As a self-described “slot for big game hunters”, Wild Gambler doesn’t end up with the theme that you might be expecting initially. The focus is on African wildlife and the Lion is the Wild Gambler in this Ash Gaming slot. The main thing that sets it apart is the Lock & Spin feature, and it’s that one that I’d recommend you pay special attention to.
Placed right in the middle of the African savanna, Wild Gambler’s 5 reels feature 20 paylines. The Lock & Spin feature is the unique thing that it’s proposing, and it’s an interesting one indeed. The wild is an integral part of that feature, but the game also includes free spins. As for the big payout of the game, it’s going to reach a maximum of $5,000 per combo.
Betting
Two different Spin buttons are used in Wild Gambler. One is the usual Spin button, which takes into account the wager you’ve set up via the Line Stake option. With the line bet going from $0.01 to $5, the total bet is automatically changed from $0.20 to $100.
The second one is the Lock & Spin button, with the letters colored in red. The value of this spin depends on the number of locked wilds and the reels that they’re on, as well as the wager that you’ve selected for the round.
Wild Gambler Jackpot
The big prize that’s mentioned in Wild Gambler will come via a combo of five Wild Lions, and their value would be at 1,000x the line bet. You get at most $5,000 per win that is formed this way.
RTP wise, Wild Gambler is one of the best titles that I’ve seen Ash Gaming release, the developer offering most of their slots with lower percentages than the 96.67% we find here.
Special Features
For the most part, it’s the wild symbol that is the star of this game. Wild Gambler’s Lock & Spin option relies on its presence, while the other big feature comes at random.
Wild Symbols
The Wild Lion, a menacing creature that’s showing its teeth at you, will be the wild symbol and your way to the game’s big prize. It only pays in one situation, when it covers all five positions of a line, and it’s a jackpot of 1,000x then. Otherwise, in every other situation you get to use him only as the substitute.
Lock & Spin
This is the feature that makes the game different from others and gives it something truly unique. There is a second Spin button in the game, which allows you to lock in position any wilds present that round, for the upcoming one.
The price of a Lock & Spin is going to vary based on the wild symbols present on the screen. You can have them all locked in place for the upcoming round, or you can click on some of the wilds to unlock them if you’re not willing to pay extra for them. For example, you might want to keep wilds that have appeared on reels 1 to 3, but not a 5th reel one.
You may continue to use the Lock & Spin button for as many rounds as you want, but you will also keep paying a bigger amount each spin.
Free Spins
This time, it’s not a scatter symbol that will get you the free spins. It’s a random feature, which has up to five meerkats appearing outside the game area. The outcome will consist of 8 free spins. The wild symbols that were locked at that moment will be kept that way for the entire duration of the free games. New wilds that appear also get locked in their positions.
Design
It’s a cartoon-style design, perhaps a bit over the top in the way some of its wild creatures were created. The lion, the rhino and the leopard, so the three predators that pay the most, will have angry expressions on their faces. The other two, a zebra and a flamingo, look almost demure. The final few symbols involved are Royals which have animal prints on them. The savanna is the setting and the background image you will see.
Summary
Wild Gambler’s main feature should give plenty of players good reasons to explore it, though expect to be required to wager extra quite a bit in order to take advantage of the Lock & Spin.
