If you've never seen or played an online slot tournament before, you'll certainly find this guide to playing slot tournaments insightful. Below, we have listed the many different types of slot tournaments available online. Besides different types of tournaments, we also provide a step-by-step guide for joining online slot tournaments. You can easily learn more about free slot tournaments, as well as buy-in tourneys with entry fees.
And if you enjoy playing games on mobile, you can also learn more about mobile slot tournaments perfect for smartphones and tablets.
The number of online casinos that offer a range of daily slot tournaments is growing constantly. You may want to consider participating in some of these slot tournaments if you are playing on a tight budget. They allow you to get your daily slot gaming fix and also win a potentially huge payout.
What Are Slot Tournaments and How They Work
Online slot tournaments are online casino tournament events focusing on online slot games. The goal of every player at a tournament is to play allocated games, earn points and advance on the leaderboard during the tournament period. Once the tournament ends, all winners that succeed in landing on the leaderboard will be rewarded with corresponding prizes.
Essentially, a slot tournament is a classic format of casino tournaments, only with an emphasis on slot games, not other types of casino games. Casino tournaments are a very popular form of entertainment at gambling websites. There are tournaments for nearly every game category. However, the most popular options are certainly poker tournaments, as well as blackjack tournaments and slot tournaments. If you want to learn more about casino tournaments in general, please check out this guide right here.
Now, in tourney events for slot games, players have only online slot games as qualifying games. After enrolling, players get a list of qualifying slots that they can play if they want to advance in the tournament and ultimately get a prize.
There are also many types of slot tournaments. They can be categorized by the way you enroll (freerolls and buy-ins), when they occur (scheduled/sit and go), by length (elimination tournaments, time-limited promos), and many other things.
Another thing that is important to note is that they can be either a regular offer from the casino, often listed in a separate section of the lobby, or a special type of offer that is stored in the Promo section. Some old-school casinos host tourneys regularly, while other casinos tend to promote free slot tournaments as a special kind of entertainment once in a while.
Important Elements of Slot Tournaments
Those who are new to online slot promos and tourneys will often encounter the following terms, which is why it’s good to familiarize yourself with them before you start joining online slot tournaments.
Prize Pool
The prize pool is the total amount of money that is available in a tournament as prize money. Participants typically get a share of the prize pool once the event ends. It is a type of a ‘pot money’ that players share at the end of the event.
Leaderboard
Players participating in a tournament are ranked according to their success in completing the given task for the promotion. A list with their ranking that is updated as the tournament goes is called the leaderboard.
Qualifying Games
Qualifying games refer to games that participate in a tournament. Players who wish to participate in the tourney must play only the selected games, otherwise their progress will not be valid nor noted as progress in the tournament. Qualifying games may sometimes be grouped and chosen according to provider, or games with the same theme, features, mechanics, etc.
Entry Fee
While the majority of events are free slot tournaments, there are events that require either a deposit or a bet of a certain amount if the player wants to participate. This amount that the player must play either through a bet or a deposit is called entry fee. Tourneys with entry fees are also called buy-ins.
Wagering Requirements
While most modern slot events – promos, tournaments, races, etc. – have wager-free prizes, it’s not odd to see prizes that are restricted by wagering requirements. Wagering requirements (or playthrough/rollover) apply to most casino bonuses, and occasionally tournament prizes. It refers to the number of times that the prize amount must be wagered before you are given permission to cash it out.
Wagering Contributions
Wagering contributions refer to the percentage of the bet that is counted towards meeting the wagering requirement. In other words, betting $1 on a slot with a 100% wag contribution means that the entire $1 will count towards the rollover. But if you are playing a game with a lower percentage – like 95% – then it’s $0.95 that counts, not the entire bet. Contributions are different for all game types, check that before playing.
Accumulated Wins
A type of tournament in which the points that players earn are accumulated and added together to create one total. This is mostly the format for slot tournaments in which players are tasked with collecting points for triggering some features. The more times the feature is triggered, the more points players accumulate.
Varying Balance
A type of tournament in which the players have fluctuations in points. For example, players have to score the highest possible win with the smallest possible bet. Every time they get a new outcome – no matter if it beats their personal best result or not – their new win is taken as their entry for the leaderboard, and so they qualify with that result.
Types of Slot Tournaments
Slot tournaments are regular casino tournaments. If you are familiar with the standard types of casino tournaments, the following list will not surprise you.
Here are some of the common types of online slot tournaments.
