Slot Symbols Explained In 3 Minutes

Play Smarter, Know Your Symbols

If you’re a regular player on slots, ignoring slot symbols is hard.

When playing on the casino floor or visiting your favourite online casino, you can't help but take a moment to stop and admire the symbols of each slot.

Slot symbols are often colourful and flamboyant and can make or break a slot.

But have you ever taken the time to stop and ask what these symbols mean?

Don’t worry, help is at hand in this three-minute breakdown! This simple guide will cover all the famous slot symbols.

Back to Basics… What Are Slot Symbols and Why Do Slots Have Them

Slot symbols aren’t there just to look pretty; they are an important part of any slot game.

The symbol's main function is to let the player see combinations being built on the slot's paylines.

This brings players prizes, and the different combinations will determine the prizes and how much the player has won.

They can also be used to trigger bonus features or special games.

Symbols vary on each slot, and will always reflect the theme or branding of the slot.

However, some core symbols can remain the same and can pop up on most slots. Slot symbols can fall into certain categories, and these are as follows.

Classic Symbols

These timeless symbols reach back to the One-Arm Bandit slots and are still a vital part of any slot today.

Any player can recognise them; they are the famous bars, bells, cherries, lemons, and the larger-than-life Lucky 7!

These iconic symbols are also found on modern slots. For example, you can find updated versions of these symbols on the colourful reels of Double Fruit Frenzy DoubleMax from Blueprint Gaming. 

The symbols above often appear on retro 3-reel slots that many studios and providers release.

They can often be low or medium-paying symbols when they turn up on the reels.

Double Fruit Frenzy DoubleMax Base Game

Standard Symbols

Standard symbols are the heart of all online slots and can also fall into high and low-paying brackets.

Low-paying symbols will appear as the A, K, Q, J, and 10 symbols and won’t pay out much.

All slots, including the charming Book of Time slot, feature common standard symbols on their reels.

The high-paying symbols are always an extension of the slot's theme. They’ll feature characters or certain items that are close to the mentioned slot.

All these symbols help make up the reels, and three in a row are often needed to form a win.  

Land 3 or More Book Scatter Symbols to Trigger It's a Classic! Free Spins

Wilds

The wild symbol is like the super sub, as it can drop and complete a winning line across the reels.

This is possible as the Wild is a substitute for most symbols on the reels.

Slots can also throw up different types of wilds. One great example of this is shockingly good Zap Lab from ELK Studios. 

The most common type of slot includes expanding wilds that can flood an entire slot reel.

Sticky Wilds, which lock and stay in place as the reel spins. Finally, there are multiplier wilds that can enhance your win.

Land Zappy on the reels for potential win multipliers and over-sized Wilds

Scatters

Then we have the famous scatter symbols that trigger features like bonus games, free spins, or instant games.

The Scatter also can turn up anywhere on the reels. A player needs three or more scatters anywhere to trigger a win or special features.

Play on the gilded reels of the fast-paced 8K Ultra Gold Ultimate and find a series of features, including the Collect Scatter and other Prize Symbols.

Trigger the Bonus Choice feature by landing 3 or more scatters

Bonus Symbols

Bonus symbols can be found on certain slots, and these will be specific to that game.

They can only land on preselected reels, and when they do, they can trigger mini-games, maybe wheel spins, and other unique features like on The Dog House Muttley Crew!

Players can trigger free spins with 3 or more Bonus symbols.

Land 3 or More Bonus Symbols to Trigger Free Spins

Multipliers

Symbols like this are needed to add a boost to winnings. Multipliers are often found in base games, bonus rounds, and with free spins.

Some games can let multipliers build up to potentially big wins. They can also stack wilds, winning symbols, and others.

Slots packed with Multipliers can be fun and rewarding. Some of the biggest and best slots with this feature include 5 Wild Buffalo 2 and many others.

Land 4 Buffalo symbols on a reel to trigger the Buffalo Thunder feature for big multipliers

Get To Know Your Symbols

Knowing more about slot symbols can help players understand what’s happening on the reels. In turn, this gets the best out of each slot for the player.

From old-school symbols to standard symbols, each symbol has an important role.

Symbols are also part of a slot's aesthetic and play a role in deciding if a player will choose that slot or not.

They can tell a player a lot about the slot game and whether it’s a slot worth playing.

Once more, it’s always good to keep this in mind when playing any slot.