What are gamblers’ most favorite slot features? Here’s what we learned from our survey

Over the last decade, playing online casino games has turned into one of the most popular entertainment activities. The online gambling world is thriving and slot machines are the ones that dominate the market.

With the growing popularity and diversity of slot games and their special features, it’s generally hard to pinpoint and predict which of these features matter most to players when choosing a slot machine to play. 

Online gamblers enjoy slot machines for different reasons, so it makes sense that their likes and dislikes vary a lot. Some play only for the monetary gains, so they choose slots with features that will help them win as fast and easy as possible.

Others adopt a more casual approach and play slots simply for the fun of it, by choosing slot machines that have great entertainment value and immersive themes. There’s no right or wrong reason to enjoy slots, but the reason for playing is what dictates any player’s choice of slot machine. 

When players review slots (and casino games in general) here on Chipy.com, they usually rate their entire experience without going into specific details. Their feedback is very helpful to us and to fellow players but it doesn’t offer the full picture of what players enjoy. 

So, in order to have a clear idea of our players' preferences, we decided to create a survey asking slot players on Chipy.com, Mamabonus.com, Spinmybonus.com and Nonstopbonus.com what their favorite slot feature is. We suggested a few common answers and gave them the option to add their own. 

Looking at the results of the survey, we found that slot players favor Free Spins more than bonus rounds, multipliers, progressive jackpots and special symbols such as wilds and scatters when playing slot machines. 

To learn about our key findings as well as other interesting data revealed by our survey, keep on reading below.
 

Key Findings 

1. Free Spins ranked as the number one priority for slot players that participated in our survey - the majority of respondents (63.72%) chose it as the feature that matters most when choosing a slot machine to play.

2. Bonus Rounds were chosen as the most important asset of a slot machine by 20.17% of the respondents.

3. Progressive Jackpots enjoy a high degree of popularity among slot players - 4.50% of respondents chose this slot feature in our survey.

4. Multipliers are also important to some online slot players - 3.89% of our survey respondents marked this feature as a priority when choosing a slot machine to play.

5. Wilds and Scatters both ranked rather low (< 3%) on the importance scale for slot players, despite their large variety and high entertainment value.
 

Survey settings

What question did we ask? 

The question we asked in our survey was: What is your favorite slot feature?

What were the available answers?

The answers we suggested were the following:

• Bonus Round
• Free Spins
• Multiplier
• Progressive Jackpot
• Scatter Symbol
• Wild Symbol

We also gave players the option to choose “Other” and provide an answer of their own (different from the ones already included in the survey).
 

Who did we ask? 

We asked any online gamblers interested in completing the survey which ran on Chipy.com and our partner sites Mamabonus.com, Spinmybonus.com and Nonstopbonus.com. 
 

How many people participated in the survey?

A total of 6756 online gamblers completed our survey on slot features.

Where were the respondents from? 

Players who completed our survey came from all corners of the world, from the United States, Canada and Russia to South Africa, Turkey and the UK. 
 

How long did we run the survey? 

The survey ran for 11 days, from November 12th to November 23rd 2020. 

Free Spins are the Top Priority for over 60% of Slot Players, According to Our Survey

Key Finding: The majority of respondents to our survey (63.72%) consider Free Spins to be the most important bonus feature in a slot machine. European players seem most interested in this feature (72%), with US players coming in second (50%), according to our survey.

Nowadays, free spins are some of the most widely used bonus features in slot machines and a player favorite for sure. They represent a fairly uncomplicated feature that paves the way to amazing rewards. 

Free Spins are generally triggered by landing at least scatter symbols on the reels, which unlock a set number of spins that you don’t have to pay for. In some lucky cases, you can even win more free spins while the feature is active. 

Most slot players seem to be interested in features that are simple yet rewarding. Free Spins are easily triggered and they give players extra chances to land one (or several) winning combinations and score big prizes. During free spins, players can take a break from worrying about their balance and just enjoy the thrill of RNG.

Play Slots with Free Spins: There are many online slot machines with Free Spins to choose, but if you want to try out the best first, you can check out Fortunes of Sparta or Samurai Split for free here on Chipy.com. 

Also, we recommend visiting the Free Spins page on our Bonus Blog section, where we regularly publish new Free Spins Bonus Codes.

Bonus Rounds are the Second Best Feature for Online Slot Machines Players

Key Finding: A large segment of our survey respondents (20%) are primarily interested in bonus rounds when picking a slot machine to play. According to the results, many more US players (31%) are interested in bonus rounds than Europeans players (14%). 

