game is to place a bet. Each time you hit spin, the bet amount is deducted from your balance. But if you trigger free spins, you can play a set number of times for free. In some games, the chance of winning bigger prizes during the free spins is greater than in the base game. And that is what makes Bonus Buy Slots so popular. But I’ll get to that later.
A specific action usually triggers the mechanism that launches the bonus round in an online slot. Lets look at some common ways to trigger free spins. I will use popular slots with free spins as an example.
The first slot on my list is an obvious choice. The Rich Wilde and the Book of Dead slot by Play’n GO is arguably the most popular online slot of all time. The bonus round of this game is unlocked when you land three or more scatter symbols. You get ten free Book of Dead spins. Before playing the free rounds, a symbol is randomly selected. This symbol acts as an expanding symbol during the free spins. If it lands, it expands to cover the full reel. The scatter symbols also provide you with a payout before the round begins. Two scatters equal an x2 payout. Four scatters reward an x20 payout. And five scatters payout 200x your bet. The 10 free spins can be retriggered if you land 3 or more scatters while playing your free rounds.
Gonzo’s Quest is another popular online slot. It was created by NetEnt. Here, free spins are called ‘free falls’. 10 free falls are triggered with three scatters across the first three reels. During the free falls, the multiplier progression on wins is increased. Rather than going from 1x to 5x, the multiplier win bonus will go from 3x to a huge 15x. Free spins can be retriggered by landing more scatters during the bonus round.
Jammin’ Jars is a slot with free spins developed by Push Gaming. This game uses a cluster mechanic. To win you need to form clusters of winning symbols. Six free spins bonus rounds are triggered by 3 colorful jam jars. Jam jar symbols lock in place during the free spins and award unlimited multipliers.
Another great slot with free spins is Sweet Bonanza. This is a game by Pragmatic Play that uses the tumbling feature. It has a vibrant design. 4 or more Pink and white lollipop scatter symbols activate 10 free spins. During free spins, large win multipliers come into play. This increases your chances of winning bigger prizes. Whenever you land 3 or more lollipop scatters during the bonus game, you trigger an additional 5 free spins.
Although released in 2011, the Immortal Romance slot is still hugely popular. It was created by Microgaming but is now owned by Games Global. It has a vampire theme and has an impressive backstory, unique soundtrack and the Chamber of Spins bonus feature. The Chamber of Spins boasts 4 different free spins levels. These are called Amber, Troy, Michael and Sarah. These are the game’s characters. The four free spins rounds have different features, such as multipliers, Rolling Reels and transforming wilds. The trick to trigger the free spins is landing 3, 4 or 5 Lion Door Knocker Scatter symbols anywhere on the reels on the same spin. You’ll receive a payout of 2, 20 or 200 x your total bet. Then you start playing 1 of the 4 possible free spins levels.
Other than buying entry to the free games (I'll explain how in the next section), there is no effective strategy that can grant you access to the bonus games. This is because online slots use RNG technology to ensure the results are always fair. In simpler terms, the symbols you see on the screen of your device stop totally at random. You can do nothing to make Scatters land on the reels when you want them to.
In short, you cannot use a strategy to trigger free spins.
If you are playing Bonus Buy Slots, then the obvious strategy is that of buying your way into the free spins round. However, not all slots with free spins have this feature. And those that have the Bonus Buy option, can only offer it in certain countries. For example, if you’re playing from the UK, you cannot benefit from Bonus Buy. You can still play the slot, and trigger free spins by chance. But the Bonus Buy feature would be switched off for that region.
Triggering free spins is a cause for celebration. Online slots players are elated whenever they manage to do this. The main benefits of free spins are two. Firstly, you get to play a number of rounds without spending any money. Secondly, you get the chance to access better winning opportunities. Understanding how free spins work can help you appreciate them more. Here’s a quick rundown of the process:
In the previous section, I mentioned free spins that come with extra features. I want to dig a little deeper into this. There are various types of free spins you might encounter in slots. Here are the most common free spins extras:
If you want to enjoy slots with free spins to the max, I suggest you play Bonus Buy Slots. These guarantee access to the best part of the slot game. However, proceed with caution. Don’t spend more than you can afford to play. If on the other hand, you want to try your luck, play any slot with free spins and just wait for the right combo of symbols to land. My advice is to look for slots with the best features. For example, free spins that offer increasing multipliers and the possibility of retriggering free spins. These extras give you a chance to maximize your winnings.
With a passion for words, John is always thinking about what to write next. He has over 12 years of experience working with online content and as an Editor at akfxoqsd.shop, John makes sure that readers get the latest and most accurate information about the online gambling industry.
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