Probably the most beloved symbol there can be in the paytable, the Bonus Symbol has been making an appearance in online slots since before slots entered the digital world. They are the gatekeepers in Pragmatic Play slots, meaning they hold the key to opening the door that leads to new worlds of winnings. You can find slot titles of various themes built around this Bonus Symbol on Social Tournaments; all you need to do is head to the Slots page and pick your favourite!
What is a Bonus Symbol?
As their name suggests, Bonus Symbols can trigger a Bonus Feature in an online video slot if you hit the correct number of instances in the same spin. You might be tempted to say that the Scatter does the same thing, and you won’t be wrong. Sometimes, the Scatter and the Bonus share the ability to trigger the Fre Spins, but this doesn’t mean one cannot exist without the other. For example, there are slots where you can trigger the Free Spins with Scatters and a different Bonus Game with Bonus Symbols. In the Mystic Chief slot, the two symbols trigger distinct features and join powers in the Free Spins round to help you get your hands on a well-deserved win. In the base game, the Bonus transforms random symbols into non-expanding Wilds, and in the Free Spins, which are triggered with 3 Scatters, the same Bonus Symbol awards more Free Games when it lands. Teamwork makes the dream work.
How Does a Bonus Symbol Look Like?
There are no universal rules about how a Bonus Symbol should look like. What’s certain is that it needs to pop, to stick out from the others – that’s why oftentimes it has the word ‘BONUS’ or ‘JACKPOT’ across it. In the Hot Fiesta slot, for example, the Bonus Symbol that triggers the Free Spins round depicts 3 brightly coloured rocket fireworks ready to help you reach the stars! In the Chicken Drop slot, the Bonus Symbol lands as a bold treasure chest slightly opened to reveal the Free Spins.
What Type of Feature Do Bonus Symbols Trigger?
Now that we know what a Bonus Symbol is and how to activate it, the question on everybody’s lips is ‘What can you trigger with Bonus Symbols?’. The right answer is ‘Everything you want!’. As the Bonus Symbols can trigger any generic bonus round, it’s really up to the provider to build whatever extra feature they like to make the most out of their slot. The sky is the limit.
However, in Pragmatic Play online slots, you can find, more or less, the following features triggered by the Bonus Symbol:
- Free Spins Feature – the Bonus Symbol often plays the same role as the Scatter, and Starz Megaways is the perfect example in this case. The Bonus in this videoslot activates the Free Spins, a job that’s usually assigned to the Scatter. The same happens in Buffalo King Megaways – the Bonus triggers the Free Games while also paying up to 100x for landing up to 6 anywhere on the reels.
- Mega Hold and Spin Feature – the Bonus Symbol can be called the chameleon of the paytable, as it can alter its shape and actions to meet the provider’s desires. In the Rock Vegas Mega Hold and Spin slot, 3x Bonus Symbols trigger the Mega Hold and Spin Feature, changing the reels to a 10×10 format with coloured rock symbols that pay differently than the standard symbols.
- Jackpot Bonus Feature – another feature the Bonus Symbol can trigger is the Jackpot one. In Pragmatic Play’s portfolio of slots, this round is usually a find-and-match kind of feature. In The Amazing Money Machine slot, the Jackpot Bonus round can be triggered in three different ways, one of them being to hit 3x Bonus Symbols on reels 2, 3, and 4.
- Wheel Feature – another type of feature triggered by the Bonus is the Wheel Bonus Game. This is a very fruitful feature, leaving a lot of room for the developer to play around. In Temujin Treasures, for example, 3x Bonus Symbol activate the Wheel with Free Spins, while in the Fairytale Fortune slot, things reach a whole new level: the Bonus Symbol is the key to triggering not only a Wheel of Fortune but also a Super Wilds or Progressive Free Games round, or even a Raining Wild Bonus.
Free Spins, Jackpot Games, or Wheels of Fortune – the Bonus Symbol can bring them all to life with the correct symbols on the screen. Although sometimes it shares its might with the Scatter, it’s clear that the Bonus ranks higher in the hierarchy of slots symbols. Play our tournament slots free and see how do you like the Bonus Symbol!