Freerolls
This is the most common and most popular form of slot tourneys. Slot freerolls, or freeroll slot tournaments are promo events that require no buy-in. In other words, anyone can join the tournament without any kind of fee.
Buy-in Events
The opposite of freerolls, buy-in slot tournaments are tournaments in which players are required to pay a fee to enter. The fee can be either a deposit (a minimum deposit that is necessary for the promo) or a wager inside qualifying games.
Elimination Tournaments
Elimination tournaments are typically events that have more than one phase. As phases progress, players compete for a spot in the group that goes to the next stage. These events are not typical for slot games, but there are tourneys for casino games in general with four or more elimination stages.
Scheduled Tourneys
Scheduled tournaments begin at a date and time specified by the casino. The information is published well in advance so that potential participants could have enough time to get ready for the slot tournament. Many modern slot tournaments are scheduled.
Sit and Go Slot Tournaments
Sit and Go slot tourneys are events that are much faster than scheduled ones. They can happen anytime, as soon as there are enough players that are required as participants for the event. This is more popular for table games, but it’s possible to see this format applied to slots, as well.
Invitation-Only
This refers to exclusive tournaments. Exclusive tournaments are not available to everyone. For most tourneys, it’s VIP-only, or even VIP-VIP only. The casino reserves the right to invite only the players the management deems worthy. In most cases, the casino handpicks punters according to their betting habits or VIP level.
How to Join an Online Slot Tournament
Slot tournaments are very easy promo events. However, as different casinos host different events, the enrollment might look a little bit different. However, the point is always the same – pick a tournament, sign up, play qualifying games, and try to climb the leaderboard to hit the best possible prize.
We broke down the process into six easy steps for joining a free slot tournament below.
Step 1: Register/Sign in at the Casino
Before you get to play games, you must join the casino. Only registered players are allowed to join casino tournaments because they are played with real money. Therefore, the first and necessary step is to find a reliable casino and register (or sign in, if you already have one).
Step 2: Pick a Tournament
Picking tournaments might also be considered the first step, as players who are not already playing at any venue might choose a casino depending on the tournament they offer. Therefore, picking a slot tournament is as important as picking a casino. However, if you already have a casino account, browse the selection of tournaments and pick the slot tournament that suits you.
Step 3: Place a Deposit
Regardless of the type of tournament, if it’s a freeroll or buy-in, you will need funds to play the games. You don’t have to place the deposit before playing, but it would be smarter to do. If the tournament requires a fee or a buy-in, make sure to have that amount ready when you go to join the event.
Step 4: Opt-in For the Event
This is an optional step and may not be included at every casino for every tournament. Namely, some casinos require an opt-in for all players willing to participate in the event. You cannot participate or earn anything valid without this opt-in. Make sure to check the rules before you join the tournament.
Step 5: Play the Qualifying Games
Now that you enrolled in the event, it’s time for the games. Locate the qualifying games in the lobby and play them to earn the points. Depending on the type of event, the games may be associated by provider, theme, mechanic, or any other element. In most cases, the exact list of qualifying games is available when you are enrolling.
Step 6: Wait for the Casino to Distribute the Rewards
Once you have finished the tournament, it’s time for the casino to distribute prizes. The prizes will probably be distributed within two or three days. Pay close attention to prize rules, as they might entail rollover. If yes, the rollover must be completed within the specified time frame.
Slot Tournament Strategy: How to Win at Slot Tournaments
There is no definite and surefire way to win at tournaments always. However, there are some things you can do to ensure you have the best possible results.
First, play only at casinos that are registered, licensed, and trusted.
The choice of tournament also makes a major difference – not all tournaments are created equal, and not all have your best interest at heart. So pick good tournaments with fair rules.
Make sure the rules suit you: the qualifying games are interesting to you, the prizes are good, and it’s possible to win without breaking the bank. Moreover, the prizes should be wager-free. Lastly, pick freerolls over buy-ins as they are easier and cost less to play in.
Playing Slot Tournaments on Mobile
For all those who are mobile-friendly and enjoy playing on the go, joining slot tournaments is also possible.
It’s easy. Just visit the casino on your device – smartphone or tablet, Android or iOS, it doesn’t matter – and find the tournament. Enroll and start playing games to qualify and climb to the top of the leaderboard for a prize.
You can join both via mobile browsers and via apps. However, not all casinos have downloadable apps. But truthfully, apps do not help that much. It’s a very similar experience to playing at a web-based casino. However, browser-based gameplay requires no downloads or storage, but you have to log in every time you visit the casino site.