Slots can get a tad repetitive sometimes, which is why a feature such as bonus rounds can come as a breath of fresh air. Bonus rounds usually include mini-games such as bonus wheels, pick-and-choose games or other creative bonus events that spice up the gameplay. 

Bonus games can be triggered in a variety of ways, depending on the slot machine or they can be made available as a paid option. Either way, they are a great way to earn some extra cash or unlock additional features.

Players who enjoy slots with bonus rounds are generally looking for games that spice up their gameplay and break the routine for a little while. Bonus games have great entertainment value but they can also provide a solid chance to win prizes of all sizes.

Play Slots with Bonus Rounds: Get started on slot machines with Bonus Rounds by checking out titles such as Gonzo’s Quest or Hall of Gods. 

Progressive Jackpots are Moderately Popular Amongst Online Gamblers

Key Finding: A small but significant portion (4.50%) of our survey respondents enjoy progressive jackpots as a slot feature. The percentage of US players who opted for Progressives is almost double (4.8%) the percentage of European players who chose this feature (2.3%).

Progressive slots are enjoying a lot of popularity these days and as a result, more and more slot games with progressive jackpots are being released each day. A progressive jackpot is a special slot payout which can be won after any random spin.

Of course, the jackpot gradually grows as long as it’s unclaimed, and if you’re the lucky winner, you might end up with a huge prize in your possession at any point during your gaming session.

Progressive slots are an endless source of thrills for slot players who enjoy knowing that any spin could unlock a huge jackpot win. Gamblers who prefer progressives are also usually high rollers, meaning that they play the maximum stake for as long as they can.

Play Slots with Progressive Jackpots: Get a taste of the big bucks by trying out some progressive slot machines such as Mega Moolah and Jackpot Rango.

Few Players Focus on Multipliers when Choosing A Slot Game to Play

Key Finding: Only 3.89% of all survey respondents take Multipliers into consideration when playing slot machines. 5% of US players who participated in the survey chose Multipliers, while only 2% of Europeans opted for this answer. 

Multipliers are a fun common bonus feature found in slot machines which players seem to enjoy a lot. As their name suggests, these symbols have the ability to multiply your winnings by a predetermined number (up to 1000 times). 

Depending on the game, multipliers can boost your winnings in different ways, but when they appear during the base game, they’re most likely to only multiply the value of the winning payline they’re a part of.

People who opt for slot machines with Multipliers are players that enjoy a solid boost to their winnings without the need to jump into a bonus game or any other special event.

Play Slots with Multipliers: See your winnings multiply by try out slots such as Lil Devil and or Bonanza Megaways. 

Wilds and Scatters are the Least Important Slot Features for Slot Players

Key Finding: Despite their great potential, wilds and scatters are not all that popular amongst slot players, according to our survey. Under 4% of respondents marked them as an important addition to slot machines. 

Special symbols such as Wilds and Scatters have become a common occurrence in slot machines over the last few years. They usually come equipped with great animations and fit the overall design of the game.

Wilds are considered a slot player’s best friend, because they can pop up anywhere on the reels and help complete winning combinations by substituting for almost any other symbol. Scatters are great because they are usually key to unlocking bonus features such as free spins. 

Players who did choose Wilds or Scatters enjoy slots with common lucrative bonus features which also add to the overall theme of the game. Wilds come in a variety of forms, so there are a lot of situations where players can benefit from having a wild pop up on their reels. Scatters are also a welcome addition to any slot game since they can unlock additional bonus features.

Play Slots with Wilds and Scatters: If you’re a fan of wilds and scatters, there’s plenty of options for you to choose from, such as Tower Quest, Cricket Star and Egyptian Emeralds. 

Other Interesting Findings
 

• US vs Europe - European players are significantly more interested in slot machines with Free Spins than American players. On the other hand, more US players opted for Bonus Slots as their second favorite slot feature than European players.

• Devices and OS - The majority of players who voted for Free Spins in our survey did so on their mobile devices and they were predominantly Android users.
• Other significant player interests - Players who chose the “Other” option pointed out some additional features that they look for in a slot machine. The most common of them are: 
  • Casino legitimacy;
  • Gambling site reputation;
  • Payout ease;
  • Casino software;
  • Good bonuses;
  • Game and or site loading speed.

Final thoughts
 

We’re pleased to have learned a lot about our slot players’ interests and preferences by way of this survey. There’s truly no better way to know what people enjoy than by asking him directly. 

Want to try out some slot machines for free and find out what you enjoy the most about them? You can do that easily by going to our Free Casino Slots page, picking your favorite and taking it for a spin.

When you’re done, you can help us and your fellow online gamblers by sharing some feedback on your experience by rating the game. You can do the same for online casinos as well as the articles we share on our News Page.