Typically, bonus hunting in the gambling scene carries the meaning of players sometimes resorting to bonus abuse just to gain the best possible welcome bonus. However, the introduction of gambling streamers brought a brand new meaning to this term. Nowadays, some gambling streamers on platforms like Twitch produce a huge part of their content by resorting to bonus hunting while playing slots.
Simply explained, streamers engaging in bonus hunting are trying to win bonus games on numerous slots and save them for later. Once they have collected a certain number of bonus features or they have reached a certain budget limit, they reopen the games and play bonus rounds back to back.
There are different reasons why many people enjoy following streamers who practice bonus hunting. This type of gambling experience can be quite thrilling and entertaining, with the whole process of revealing different bonus features resembling content creators unboxing mystery boxes.
If you are interested in the way bonus hunting works and how streamers are creating their gambling content, we suggest you continue reading.
What is the Whole Bonus Hunting Ordeal
Bonus hunting became a popular category among casino streamers thanks to the Twitch streamers of CasinoGrounds. There are a few simple steps that define the process of slot bonus hunting that one could often watch on Twitch:
- Players bet money on different slots that offer bonus features such as free spins
- Each game is played until a bonus feature is triggered
- Game is exited before the bonus round starts playing
- All bonus features that have been collected are played back to back at the end of the stream
Viewers and followers of streamers are typically invited to take part in the bonus hunting before and during the streams. The community chat is where the bonus hunting usually starts, with everyone being able to join the respective bonus hunting thread and leave a comment on what the results from the hunt are going to be.
Stream viewers can also leave a comment recommending the streamers a slot they enjoy so they can include the game in the bonus hunting venture. If you cannot come up with a slot, you can check the various slot reviews available online and find a title that seems interesting and offers great bonus features.
Another very entertaining part of bonus hunting streams is whenever the streamers have triggered a bonus-pick feature while playing slots during the stream. Such bonus games will often allow players to choose between several options, each one revealing a different type of reward, or a number of free spins.
While it is much easier to fairly determine which is the option most viewers support by using the map voting, it is up to streamers to choose the poll system for bonus-pick moments during streams.
Is Bonus Hunting Used Only by Twitch Streamers?
It is true that the concept of bonus hunting on slots became popular on Twitch, thanks to CasinoGrounds streamers. It is not well known who first started making streams with this concept but bonus hunting definitely reached its fame among gambling streamers thanks to LetsGiveItASpin and NickSlots who started streams of this kind.
Even though the concept of slot bonus hunting became popular on Twitch, it can be implemented by any creator on any streaming platform that allows such content. If you are interested in this type of endeavour and you have always wanted to try streaming while playing your favourite slots, you can give bonus hunting a try.
The reason why bonus hunting became so popular was the engagement factor offered by streamers. Chasing the goal of triggering bonus rounds on multiple games is a high-risk experience that not everyone can afford. That is why many viewers feel contentment by simply watching their favourite streamers playing slots they find entertaining.
As soon as the “Guess the win” thread opens on the forum of the Twitch streamers initiating bonus hunting, viewers flock to watch the stream and give their predictions in hopes of enjoying a portion of the winnings. Streamers like NickSlots and LetsGiveItASpin often give their viewers the chance to compete for a cash prize of 10% of the total winnings from the slots sessions during the stream. Even if the streamer announced that the bonus hunting will be for winnings amounting to about £10,000, if he//she ends up winning more, one lucky contestant who has given a correct prediction will enjoy 10% of the actual win.
Often streamers decide to be generous and actually pick a few more winners from the “Guess the win” thread. Sometimes, viewers can also win prizes like exclusive merchandise, free spins, casino bonuses and other fun perks. In addition to rewarding their viewers, streamers participating in bonus hunting will often also fund charities. That is why it is possible to see dedicated bonus hunting events streamed for the purpose of raising money for a charitable organisation.
