Scatter Symbols In Slots (And How They Work)

Always a welcome sight on the grid of a slot, scatter symbols unlock a wide range of features and bonuses that will liven up your game. Unlike the standard symbols that make up the remaining icons and have to appear in a certain formation, scatters, as the name suggests, are less constrained. There is no way to tell if a series of scatters is going to appear.

They are not more frequent in the first, middle or last part of a game either. Instead, a scatter can pop up on the reels in any position and at any point in the game. Alone, a scatter rarely has an impact on the game. However, when there are more than two or three, they often trigger a series of mini-games, free spins or other forms of bonus that can change the game. Should several scatter symbols appear together after a single spin, the game will almost always launch into a special feature. You won’t need to be an expert on the features of a slot before you start playing, however, because you’ll be shown what you need to do when the round is launched.

Players tend to think of scatters as one of the higher-paying symbols on the grid, as they offer access to all the additional features. To find out if a particular slot game has a scatter, take a look at the paytable. There, you can also find the symbol that represents a scatter, which will often coordinate with the game’s theme.

How do scatter symbol slots work?

Scatters are so called because of the random way in which they pop up in the reels. There’s no order to their placement, and they tend to arrive without warning. As a result, they’ve become known as scatters. In the majority of slots, it is three or more scatters that will trigger an event, regardless of where they appear, but that’s not a hard-and-fast rule for all games.

In [Big Bass Bonanza](https://www.leovegas.com/en-gb/game/big-bass-bonanza, for instance, the scatters are in the form of fish that you have to catch. Get more than three on your line, and you will be in for up to 20 free spins, as well as the chance to win up to 2,100x your initial stake. In Immortal Romance Mega Moolah, if three or more scatters pop up, you’ll be transported to a free spins round. This can happen numerous times over the course of a game. In Book of Dead, the book itself is the scatter symbol. If you get three or more, 10 free spins will be granted to you.

Are there scatter symbols in every game?

Not all slots have scatter symbols, and not all players want to see this mechanic in their gameplay. Some slot games are quite basic, and all you need to do is line up the symbols across one payline. There are also lots of slot games that have bonus rounds, but these are not triggered by a scatter symbol. Instead, they rely on another icon – for instance, a wild symbol – to trigger a mini game or special feature.

Slots that are based on card games typically do not contain a scatter icon. That’s because the action replicates how the original card game works, so there isn’t really any need for scatters. There are lots of popular games that use fewer features but are just as great to play. So, although they are common in many slots libraries, there are popular slots such as Starburst that don’t have scatters. Instead, the game has wilds and win-both-ways features, which make the play more interesting.

How do scatter symbols impact the gameplay?

Scatter symbols stand apart from other symbols on the grid because they don’t follow the same rules. Once you have activated a certain number of them, the game will automatically open up a bonus round. Spin a few more and you could bag a multiplier that boosts the line win and your total win. Here’s a close look at the types of features that scatters tend to launch.

Free spins scatters are present in most slot games. You often need to match three or more to maximise your extra turns. In many games, the average number of free spins that you’re awarded ranges between five and 10. Once this feature is running, the active paylines and the bet amount you are working on are identical to those on your last spin.

Some of the most popular developers at LeoVegas, such as Microgaming, NetEnt and Playtech, have refined the idea of scatters to make this feature more diverse. These slots have scattered wilds, which are scatters that change into wilds and then take the place of other symbols to potentially create a payline. These scatter wilds sweep away unwanted symbols to make way for winning combinations. In some slots, the scattered wilds work differently – they function as the game’s highest-paying symbol, so it’s great to see them on the reel.

There can also be bonus games that are activated by landing a set number of scatter symbols. The extra rounds will be different in each slot, but they tend to give you more in terms of gameplay. Look out for multiple choice, mini-games, box games and mystery wins, during which you have to select a prize. You might also bag a few wins on a Wheel of Fortune, but it all depends on which game you’re playing.

How to play scatter slots

Scatter symbol slots are played in the same way as standard slots – you just have an additional feature that gives you more chances to win. In a normal slot, you can expect a win when you land three symbols that match and line up horizontally on the grid. In a scatter, you go through the same process of selecting a slot, choosing your bet and clicking spin, but not all your winnings are linked to matching symbols. Your account can also get a boost if you get a certain number of scatters. Frequently, the number of scatters that pop up during a game determines how many free spins, wilds and bonus games you’ll gain access to and how much you can win in each of these sequences.

The good thing about scatter slots is that you don’t have to understand exactly how they are going to take effect. Once they land and there are enough of them, the game immediately lets you know which feature will be launched or what winnings you are in line for. If you’ve got a favourite game or even one that you’ve been playing for a while, you’ll soon catch on to how the scatters act and the ways that they influence the play.

To start, take a look at the paytable of any slot game you’re playing to find out what the scatter symbol looks like and what’s going to happen when one, two or three pop up. Some are marked ‘Bonus’, because that’s what players get, in the form of free spins or side games, when they land.

More on scatter symbol slots

There are endless classic slots that include scatter symbols to enhance your gameplay. If you really want to explore the feature, you could try the sweet world of Fruity Bonanza Scatterdrops, which only has scatters and no paylines! In this game, the symbols are different kinds of fruit, as well as playing cards, and once you’ve managed to collect four or more of them, you can pick a special feature. Choose between Fruity Free Drops and Bonanza Free Drops, both of which extend the game and your chance of winning.

There’s also Money Train 2, which has a spread of different features that begin if you land two scatters. This launches a multiplier and a respin sequence to build your potential winnings by 1x for each spin that fails to win. Once a winning combination is triggered, the entire multiplier is added to your balance.

Jack and the Beanstalk Remastered is a very popular slot in which the scatters are used to launch free spins rounds. You have to spin three of them to get started, and if you spin three more while the free spins are in play, you’ll get even more free spins.