Slot Symbols Explained In 3 Minutes

Play Smarter, Know Your Symbols

If you’re a regular player on slots, it can be tough to understand all of the symbols out there.

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

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, or they will 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.

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 Reflex Gaming. 

The symbols above often appear on the retro 3-reel slots that many studios in this modern day still release.

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 often appear as the A, K, Q, J, and 10 symbols, and usually won’t pay out much.

All releases, including the charming Book of Time displayed below, 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 designed to make the game match the theming.

Book of Time Base Game

Wilds

The Wild symbol is like the super sub, as it can drop and complete a winning line across the reels – possible because 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 Zap Lab from ELK Studios, in which a character Zappy adds Wilds to the reels.

You'll also see some additional kinds of Wilds, like Expanding Wilds, which flood an entire reel with Wilds, Sticky Wilds, which stick in place for additional spins, or multiplier Wilds that can increase your payouts.

ZapLab Base Game

Scatters

Next up is the famous Scatter symbol that trigger features like bonus games, free spins, or instant games – the thing every player wants to see.

Scatters can turn up anywhere on the reels (hence their name), and although the amount will vary in each release players normally need 3 or more Scatters to trigger a bonus game.

It can also be common to see different kinds of Scatters or bonuses within the same game, like in 8K Ultra Gold Ultimate, pictured below.

Trigger the Bonus Choice feature by landing 3 or more scatters

Multipliers

To boost your winning potential, you'll need to land multipliers on the reels.

Often found in base games, bonus rounds, and free spins, these symbols are applied to your win to make it greater – sometimes by as little as x2, and sometimes by as much as x1000.

Some releases use multipliers alongside regular features to build up to potentially big wins and add a progressive feeling to the game.

Some of the biggest and best slots with this feature include 5 Wild Buffalo 2 and Raptor DoubleMax.

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

Value of Slot 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 release for the player.

From old-school symbols to standard symbols, each symbol has an important role – whether that be improving the overall aesthetic or allowing players to trigger special features.

Ultimately, the symbols you'll see when you load a game can tell you a lot about it, and whether it’s one worth your money.