RTP and Symbol
BGaming is well-known for its games with phenomenally high RTPs, and this one doesn’t disappoint. Wild Card Gang has an RTP of 97.25% and the hit rate is 3.04.
Better still, it has a Cluster Pays mechanic that offers chain wins when matching symbols land. The symbols that land on the grid are interesting.
The four main card symbols from J to Ace are the mafia bosses. Next, we have the standard low-value cards from 7, 8, 9, 10. The premium symbol is the mean-looking dude with the hat.
When 12+ top symbols populate the reels the cash prize is $2,500. The Ace is the highest-paying low value symbol 12+ offering a win of 1,000x the stake. The Joker is the scatter.
To win money you need at least four matching symbols on the grid.
Bonus Rounds
Chance 2x
You can flick the Chance 2x switch to improve your chances of hitting the free spins feature. I’ve tested it a few times and it didn’t do much for me. I had a few “near misses” where three scatters pitched.
MergeUp
The Cluster engine kicks in when four or more matching symbols land on the reels. It doesn’t matter if they’re horizontal or vertical. The slot has 9 symbol levels and the merging symbols depend on the win.
Free Spins
Triggering the free spins feature is hard because the average trigger is 275.79 spins – that’s huge. The bonus game initiates when 4 Gun scatters land on the reels.
The more scatters that land the more free spins you’ll get. For example, 4, 5, or 6 scatters award 15, 18, or 20 free spins respectively.
When a cluster win occurs the slot marks the cells in which the win occurred. When a winning cluster occurs again the cell increases with a 2x multiplier.
Now, the size of the multiplier shoots up with every cluster win up to 128x. Re-triggers of 5, 8, or 10 occur when another 4, 5, or 6 scatters grace the reels.
Bonus Buy
US casino players who don’t have the patience to wait for 4 scatters can use the buy option. It costs 100x your stake, for instance, if you play for $10, 4, 5, or 6 scatters cost $500.
I tested the buy option a few times. After my 7th attempt at an average stake of $50, I won $7,300. What concerns me is that it has a low hit rate and BGaming “throttles” it.
The more free spins I goton the initial trigger the lower the hit rate. The most non-winning free spins I had in a row were 4.
Tips and Strategy
Triggering the free spins feature within 250 spins is unlikely unless you’re lucky. I couldn’t initiate the bonus after 700 spins which is ludicrous. That left me with the buy option as my only resort.
I tested the buy feature 8 times at different bet options and my biggest win was $7,200. I played the slot with free credits and not for money. Moreover, it’s not the slot you should play with a bonus.
The high volatility makes it difficult to clear the wagering requirements. Where can I play the game for free? You can test the slot at the online casino that hosts it or on BGaming’s website.
How many spins must you play the slot for. Play it for at least 500 spins because the average free spins trigger is close to 300 spins.
Conclusion
Did I enjoy playing the slot? Nope. It lacks that special something and forces play for the most part. Besides, I could not trigger the free spins feature hard as I tried. As such, I’ll say it’s a “bankroll” killer.
What amazes me is that the RTP of 97.25% and lowish hit frequency meant nada to me. They’re just “filler” to make the stats look rosier.
For all I care the RTP could have been 94%, at least that’s a proper reflection of the game’s volatility. Getting cluster wins is another slog in itself, the most I got was 4 cluster wins consecutively.
One big win in the free spins doesn’t make it a great slot. I’m talking about payouts 20x-73x my stake. The multipliers value only increases after the second cluster win and the hit frequency is low.
That makes it a tough nut to crack even for big-budget players. Yet, I have to give the slot credit where it is due. Snag the top 132x multiplier by stringing along cluster wins early on the payout can be astronomical.
Will I play it for real money? No, I won’t. Before I sign off on this slot review. BGaming should have juiced up the base game with multiplier wins.
At least, that would have taken the edge of the volatility and improve the odds of triggering the free spins. Then again, that was never their intention to design a slot like that.
