Barb’s Best Bets: Celebrate Cinco De Mayo Playing Spinata Grande Online Slot Game
As I write this week’s Best Bets feature, I bet many of you are thinking TGIF — and not just because it’s Friday, but more importantly, because it’s only one day away from Cinco de Mayo.
Of course, if you’re like most NJ online slot players, the sooner the fun starts the better. So how about right now? Get ready to smash some pinatas and win big playing one of the wildest and craziest slots ever — Spinata Grande!
Why Spinata Grande?
By some quirk of fate, this year Cinco de Mayo not only falls on a Saturday but the same day as the Derby. So if ever there was a weekend made to order for putting all your worries aside and having the time of your life, it’s this one.
That got me to thinking about what might be a great high return slot game to play on Cinco de Mayo weekend. I was looking for a game that could do double duty— first to set the festive mood for all the celebrating still to come and later, to keep the party going until the wee hours. It didn’t take me long to strike gold with Spinata Grande. The fact that the game has a return to player (RTP) of 96.8 percent is like the whipped cream and cherry on your double scoop dulce de leche sundae.
Spinata Grande can be played on either your desktop or mobile device. You will find it on all of the following NJ gambling websites:
- Betfair online casino
- Caesars online casino
- Golden Nugget online
- Virgin online casino
- MoheganSunCasino.com
- ResortsCasino.com
- Tropicana NJ
Spinata Grande is as much fun as a Mexican fiesta
If you have ever been to a party with colorful pinatas that you had to smash to get the candy or other surprise treats inside, you already have a sense of what a fun game this is. On the other hand, if you’ve never attended a Mexican fiesta and this is a new experience for you, it won’t take long before you go loco for this slot game, too.
The brightly colored Spinata Grande re-creates the spirit and pizzazz of a real Mexican fiesta on your computer or smartphone without your having to travel anywhere. Better yet, among the prizes you might walk away with are some that are much more lucrative than anything you can hope for at a pinata party.
Spinata Grande is a slot game from NetEnt with five reels, four rows, and 40 fixed paylines. The game was first released in March 2015.
The reels are set against the backdrop of a nondescript Mexican village. Cars and pedestrians pass by, and from time to time, there are fleeting images of village folk going about their daily chores. But if you look closely, there are also balloons in the air, which is a lot more in keeping with this game’s party theme, as is the lively music that plays when you win.
None of the above, however, is likely to distract you from the colorful reels where the main action is and your own task at hand, to try to get lots of colossal symbols and the potentially colossal wins that go with them.
Spinata Grande symbols
The highest paying symbols are the pinatas, or more accurately, “spinatas” created from pinata material. They come in four different shapes: fish, parrot, donkey, and bull.
The lower paying symbols in the game are the playing cards 10 through Ace.
Any of these symbols are capable of showing up anywhere on the reels as a colossal in 2×2 or 3×3 blocks, thereby contributing to bigger wins.
Another symbol, the key, is the colossal bonus symbol. This symbol triggers the Mini-Slot Game bonus round described below.
The game also has two wild symbols: a star pinata and a skull. However, they both only appear in the bonus feature, not in the base game. These wild symbols are always 3×3 colossal symbols. They substitute for all other symbols in the game except bonus symbols.
The fixed payouts in this game, even for the higher paying symbols, are on the low side. In fact, the highest payout you can get is only 300 coins for five bulls. The way to win big in this game is to get the colossal bonus symbol, which triggers the Mini Slot Game, and then to win the Free Spins round.
It may take a while before this happens, though, and in the meantime, if the wins are sporadic or minimal, your bankroll will take a dip.
Spinata Grande Mini-Slot Game bonus feature
If you’re lucky enough to have all or part of any colossal bonus symbols turn up on the reels, you know that’s only the start of more good things to come. Depending on how much of the colossal bonus symbol is visible, it will turn into three, six or nine mini-slots.
Each of these mini-slots will then spin once separately and reward you with one of the following three bonuses:
Bronze, silver, or gold coin
The coins pay out a cash prize (based on your bet size), as follows:
- Bronze: 20 coins
- Silver: 40 coins
- Gold: 80 coins
Extra Spins
You get one extra spin for each Extra Spin symbol that appears.
