The rise of online casinos means that we’re living in a slot machine game renaissance. We have thousands of high-quality games at our fingertips at any time and there are always new games being developed. We’ve come a long way from having a handful of games to choose from in the corner of a casino.
Sometimes, though, the choice is too much We’ve all become trapped in the endless scroll on Netflix or other streaming service – you know you want to watch something but instead spend an hour looking at all of the things you could watch. The same thing can happen in the slots section of an online casino.
Choosing the perfect slot game to play can depend on a number of different factors. Maybe you’ve heard some hype surrounding a new game or you follow a particular developer and always play their new releases. A lot of people also choose their games based on the theme or the graphics.
Some people even just play whatever game is being advertised on the front page of their favorite online casino. A great way to choose a game is by the bonuses it offers – but not all slot bonuses are created equal. Some aren’t great, others are mediocre, but some are amazing.
There are different kinds of bonuses. Some are associated with the casino and others are built into the games themselves. We’re going to go over the different kinds of bonuses available and then give a list of some of our top picks for the hottest slot games with big bonuses.
Table of Contents
Types of bonuses
Welcome bonus – This is the most common bonus in the online casino world. When you create an account, you typically receive a welcome bonus. The most common variants are free spins and deposit matching.
No-deposit bonus – The name says it all. A no-deposit welcome bonus offers to give players money to play with before they have put any of their own cash in. However, most casinos will require players to pay in at some point before they can make a withdrawal.
Special events bonuses – These bonuses vary from casino to casino. Some will have daily leaderboards or tournaments that you can compete in. While others will give small prizes for playing certain games on certain days. The prizes for these types of events are usually bonus credits or deposit cash.
Free spins – Free spins can be offered as a promotion by the casino – they are usually only applicable to one or two popular games.
Within a game, the free spins rounds are usually where the best bonuses are. Free spins rounds usually combine potential bonuses with slightly different gameplay and secret graphics, or scenes that you can only see in these rounds.
Top slots with big bonuses
Buffalo
This is one of the all-time classic slots. It debuted in land-based casinos in 2008 as one of the first US video slots and quickly became a fan favorite. The online version lets players bring this fun and its iconic “Bufffallloo” sound effect into their homes.
The basic Buffalo gameplay doesn’t offer very much – it has an annoyingly low jackpot. Where things heat up, though, is in the bonus round. When you land enough gold symbols, you enter the free spins bonus round. There you collect free spins, depending on how many scatter symbols you land.
The sunset wild symbol is the big winner of the bonus round. It is a bonus multiplier that multiplies your entire winnings, not just the winnings for this round. The bonus round can also be retriggered or extended by landing more scatter symbols so that the winning doesn’t stop.
Cleopatra
Cleopatra is another slot with a long history at land-based and online casinos. It makes sense that the game has a huge following – Egypt and ancient Egyptian history is a fascinating country and subject, and the story of Cleopatra is one that easily catches the imagination.
Cleopatra is a five-reel, three-row slot that feels like a vintage throwback. The regular gameplay is fairly standard, with nothing too innovative. Landing the Sphinx scatter symbols sets the free spins round going and that’s where things get a bit more interesting.
Even though you start off with only 15 free spins, it can be triggered up to 12 times for a total of 180 free spins. Triggering the Cleopatra wild symbol can also multiply your line stake by up to 10,000 times! Those kinds of payouts are what keep people coming back to this game.
Lucky Larry’s Lobstermania 2
If you enjoyed the original Lobstermania, then you’re in for a real treat with this improved update. Lucky Larry is a poker-playing lobster and he needs you to spin the wheels and help him find his missing playing cards. If only every game had such a compelling story line!
A fun story isn’t all Larry’s has to offer. Once you unlock the bonus rounds, you can choose between the Lucky Lobster Free Spins and the Lucky Larry Buoy Bonus games. The free spins round has some big bonuses but Buoy Bonus is where the huge coin multipliers are hiding.
Bier Haus
While we have a few more months to wait until the 2022 Oktoberfest, Bier Haus is available to play year-round. This beer hall-themed slot replaces the traditional symbols with things like steins, chestnuts, a German castle, a happy beer drinker and an accordion. The waitress symbol is the feature symbol.
Hit five waitress symbols and you’ll unlock the free spins round. Once you’re in the bonus round, five waitresses automatically give you five more free spins. Keep an eye out for the gold waitresses – they turn into locked wilds and can help you win big!
White Orchid
This game has quite the pedigree – it is one of the newest offerings from developer International Game Technology (IGT). IGT are especially known for their “1,024 ways to win” slots, including Red Mansions and Treasures of Troy. White Orchid is a jungle-themed slot with a 95.3% return to player.
The tropical couple are the top symbols, followed by the jungle creatures. The white orchid is wild and two of the reels will trigger the free spins bonus round. The White Falls bonus round lets you keep triggering free spins and has an ultimate jackpot of an impressive $25,000.
White Orchid might not have the most exciting animations or the best soundtrack, but it makes up for that with what it does have – gorgeous graphics, playability and a high jackpot to aim for. This game has the perfect summer vibes to make you feel like you’re relaxing in the sun.
