Tired of watching your balance drain while waiting for scatter symbols that never come? Relax Gaming’s latest innovation might just be the answer to every bonus hunter’s prayers—and it’s already causing serious waves across the iGaming industry.
Look, we’ve all been there. You’re 200 spins deep into a slot, your bankroll is bleeding out, and those three scatter symbols just refuse to land. It’s frustrating as hell, and let’s be honest—sometimes it makes you want to ragequit and find something else to play.
Relax Gaming seems to have picked up on this exact pain point, and their solution is actually pretty clever. Enter Bonus Reels™, a new mechanic that’s neither a traditional bonus buy nor regular gameplay—it’s somewhere in between, and that’s what makes it interesting.
So What’s The Deal With Bonus Reels™?
Here’s the basic pitch: for 10x your base bet, you can activate Bonus Reels™ and get a spin that has roughly a 1-in-10 shot at triggering the bonus round. That’s it. No complicated math, no confusing multipliers—just a straightforward way to hunt bonuses more aggressively without dropping 100x your bet on a straight bonus buy.
The cool part? Your RTP stays exactly the same. You’re not getting ripped off or paying a premium for worse odds. You’re essentially just filtering out all the regular symbols and focusing purely on scatter hunting. When you activate it, the reels only show bonus symbols or blanks—nothing else.
Think of it like this: normally you’re fishing in a lake with a thousand different fish. With Bonus Reels™, you’re fishing in the same lake but you’ve somehow filtered it so only the fish you actually want can bite your hook. The odds of catching something worthwhile just went way up.
Where Can You Try It Right Now?
Relax Gaming rolled this out across five of their existing titles, and honestly, it’s a pretty diverse lineup:
- Bill & Coin 2: Mummy Mischief – This one’s got a dual bonus structure (regular and super bonus), which makes the Bonus Reels™ feature particularly spicy. When you’re chasing two different types of bonuses, that 1-in-10 chance feels even more valuable.
- Jumbo Juicy – A high-volatility fruit slot that was already pretty intense. Now you can cut through the dead spins and get straight to the action. Perfect for impatient players.
- Conquer Babylon – The expanding reels mechanic here pairs really well with Bonus Reels™. We spent a solid hour testing this combo and the results were… let’s just say our bankroll had some wild swings.
- Aura God – If you’re hunting those god-tier multipliers, Bonus Reels™ makes the grind way less painful. This one’s probably our second favorite implementation.
- Ancient Tumble – The cascading reels actually create some interesting interactions with Bonus Reels™. Each bonus-focused spin can still cascade multiple times, which adds an extra layer of excitement.
The Math Actually Makes Sense
Okay, let’s talk numbers because this is where Bonus Reels™ really shines compared to traditional bonus buys.
Say you’re playing at $0.20 per spin (pretty standard for casual play). A normal bonus buy would cost you $15-20, sometimes more. That’s a chunk of change, especially if you’re playing on a budget.
With Bonus Reels™? You’re looking at $2 per activation. Still not cheap, but way more accessible. You could take ten shots at triggering the bonus for the same price as one guaranteed bonus buy. And honestly, with a 1-in-10 trigger rate, the math works out pretty favorably.
What Makes This Different From Regular Bonus Buys?
This is the question everyone’s asking, and it’s a fair one. Here’s the breakdown of why Bonus Reels™ isn’t just another bonus buy feature:
- You’re still playing the game – You don’t skip straight to free spins. You’re still spinning, still watching the reels, still experiencing that anticipation.
- Way cheaper – 10x versus 75-100x is a massive difference. This puts enhanced gameplay within reach of way more players.
- RTP stays intact – No hidden costs, no reduced payouts. The game’s math doesn’t change.
- It’s optional every spin – Toggle it on when you’re feeling lucky, turn it off when you want to grind normally. Total flexibility.
- Pre-approved everywhere – Operators can flip this on immediately without waiting for regulatory approval in different markets.
The CEO, Martin Stålros, put it pretty well: “Bonus Reels™ is about giving players choice and momentum. For those who love the thrill of bonus features, this offers a quicker route into the action while maintaining the same RTP.”
He’s not wrong. The feature gives you control without feeling like you’re being nickeled and dimed.
Why This Actually Feels Good to Use
Here’s something most press releases won’t tell you: Bonus Reels™ addresses a real psychological issue with slots. Dead spins suck. They’re demotivating, they kill momentum, and they make you question why you’re even playing.
When you activate Bonus Reels™, every spin feels meaningful. You’re not just throwing money into the void—you’re actively hunting. Even when you don’t hit, there’s this sense that you were trying to make something happen, not just mindlessly pressing a button.
Plus, you still get the rush when those scatters finally land. It’s not instant gratification like a bonus buy. You’re still chasing, still hoping, still experiencing the highs and lows. Just with better odds and less frustration.
Smart Ways to Use It (From Our Testing)
We’ve been messing around with this feature pretty extensively, and here’s what we’ve learned:
- Don’t go all-in immediately – Start small. Get a feel for how often it actually triggers before you start betting bigger amounts.
- Set a Bonus Reels™ budget – Decide upfront how much you’re willing to spend on enhanced spins versus regular play. Keeps you from burning through your bankroll too fast.
- Mix regular and boosted spins – We found the sweet spot is about 1 Bonus Reels™ spin for every 5-7 regular spins. Keeps things interesting without breaking the bank.
- Know when to walk away – If you hit two or three bonuses in quick succession, consider switching back to regular play. Variance is weird, and sometimes you’re better off riding the wave normally.
- Best games for it – Bill & Coin 2 is king here. The dual bonus structure makes every Bonus Reels™ activation feel like you’re getting double the value.
What Operators Think
From a online casinos perspective, this is a no-brainer to implement. It’s already certified, it integrates seamlessly, and it gives players something new to engage with without requiring a complete game overhaul.
More importantly, it keeps players around longer. Instead of rage-quitting after a bad run, players can flip on Bonus Reels™ and give themselves a realistic shot at turning things around. Better player retention, longer sessions, happier customers—everyone wins.
Where’s This Going?
Relax Gaming has made it clear this isn’t a one-off experiment. Bonus Reels™ is getting rolled out to future releases across their network. They’re betting big on this mechanic, and honestly, we think they’re right to do so.
The question is whether other providers will follow suit. We’re already seeing whispers in the industry about competing features. Will someone try to one-up this with a 5x option for 1-in-20 odds? Or maybe a 20x super-charged version with 1-in-5 odds and enhanced multipliers?
The framework is flexible enough that we could see all kinds of variations. Variable pricing tiers, combo deals, progressive Bonus Reels™ that get better the more you use them—the possibilities are pretty endless.
Our Take
After spending way too many hours testing this across all five games, here’s the bottom line: Bonus Reels™ is legit. It’s not a gimmick, it’s not a cash grab, and it’s not trying to trick you into spending more money.
It’s a genuine quality-of-life improvement that makes slots more fun to play. For casual players who don’t have endless bankrolls, it opens up access to bonus features without requiring a massive investment. For grinders and bonus hunters, it’s a tool that makes the hunt way more efficient.
Bill & Coin 2: Mummy Mischief is still our top pick for experiencing this feature. The dual bonus structure just makes every activation feel more impactful. But honestly? All five games are worth trying.
As this rolls out to more titles over the next few months, we expect Bonus Reels™ to become a standard feature that players actively look for. It’s one of those innovations that seems obvious in hindsight—why didn’t anyone think of this sooner?
We’ll be posting full reviews of Bonus Reels™ across all supported titles here on PokiesCritic, plus some deeper strategy guides once we’ve put in more hours. Stay tuned.
