If your welcome bonus isn’t tied to a specific slot game, you must wonder which slots are the best choice for completing those wagering requirements. Here are my top 5 that never disappoint.
Almost all online casinos offer a nice welcome bonus on your first deposit
This casino welcome bonus can double or even triple your initial amount, increasing the bonus to hundreds of $€.
That’s the good news. However, every online casino welcome bonus comes with playthrough requirements and bonus conditions.
These wagering conditions stipulate that the bonus must be played through several times before it can be converted into real money. And that’s not always easy. Often you run out of money before you have met that requirement. And that’s a shame, because of course, the best part, in the end, is the sweet victory of can simply cashing out a welcome bonus.
Luckily, there are some tricks you can use to maximize your chances of unlocking a bonus. Slot machines contribute 100% to playing through a bonus. So that’s what we’re going to focus on. The challenge we have is to play slot machines where we:
- maximize our playtime -> a high payout rate
- minimize our losses -> low to medium variance
- don’t break the bonus rules -> pay attention to the bonus conditions
In other words: we are looking for slot machines with a low to medium variance and a high payout rate. And we must make sure we adhere to the bonus game rules (which vary from one online casino to another).
After all, the one thing we don’t want to happen is for the online casino to deny us of our hard-earned cash just because we broke one stupid bonus rule.
Five slots that are perfect for unlocking a casino bonus
As we concluded earlier, we are looking for slot machines with a low to medium variance and a high payout rate. In other words, we are looking for online slots that are not too volatile and preferably have a theoretical payout percentage of around 96.5% or more.
And it would also be nice if it was a bit of a fun slot – no reason not to mix business with pleasure.
Which are the five best slots to unlock a casino bonus?
We have scoured hundreds of online slots and have compiled the following list of suitable slots to play through a welcome bonus. These are all slots with a low to medium variance and a high payout rate.
1. 1429 Uncharted Seas (Thunderkick)
In the first place of this top 5 is a title by the Swedish game provider Thunderkick. 1429 Uncharted Seas has an excellent payout rate of 98.6% and has low to medium variance. These two factors make 1429 Uncharted Seas the most suitable slot machine to unlock a casino bonus.
The Seafarer/Explorer theme is beautifully worked out, and there is an exciting free spin bonus where expanding wilds can occur on the 2nd, 3rd and 4th reels for vast payouts. Recommended!
2. Kings of Chicago (Netent)
Kings of Chicago is not your typical online slot, but it is very suitable to unlock a welcome bonus. The payout rate is very high: 97.8%. Besides, the variance of Kings of Chicago is very low. This game is a cross-over between video poker and a video slot.
There are only 5 paylines, and the intention is to spin winning poker combinations. There are jokers (which double your wins) and a free spin bonus.
3. Jimi Hendrix (Netent)
In our opinion, Jimi Hendrix is one of the best Netent slots and part of the already famous Netent Rocks trilogy (along with Motorhead and Guns N’ Roses).
Jimi Hendrix is packed with features and bonuses and has a medium variance. Add to that a very lovely payout rate of 96.9%, and you have an excellent slot machine to unlock a welcome bonus.
4. Esqueleto Explosivo (Thunderkick)
The utterly absurd online slot Esqueleto Explosivo is one of the most popular Thunderkick slots. This low variance slot takes you to a Mexican village square where a deceased Mariachi band plays the lead role. There are avalanche symbols in the form of skulls and wilds and progressive multipliers up to 32 x.
Esqueleto Explosivo is a super fun slot, and due to its high payout rate of 97.6% and entertaining gameplay, it is also very suitable to bypass those annoying wagering conditions. Let’s turn that bonus money into hard cash, shall we?
5. Retro Reels – Extreme Heat (Microgaming)
Retro Reels – Extreme Heat is a classic-style video slot with 5 reels and 30 paylines. Although the variance of Retro Reels is slightly higher than the rest of the slots on this page, it is certainly suitable for unlocking the casino bonus. The very high payout rate of 97.5% positively contributes to this.
The bonus in this game consists of up to 20 free spins with a multiplier of 2 x. The exciting respin feature makes it possible for you to hold reels to increase your chances of creating winning combinations.
Which slots are not suited for bonus wagering?
The following types of slots are not suitable to unlock a welcome bonus.
- Progressive jackpot slots – the payout rate is too low due to a contribution to the jackpot.
- Most online casinos do not allow progressive slots to be played with bonus money.
- High variance slots – the risk of running out of money is too high.
- Slots with a payout ratio that is too low (less than 96%)
Don’t play high variance slots with bonus money – you will often run out of funds before you meet wagering requirements
What else should you pay attention to when you unlock a bonus?
There are some things you should be aware of before attempting to unlock a welcome bonus.
- Look at the wagering requirements: try to find a wagering requirement that is 40 x the bonus or less.
- Do not play slots that are excluded from bonus money.
- Do not bet more than allowed: with bonus money, there is often a maximum bet of $€5 – $€7.50 per spin.
- Check your progress regularly: see if you have already met the playthrough conditions.
- ALWAYS read the bonus requirements carefully before you start playing with bonus money!
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