With the proliferation of online gambling in South Africa, and advances in CGI graphics allowing developers to create increasingly unique and entertaining games, the virtual casino experience just wouldn’t be the same without slot machines. Bright colours, video bonus rounds, stars of small and big screen – really what’s not to like? With so much variety out there there’s literally a slot for everyone.
All our tastes differ, so we decided we’d base our list strictly on the machine’s return to player (RTP) rate. We may not all be agreed on whether dinosaurs, gladiators, or Al Pacino is the coolest but we’re united by one thing – we all love to win big. All the following slot machines offer the best odds for the player, as well as many memorable gameplay experiences.
Progressives Jackpot games:
Beach Life (Playtech)
Beach Life from PlayTech invites players down to the seaside for ice-creams, sunshine, and waves. It’s a particularly colourful experience with the chance to win the game’s progressive jackpot by hitting five-of-a-kind sun symbols across the 20th win line. There’s also a nice “Sunken Chest” minigame, which helps to keep the action varied.
Beach Life offers an impressive 93.5% RTP, making it potentially much more lucrative than a day spent sunning yourself by the sea.
Gladiator (Playtech)
A somewhat older slot that still manages to hold its own. Gladiator from Playtech takes us to the heart of a Roman coliseum. With Russel Crow by our side (in spirit, at least), we navigate the reels in hope of landing on one of the game’s bonus rounds. The timeless stylings of the reels, the multiple and varied bonus rounds, and great cinematic effects make Gladiator a worthy addition to our list.
Gladiator pays players at an average of 94%. The progressive jackpot is triggered during the Gladiator Bonus round – reveal a total of nine golden helmets and you’ll walk away with a lifechanging sum of money.
Mega Fortune (Netent)
The Mega Fortune slot from Netent gives us a little taste of high society. Featuring limo zines, champagne, yachts, and cigars, the theme is one of opulence. Justifiably so too, being as the machine is capable of paying out six figure progressive jackpots. Landing five “bonus” symbols across the reels will open the “Mega Jackpot” wheel-of-fortune style game. Here the prizes can get very big, very quickly. This machine even holds the world record for largest slot win ever. Get lucky, and you might just be able to afford that mooring in the marina after all.
Mega Fortune has an average RTP of 96.4% making it one of the most potentially lucrative slots out there – it’s more than just a clever name.
Hall of Gods (Netent)
Hall of Gods from Netent takes us back to the time of long ships, and lootings – Viking style. It’s a stylish looking machine, with Norse gods and goddesses making up the symbols. The music adds an additional element of suspense making for a highly atmospheric experience. Again, there’s an enormous progressive jackpot on offer here too, as well as two exciting bonus rounds to keep the action varied for players.
The average RTP of 95.5% means a little luck of the gods, and you’ll be quids in.
Video Slots:
The Mummy (Playtech)
Explore the tombs of Egypt on the Mummy Slot from Playtech. Featuring impressive visuals, creepily captivating music, and one of the most exciting bonus rounds going, this slot really is a credit to its developers. The main game feature is the “Lost City Adventure Bonus”, which is activated randomly. It’s a typical “pick a box” style bonus feature, with prizes awarded such as cash, extra scatters, expanding wilds, and win multipliers, amongst other freebies.
With a fair RTP of 91.94%, and a maximum coin win of 10,000, the mummified king you’ve been looting might have to get used to sharing his treasures if lady luck is with you.
Starburst (Netent)
Starburst from Netent is undoubtedly one of the planet’s most popular slot machines. Featuring simplistic gameplay, and little in the way of “frills”, the stacked wilds and unique take on win lines allows the machine to remain distinctive amongst a sea of sometimes analogous peers.
Starburst’s charm lies not only in its simplified approach to the slot machine format, but also in its soothing, inoffensive visual, and aural presentation. Whilst you can easily see why many would love playing this one, it’s impossible to imagine someone hating it. Its massive RTP rate of 96.1%, the machine’s likelihood of producing a big winner is another perfectly acceptable reason behind this game’s success.
South Park (Netent)
Join Stan, Kyle, Kenny, and Cartman in their casino debut on Netent’s South Park slot machine. Players can test their luck versus one of a couple of different bonus rounds. Seemingly randomly awarded, the Mr. Hankey bonus, sees everyone’s favourite Christmas turd dish out additional “wilds” across the reels. The real money, however, comes from either the Beefcake, Ike, or Kenny bonus stages. Inspired again by the series, each offer amusing ways to drop a massive win.
Fans of the television series will enjoy the constant references to minor characters, and sound bites taken directly from the show. Meanwhile, fans of big wins will appreciate the generous return to player rating – a massive 96.7%. This makes Netent’s South Park one of the highest payers in our list.
Texan Tycoon (RTG)
Strike oil and win big with Texan Tycoon from RTG. Featuring a rocking blues soundtrack, and a mixture of cowboy, and big oil imagery, the game awards sizeable random progressive jackpots. Whilst they’re not quite the six figure sums of some of our other entries on this list, it’s much easier cash that setting up your own drilling operation out in the Texas desert.
The varied bonus rounds, enormous maximum win of 250,000 coins, and tasty RTP of 95.95% makes Texan Tycoon a potentially lucrative option that won’t involve getting your hands dirty.
Goblin’s Treaure( RTG)
Loosely inspired by the world of fantasy literature, we’re going on a journey of dragons, magical fungi, treasures, and of course Goblins with this one. As with many games from this developer, there’s a progressive jackpot that can reach large, but not enormous sums.
It’s a great looking game, with nicely illustrated symbols, but the soundtrack is somewhat lacklustre. However, the uninspiring aural experience won’t matter much if you manage to the 10,000-coin top prize, or better yet, the ever-climbing progressive jackpot.
Not only is the Goblin’s Treasure slot almost as exciting as actually questing for treasure, it features a competitive 95% RTP rating.
The Three Stooges (RTG)
The Three Stooges slot from RTG is a fond lookback at early American slapstick comedy. Featuring iconic characters Larry, Curly, and Moe, along with classic comedic props such as a bowler, hat, old telephone, and cream pie, this slot is ideal for those who prefer their gaming on the lighter hearted side.
Again, there’s a progressive jackpot, and a host of bonus rounds, and features. These comprise of specific games for each of the three main characters, plus extra free spins. With an RTP of 95.08%, The Three Stooges slot machine may well be equally capable of winning you a fortune, as it is putting a smile on your face.