Free Spins
Three Free Spins symbols will trigger five more free spins. If more than three of these symbols show up, you receive one additional free spin for each extra symbol.
In addition, whenever the Free Spins are triggered, the colossal symbols for all of the playing cards are removed from the reels and a colossal wild symbol is added. This can result in some very big wins.
Spinata Grande Bet Size
Spinata Grande has a minimum bet of 20 cents and a maximum bet of $200. That makes it a suitable choice for players at virtually any betting level. It has medium volatility and a far above average RTP of 96.8 percent.
Why Spinata Grande is all that and a bag of chips with salsa
Spinata Grande is a relatively simple slot. So it doesn’t have the bells and whistles and a myriad of special features you will find in some slots. However, it is not only a lot of fun to play, but innovative and exciting, and certainly different from any other slots you have played.
The graphics and sound quality are first rate, too. This is the type of slot game you can play for any length of time and never be bored. Also, because the RTP is so high, you don’t have to worry about the possibility of going broke.
Whether you’re a penny player, quarter player, medium roller, or high roller, Spinata Grande has a betting level that will suit you to a tee. There is no progressive jackpot to shoot for, but if you’re lucky, you can end your session with a very nice payday.
As with any slot game, there is some risk involved, and we can’t guarantee you’ll be a winner. However, for any player looking for a game that’s a bit quirky, yet thoroughly enjoyable, and also has one of the best RTPs of all the online slots in NJ, Spinata Grande is a great choice.
Hola! Let Caesars Online Casino Serenade You With A Cinco De Mayo Promo
What a weekend this is going to be with Cinco de Mayo and the Kentucky Derby both falling on the same day. Wherever you choose to spend this action-packed day and evening, the excitement will be through the roof, especially when you also get your hands on the special treat that CaesarsCasino.com is dishing up for you!
If you want your celebration to include guacamole and margaritas, you’ll have to go somewhere else for those. But a party isn’t a party without entertainment, and Caesars online casino is giving you plenty in the form of a big fat bonus you’ll able to use immediately to play your favorite games.
If you’re reading this Friday, you don’t even have to wait for Cinco de Mayo. You can get the party started right now if you prefer. In fact, you have all weekend long, from Friday, May 4 through Monday, May 7, to opt in, make a deposit, and claim your 100 percent match bonus up to $100.
How to participate in the Cinco de Mayo Celebration
The Cinco de Mayo promotion is open to all registered Caesars online casino players. Here is what you need to do to participate.
- Log in to your CaesarsCasino.com account anytime during the promotion period.
- Click on “My Account” and then on “My Bonuses.”
- Enter the code MAY100. Then click on “Get Details.”
- Look for the offer 100% Deposit Match under “Available Bonuses.” Then click on “Deposit” next to the bonus.
- Make your deposit and claim your bonus.
In order to receive the maximum bonus possible with this offer, you need to deposit $100. If you would rather deposit a smaller amount, make sure that it is at least enough to qualify for a bonus. The minimum qualifying deposit should be specified on the marketing collateral. Otherwise check with Customer Support, as the information is omitted from the announcement on the website.
If you wish to deposit more than $100, that is your prerogative, too. However, unless your account balance is low and you need the additional funds for your usual wagering, depositing more than $100 is not recommended. Your bonus will still be capped at $100. And by depositing more, the best feature of this promotion — having your deposit matched dollar for dollar — will disappear.
Note that you can only claim this offer once, and only your first deposit of the weekend counts. Deposits made at the Caesars Atlantic City casino cashier’s cage or via PayNearMe don’t count.
Wagering requirements for the Cinco de Mayo deposit match bonus
Surely you would love to take your $100, or whatever your bonus is, and run, but Caesars online casino isn’t going to let you do that. First, you will need to meet the casino’s wagering requirements.
The amount you need to wager depends on your game selection. It is less for slots, more for other games.
