Free spins: two different things with the same name
'Free spins' can mean a casino promotion that gives you spins on a game, or a slot's internal feature triggered by scatter symbols. Mixing them up leads to wrong expectations, so we start by separating them.
Promo spins and feature spins
| Promotional spins | In-game feature spins | |
|---|---|---|
| Who gives them | The casino | The game itself |
| How you get them | Deposit, code or campaign | Scatters or another trigger |
| Spin value | Set by the promotion | Your current stake |
| Winnings | Usually bonus balance with wagering | Your normal balance |
Value per spin
Ten spins at 0.20 are not ten spins at 1.00. The real value of a spins offer is number of spins times value per spin: 50 spins at 0.20 equal 10 of stakes. That figure, not the spin count, is what to compare. Amounts below are in units of your account currency and are illustrative only.
You rarely choose the game
Spin promotions are nearly always tied to one title. Check its volatility first: on a volatile game most packs end with little or nothing and a few produce something notable. If the promotion uses a title from our catalogue, its page tells you what to read.
Winnings and wagering
Winnings from promotional spins are usually credited as bonus balance with their own wagering, sometimes with a cap per pack. Check both before spinning.
Feature spins inside a slot
Within a game, the free-spins feature is part of the RTP — often where the slot keeps much of its potential, which is why the base game may pay little. If the help screen states how many scatters trigger it and what multipliers apply, you have an idea of its weight. Some games even let you buy it, as we explain for Sun Of Egypt 4.
Before the first spin
Check the assigned game, value per spin, the deadline to use the spins and the wagering on winnings. Then open the game's help screen and find its volatility: it tells you whether a modest result is reasonable or whether winning almost nothing is the normal outcome. With that information free spins stop being a surprise and become a controlled test. Remember too that the spin value is often the game's minimum stake, so results tend to be small even when a feature lands.