Visit any online casino and they all have one thing in common. Their slots selection far outweighs any other game category. There is so much variety when it comes to slots, with tons of different themes and innovative features that there is something to cater to every taste. Given the popularity of slots, new games are regularly developed and released, keeping the game selection at online casinos fresh and exciting. In this article, I will introduce you to 3 great new slots which I recommend trying out.
Moby Dick
Based on the timeless novel by Herman Melville, this slot takes you on a journey of the high seas with Captain Ahab, in the hunt for the white whale. The Microgaming powered slot boasts superb quality graphics with 3D animations and great sound effects, creating an immersive playing experience. It has a fixed 25 paylines and plenty of rewarding features. For instance, the win freezing feature rewards players with a bonus spin for every win. The winning symbols are locked in place during the bonus spin, helping to create even bigger winning combinations and payouts. Plus, you can win up to 20 free spins where the central reel can be filled with wild symbols. You also have the chance to double each win with the gamble feature. Choose the copper or silver mug, and if the tea bag is pulled out of your chosen cup, you win.
The Legend of Shangri-La
Get a taste of the orient in this new NetEnt video slot. With a Utopian setting, stunning visual quality and exceptional music, it is a real treat for the senses. This game features Cluster Pays. A symbol is part of a cluster if it is horizontally or vertically adjacent to the same symbol. When you get 9 or more matching symbols clustered together, you win. The substitution question mark symbol helps boost your chances of cluster pays. Furthermore, there are large tiger, elephant and monkey symbols which count as 2 symbols, again boosting payouts. You can win up to 8 free spins when 3 or more bonus symbols land on the reels. The game also boasts sticky re-spins, random substitutions and nudge reels. Feature rich is an understatement when describing this slot!
Mayana
This is one heck of an innovative slot! When you launch Mayana, you will see a 5 reel, 3 row set up, however, the positions on the outer reels are blocked off. At this point, there are 27 ways to win. With every winning symbol combination, an expanding re-spin is triggered. The winning symbols lock in place and the reel grid expands, creating even more ways to win. During the re-spin, all wins are multiplied by between 1x – 3x. If you get 3 consecutive re-spins, you will activate the maximum 243 ways to win and all wins are tripled. If the grid has been fully expanded on the final re-spin, the Mucha Mayana feature is triggered, where the win multiplier may increase to 4x to a massive 20x. Add on slick, eye-catching graphics with authentic Mayan symbols and music and you have an exciting slot that should not be missed.
Whilst some casinos provide a welcome bonus when you make your first deposit, there are others that provide a package deal, which matches numerous deposits you make. Generally speaking, if you see an extremely large amount, say £1600 available, then this is most likely going to be a bonus package. On the other hand, offers such as a £100 new player bonus is likely to reward only your first deposit. The best deal depends on the type of player you are. Consider how much you are likely to deposit and how often you are going to play to determine which will provide you with the best value for your money.
A wagering requirement is applied to bonuses to ensure that you use them to play games at the casino and do not simply withdraw your extra funds and walk away. In fact, in most cases, if you try to make a withdrawal before fulfilling the wagering requirements, you could forfeit your bonus along with any winnings. Within the bonus terms and conditions, you will find the wagering requirement. Say you get a £100 bonus and the wagering requirement is 30x the bonus amount, you will need to playthrough 100 x 30 = £3000 to fulfil the requirement. Be wary of any offers with a wagering requirement of over 60x, as this does not represent a favourable deal for players.
It is important to know that the type of games you play at an online casino contribute towards wagering requirements in different amounts. Money bet on games with a high house edge, such as slots and scratch cards will usually contribute fully towards your bonus playthrough. Whereas games with a low house edge, such as roulette and blackjack may only have a small weighting towards fulfilling wagering requirements. In some cases, they may be excluded from bonus play altogether. As such, it is important to check the weighting of your favourite games to be sure that a bonus is suitable for you and your style of play.
You see, changes to gambling laws in the UK mean that online casinos, and all other remote gambling operators offering their services to players in the UK must obtain a valid licence to be able to operate legally. And they have to meet the strictest of standards in order to get the gambling licence.
Some of my posts will be aimed at beginners. Take for instance casino bonuses. I will fill you in on everything you need to know about their terms and conditions, so you can benefit to the max and avoid any nasty surprises.