Online slots have come a long way from the classic three-reel games found in brick-and-mortar casinos. Modern video slots offered at internet gambling sites provide far more than just spinning reels and occasional small payouts. These new digital slots are packed with special features and bonus mechanics intended to keep players engaged and provide the chance for truly massive wins on such platforms as Stake.
Sticky and Expanding Symbols Boost Winning Potential
One of the most popular new slot features that can dramatically increase the likelihood of big payouts is sticky symbols. As the name suggests, sticky symbols “stick” in place after landing on the reels during a spin. They do not disappear like normal symbols, instead remaining on the reels for subsequent spins and increasing the chance of hitting winning symbol combinations. Some slots allow sticky symbols to remain for up to four spins after originally landing.
Expanding symbols work similarly, expanding to cover entire reels after landing and thereby making big wins almost inevitable. An expanding symbol on just a single reel often leads to sizable payouts, while maximum coverage across all five or six reels triggers the slot’s largest jackpots.
Both sticky and expanding symbols help players overcome slots’ normally high house edges, granting the potential for truly staggering wins. Their power to boost payout potential is unmatched by any other bonus feature currently available in online slots.
Stacked Symbols Offer Even Bigger Rewards
Taking the concept of sticky and expanding symbols even further, stacked symbols pile identical symbols on top of each other on reel positions. Some slots stack just two symbols high, while others stack to three, four, or even higher symbol piles on a single reel spot.
Stacked symbols mean that whenever that symbol lands on a reel, the entire stack lands together, rather than just a single instance of the symbol. This instantly covers more spaces and leads to more frequent and higher-paying wins. Certain slots also make part or all of their stacked symbols expand to cover entire reels, offering astronomical payout potential.
Let’s look at an example of how a slot using stacked symbols can result in a mega-win.
| Reel 1 | Reel 2 | Reel 3 | Reel 4 | Reel 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stacked Wild | Stacked Wild | Stacked Wild | Bells | Bells |
| Stacked Wild | Stacked Wild | Stacked Wild | Free Spins | Free Spins |
| Stacked Wild | Stacked Wild | Stacked Wild | Bars | Bars |
| Cherries | Cherries | Cherries | Melons | Melons |
| Seven | Seven | Seven | Stacked Wild | Stacked Wild |
As you can see, the stacked wild symbols cover most of the first three reels. This already guarantees some kind of payout. But let’s say the stacked wilds also expand to fill those reels entirely. And landing on the trigger symbol (Free Spins) activates 10 bonus spins. With the wilds locked in place and bonus spins racking up cash, this single spin could easily deliver a record-shattering jackpot worth tens or even hundreds of thousands of times the player’s bet amount.
Sticky and Stacked Symbols Unlock Maximum Potential
Modern online slots provide far more than just boring reel spins. Exciting special features like sticky, expanding, and stacked symbols give players the chance to win staggering payouts that simply were not possible on classic slot machines.
By covering more symbol positions and remaining on the reels over multiple spins, sticky and stacked symbols in particular help overcome slots’ notoriously poor odds. Major software providers like IGT, Aristocrat, and NetEnt have made these types of symbols and bonuses a core part of their game libraries’ appeal.
Next time you spin an online slot, look for words like “Sticky,” “Expanding,” or “Stacked” in the pay table. The right combination of these high-volatility symbols and bonuses can lead to literally life-changing jackpots with just a bit of luck on your side!
