When playing online slots, players will run into a variety of special symbols that can make winnings much bigger, and few are more desirable than the famed wild symbols.
Online slots have base symbols at both high and low values that appear at random on each game’s reels. Sometimes, you’ll get a Wild symbol instead of these base symbols, which can lead to some crazy wins if players find the right combination of symbols on their reels. Typical situations might include needing a fewl Wilds on the same payline to trigger a big payout, but different slots will have their own rules regarding Wilds.
Here’s who Wild symbols typically work in online slots, and what new players should know about them.
As online slots have become more popular and innovative, you’ll see a wide range of Wild symbol types across various slots. While the basic role of a Wild symbol back in the days of brick-and-mortar casinos was to simply replace a basic symbol and possibly lead to bigger wins, there are now many different types of Wild symbols, and they often have very different impacts depending on the game being played.
These are a few of the more common types of Wild symbols players are likely to find in online slots:
Sticky:
Wilds that are sticky or locked will stay in place across multiple spins consecutively while other symbols move around them. This makes it more likely to get matching paylines and trigger bigger wins.
Shifting:
Similar to sticky Wilds, shifting Wilds don’t immediately disappear, but instead will change position on the reel with each spin before slipping away.
Stacked:
Wilds that are stacked means that they land on top of each other, leading to big potential combinations or making them grow in size.
Expanding:
Expanding Wilds grow vertically or horizontally on the grid, filling extra spaces. This can make it easier to get wins since you’ll need fewer correct symbols to trigger a payout, leading to further rewards.
Walking:
Walking Wilds move around the grid, which could help when looking for specific lines or clusters of Wild symbols on a given slot.
Image Credit: NetEnt
Is there a strategy for getting Wilds when playing slots?
As with everything else you’ll find on a grid when playing slots, Wilds show up in most games based purely on luck, though there are some things to keep in mind that can at least better inform players about what they’re looking for in a given game.
First, you’ll need to check for the type of Wilds that are present in the online slot you’re playing. For example, if you are playing a slot with expanding Wilds, you’ll be looking to make each Wild grow, which usually involves getting certain symbols or clusters around it. Second, you may want to figure out how to trigger a
bonus round
in your online slot of choice. Once you’re in a bonus feature, many games will present Wilds and other special symbols more often, thus increasing the chances of finding big wins through them.
Again, it’s important to remember that Wilds appear at random. There’s no special trick to make them appear more often beyond buying into or otherwise triggering slots features that specifically increase the probability of producing Wild symbols.
Do Wild symbols impact a slot’s volatility?
In general, Wild symbols are not connected to a slot’s volatility. The
volatility of a slot
represents the game’s variance, with high volatility slots meaning fewer wins but a greater potential for bigger wins when they do hit.
Some slots do have more Wild symbols than others, and there may even be different types of Wilds within the same game. But this doesn’t specifically affect the volatility of a given game. The appearances of the game’s Wilds is baked directly into its volatility and RTP, so when you check a slot’s volatility level and its
RTP rate, the presence of Wilds is already being accounted for.
Olivia has worked in media ever since graduating from college, with her coverage ranging from traditional newspaper reporting to digital coverage of all things gaming, online betting, and nerd culture. She has traveled around the world pursuing that coverage, from the far coasts of the United States to the busy downtown core of Tokyo, Japan. Olivia’s favorite games include Overwatch and Super Smash Smash Bros, and she has been published at Esports Illustrated, Inven Global, EsportsInsider, Upcomer, and elsewhere.
