How do scatters, wilds, and sticky wilds work in online slots?

Online slots feature a variety of special symbols that add layers of excitement and ways to win. Three of the most common special symbols are scatters, wilds, and sticky wilds. Each has unique properties that provide bonuses, bigger payouts, and more gameplay options. Understanding how these types of symbols work reveals some of the secrets behind slot success.

1. Scatter symbols

Scatter symbols are special icons that pay out prizes wherever they land on the reels, regardless of specific paylines. Traditional slot symbols must align on enabled paylines to win, while scatters pay as long as a certain number appears.

For example, a slot may offer a bonus payout if three or more scatters appear after a spin. Scatter wins are also frequently multiplied by your total bet, rather than just the payline bet. So, a payout on a 10-pay line slot with a 50-credit total bet would pay out more than landing that same scatter combo with a 10-credit bet size. In addition to paying-independent payouts, scatters often commonly trigger bonus features like free spins.

2. Wild symbols

Wild symbols fill the role of substituting for standard symbols to complete or improve winning combinations. For instance, if you landed four out of five matching symbols on a payline, but were one short of a payout, a wild landing in the final spot would stand in for the symbol you needed. Wilds essentially make combinations more flexible. Wild symbols often only substitute for enough symbols to make the strongest possible winning combo.

So, if you landed four sevens and a wild, it would count as five sevens and pay the jackpot prize, rather than a smaller win for four sevens. The number of wilds appearing on a spin also frequently results in a special payout based on a slot’s pay table. Wilds provide a better chance to hit those lucrative wins by making more combinations possible. Expanding and stacked wilds add even more ways to win big. Expanding wilds cover multiple symbol spaces, while stacked wilds pile up an entire reel to multiply the payout potential.

3. Sticky wilds

Sticky Wilds provides one final twist on the wild symbol concept. As the name implies, sticky wilds “stick” in place rather than disappearing after each spin. When a sticky wild lands, it remains on screen for a predetermined number of additional spins. All the spins with the sticky wild locked add more chances to hit winning combos. Some best australia casino online feature re-spins instead of free spins when sticky wilds hit. Rather than resetting the reels, the wilds stay put and the remaining reels spin again to give more chances at forming wins. Sticky wilds continue paying out over multiple spins until they finally disappear from the grid. Understanding how these special symbols deliver payouts and lead to big wins is the key to slots’ success. The next time you spin, look for these three symbols that unlock fortunes.