When talking about various wagers on slot machines, you may hear the term “Feature Bet.” This refers to an additional wager, made above/beyond the line wager, that is becoming increasingly popular with players, casinos and slot manufacturers alike.
For players, they’re getting the ability to buy in to a secondary opportunity, increase the chances of a feature or bonus, or some other scenario. For casinos and slot manufacturers, they get to drive up our average wagers, exposing more money to the house edge.
There are a variety of feature bet types, many of which have been discussed here on the site in the past:
- More/better bets: You’re able to increase the chances for a bonus, or the payout potential of that bonus, by activating a bet panel with bigger credit requirements. Examples of this include Zeus/Kronos Unleashed and Thunderball.
- Jackpot Feature bet: Konami has a series of these machines, which take the same themes but add on Treasure Ball or Jackpot Streams, which gives you the chance at extra credits or a progressive. These add anywhere from 10 to 100 credits per spin on to the wager for the base game, and are effectively a wager for a secondary aspect to the slot reels.
- More bubbles/frames/etc.: Many IGT games, from Ocean Magic to Zodiac Lion, have a second bet level that aren’t for a bonus, but amplify a persistent state feature that can lead to lots of wilds and big wins.
Ultimately you’re paying more, to get more. But this also means spending more over time on a slot machine designed to take your money. If the bets are at a level that’s comfortable for you, no big deal! But if you’re looking to maintain a lower bet scenario, you can either opt out of the bet, when possible, or find versions of the game without the extra bet.
