As the name suggests, a multiplier is a unique feature of a slot machine that can multiply your winnings by a preset amount. Not all slots have them, although most do. The goal of multipliers is to increase your winnings, obviously. They can range from 2, where your winnings are doubled, to as much as 1000!
The complexity of how they work varies from one to another. You’ll only come across some multipliers in normal play. Others are encountered only during bonus rounds or free spins.
Some symbols count toward total bets and line bets. Others just multiply your wins. Each game is different when it comes to the use of these symbols. You need to have a good grasp of the type based on the game you are playing. The pay table of the game normally provides all relevant information.
Free Spins
Free spins multipliers are quite common. In fact, a lot of slot developers include multipliers because they want the free spins to feel different from the base play. Some manufacturers choose to use different symbols from those used in base play. Some machines ask players to select a multiplier from hidden icons, which is one really good thing about free spin rounds. It gives players the chance to get a huge bonus. Moreover, you get a sense of a connection with the slot and the outcome of their play. Typically, free spins multipliers will increase all winnings that are generated during free spins by a set number: 2, 4, 8, and so on.
Base Play
Multipliers are quite rare during base play, unlike free spins. Very few slots have the specific multipliers with special symbols. While some slots have multipliers, most base play versions will only multiply the winning pay line amount. For example, your total payout for landing 5 lemons on an active line will be 2x if you get 5 lemons and a 2x multiplier on a pay line.
Wild icons doubling as multipliers
This is not a rare find. Let’s say the lemons in the above example are a wild in a specific slot game and you have 2 of 3 oranges that you need to win. The lemon, as a wild, can replace any other symbol on the line to form a winning combination. In addition, wild multipliers can multiply winnings more than 2x. They can be 4x or 6x. You might end up winning 6x the value of three oranges on an active pay line.
Bet vs. Win
Sometimes, a given multiplier will only extend to the bet on the spin. Other times, it will carry over to your winnings. Either way can be rewarding because your bet can be higher than your winnings. It depends on your bet and on the payout in question. Either way, a slot multiplier can never harm your wallet. It can only win you more money.
Scattered Multipliers
Last but not least, some slots have scatter symbols that also serve as multipliers. It’s enough for the scatter to appear somewhere on the screen of such slots. It does not have to be on a line. To continue with the above example, you only need three oranges and a scatter symbol on any other line to trigger the feature. Additionally, there are slots that have both scatters and wilds as multipliers. Some of these will only have these extras in free games or as a bonus.
