One of the top features of any online pokies machine and a favorite amongst all bonus seekers is the opportunity to collect free spins. And it’s not just because it’s got the word free in it that this feature is so well loved. It’s more the idea of what free spins represent, and what they can do for your play. Sounds philosophical, but the concept is pretty concrete when you dissect it. And that’s primarily a matter of two things. First of all, free spins let you extend your time playing any given pokies machine – and who doesn’t want to play for longer? Playing pokies isn’t work after all, or even a tough session at the gym. They’re a fun pastime we’re happy to enjoy so long as our budget allows. The flashing lights, animation, and the thrill of the chase offer a good enough time to keep us going. Second, and this is perhaps the more salient point since pokies are a game of odds, free spins give us more chances to win, and more chances to win mean more chances at riches. Simple as that.
Since free spins are so popular amongst players, almost all online casinos will give them out as a bonus. Similarly, pretty much all machines will have them as a built-in feature. That being said, since you asked, we’ve also put in the legwork and sought out some of the most generous free spins features in online pokies, to help you understand what you should be looking for and how you can go about finding them.
Most generous in-game free spin features
While everyone wants to win money while playing pokies, the next best thing perhaps is winning free spins. As such, generous free spin features – like potential payouts, jackpots, and themes – are one of the most sought after traits within a game. But it’s not just the total amount of free spins that can be won, or how often. There are a number of factors in figuring this all out.
You can always refer to the game information before you begin, to clarify for yourself what features are in store, including the maximum free spins allotted at a time and how they are triggered. In fact, this is actually something we recommend you do whenever you play an online pokies machine that is new to you. This way you can familiarise yourself with the full game offering before you get started, so you know what to expect as you wager and play.
For example, take one of the best-themed pokies out there, the Game of Thrones game developed by Microgaming software. Obviously made popular by its hit television show predecessor, this pokies machine has earned a positive reputation in its own right for incredible graphics and excellent features, the best of which is the free spin round. In this round you win both a number of free spins in combination with a multiplier, giving each spin extra winning power. So you could get something like 8 free spins with a multiplier of 5, or 14 free spins with a multiplier of 3. Either way, this type of free spin feature – one that comes tied to multipliers – is one of the best types around as it gives you the opportunity to win multitudes more cash with each spin.
You can experience something similar on Gonzo’s Quest of NetEnt fame with its excellent Avalanche feature. In addition to awesome animation you’re sure to enjoy as the stones drop and splinter, you can land the free spin round which can come accompanied by a multiplier of up to 15X. Again, it’s the same logic as above. Free spins with multipliers are the best bang for your buck.
If you’re looking for a unique twist to generous free spin features, then we suggest Mr. Cashback from Playtech. As the name implies, it potentially gives you back cash, so that even when you lose, sometimes you win, at least to an extent. That is, if you play 50 spins in a row, and don’t hit a single win in all that time, the game will repay you with 50X your original bet, on the pay line you’ve been playing, so long as you played the same stakes consistently overall 50 spins. Gotta love that!
Another really popular feature in free spins is the ability to retrigger a bonus. That essentially means that you can win more free spins during the free spins round, with no limits so in theory, you could keep collecting forever and ever. Not all online pokies machines have this feature, but many do. For example, the ever-popular Immortal Romance game from Microgaming has both multipliers with its free spins as well as the ability to keep retriggering the free spin bonus round. More than that, it also has what’s called the Rolling Reels feature (also known as cascading reels) wrapped in with free spins as well, making it an overall excellent choice on all fronts in terms of in-game free spin features. Just keep in mind that while in concept the retriggered free spins are potentially endless, in reality, with the pokies’ programming and internal RNG, the free spins fiesta will more than likely come to an end at some point.
These, of course, are only a few examples of games with generous free spins built-in. There are many more such pokies on the market, which you can easily find. The key here is to understand what to look for. And in our opinion, this is three-tiered:
- The total number of free spins that can be won at a time
- Multipliers that can be triggered with the free spins (or automatically come with them)
- Additional accompanying features like cascading reels or expanding wilds
Other than that, the game choice is up to you, based on your own tastes and personal gambling style.
Generous free spins welcome offers
In addition to in-game free spins that can be won as you play, there are different types of free spin features (i.e. bonuses) you can collect courtesy of the casino. In fact, one of the best ways to spot a casino that is dedicated to its pokies players is to identify it from the get-go. And there’s no better way to pinpoint its intentions than through its welcome offer. That is, an online casino that wants to cater to pokies players, in particular, will offer free spins as part of its welcome package, in addition to the traditional match bonus.
