Bonus Round Payout Percentage - Video Slots....

What percentage of the overall theoretical payback percentage is contained in the bonus round feature of video slots? While many of the games are entertaining (even for me though my games of choice are poker and certain table games - I really enjoy the spinning streaks games from WMS), I have noticed that since my wife starting playing video slots (exclusively) instead of reel slots, it is nearly impossible to cover her play. In fact, her “donation” to the casinos is usually 2-3 times the amount compared to her pre-video slot days. I am sure this is not an isolated event! I look forward to seeing the numbers……………..

Bonus frequency tends to be about once every 100 to 200 spins. The average win tends to be about 25 to 50 times the bet. The earlier games tended to have more frequent, but smaller, bonuses.

Thanks! That will give me a range to play with. When you stated "earlier games", how many years back were you thinking?

Wizard/MathExtremist/Anyone else! - Regarding your assumption above, and forgetting about small payouts for a moment, if i bet $.25 for 100 to 200 spins I would end up betting $25 to $50 and only win back $6.25 to $12.50. A sure loser.

But how do you translate this with max/multi-line betting? If I bet 5 lines at a time, does this count as 5 of the 100 to 200 "spins" or just one of the 100 to 200 spins?

In other words, if I bet $1.25 (all 5 lines) on a quarter 5-line WOF machine and that counted as 5 spins, then I should hit the bonus wheel after pressing the spin button 20 to 40 times (100/5 to 200/5). That would cost me $25-$50, but at $1.25 a bet my bonus wheel payout would be 25 to 50 times $1.25 -- or $31.25 to $62.50. Seems like I should be making a regular profit under those assumptions, all other payouts aside, correct?

Seems like a huge swing in terms of profitability which i find hard to believe. So the question is: When you bet 5 lines does it only count as one or five of the 100 to 200 spins? The implications seem enormous...

I'm not very familiar with the community bonus Wheel of Fortune. However, the bonus frequency in that game I think is tied to an individual event, like getting both halves of a wheel symbol. I could easily be wrong, but I think that what matters is the speed of play, but not the amount bet per spin. You're rewarded for betting more per spin by getting more when I bonus hits.

(Thanks Wizard)

I was actually referring to just the simple little bonus wheel on top of the non-community WOF games, where you get anywhere from 25 to 1000 credits on the spin. You get to spin that wheel when you get three "Spin" symbols in a row. (I am referring to the machines currently at McCarran by the way).

When you say the "bonus frequency in that game is tied to... " are you referring to Wheel of Fortune games in general, or did you specifically mean community Wheel of Fortune games?

Also, anything behind the speed of play hunch? Are you suggesting that the game recognizes it when you play more rapidly and changes its bonus frequency? In other words, rewards people that bet more per hour?

Quote: shaferdaniel

(Thanks Wizard)

I was actually referring to just the simple little bonus wheel on top of the non-community WOF games, where you get anywhere from 25 to 1000 credits on the spin. You get to spin that wheel when you get three "Spin" symbols in a row. (I am referring to the machines currently at McCarran by the way).

When you say the "bonus frequency in that game is tied to... " are you referring to Wheel of Fortune games in general, or did you specifically mean community Wheel of Fortune games?

Also, anything behind the speed of play hunch? Are you suggesting that the game recognizes it when you play more rapidly and changes its bonus frequency? In other words, rewards people that bet more per hour?

On all WOF games that I know of, the bonus is triggered by a symbol combination. This includes the community WOF games. The difference on the community games is that players can play the bonus at the same time if they so choose.

On WOF community game, there is nothing behind the speed of play. Obviously, though, if you play more games in an hour, you will get more bonuses in an hour. This is different from other community games in which your rate of play matters because the bonus is a "mystery" trigger, meaning that it is not triggered by a reel combination.

Quote: shaferdaniel

Seems like a huge swing in terms of profitability which i find hard to believe. So the question is: When you bet 5 lines does it only count as one or five of the 100 to 200 spins? The implications seem enormous...

If a bonus is triggered by getting a certain number of symbols on a payline, then the bonus is awarded more frequently as you wager on more lines. In this case, the pay in the bonus is usually scaled by the number of credits wagered on the bonus initiating line. So, wagering 5 lines is a lot like playing 5 games, except they are not independent. Playing 5 games at one line gives you the opportunity to win the bonus 5 times, but wagering 5 lines gives you 5 times the probability of winning the bonus once.

Sometimes, though, a bonus is triggered by "scatter" symbols, which do not need to appear on a payline, just anywhere on the reels. In this case, the bonus frequency remains the same regardless of lines played or bet per line, but the average win in the bonus is scaled according to your total wager.

Some exceptions can be made to the above statements on games that require the player to play all lines, or on Multi-Way type games (those advertised as 243 ways to win).

If a bonus is triggered by getting a certain number of symbols on a payline, then the bonus is awarded more frequently as you wager on more lines. In this case, the pay in the bonus is usually scaled by the number of credits wagered on the bonus initiating line. So, wagering 5 lines is a lot like playing 5 games, except they are not independent. Playing 5 games at one line gives you the opportunity to win the bonus 5 times, but wagering 5 lines gives you 5 times the probability of winning the bonus once.

Thank you CrystalMath! very helpful.

So playing five lines doesn't give you an advantage at all then, other than hoping you hit a big bonus quickly so you can walk away on the good side of Lady Variance?

Correct, you don't generally gain an advantage, but playing more lines makes the game more interesting.

On my favorite game, the bonus frequency is about 1 in 1400 for playing one line. It would be very boring waiting for that bonus. Instead, the manufacturer wants you to have more fun by playing all 15 lines, which makes the bonus frequency more line 1 in 90 games.