Mini games in slots

What mini games in slots are

A mini game is a bonus played away from the main reels. When it triggers, the screen changes to a different game, often with its own graphics and rules, and an extra prize is decided there before you return to spinning. Wikipedia's slot machine history (opens in a new tab) describes the original idea well: with this type of machine the display changes to provide a different game in which an additional payout may be awarded.

Mini games are also called bonus games, second-screen bonuses, feature games or subgames. The broader family of bonus rounds is covered on slot machine bonus features, and individual mechanics such as the pick me bonus and the bonus wheel have their own pages. This page looks at what all mini games share, how their prizes are really set, and what that means for cost. It sits within our slot features hub.

A short history of second-screen mini games

Mini games arrived with video screens. According to Wikipedia, the 'second screen' bonus appeared in Australia from at least 1994 with Three Bags Full, and the first American video slot to offer one was Reel 'Em In, developed by WMS Industries in 1996. The Wikipedia history of WMS Industries (opens in a new tab) calls Reel 'Em In the company's first hit casino slot.

In Britain, fruit machines developed their own version: features, trails and subgames on the top glass that run alongside the reels. Our pages on the first video slot machines and slot machines in Britain tell the longer story.

How a slot mini game works, step by step

1. A trigger lands on the reels, usually three or more bonus symbols, and the game switches to the mini game screen.
2. The random number generator sets up the round. In many designs it decides the total prize now; in others it decides each reveal as you go.
3. You make choices: pick a chest, spin a wheel, roll to move round a board, or choose between two kinds of free spins.
4. The game reveals prizes in response, adding them to a running total.
5. The round ends on a 'collect' result, a set number of picks or the end of the board, and the total is paid to your balance.

Because the mini game is triggered from a paid spin, it is part of that spin's result and needs no extra stake. The Gambling Commission's guidance on speed of play notes that the 2.5-second time-to-result rule does not apply to bonus games that require no extra stake, which is why mini games can take as long as they need to play out.

Types of mini game in slots and fruit machines

On fruit machines, the board format is the feature trail, and the card format is the hi-lo gamble. Online, the wheel format often leads to a jackpot, covered on the jackpot wheel page.

Pick game maths: do your choices matter?

This is the question most players ask, and the answer is: not to the average. Developers build pick games in one of two ways, and the game help screen usually says which.

• Predetermined. The total prize is drawn when the round starts. Whatever you pick, the reveals add up to that total; the choices decide only the order in which you see things.
• Equal-value picks. Each reveal is drawn at random as you pick, from the same prize table, so every option has the same expected value.

Here is an illustrative equal-value example at a 20p stake. Five chests hide 5x, 10x, 10x, 20x and 50x the stake, shuffled at random, and you pick one.

Whichever chest you choose, the average is 19x, or £3.80 at 20p. Changing your pick, picking quickly or following a pattern makes no difference, because the prizes are shuffled at random each time. The value of the whole mini game is also already priced into the base game: it is one part of the slot's RTP, not money on top of it. Our glossary entry on the pick bonus has a short summary.

Choosing between bonus modes: a real choice, but not about value

Some mini games offer a choice that does change the experience, such as a few free spins with a big multiplier versus many free spins with a small one. These options are usually balanced to have the same, or very nearly the same, average return. What differs is the spread: the few-spins option is more volatile. That is a genuine decision about how you like to play, but not a route to a better expected result. Our volatility guide explains the trade-off, and free spins covers the spins themselves.

Slots with mini games and pick bonuses

These examples come only from our verified slot facts.

Read more on Blood Suckers II, Action Bank, The Goonies Return, Monopoly Big Event, Ted and Big Bass Secrets of the Golden Lake. Branded titles lean heavily on mini games; see TV and film slot machines for more.

Mini games on UK fruit machines and pub machines

On a pub fruit machine the mini games are usually built into the top glass: a trail lit by number spins, a cash ladder you can gamble up or down, or a board where squares award nudges, cash or a further feature. They are fun to watch, but they sit inside the same rules as the reels. A Category C pub machine takes at most £1 and pays at most £100 per game; Category B3 machines in bingo halls and adult gaming centres take up to £2 and pay up to £500.

Many fruit machines are compensated, so their mini games may be steered towards a target payout over time. Gamble features let you risk a win for a bigger one, and choosing well within what the machine offers can avoid missing a win it has made available, but no technique beats the built-in payout percentage. Limits come from the Gambling Commission's gaming machine categories (opens in a new tab) guidance.

Mini game myths and facts

Each myth assumes the round is a contest of skill. It isn't; it is a reveal. See what triggers a bonus round and why slots have so many features now for more context.

UK rules for mini games slots online

The bonus round is part of an online slot, so the UK's online rules apply to the game as a whole. Since 31 October 2021 there has been no autoplay, a 2.5-second minimum per game cycle on the reels, no turbo or slam-stop, and no celebrating a return that is equal to or less than your stake; if a mini game pays less than the spin that triggered it, it can't be presented as a win. Games must show rules and the RTP before play, under RTS 3 on game rules and the likelihood of winning (opens in a new tab).

The paid spin that leads into the mini game can't exceed £5 for anyone 25 or older (the limit since 9 April 2025) or £2 for those aged 18 to 24 (the limit since 21 May 2025). Our UK slot machine rules guide gathers everything in one place.

Where to play slots with mini games in the UK

Pick bonuses, wheels and board games feature in a large share of UK casino lobbies, especially among branded titles, but game libraries change, so search each casino for the slots above before joining.

These offers are for new customers aged 18 and over, and terms apply. Coral: deposit and then bet £10 or more on slots to receive 100 free spins on selected games, each worth 10p; accept them within 48 hours and use them within 7 days, with no wagering on winnings (offer runs 1 October 2026 to 1 February 2027; Neteller, PayPal, Paysafe, Skrill, prepaid cards and certain debit cards don't qualify). Ladbrokes: deposit and spend £10 on slots for 50 free spins a day across your first ten days, up to 500, each 10p on selected games, claimed by 23:59 each day and valid for 7 days, with no wagering. PlayOJO: 80 free spins on Big Bass Bonanza, 10p each with no wagering, for new UK customers (excluding Northern Ireland) making a first deposit of at least £10. Coral and Ladbrokes are both operated by LC International Limited (Entain), so one person may not be able to hold new accounts at both. Compare all five of our casinos on the UK casinos page.

Mini games are designed to be engaging. Set a time limit as well as a money limit, and use a reality check so the casino reminds you how long you have been playing.

18+. Gambling should be entertainment that costs money, not a way to make it. Decide a budget before you play: plan a slot budget. Free, confidential help: National Gambling Helpline 0808 8020 133.