The Differences between Features and Bonuses in Gambling
Ever since the advent of the first online casino, the world of gambling has experienced drastic and unprecedented changes. No longer do gambling enthusiasts need to travel for miles to an online casino before enjoying their favorite slot game or other casino games. Instead, with just a few clicks on their desktop or mobile devices, a player can easily access and play their favorite games right in the comfort of their homes or on the go. Even players who prefer live-action can play the live casino games where they play with a real dealer and other live players, all streamed in HD video.
However, with the shift online came different features and attributes that game providers and online casinos can introduce to enhance players’ experience. For example, online casino games like free slots 777 and other games now come with free demo versions that allow players to try out a game for free without any risks to their funds. Chief amongst these attributes are bonuses and in-game slot features. Unfortunately, many newbies to the online gambling industry often confuse what these mean and what differentiates them. So let’s have a look at the difference between Features and Bonuses.
Slot Features
Slot features are the core constituents of a slot machine. Online slot machines have come a long way since the traditional slot machines became popular in the 1900s. Back then, you would find little to no slot features on the traditional machines. However, in the online slot machine of today, you will find an almost endless list of special features. These features are designed to make gameplay more exciting while also boosting players’ chances of walking away with bountiful winnings. Game developers are always competing and pushing the limits to create slot machines with the most innovative features that will keep players interested and coming back for more. We will look at some of the most popular slot features you are bound to encounter when you play slots online.
Wilds
The wilds feature is undoubtedly one of the most popular features you will come across on a slot machine. At the most basic level, the wild symbols work in the same way as a joker in a deck of cards – they can replace other paying symbols to complete winning combinations. With a wild symbol in the right position, you can obtain winnings from a combination that would otherwise not be complete without the presence of the wild symbol. The only usual exceptions are the scatters, bonus game symbols, and other special symbols, which the wilds symbols cannot replace. Interestingly, thanks to the hard work of game developers over the years, there are many variants of the wilds feature, each with unique and interesting attributes. Some of the most popular variants include;
- Sticky wilds
- Expanding Wilds
- Stacked Wilds
- Spreading Wilds
- Multiplier wilds
Scatter
Another feature that has always been popular with slot machines, even right from the time of land-based slot machines, is the scatters feature. Scatter symbols are usually responsible for triggering a slot machine’s bonus games, especially the free spins bonus round. Aside from triggering a bonus game feature, scatter symbols can also pay out winnings whenever they land on a slot machine’s reels. Interestingly, unlike other paying symbols, scatter symbols don’t have to be a part of a matching combination across an active payline to trigger winnings. Instead, scatters just payout whenever you manage to land them in any position on the reels.
Free Spins
The free spins feature is one of the most popular in-game slots features. When you trigger this feature, you literally get to spin the slot machine’s reels for free without any deduction from your balance. This feature is usually triggered by landing at least three scatter symbols anywhere on the slot’s reels. However, depending on each slot, the trigger method can differ.
Gamble Feature
While you won’t find the gamble feature on every slot machine, it is a very common slot feature. After every winning spin, this feature offers players the chance to gamble their winnings on a double-or-nothing gamble game. If you win the gamble game, your winnings will double, and you will earn the chance to go again. However, if you lose, you lose your entire winnings from that round.
Bonus Game Feature
The bonus game feature comes in various forms, giving players the chance to win extra money. Many of these varieties are very simple and involve simpler gameplay, like the free spins bonus feature, while others have complex gameplay and require little skills.
Other slot Features includes;
- Multipliers
- Different ways to win feature
- Both ways win feature
- Cascading Reels feature
- Tumbling Reels feature
- Stacked symbols feature, etc.
Bonuses
One tradition that has made the online gambling industry quite attractive and has increased the number of players playing games online is bonuses. To increase the number of new players signing up to their sites while also keeping the existing ones, most online casinos provide their players with different forms of bonuses. Depending on its type, players can usually use these bonuses to place bets on their favorite gambling pastime. These bonuses usually come in various forms and types.
Welcome Bonus
The bonus offer that online casinos offer to players that sign up to their website for the first time is called “Welcome Bonus” or “Sign-up Bonus.” This bonus can be a cash-only bonus or a cash plus free spins bonus offer. Furthermore, it can be a deposit bonus or a no no-deposit bonus. To claim the deposit bonus, the new players would usually have to commit to the casino by depositing a qualifying amount. On the other hand, the no-deposit bonus does not require a qualifying deposit, and a player can usually receive it after finishing the casino’s registration procedure.
Promotional Bonuses
Promotional bonuses are special bonus offers that online casinos offer their regular players occasionally or frequently, depending on the casino. The promotional bonuses are usually in the form of free spins, cashback offers, reloading/deposit bonuses, and many more.
Loyalty Bonuses
On many occasions, most online casinos offer loyalty bonuses to reward their players for their loyalty and regular gaming activities.
VIP Bonuses
Online casinos love when high rollers and big spenders play games on their sites, which is why you will find that most of them feature exclusive VIP clubs. With the VIP club come various forms of perks and massive VIP bonuses for its exclusive members. These VIP bonuses are bigger and better than others and can be in the form of matched deposit bonuses, cashback, free spins, and more.
Other forms of bonuses include;
- Birthday bonuses
- Referral bonuses, etc
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