Free spins are the moment a slot stops being passive. The reels keep turning without any further input, the rules of regular play give way to something different, and the whole character of the session shifts. That shift is the point. Free spins rounds are designed to feel structurally separate from what came before, usually running under modified conditions that make the bonus feel like its own contained game rather than a continuation of regular play.
The trigger is almost always scatter symbols landing simultaneously, typically three or more anywhere on the reels regardless of position. Once active, most free spins rounds run under altered conditions compared to regular play. Common adjustments include multipliers applied to all wins, sticky wilds that hold for the duration, expanded symbol sets, or reel configurations that differ from the standard setup. The number of spins awarded varies widely by title, and many games allow the round to extend through retriggers, where additional scatters landing during the bonus add more spins to the remaining total.
Usually yes, the published RTP figure covers the whole game including the bonus. That said, the free spins round typically contributes a disproportionate share of the game’s theoretical return, because the modified conditions concentrate variance into a smaller number of spins. The headline RTP doesn’t tell you how the return is distributed between regular play and the bonus.
Free spins are a specific type of bonus where the reels spin automatically under modified conditions. A bonus round is a broader term that covers any secondary game mode, including pick-em screens, wheel spins, hold-and-win phases, or other formats that don’t involve spinning reels at all. Some games contain both, with a free spins round that itself unlocks a separate bonus phase within it.
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