Slot bonus symbols are an integral part of how online slots work in the 21st century. It’s rare to find modern online slot machines that are totally devoid of such symbols. These online slot symbols embody the utmost creativity and ingenuity that game designers can deploy with extant technology.
While bonus symbols are commonplace, they aren’t common. If chance favors your bets, these symbols can appear and pack a lot of payout punch.
BetMGM Casino is the best place to explore the breadth and depth of slots with bonus symbols.
Standard Slot Symbols as We Know and Love Them
Slot game symbols are the focus of your gameplay when you enjoy online slots with bonus features. These graphics excel in both form and function.
For example, symbols used in Asian slots often pay tribute to important parts of Asian cultures with their appearance. Many of them also have special impacts on the slots, like online slot multipliers.
Bars and bells in slots and fruit slots produce a classic slot machine aesthetic, but can surprise players with innovative effects. Expanding symbols in slots are just one of the possibilities in this context.
What Are Bonus Symbols in Slots?
The evolution of slot games has produced tremendous diversity in both the appearances and functions of bonus symbols in slots. In modern slots, these are symbols that, either on their own or as part of a combination, have special effects on the game you’re playing.
While each slot assigns these game mechanics to disparate symbols individually, there are some common characteristics of these symbols.
Among them is a relative rarity. Because these symbols can activate special features or carry their own prizes, they tend to appear on the reels less often than slots without bonus relevance.
Many of these slot symbols fit into a few common categories.
Bonus Symbols To Look Out For and What They Do
One of the advantages of playing video slots compared to classic slots is that the variety of bonus symbols can be far greater. Modern technology makes it far easier to program slots with more special symbols.
The majority of common bonus symbols fit into at least one of eight categories. Sometimes, you’ll find symbols that pull double- or triple-duty, or more, too.
Scatter Symbols
Scatter slot symbols are called scatters because they can land anywhere on the reels and still affect gameplay. In many cases, this effect is activating a special bonus round or multiplying the value of payline hits. In most games, you need to land multiple scatter symbols on the same spin to trigger the bonus.
Wild Symbols
If there were a prize for the most common bonus slot category, wild symbols would win. These are symbols that can substitute for other symbols to form payline hits.
Just like scatters, these symbols can also multiply winnings or activate features on top of replacing other symbols.
Multipliers
Multipliers in online slots are one of the most exciting gameplay mechanics when you’re lucky enough to trigger a payline with them. Any winnings you would collect get bigger by the multiplier factor. These symbols can transform a mediocre payout into a massive win, depending on chance.
Bonus symbols can get even wilder, though.
Mystery Symbols
Mystery symbols in slots don’t have to be mystifying. The mechanics of how mystery symbols work in slots come down to a delayed reveal.
After these symbols drop onto the reels, they transform into another symbol, potentially triggering features and paylines. It’s an additional thrill of anticipation.
Expanding Symbols
Slots with expanding reels are fantastic because they create more room for more symbols, potentially leading to more wins. Similarly, expanding symbols have the same effect by filling an entire reel and boosting your chances of receiving a payout. There are no guarantees that this will be the case, but more potential is always preferred over less.
For the details of whether the slot you want to play offers such symbols or any other bonus effects, check the game’s help section. There you’ll find all the details of the slots.
Stacked Symbols
Stacking symbols in slot games can be double, triple, or more times the fun. Most games assign one symbol to each spot on the grid, but that changes in this context.
Stacking symbols can either replace or add to the symbols they land on, with new significance for your play either way. Collecting them is a quick boost to your excitement.
Cash & Collect Symbols
Online slots with the cash and collect feature present a slightly different take on bonuses. If special collect symbols drop on the reels at the same time as cash symbols, they claim payouts from these special cash symbols. The cash symbols won’t pay unless a collect symbol also appears.
This feature can be greatly rewarding, so be sure to practice responsible gambling to give yourself the best chance of collecting these instantly rewarding symbols.
Sticky Symbols
Sticky slot symbols come in several varieties, like sticky wild symbols or sticky scatters. As the name suggests, these symbols stick on the reels past the spin in which they appear.
The luxury of these symbols is that they can help you trigger features or paylines on successive spins by remaining on the reels for multiple rounds.
When you’re ready for some spins, BetMGM is a win.
Spin the Reels of Bonus-Packed Slots at BetMGM Casino
BetMGM is the home of slot bonuses. Many of the thousands of online casino games that BetMGM offers contain multiple bonuses you can enjoy if you get lucky.
Your chance at these bonuses begins when you register for BetMGM, which you can do now if you’re at least 21 years old. Signing up and making a qualifying deposit even gives you access to an incredible casino welcome bonus (if you’re a new player).
You can then unlock even more perks with the best casino rewards program, available exclusively at BetMGM. Between these benefits and BetMGM’s slot library, special bonuses are always at your fingertips.