Types of Bonus Hunting Streams
Although the concept of bonus hunting is pretty much the same, there are two popular methods used by streamers to win bonus rounds back-to-back. The first approach to slot bonus hunting is considered a standard practice of using raw balance. The second type of bonus hunting is more common for quick streams and it includes using feature buys.
Raw Balance Bonus Hunting During Streams
As already mentioned, this is the original method used by streamers and it is considered to be the established standard for this type of stream. In such cases, as the name of the approach suggests, streamers are placing wagers on slots using their own money they have deposited into their casino accounts.
The raw balance method seems a bit more genuine as viewers know streamers are using their own money to play, just as any regular player would do. No bonus money is used during such bonus hunting streams, with streamers actually risking their real money to play and trigger bonus features.
Many viewers appreciate this type of approach to bonus hunting as it feels a lot more realistic. With streamers using nothing extra but their own money, every win and every loss seem more genuine. Whenever a bonus feature or a huge win is triggered, those watching the stream know that everything is due to luck, just as in everyday gambling experiences.
Since many find the raw balance approach more genuine, it is also the more popular method among bonus hunting streamers. Viewers anticipate the huge wins and the opening of the bonus rounds at the end of the stream just as much as the streamers who play with their own money.
Future Buy Bonus Hunting Streams
Although the process of bonus hunting is somewhat similar to the standard raw balance one, in this case, players are simply buying the features in the games instead of waiting to trigger them by playing the slots.
Streamers who opt for future buys will still risk their money as buying the in-game bonuses typically will cost them about 100x their original stake. However, in this case, they will be guaranteed to trigger the bonus game instead of leaving everything to their luck.
While this approach is less popular than the raw balance one, with slots such as Big Time Gaming’s White Rabbit, more bonus hunting streams started buying in-game bonus features. The final result is just as exciting but spares streamers the time to simply wait until they are lucky enough to trigger the bonus features.
Bonus Hunting Using Bonus Funds
There is also a third approach to bonus hunting during streams but it is very uncommon as it leaves the impression of advantage play. In such cases, streamers deposit to their casino accounts and redeem some of the bonuses they are offered by casinos. Once they see the bonus funds added to their gaming balance, streamers have more money to play slots during their bonus hunting streams.
However, whenever a streamer redeems a match bonus, he/she must comply with the strict terms and conditions that apply to the promotional offering. This often rules out the option to buy in-game features. Moreover, there is a maximum bet they must stick to while using bonus funds to make sure they are compliant with bonus rules.
Another great disadvantage of using a match bonus during bonus hunting streams will be having to meet wagering requirements. Typically, casino bonuses come with playthrough conditions that must be fulfilled in order for winnings to be released as a withdrawable amount. Naturally, such limitations do not appeal to viewers who want to enjoy a thrilling slot experience that they cannot afford to participate in themselves.
Slots Suitable for Bonus Hunting Streams
If you want to try bonus hunting streaming yourself or you want to find suitable slots to suggest during the next bonus hunting session of your favourite streamers, you might want to learn which types of games will ensure the best outcomes and plenty of entertainment for both the streamers and their viewers.
Even though the majority of video slots feature bonus games that can be triggered, that does not make every slot suitable for the case of hunting bonuses on slots. Streamers typically prefer specific types of slots whenever they are expecting to achieve a thrilling experience chasing bonus features:
High-volatility slots
Whenever you are choosing suitable gaming options for bonus hunting sessions, you should resort to high-volatility slots. If a game has high volatility this would indicate a high risk as well. However, playing with high volatility indicates that in the long run, the risk would be rewarded with huge wins, including triggering bonus features.
As the whole concept of bonus hunting is to trigger the special features on as many games as possible, playing a low-volatility slot will be of no use. Although such games can award regular small wins, triggering a bonus feature would be very hard to achieve.
