Free spins
«Free spins» means two different things in a casino, and confusing them causes many questions. The first is a promotional free spin: the casino gives you a number of rounds on named slots as part of a bonus. The second is an in-game free spins feature: a bonus round inside a slot, triggered by scatter symbols. This page covers both, starting with the promotion.
Promotional free spins
- Fixed stake. Each spin is played at a set value chosen by the operator, usually the lowest or a low stake.
- Eligible games. Spins work only on the slots named in the offer.
- Winnings. Often credited as bonus funds with their own wagering requirement, sometimes as real money.
- Expiry. Unused spins vanish after a set period, and the bonus funds from them have their own deadline.
Amounts, eligible games and conditions at Nine depend on the account; read them in the offer and in the bonus terms.
In-game free spins
Inside a slot, free spins are a feature: land the required number of scatters and the game plays a series of rounds without deducting your stake. The stake is the one from the triggering spin. Studios usually add something extra to make the feature worth waiting for — expanding or sticky wilds, multipliers that grow with each win, extra symbols removed from the reels, or the possibility to retrigger more spins. The rules screen describes all of this.
Where the two meet
A promotional spin can trigger the in-game feature, just as a paid spin would. The feature then plays at the promotional stake. That is why the result of a batch of promotional spins depends heavily on the slot's volatility: on a high-volatility game, most of the value of the batch rests on the small chance of triggering the feature; on a low-volatility game, results are spread more evenly across the spins.
RTP and the promotional stake
The RTP version running at the casino applies to promotional spins too. Before using them, open the info panel and note the RTP and the maximum win. Some offers cap winnings from free spins; if so, a large feature win may be cut to the cap.
Bonus buy and free spins
Many slots let you buy the free spins feature directly at a multiple of the stake. With a bonus active, the purchase may be forbidden, and even when allowed its cost can exceed the maximum bet. Treat a bought feature as one large bet whose result follows the game's maths, not as a shortcut.
Practical tips
- Use promotional spins before they expire, and note the deadline of any bonus funds they produce.
- Check the eligible slot's info panel before the first spin.
- Track wagering progress in the account, not by memory.