Expanding reels are a popular feature in online slots, and they can have a big impact on your experience of a game.
But how do reel expansions work, how do you trigger them, and what advantages can they bring? We’ll answer all of these big questions below.
What are Expanding Reels?
Many slots at online casinos include an expanding reels feature. When triggered, this increases the number of reels and/or rows in the playing area. For example, Pirots 4 uses a 6x6 set of reels at the start, but the layout can expand to an 8x8 setup as you get further into the game.
The design of expanding reel slots varies: reels may expand vertically or horizontally across the screen. In some cases, the extra reels and rows available will be faded or covered with a padlock to show that they’re currently inactive. But in others, there may be no visible indication that extra space is available.
Expanding reels may trigger during the base game, bonus features, or both. You might need to land certain symbols or meet specific criteria to expand reels, such as:
- Landing a winning combination
- Triggering a free spins or respin feature
- Collecting a certain number of symbols to unlock the extra space
In some cases, a reel expansion may unlock at random. Slots include information on how to trigger expanding reels in their paytable and rules — always check this before you play. Otherwise, you may not understand how or why expanding reels activate, which can make playing slots more complicated than it needs to be.
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What Benefits Do Expanding Reels in Slots Offer?
Slots with expanding reels provide the following benefits:
A Higher Number of Chances to Win
The more positions on the reels, the more opportunities you have to land winning combinations. For example, reel expansions can increase the number of chances to win from 243 per spin to more than 1,000.
However, the slot’s theoretical Return to Player (RTP) and volatility will remain the same. These are programmed into a game during the development process. While you have a bigger playing area for matching symbols, there’s no guarantee that you’ll win more frequently or grab bigger prizes.
Trigger Additional Bonus Features
Not only do expanding reel slots give you more chances to win, but they also create more positions to fill with bonus symbols. This can increase your chances of triggering other bonus features, such as pick-and-click rounds or free spins.
Add Value and Depth to a Game
Expanding reels can add variety to a game and prevent it from becoming stale, even over long sessions. Watching the playing area expand and trying to make it happen again may keep you spinning. This level of engagement can be more difficult for regular slots to achieve.
But expanding reels can also create a deeper gaming experience. You may need to wait a while for reels to expand, which can create more of a learning curve than expected in slots.
Are Expanding Reel Slots Different from Regular Slots?
Expanding reel slots and regular slots are largely the same. Both types involve spinning reels, matching symbols, and collecting wins.
However, most regular slots feature a fixed layout at all times. Even triggering bonus rounds will not change the game’s design. You may prefer this predictability and fixed setup, or you might find the prospect of an expanded playing area more appealing instead.
Whatever your personal tastes, it’s vital that you do your research before you play a slot. Make sure you check its:
- Theoretical RTP
- Volatility
- Minimum and maximum bet (capped at £5.00 for adults aged 25+ in the UK)
- Maximum win
- Bonus features
If possible, try regular and expanding reel slots in demo mode before you play with real money. This will help you make a fully informed decision without risk.
Conclusion
Expanding reel slots can give you more chances to win in the base game and bonus features, with potentially thousands of opportunities to line up matching symbols. But they also help enrich slots and create a deeper, more complex gaming experience.
Always check the rules before you play to understand how the expanding reels trigger and how many more positions they can add.
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