Bonus round meaning

Bonus round meaning, with the confusion cleared up

The phrase covers any part of a game that sits outside the normal spin or round. On a slot, the base game is the ordinary spinning; the bonus round is the feature you reach when a trigger lands. On a live game show, it is the separate game that starts when the wheel stops on a bonus segment. In both cases the feature uses the same stake you already placed.

The word ‘bonus’ causes mix-ups. The feature is part of the game’s design and costs nothing extra. A casino bonus is an offer with terms such as deposits and wagering, which the how casino bonuses work page explains. Spins from an offer, called bonus spins, can trigger a bonus round, but the two are different things.

Types of bonus round

Many games combine formats, for example a wheel that decides how many feature spins you get. The hold and win entry covers respin features, and the bonus wheel entry covers wheels. For the design side, how slot bonus rounds work goes further.

How a bonus round is triggered

The usual trigger is a set number of scatter symbols anywhere on the reels. Other games use bonus symbols on specific reels, collect a meter over many spins, or trigger a feature at random after any spin. The feature trigger entry lists these routes. Landing more triggers during the feature can add spins, known as a retrigger.

In Great Britain the trigger is the only way in. Slots supplied to British players do not include a bonus buy, so you cannot pay a set price to jump to the feature; the no bonus buy page explains this as a feature of how games are supplied rather than a dated rule.

Bonus round meaning for your money: where the RTP sits

Studios rarely publish how much of a game’s return comes from the feature, but the effect is easy to see with illustrative numbers. Take a slot with a published RTP of 96%.

1. Suppose the feature triggers once every 150 spins on average and pays 40× stake on average.
2. Its contribution per spin is 40 ÷ 150 = 0.267, or about 26.7% of every stake.
3. That leaves 96% − 26.7% = 69.3% for the base game.
4. So on £1 spins, the base game hands back about 69p per spin on average, and the feature makes up the rest only when it lands.

This is why a session without a trigger often feels expensive, and why games with big features usually carry a high volatility rating. Over the long run the house edge still applies, and no feature changes the expected loss per pound staked.

UK rules that apply inside a bonus round

Every feature inherits the stake of the triggering spin. That spin must be within £5 for players aged 25 and over (since 9 April 2025) or £2 for players aged 18 to 24 (since 21 May 2025); the latest slot rules page has both dates. Since 31 October 2021 UK slots have had no autoplay, no turbo and no slam-stop, and a game must not celebrate a feature result that returns no more than your stake, as the Commission recorded in its summary of changes to the technical standards (opens in a new tab).

Some features are long. If you notice that you are staying on to chase one, that is a cue to stop, and the reality checks available in every UK casino account can prompt you at set intervals. GAMSTOP (opens in a new tab) offers free self-exclusion from all UK-licensed gambling sites if you want a longer break.

Glossary entries linked to bonus rounds

• Multiplier: often grows during the feature.
• Sticky wild: a wild that stays for the rest of the feature.
• Max win: the cap that can end a feature early.

The rest of the A–Z is on the glossary hub.

Offer spins that can trigger a bonus round

Spins from an offer can trigger a game’s feature in the same way as paid spins. PlayOJO gives new UK customers aged 18+, excluding Northern Ireland, 80 spins at 10p each on Big Bass Bonanza after a first deposit of at least £10, with no wagering and winnings paid as cash; it cannot be combined with other offers. With Coral, new players aged 18+ unlock 100 spins at 10p on selected slots by depositing and betting £10 or more on slots; they have 48 hours to accept and 7 days to play, winnings have no wagering, and some payment types, including PayPal, Skrill, Neteller, Paysafe, prepaid cards and certain debit cards, are excluded. Terms apply. Read how free spins work before claiming.

18+. Gambling should be entertainment that costs money, not a way to make it. Set a deposit limit before you play: how to set deposit limits. Free, confidential help: National Gambling Helpline 0808 8020 133.