What is Bonus Symbol?

A bonus symbol is a special slot symbol whose job is to open a bonus round rather than to pay by itself. Typically a game requires a set number of them, often three, and sometimes only on specific reels, before a pick-and-click game, a prize wheel, a hold-and-win round or a second screen feature starts. This is what separates a bonus symbol from a scatter: a scatter usually pays a prize on its own and often triggers free spins, whereas a bonus symbol commonly pays nothing directly. Wilds normally do not substitute for it. The value of a bonus round is already accounted for in the game's overall return, so triggering one is part of the same maths, not a gift on top of it.