- Slots: 5x bonus + deposit
- Video poker: 10x bonus + deposit
- All other games: 25x bonus + deposit
You have seven days to complete the wagering.
In the meantime, the bonus, your deposit tied to the bonus, and any resulting winnings are all temporarily locked into your account and unavailable for withdrawal.
Not only opting out, but also any attempt to withdraw these funds prematurely, will result in both the bonus and any winnings therefrom being forfeited. Failure to complete the wagering within the allotted seven-day time frame will also result in forfeiture of both the bonus and any resulting winnings.
The effect of including the deposit
One feature of this bonus which will not be to your liking is that the wagering requirements are based on equal multiples of both the bonus and deposit combined.
If you play on other NJ gambling websites, you probably won’t run into that rule there. Typically, the wagering requirements are simply a multiple of the bonus. Caesars may even be the only NJ online casino to impose this other tougher rule instead. You can check out our NJ online casino reviews for more info about that.
Unfortunately, it looks like this has become Caesars’ policy for all deposit match bonuses. The only time you will be asked to wager the same multiple of just the bonus is with promotions such as drawings, where no deposit is required.
Because, in this case, the bonus and deposit are identical, the net effect is that it doubles the wagering over what would be required otherwise. In other words, the amount you are required to wager is the same as if you had to wager 10x the bonus for slots, 20x the bonus for video poker, or 50x the bonus for any other game.
Be thankful that this is a 100 percent deposit match bonus and not a smaller percentage. If this were a 50 percent deposit match, your wagering requirements would triple!
If you plan to deposit $100 to get the maximum bonus of $100, here is the exact amount you need to wager in each game category to clear the bonus:
- Slots: $1,000
- Video poker: $2,000
- All other games: $5,000
That’s a lot of wagering!
How to handle the wagering requirements if you are a small player
Obviously, if you can afford to deposit $100 and meet the hefty wagering requirements that will entail, you should.
However, the last thing you want to have happen is to have the entire bonus and all of your winnings taken away from you because the wagering requirements weren’t met. Therefore, if you have any reservations, you may need to scale down. For example, you can deposit $50 and still get a $50 bonus, which is also a very good deal. And it will cut the wagering requirements in half.
Spread out your play
Another helpful hint is to utilize the full one-week period the casino is giving you to clear the bonus. Spreading out your play in this manner, rather than trying to complete the wagering all at once in a single day, will make the task seem less formidable.
In addition, in case you run bad on a particular day, it will keep you from losing large chunks of money in a single session.
Clear the bonus at least partly with slots
If money is tight, clearing the bonus with slots may be your best option since the wagering requirements are a lot less than for other games. In fact, the maximum bonus of $100 can be fully cleared betting less than $150 per day. Choose slots with a return to player (RTP) of 96 percent or higher to preserve your bankroll and maximize your likelihood of winning.
Another good strategy is to clear the bonus partly with slots and partly with a lower house edge game such as blackjack or video poker.
Why the Caesars Cinco de Mayo bonus is an offer you can’t refuse
Even with the extra wagering requirements resulting from the deposit being counted along with the bonus, the Caesars Cinco de Mayo bonus is still a great offer.
If you compare this bonus to other deposit match bonuses being offered elsewhere at the same time, you will see that in most cases the percentage of the deposit match is much smaller, such as 25 percent, 20 percent, or even 15 percent. A 100 percent deposit match bonus is definitely the exception rather than the rule.
However, if you’re a Caesars online casino regular, you may have noticed that on this site at least, full deposit match bonuses are recurring with increasing frequency. In fact, just last week, Caesars offered an identical bonus but with a cap of only $25. As great as that deal was, some players might have felt that it wasn’t worth their time personally due to the small bonus size. However, with this offer, you can get a 100 percent deposit match bonus up to $100. That’s plenty to make a bettor of any size happy.
If you genuinely care about the quality of the bonuses being offered to you, here’s something to keep in mind. When it comes to getting great bang for your buck, nothing beats a 100 percent deposit match bonus. The best thing you can do to ensure that Caesars keeps these fantastic offers coming is to opt-in every time they are offered.
Happy Cinco de Mayo!