For more information on playing on mobile devices, please visit our mobile casino guide.
Best Slot Tournament Games
The choice of games at tournaments is rarely up to the players. Still, it’s good to know what games are great and what games to avoid when joining slot tournaments.
Let’s be honest: there are hundreds, even thousands of online slots available for real money and freeplay. It would take a several lifetimes to try them all, and yet, there are some casino slots that game suppliers and operators favor when it comes to slot tournaments.
It’s difficult to produce a list of actual online slots, because that indeed changes. For instance, Book of Dead is a game that is always going to be popular, but so is most of Play’n GO’s catalogue. A similar thing applies to Immortal Romance which used to be all the rage back in the day, but the remastered version and the Immortal Romance II slightly ruined the reputation of the iconic vampire slot.
Latest Releases
So, the choice of qualifying games in a tournament is never random. Sometimes it’s the theme, other times is the same producer, but there’s always something. Our first recommendation is to expect for slot tournaments to feature latest releases.
In some cases, a slot tournament may feature new games from more than one provider, other times it’s strictly one game studio that is promoting its new content. Either way, gear up for a close inspection of the newest addition to the growing game catalogue.
Please bear in mind that just because games are new, it doesn’t mean they are great. They might feature excellent graphics, promise high payouts, but turn out to have daring features that are difficult to trigger. As a result, you may end up wasting funds and achieving mediocre results in a tournament that should’ve been a smashing success. Hence, make sure to check every game’s details (RTP, variance, etc.) before playing.
Games with High RTP & Low Variance
This is an obvious recommendation. RTP refers to the amount of money you can expect return to you over a period of time, and although it’s not set in stone, it’s a pretty strong indicator of how player-friendly the game is.
The same goes for volatility. Volatility and RTP are the two main slot stats indicating how fair the game is. Variance shows you the temperament of the game, as well as the size of payouts you might encounter during the session. The winning combo for any game is high RTP, low volatility.
This combination produces frequent but small wins, which is overall great for casual players who like the hit of dopamine when the game pays out but don’t expect to become millionaires in one spin. Those looking for bigger payouts mostly go for high variance games, which we don’t recommend for slot tournaments.
Anything from Play’n GO
Book of Dead is a Play’n GO game. You know what else is a Play’n GO game? Reactoonz, Gemix 100. Sweet Alchemy, Legion Gold games, and a slew of Joker games.
In other words, there’s nothing you might want to play that Play’n GO does not offer. After all, they’ve been around for years, and they understand the industry very well. But most importantly, Play’n GO makes games that are not only easy on the eyes, but are actually player-friendly. The same can be said for 4ThePlayer, and a slew of other game-makers such as Playson, Fantasma Games, and Relax Gaming.
Playing games that are only pretty to look at won’t get you anywhere. On the one hand, you will probably enjoy gameplay, distracted by the multiple attention-grabbing features and promises of big wins, but ultimately you will fail to reach the top of the slot tournament leaderboard. So, our tip for winning at slot tournaments is to play games from proven game studios, such as Play’n GO.
Holiday-Themed Games
Finally, if you are not joining high-roller slot tournaments, you might want to partake in a holiday event with limited edition content. There are dozens of these events at casinos each year. In fact, holiday promotions are the most common forms of casual slot tournaments.
And they are very inclusive. From Christmas and New Years Eve all the way to Thanksgiving, there’s always a fun holiday to celebrate. Of course, Xmas seems to be the top choice, as is Easter, St Paddy’s Day, and Dia de los Muertos. Halloween is another fan-favorite, thanks to which dozens of Halloween-themed slots appear each year.
Joining a Halloween slot tournament might introduce you to a new Halloween game, which would tick two boxes on this list. If it’s a Play’n GO slot, it’s a 10 across the board.
Conclusion
Slots attract millions of players each year. With such a grand audience, it’s no wonder that slot tournaments attract huge crowds, often with vast differences in tastes and preferences.
However, all slot tournaments have something in common – safety and entertainment. Players are expected to have fun, but they should also stay safe and play responsibly. With that said, please make sure to remember that slots in slot tournaments are regular online slots, meaning that they play and pay in exactly the same way as when you are playing them in the real money mode. They are 100% random.
Also, if a slot game on a tourney has a special bonus round, like Free Spins or similar, the odds of triggering said features are the same as they are outside the tournament. In other words, participating in a slot tournament does not change the game’s odds, payouts, or stats. If you are playing slot tournaments hoping to score more than regularly, please note that that is not possible nor logical.
