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Gamble Features In Online Slots – Are They Worth Playing?
Favored by so many slot makers, gamble features enjoy wide popularity among players. Diverse in type and some essential aspects, they all have one thing in common being nothing less than an extra chance to win.
But for whom? Does it make sense to gamble your prize? And, if yes, should you choose a double or quadruple option? Does the volatility of a particular game matter? Is the house edge the same as in the basic game?
Well, there are plenty of questions and, as is often the case, there are no easy answers. Still, the more you know, the better your chances to minimize risk and maximize the positive impact of engagement. To start with, let’s take a closer look at the concept as a whole and its most frequently seen variations.
What Gamble Features Are All About
Basically, the Gamble feature is a second-screen event that allows players to increase their prize won on a previously placed bet. Activated by hitting a winning combination, it, first of all, gives punters a choice: to opt for Collect and keep the money or click on Gamble and enter the feature.
As a rule, every right guess …
… brings you another opportunity to decide whether you want to net out your accolades or continue with the adventure. In some slots, winnings can be gambled a certain number of times, in others the top amount you can gamble is limited to half of the maximum payout of the game. Needless to say, one wrong guess instantly results in loss of winnings.
Speaking of the technical side, guessing the color of a next-drawn playing card is the most unpretentious version of this extra. It is seen in a plethora of slots produced by both industry giants and smaller studios, so you won’t spend much time to find your perfect fit.
For instance, it’s included not only in such powerful 5-reelers as Novomatic’s Coin of Apollo and Book of Stars ,Synot Games’ 6 Fruits, Tom Horn’s Jungle Adventure, GameArt’s Crystal Mystery, Novomatic’s Coin of Apollo and Book of Stars but also in Wazdan’s Kick-Off, which has 3 reels and only 1 pay line.
When it comes to playing cards …
… there is often an option to quadruple the prize by guessing the suit instead of the color. While the opportunity to strike four times bigger win looks extremely attractive, keep in mind that in contrast to the “color” variant where your chances are 50/50, here their drop to only 25%. Surrounded by the mysterious atmosphere of prosperous ancient civilization, Aztec Magic Deluxe from BGaming and fascinating Golden Legend from Play’ n Go are the titles enhanced with this type of Gamble option.
While there are plenty of variations on a theme when colors are exchanged for Heads or tails like in a number of virtual one-armed bandits designed by BetSoft or Booming Games. By the way, both in a blazing fray called Fire & Steel and in snowtastic Yak Yeti and Roll, you have a possibility to gamble only half of the prize, which is, undoubtedly, a great idea, all the more so, it allows players to save a decent part of hardly-earned money.
Something Special For More Fun
If you are looking for something a bit more sophisticated to trigger adrenaline rush, then check out games with a more innovative approach to the well-known story. For example, in Hunt for Gold developed by Play’ n Go, you can double or treble your prize by picking icons out of a set of four or three appeared on the screen. Successful guesses can be repeated for ten times maximum, and this slot also allows punters to risk only half of their funds.
Actually, there is an array …
… of variously-themed releases where gamble options look more like exciting mini-games than straightforward action, although it doesn’t change the core of the plot.
Perhaps, one of the most creative model we can think right now is the Gambling Wheel of Microgaming’s Leagues of Fortune amplified with 1024 ways to win. Red and blue sections of the wheel mean “lose” or “win” of the amount you have gambled once the arrow lands on one of those colorful areas. Again, by selecting the “Bank” button you can save 50% of your money.
Well, one doesn’t have to be a math genius to figure out that gamble features are more profitable for casinos than for players. While the average online slot has an RTP of about 95%, your chances to double up the win are equal 50%.
Of course, this is not to say, nobody should ever hit this button. No, it just has to be done wisely. Thre are no sure things and at the end of the day, video slots are a game of luck.
So, listen to your common sense and advice of seasoned pros: it is OK to risk smaller wins on low-variance titles but keep all the hefty spoils for yourself!