Book-themed slots
Even though not all book-themed slots are the same, one feature that most of them share is having expanding symbols. The presence of such advanced icons makes the bonus features of slots more exciting and rewarding, making book-themed slots perfect for bonus hunting streams.
If you combine the high-volatility factor with a book-themed slot, you can expect a very rewarding and fun streaming session, with a great potential for generous bonus spins at the end of the stream.
Controversies Surrounding Bonus Hunting Streaming
While this subgenre of gambling streaming is getting more popular, it also has its fair share of controversies. As already mentioned, streamers tend to use their own money to play the slots, which many viewers see as a genuine gaming experience. That said, there are also many people who accuse streamers of unfair practices as they suspect the content creators to be faking it due to their affiliations to the virtual casinos where they play.
We cannot deny that viewers have full right to be suspecting gambling streamers of being insincere with their audience. There have been scandals involving a Twitch streamer who was creating content while playing the video game Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. The said streamer was banned from the platform due to allegations of trying to gain profit by advertising a skin gambling platform he allegedly owned.
One thing that viewers must keep in mind, however, is the strict regulations that apply to casino operators nowadays. The aforementioned scandal happened back in 2016, with licensing authorities introducing plenty of serious regulations ever since. That is the reason why cheating is extremely rare at licensed casino platforms where streamers tend to play during their bonus hunting streams.
Of course, it is always worth checking the legitimacy of the websites where streamers are playing, to make sure said operators are operating legally and abide by strict regulatory rules. Even though there might be no issue with the virtual casino where you play, it is possible for the casino itself to disapprove of the bonus hunting practice.
As some software developers do not allow players to freeze their games in the middle of their play, stopping a slot just before a bonus game begins might mess up the entire bonus feature when you relaunch the slot later on. Things get especially confusing for many virtual casinos when you use your frozen bonus rounds and bet with both bonus money and your own funds.
Software Providers Creating Slots Suitable for Bonus Hunting
Even though not all gaming companies are keen on the idea of utilising their slots for bonus hunting, some software providers allow players to pause games when a bonus feature is triggered and then resume the bonus play at a later point. If you are browsing through slot options that will allow bonus hunting, you may want to look for games powered by names such as Microgaming, NetEnt, Play’n Go, Pragmatic Play, Yggdrasil, Blueprint Gaming, Nolimit City, or Quickspin.
In addition to looking for games specifically developed by these companies, you may also practice bonus hunting on a few slots that are particularly suitable for this approach of playing. Some of the popular slots streamers often prefer for their bonus hunting sessions include Rich Wilde and the Book of Dead, Jammin Jars, Madame Destiny Megaways, Fruit Party, and Sweet Bonanza. The RTP rates of the said games range between 96.21% and 98.83%, which are fairly high rates for slots.
These slots, however, are far from the only ones suitable for streamers engaging in bonus hunting. The more streams of this subcategory you watch, the more fun slots for bonus hunting you can discover.
Closing Thoughts on Bonus Hunting
Bonus hunting is a fairly new concept in the gambling streaming community, with a few Twitch streamers enjoying quite the following thanks to this trend. The whole idea is to trigger bonus games on as many slots as possible, leave the games before bonus features play, and then return to all games at the end of the stream. This allows for a continuous streak of bonus play on different slots.
While you can simply enjoy bonus hunting streams by watching streamers risking huge amounts of money while chasing free spins, there is also the opportunity to end up a winner yourself. One very enticing moment in bonus hunting allows viewers to guess the amount streamers will end up winning at the final stage of the stream. One lucky viewer who has guessed correctly can enjoy a portion of the massive win.
Slot bonus hunting is a fairly new type of niche in gambling streaming and as such there are some viewers doubting the integrity of the gaming sessions during the streams. That said, with strict regulations, it can be very hard for streamers to be faking it while playing on slots at licensed casinos. Of course, the onus is on viewers to decide whether they can trust streamers and if it is worth it to participate in the next “Guess the win” contest during a bonus hunting stream.
