How does bonus buys affect the RTP of slots? Slots with feature/bonus buy options are getting more and more frequent, and we see more and more slot streamers on twitch with insane wins buying bonuses. At the same time I feel that the normal slot playing with low stake is getting harder and harder. Basically, I get the feeling that the small stake players like myself are feeding the big shots that have sufficient money on hand to keep on buying bonuses. Yey or Ney?
This isn't how slots work. They aren't 'compensated' machines, where the slot 'fills up' and then eventually pays out. Each spin is independent and the play from other people (and indeed, your own play, unless there is some kind of 'collection' mechanic or shared jackpot) has no impact on any other spins.
How do games with a build up bonus such as Holy Diver or Lil Devil maintain equal RTP on every spin? How do they game mechanics accommodate this?
Some games you can change the volatility yourself - there being a toggle option on the screen. How does this actually change volatility - is it a different maths model on each setting but hitting same rtp?
Where you have a "choice" such as one of three boxes, and you win 10x but the other two options reveal 2x and 1000x, how does this equate to RTP? Does the RTP only reflect if you have chosen the 1000x option and is the rest of the RTP lost? Or is the three options given an average so the rtp calculation thinks the game has paid 337x?
How many choices are truly choices - and how many pick me bonuses are fully decided when triggered and the rest is smoke and mirrors?
Some Pragmatic games have a "bonus guarantee" built in (big Bass bonanza) - as does Gold Collector (Netent i think) which guarantees one of the free spins will be a hold and spin feature.... does this imply / confirm the entire bonus is predetermined?
None of these are meant aggressively - its genuine interest.
1. They don't. RTP is determined from the entire maths model, which will mean the collected 'super bonus' is taken into account. I.E, if you play and never collect a 'super bonus', you will, theoretically, be below the theoretical RTP. Things like Kingmaker where you collect multipliers can actually work in your benefit. If you are 'lucky' enough to not get a bonus, you'd end up playing a >100% RTP version of the game. Of course, the probability of the bonus is calculated as such to have statistically well before this point.
2. Yes, different maths models, same RTP.
3, 4. All pick bonuses are fake. You only ever get what you were given, regardless what you choose. However, even if they were real (like in Land based), the theoretical RTP would be calculated based on a mathamatical model that assumes the choices presented are mostly lower and therefore the chance of picking a big one can be calculated based off that.
5. Many bonuses are pre-determined, but that just means it is all calculated at the point you press spin, rather than every spin in the bonus being sent to the RNG. Regardless, it makes no difference to the implementation. If you've not hit a hold and spin or a min amount by the last spin, then it'll give you that value on the last spin. If all the spins were determined at the same time, then it could conceivably change the order of them and give you the winning one in the middle to make it less obvious. Doesn't really make any difference. It'll still be based on the logic of 'If last spin and winnings < 10x then give win'. That 'give win' bit could be set to give 10x, or it could just be 'keep rerolling the last spin until one of htem is bigger than 10x'. Lots of ways to do it.
