In online slots, the wild symbol is almost always the highest-paying icon. In real-life slot machines, however, things are a little different. Wild symbols can show up on any slot machine and usually trigger when you get three or more of the same symbols in one spin. However, there are some variations depending on where you play!
What’s The Point of a Wild Symbol in Slots?
Wild cards can have a couple of different effects in slots. The first is that they can “stand in” for other symbols in a spin to help you create winning combinations. For example, if you get wilds and a “bar” symbol in one round, you’ve still only hit one combination — a 3-bar-win on a 5-reel machine.
If you get one wild card and two different symbols — say, a wild card and a lemon — then you’ve hit three combinations for a 3-lemon-win. Wild cards can also be a re-trigger — in other words, you can get the wild card to re-trigger if you get three or more of them in a spin.
How Do Wild Cards Work?
Most wild cards don’t have any special features. They’re just a normal re-trigger, which means they’ll substitute for any other symbol in a spin and help you hit combos.
Wild cards also help you play more freely. It’s possible to trigger a re-spin with three wild cards — in that case, the re-trigger happens but the wild card stays in your reels and you can use it to re-trigger again. This is rare, but it does happen!
Which Slots Have Re-Triggers?
If you’ve read the above section, you might be thinking you’re pretty unlucky if you’ve never hit a wild card. But don’t worry — re-triggers happen on regular slots too! When you get three or more of the same symbol in one spin, you can choose to either keep the win or re-trigger the spin. The slots with re-triggers are usually older, classic slots. You might need to do some digging to find one in an actual casino, but they’re still around!
Are There Any Differences Between Real Life and Online Slots?
For the most part, wilds work the same way online as they do in real life. There are a few minor differences, though. For example, online slots sometimes don’t give you the option to re-trigger — you’re forced to keep the win.
However, you can still hit re-triggers by getting three or more of the same symbol in one spin. Wild cards have been a part of slot machines for more than a century, and they’re still going strong today. Wild cards can create more exciting wins, help you hit more profitable combinations, and add an extra layer of excitement to your slot machine game!
