Slots tournaments: All you need to know!
If you are looking for value for money, the chance to turn a small investment into a big win, and a way to play slots in a fun environment, slot tournaments are going to be right up your street.
Below we explain everything you need to know about buy-in slot tournaments, from buy-in tournaments to leader board races that are free to opt-in and participate.
Buy-In Slot Tournaments
Online casinos that offer slot tournaments can offer low, medium, and high stakes buy-ins. On the whole, most are low stake buy-ins of around €-$-£ 1 to €-$-£ 5. That said, there are tournaments with buy-ins that cost €-$-£ 50 to €-$-£ 100, although high stakes buy-ins are quite rare. Once you buy in, there is no other payment required, all your spins from here on after are free.
Once you buy in, you will have a set number of free spins on a video slot title already chosen by the casino. The average is about 250 spins. Once all participants have completed all spins, the player that won the highest number of ‘multipliers’ or ‘tournament money’ is the tournament winner.
How long does a buy-in slot tournament last? If you play in a slot tournament that requires buy-in, the length of time you play is entirely down to the online casino you play at.
- On average, it will take around 20 minutes
- All spins are free – your buy-in covers the spin bets
- You will play on video slot titles designated for the promotion
- Tournaments with a high number of spins can last longer
- The average number of spins awarded is 150 to 250 spins
Once all entrants complete their free spins or the allotted time frame is reached, those in the cash-paying spots on the leaderboard receive a prize pool in cash with 0x wagering requirements attached.
Slot Tournaments without a Buy-In (No Buy-In) – Slot Races, Leader boards & Opt In
You may have heard of Pragmatic Play’s Drop & Wins leaderboard slot promotion or Playson’s regular slot tournaments. There are also plenty of online casinos that offer what they call ‘slot races’ under the tournament section. You will notice that many of these tournaments do not require a buy-in. Instead, you simply opt-in to participate.
Unlike buy-in tournaments mentioned above, you will need to pay for your spins. So, for each spin bet, you are using your own cash, and there is always a minimum spin bet to qualify. In the same way as buy-in tournaments, the slots that qualify are designated by the casino or software provider responsible for the tournament. For example, slots that qualify for the Pragmatic Play leader board tournaments are labeled ‘Drop & Wins’ and only spin on these slots worth 0.50 or more will qualify for leader board points.
How long does an opt-in slot tournament last? As there is no buy-in, casinos or software providers can make these tournaments last for an hour and usually up to a max of 1 week. Some casinos will add a time limit + spin number + minimum bet. For example, (3 Hours) + (60 Spins) + ($0.30 Min Bet). Once you opt-in
- Some tournaments have a time limit set: 1 hour, 3 hours, 1 week, or even up to 1 month
- Some tournaments also have a spin limit: 50 spins, 100 spins, and so on
- There is usually a minimum spin bet you must bet to qualify or to earn points
- You will play only on video slot titles designated for the promotion
Once the time limit for the tournament comes to an end, all players in paying positions receive a prize. This is usually ‘cash money’ with 0x wagering but be aware that some casinos will pay in ‘bonus money’ with wagering requirements attached.
Slot Tournament Prize Pools & The Bubble
Some slot tournaments will award a prize to the winner only or to the top 3 spots - 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place. On the other hand, there are those that will pay for multiple positions depending on how many people entered. As more people buy in before the tournament begins, the higher the prize pool rises.
The knock-on effect of this is the prize pool gets distributed to more positions. In large tournaments, it is not uncommon for the top 20 places to win a cash prize. Cash places are known as the bubble, so once you burst the bubble, you are guaranteed a cash win.
- Buy-In Tournaments: You are always paid cash money in return
- Opt-In Tournaments: Check the tournament T&Cs before you play. Some will pay a mix of cash spots and free spins, and the prize is in cash you can withdraw. However, some tournament prize money is paid as ‘bonus money’, and as such, there is a ‘wagering requirement’ attached.
Advantages of Slot Tournaments
Now you know how slot tournaments work, the final topic to cover is the benefits of adding them as part of your casino gameplay routine.
- Value For Money: One advantage of playing slot tournaments with a buy-in is that you get to play far more spins for your buy-in/stake compared to betting the minimum bet using your casino balance. For example, if you buy in for €5.00 and the tournament gives you 250 spins on a 10 pay lines slot, you are paying 0.02 per spin as opposed to 0.10 per spin.
- Anyone Entrant Can Win: Unlike poker tournaments, where there is a certain element of skill involved, slot tournaments are down to pure luck. There are no fish or sharks, just pure action because there is no skill involved whatsoever, and as such, every entrant has an equal chance of winning. You can’t get much fairer than this.
- Chance to win big for a small investment: As slot tournaments can conjure up a huge number of players, that means multiple buy-ins contributing to the prize pool. Considering everyone has an equal chance of winning, there is every chance of winning a sizable return on your investment.
- Discover new slots: As the slots are already preselected by the casino, you may discover a new slot title you enjoy playing and may want to try out playing using your casino balance.
- Perfect for beginners: Slot tournaments can be a cheap way to learn how video slots work. As the tournament buy-in usually offers great value for money, you get to learn all the features and how slots pay out for a low buy-in.
All that’s left now is to find an online casino that offers slot tournaments with by-ins so you can join a world of fun!
