Bonus Video Slots

11 June 2004

By Gayle Mitchell

Bonus Slots, today's popular trend, are the most fun, graphically loaded, glitziest slots to come along in a long time. When I think how I laughed at my video arcade friends back then, but guess who's playing these arcade party machines now?

Bonus slots are described as 'multi-line', 'interactive' 'branded machines', 'entertainment-content' and 'participation games'. I like the name 'Bonus Slots' because it says it all. The main goal of these games is to reach the 'second chance' bonus round where the real money is.

Slot players will recognize the names of some original versions: Monopoly, Little Green Men, Let's Make a Deal, Wheel of Fortune, Scrabble and Reel 'Em In . Some of the 'newbies on the block' are Route 66, Men Are From Mars, You Might Be a Redneck If…, Millioni$er and Saturday Night Live.

When you approach a Bonus Slot, you will immediately see many more graphics than other slots--25 symbols or more filling up the screen in front of you. The buttons in front of you will offer as many as 20 paylines. Many versions come in penny denominations, but with maximums up to 225 coins for pennies, 45 coins for nickels, that's $2.25/spin, folks. The RNG is still very active even when the machine is idle and the number of possibilities with graphic-rich bonus slots is staggering. Payouts are much more frequent, usually every 2-3 spins.

Strategy education for bonus slots follows:

Read all information posted: I know you have heard this before but with more payout options for these versions, this is very important.
Take a look at the help menu that explains game rules and pay lines criss- crossing the screen grid. Scatter pay 'wild' symbols are paid when appearing anywhere on the screen.
Bonus round top points should be a contributing factor in selecting bonus types/versions as secondary jackpots can produce up to 10,000 coins and primary/top jackpots 100,000+ as printed on machine.
Warning: casinos set up bonus versions simply because they know players will be carried away with accumulating credits and a chance at the bonus round.
Wager management and discipline are required like any other casino game--be an intelligent gambler. This is critical with bonus machines because higher betting amounts dictate that a bill-acceptor is used rather than hand-feeding coins.
Keep track of monies gobbled up by the bill-acceptor; it could very well be time for a new bonus version.
I suggest you activate all bonus lines, but 1 or 2 coins/line until your credits increase, at which time a maximum spin involves less risk.

As you can see bonus slots are played differently from basic slots where my usual advice is 'out the window' to allow optimum strategy. Bonus slots are 'reel' enjoyment and with a little education, the profits from these versions cannot be denied.

Until next we meet in the Slots Playground…

Gayle Mitchell

Gayle Mitchell, one of the first women to break through the “felt ceiling” of the previously male-dominated world of casino gambling gurus, is now regarded as one of North America’s leading experts on casino gambling.

Gayle’s commitment to educating the gambling public began almost 20 years ago, when she walked into a Las Vegas casino and experienced for the first time the thrill that comes with winning even a small bet. She made up her mind then and there to learn every game in the casino, and a short time later resolved to make a career out of sharing her insights with other gamblers. She had always considered herself to be a good teacher – she believes in keeping things simple – and decided that she would commit herself to showing newbies how to become knowledgeable, intelligent gamblers.

Gayle started her own publishing company, and her first book came out in 1997. Today she is the author of seven books, seven EBooks, and a set of five Tips booklets, and has presented many seminars on casino gambling. Currently she teaches Learn to Win Programs with other leading experts at GamblingTeachers.com. The site is a player-friendly Free Gambling Learning Center offering 300+ online lessons for popular casino games plus Gambling Teachers Blog. Gayle also operates www.gamerisms.com, which is a games glossary site for sport, casino, skill and video game players.

“It’s a fact that less than 2 percent of casino players know the profitable, correct strategies and/or rules for most casino games,” Gayle says. “Our group of career teachers and writers are working to improve that statistic.”

Gayle Mitchell Websites:

www.gamblingteachers.com
www.gamerisms.com