What Makes a Good Slot Site?
Welcome Offer
The welcome offer is usually the first thing that players come across at a slot site and there are a few different ways in which a site can stand out from the crowd:
- Biggest percentage bonus – 150% or even 200% instead of the usual 100%.
- Biggest actual bonus – at these sites, players can increase the size of their initial deposit to claim a bigger bonus (sometimes thousands of pounds).
- The inclusion of slot spins in the welcome offer, especially if they are on a game other than the usual Starburst or Fluffy Favourites
- Zero wagering – these sites reward players for making a deposit in new and innovative ways, paying all winnings in cash with no playthrough requirements.
Range of Games
Arguably the most important thing here is range of game providers rather than of actual games. A slot site with 200 slot games cherry-picked from 20 different providers could be much more enjoyable to play at than a site with 300 slot games all from the same provider.
The best slot and casino sites combine evergreen slots such as Gonzo’s Quest, Thunderstruck II and Rainbow Riches with new and exciting titles from the likes of ELK Studios and Big Time Gaming.
New Games
Good slot sites add new games frequently – whether these be the latest releases from Net Ent and Microgaming or from up and coming talent such as Gamevy and MetaGU. Again, the best slot sites do both.
Player promotions which award a bonus or slot spins for meeting deposit or play requirements are very common, but the best slots and casino sites also run other promotions such as raffles, some of which have amazing prizes such as cars or VIP trips away.
Gamification & Level Progression
Many casino and slot sites these days have some kind of gamification for added entertainment value – basically, collecting trophies or badges and qualifying for bonus games. If some form of level progression is included it can be tied in with a player reward scheme such as the Wheel of Rizk, the bgo Boost Bar or the Jumpman Slots Mega Reel.
Tournaments
Slot tournaments allow players to compete against other players and interact with them (if a chat room is provided). While some slot tournaments are simply races to see who can spend the most money, many are not and in these, the aim is either to get the biggest win relative to stake within a set number of spins in a set time, or to get the biggest win relative to stake in a specified number of consecutive spins (with multiple attempts allowed). To make it more interesting points may also be awarded for certain achievements (e.g. 5 wins in a row). If done well, tournaments can massively increase entertainment value.
Small Print
No-one likes unpleasant surprises in the small print and therefore it is really important to check the terms and conditions before accepting any offer. Here are some of the things you might find and unfortunately even the best slot and casino sites can have one or two of these issues.
- Excessive wagering requirements
- Charges for depositing and/or withdrawing
- Low transaction limits for withdrawals so that large withdrawals have to be done in multiple transactions
- Excessive withdrawal processing time
- Long lists of games excluded from bonus play
- Caps on what can be won from bonus play
- Stake size restrictions during bonus play
- Exclusion of some payment methods from bonus offers