So how does this look? On rare occasions, this may be a 5 or even 10 absolutely free spins that you can collect upon registration, no deposit required. This is generally referred to as a registration bonus or a signup bonus. We’ve even seen as many as 50 up for grabs, but keep in mind each of these spins is usually for nominal amounts, as in the lowest stakes available for that game. Most of the time, however, as mentioned, free spins are part and parcel of your deposit bonus, so perhaps you would get 100% up to $200 plus 20 free spins on your first deposit. Of course, it could be more, with numbers like 50, 100, or even 200 free spins certainly not unheard of when it comes to these kinds of welcome offers. These are obviously just a few examples, but as we said, they are pretty symbolic of a casino’s free spin stance – that is, in all likelihood, a taste of what’s to come.
Other free spin bonus offers
As we said, players love free spins, and they’re a major attraction on the bonus front. As such, they also feature prominently in many online casinos’ promotional calendar. So much so that you can expect to get them in a number of different ways.
For example, free spins are often part of new game promotion. These types of offers are always fun since they are a great way to acquaint yourself with something beyond your standard fare, risk-free. And on the casino’s end, they generally work well since, what better way really to get players to experience a new game than with 10 or even 20 free spins? A win-win situation indeed.
Another type of free spin offer you’ll encounter is something promoted as Game of the Week, or Game of the Month, depending on the casino’s generosity. Again, this type of promo is usually on a single game (or maybe a theme, like superhero pokies or cartoon slots). And its goal is to get players engaging with a certain machine. These types of offers can be broken down in a number of different ways. They may be a generous 10 totally free spins. Or more likely, you’ll get a number of free spins on the associated game every time you make a deposit within the specified timeframe. Like 20 free spins on every $20 deposit, you make this week.
And finally, you’ve got free spins that are granted by the casino as part of a tournament or similar such competition. These types of promotions are generally set up with a leaderboard that everyone can follow on a dedicated page on the casino’s website. Then as you wager you climb the ranks, to win predetermined prizes that often include bonus cash and free spins, as well as giveaways like trips, concert tickets, t-shirts or even electronics along the lines of iPads and smartphones.
The generosity of the bonus is often found in the fine print
Just remember, all free spin offers, no matter how they’re claimed will have terms and conditions tied to them, particularly regarding how you can withdraw your eventual winnings. Like any bonus, this is usually a wagering requirement between 20X and 40X. The wagering requirement, in many ways, is actually the most important part of the equation to consider when you’re looking for the most generous free spin features. That is because the lower the wagering requirement is, the more easily you can cash out your free spin winnings if you happen to be so lucky as to garner some. This is true for deposit related free spins as well as those you got absolutely free. So while absolutely free may sound the most generous, it’s the rollover element of the bonus you should be focussing on more than anything to determine its true value to your account. Furthermore, while you may be able to collect free spins without making a deposit, keep in mind, you will need to deposit money in order to withdraw winnings from these free spins.
Also worth noting is that almost all free spin bonuses are on a specific pokies machine, and only that machine. So while the spins are free, they are not free for all. In terms of generosity of the bonus, that means you should be looking at the bonus’ range of play. That is, the more games it lets you choose from, the more substantial it really is. This isn’t a biggie really, but it is important to note when you’re implementing your free spin bonus, so you’re sure that you’re using it on the right games.
Another thing to remember in reading the fine print is that free spins that are part of a welcome offer are often incremental. As such if you find an offer for 200 free spins, it is more than likely that it’s actually broken down into 20 free spins per day over the course of the next 10 days. Fair enough really since the goal of the casino is to build up engagement with new players, which is done by getting you to log in repeatedly day after day.
And finally, if you’re going to bother claiming free spins, don’t let them expire on you. That is, always make sure to note their time limits for play. Really awesome free spin offers may only be valid for as little as 24 to 48 hours. Others, however, can last up to 30 days. The longer you have to spend, the better.
Moral of the story? When it comes to finding the most generous free spins in online pokies, always check the fine print to maximize the free spin offer.
Conclusion
With free spins being so popular amongst players, they’re an obvious incentive offered by casinos. As such, you can easily find free spin bonuses at just about any reputable online casino. The key is to understand how each of these bonuses is redeemed, and in doing so, you can quickly determine just how generous the offer actually is.
Beyond free spin bonuses from the casino, also make sure to pay attention to the free spin features in the different pokies games. With multipliers, expanders and retriggered rounds, these free spins are a great way to increase your play, and in turn, your potential wins.