Today’s modern online pokies are jam-packed with unique features to enhance your gameplay.
We created this article primarily to discuss multiplier symbols in pokies which you will find in many popular online pokie machines.
Understanding how the multiplier symbols can increase your winnings significantly, which pokie multipliers will multiply your wins, and which affect your line and total bets is worthwhile.
Therefore, we shall discuss the following:
- Regular multipliers (base game multipliers)
- Wild multipliers
- Free spins multipliers
- Scatter multipliers
A Brief History of Pokies
It was in the 1980s that gambling came to New Zealand. By the end of that decade, electronic machines gained legality, becoming more popular in hotels, licensed casinos, game clubs and, of course, Returned Services Associations.
Alongside physical venues, online pokie machines also gained popularity, with Micrograming introducing pokie machines in 1994.
As technology advanced, so did the games. Now we can expect exceptional quality games with an immersive experience and the chance to win massive progressive jackpots to grace our screens.
How The Pokie Machine Developed
- In the early days of pokie machine development, they had three reels with no bonus features. However, they usually contained wild symbols and free spins multipliers.
- As the pokie machine evolved, the games became increasingly immersive. Many modern video pokie games have five reels and offer fixed and optional paylines. Online casinos offer pokie games with bonus rounds (like the free spins round), increasing your chances of winning.
- The newer casino games feature progressive jackpots* that allow players an opportunity to win life-changing cash prizes.
- As today’s pokie machines are more complex, you can try most playing in free games mode before committing any of your money. Playing in free games mode is a good way to familiarise yourself with any new game to ensure it suits your gaming taste.
*A small percentage of their wager is added to the progressive pool whenever someone tries their luck playing progressive jackpot pokies. As most online casinos are open 24/7, it soon becomes apparent how quickly a progressive prize can build.
When a lucky winner claims the jackpot, it builds again, making the progressive jackpot games one of the most popular versions of pokie machines today.
What Exactly Is A Multiplier Symbol?
The multiplier symbol will usually appear in bonus rounds as one of the bonus symbols alongside other special features. Please remember that even if you hit multiplier symbols in pokies when playing free games, there is no payout as you are not using real money.
There is a variety of different pokie multipliers that usually appear during a bonus round. Some are easier to trigger than others. As a rule of thumb, the easier a multiplier symbol triggers, the lower the value.
Below Are The Main Types Of Multipliers:
The Base Game Multiplier – You will find these infrequently, mainly because they are easy to trigger. If you trigger a winning combination, the multiplier symbol will be less than in any bonus round, where they are more difficult to trigger.
Online pokies with cascading (avalanche reels) usually have multiplier pokie symbols in the base game. Unlocking the free spins round can increase the multiplier value by at least three increments.
Wild Multipliers – Some wild symbols act as a multiplier. When this occurs, the wild symbol substitutes for any other symbol to create a winning combination. After the creation of a winning combination, the multiplier is applied.
Free Spins Multipliers – In some games, free spins multipliers are triggered during the free spins round. Usually, they are attached to winning paylines and total wins.
This type of multiplier symbol in pokies is triggered frequently and comes with significant multiplier sizes.
Scatter multipliers are very popular with players.
Scatter Multipliers – Other pokie machine symbols like scatter symbols trigger a multiplier. Usually, when this happens, the scatter symbol does not need to be on a winning payline. It can land anywhere on the reels to trigger the multiplier.
Multiplier Symbols in Different Types of Pokies
Pokie machine symbols vary from game to game and depend on each pokie machine’s genre, theme and storyline.
Check the paytable to see if multiplier symbols in pokies you choose to play can view what makes a winning payline.
Below Are Examples of Popular Pokies Incorporating Exciting Multiplier Symbols
Gonzo’s Quest – Developed by NetEnt, Gonzos Quest has five reels and 20 pay lines. Gonzos Quest has cascading reels, and the multipliers come into play each time you have a win (new symbols will appear) and a multiplier.
Have a win on Gonzos Quest to trigger the cascading reels, and see how high the multiplier climbs (x3, x6, or x15).
Thunderstruck 2 – Developed by Microgaming. Besides the multiplier symbol, Thunderstruck 2 has a selection of other bonus rounds, like a free spins feature and a wilds feature. Thunderstruck 2 offers players 243 ways to win.
The multiplier symbol appears during the free spins bonus round. Activate the free with three or more scatters to trigger the option of four game characters. Each offers a different number of free spins, with the multiplier being part of the Valkyrie free spins round.
During the ten free spins, any winnings will be multiplied by five.
Rabbit Hole Riches – Developed by Paly’n Go. It is a three reels pokies with five paylines. Rabbit Hole Riches online pokies have a massive maximum win of x5,000 for your initial bet, and the multiplier is triggered when in the Queen’s Army free spins bonus game.
The Queens symbols act as wilds, and each winning payline you hit will increase the multiplier by x1.
Rabbit Hole Riches also has other free spins rounds containing stacked wilds and multipliers.
Conclusion
As you can see, the importance of multiplier symbols in today’s popular online pokies is evident.
Multipliers boost your potential winnings substantially, sometimes to extraordinary levels, so understand how your chosen online pokies play out to ensure you can land some great wins.
However, please remember to play for the entertainment value of any online pokies game. Winning should be taken as a bonus, and if you do hit a losing streak, know when to walk away.
