Online pokies in Zimbabwe, New Zealand, and other countries that prefer to call this casino game by that term also include bonus features to make the gameplay experience more interactive and fun. Just like slots, pokies deliver seemingly endless spins of the reels, uncovering possibilities of bonus features underneath the many combinations.You can play pokies online whenever it’s convenient for your schedule by logging on to your favorite casino platform. Seeing the reels spin on a pokies game is as endless as your funded bankroll, but remember to play wisely to stretch it out! Let’s discover what bonus features are in pokies, the different types, and their benefits for enhancing player interaction.
What Are Bonus Features in Online Pokies?
The bonus features in online pokies are almost hidden levels in a video game. They are only available if something specific happens to trigger the bonus feature, offering more opportunities for pokies players to win a reel spin. Bonus features help to reduce the monotony of constantly spinning the pokies reels, providing a nice change of pace during the gameplay experience.
The Types of Bonus Features
Now that you know general information about bonus features in online pokies, let’s discover the different types!
Free Spins
One of the most popular bonus features in pokies is receiving free spins. The reels have to land in one of a few specific ways, depending on the symbols’ meaning, for you to receive free spins. When a player gets free spins, no bet needs to be placed for each spin to occur.
The free spins extend gameplay and stretch a budgeted bankroll to enhance the gameplay experience. Hence, if you win on a free spin, you are making all the profit from that win because no bet was needed for it to happen. However, just because you receive free spins does not mean you are guaranteed a win. It’s only a positive possibility.
Wild Symbols
Wild symbols are the second most popular bonus feature in pokies. The wild symbols can act as substitutions for other symbols in a reel spin. For example, a reel spin that otherwise would have been a loss could become a winning spin with a wild symbol in place of another one.
Some pokies games have specialized wild symbol types that enhance the gameplay experience. Expanding wilds are wild symbols that cover the whole span of the pokies reel while sticky wilds could remain for many upcoming spins. Wild symbols, in general, increase winning chances and these specialized wild symbol types make pokies more exciting and appealing.
Multipliers
Multipliers are usually hidden in free spin rounds. You could receive double, triple, quadruple, or quintuple the base winnings if the reel lands on a winning combination. This increases the potential of larger payouts while playing pokies and draws in players who love the multiplier features.
Cascading Reels
Otherwise known as an avalanche or tumble reel, the cascading reel bonus feature happens when a win occurs. The symbols from that win disappear and are replaced with new symbols for different winning possibilities. Cascading reels hasten the pokies gameplay experience while increasing the underlying excitement.
Pick-and-Choose Bonus Games
Some pokies games include bonus mini-games that a player could choose from. Their selection could make or break their winning potential at that moment. For example, the player may have to select from different treasure chests containing different in-game rewards. For example, there could be 5 treasure chests to choose from containing either free spins, one of three multipliers, or an instant payout.
How Bonus Features Engage Players
Bonus features engage players by:
- Enhancing payout potential
- Increasing player interaction during an otherwise silos gaming experience.
- Improves the overall variety of gaming elements when playing pokies.
- Sense of satisfaction when hitting a bonus round.




