Sidebets and Online Slots

If apart from playing slot games you like to have a go on blackjack or roulette tables from time to time, then you know what are side bets in these casino classics. However, slots haven’t offered the opportunity of additional bets in the usual sense of the term – up until now because this December, the first game enhanced with this feature hit the floors of online casinos. Let’s take a closer look at the extra called Sidebets to see how it works and figure out whether or not it is worth a shot.

What Are Sidebets In Slots?

Sidebets is a unique game feature designed by ReelNRG, an internationally-renowned software developer based in London. Similar to the aforementioned blackjack and roulette, this extra allows punters to make additional bets at the beginning of each round with the only difference that Sidebets provides players with an opportunity to bet on the appearance of the scatters.

In a nutshell, Sidebets is an extra chance to land a win and trigger the sought-after bonus round chock-full with free spins. Instead of being a kind of a traditional in-game feature, it functions as a layover on the game enabled in the base mode. It is 100% optional, so every player can decide whether to give it a try or just ignore it. It is important to understand that this add-on has its own RTP (94.25% for reels 1, 2 and 94.18% for reels 3,4,5) and max exposure of $/€497.50, meaning it doesn’t interfere with regular gameplay at all.

How It Works

When players choose to activate Sidebets, they will be presented with bet values above the reels, which can be increased or decreased with the help of arrows for each reel accordingly. Players can decide on the number of reels to be engaged and activate just one or all five – needless to say, prizes derived from their side bets are awarded only for active reels with a scatter symbol.

In the case when a player has managed to land enough number of scatters and trigger the bonus, the Sidebets feature will be automatically deactivated but in the scenario with a non-winning spin, it will remain active for the next round unless not deactivated manually by clicking the dedicated SB button.

To illustrate the benefits of this feature, here is an example. Normally, when playing a slot with a 5-reel grid, you need at least 3 scatters to trigger free spins or any other bonus. For instance, you get only 2 (pretty frustrating, we know) and end up with no win. However, if the same situation occurs with the activated Sidebets feature and those two scatters appear on the reels where you have placed side bets, you will win 10x your bet for each reel, so both scatters will bring you impressive payouts.

Genie’s Gold

Genie’s Gold is the first slot enriched by ReelNRG with Sidebets. It is one of the most recent releases to go live across online casinos in the run-up to the winter holiday season. Even though it is not Christmas-themed, this captivating adventure hides some amazing presents able to add plenty of excitement to every celebration.

Powered by high volatility and set in the middle of a magic fairy-tale land of magnificent palaces and untold riches, the 5x4 reel layout offers players to hit their winning combinations on 20 pay lines. The game is enriched with wilds, scatters, and a rewarding free spins bonus boosted by three special expanding symbols. The activation of Sidebets can bring you 10.25x total bet for reels 1 and 2, and 9.75x total bet for reels 3, 4, and 5. The RTP for the base game is set at 96%.