Complete Breakdown of Slot Symbols

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Written by Boris Atanasov
Boris Atanasov
With more than 4+ years of experience in the iGaming industry, Boris Atanasov writes exciting content about slots, video poker, roulette and blackjack.
, | Updated: September 26, 2025

Software suppliers release new slots with improved features every month, delivering enhanced entertainment to reel spinners around the world. Although slots are constantly evolving, most still rely, more or less, on the same types of symbols.

This consistency allows players to quickly learn about and familiarize themselves with new releases, as long as they understand how the different types of slot symbols work. Symbols are generally classified into two main groups.

Standard symbols award high-value or low-value payouts for matches on active paylines. Special symbols, such as wilds and scatters, boost players’ odds of winning by helping them form more combinations or unlock lucrative bonus features.

This article thoroughly describes all the types of symbols you will find in slots, explains how they work, and discusses why they are beneficial to players.

Standard High-Value and Low-Value Slot Symbols

1Low-Value Symbols

These are the most basic symbols you will encounter in slot games. Payouts are awarded when identical symbols align on a winning payline. Most modern slots use playing-card symbols such as A, K, Q, J, 10, and 9 for their low-value combinations. Sometimes the four card suits (spades, clubs, diamonds, and hearts) are used instead.

In classic slots that are played on three reels, low-value symbols are typically represented by various fruits such as plums, lemons, oranges, cherries, melons, and grapes. Low-value combinations hit more frequently because these symbols outnumber the high-value ones on the reels.

2High-value symbols

Slots also feature symbols with much higher winning potential. In retro three-reel games, the top-paying icons are represented by classic symbols such as the bar, lucky seven, diamond, and bell. The high-value symbols in modern video slots vary from one game to another, depending on the theme.

When you spin the reels of a slot with an Egyptian theme, for example, you can collect top payouts from symbols that depict pyramids, scarabs, scepters, snakes, deities, and ancient artifacts. Developers often give the low-paying card symbols a bespoke touch so they, too, complement the game’s theme.

3Winning combinations

The sole purpose of standard symbols is to award payouts when they form winning combinations on the paylines. In most games, you need at least three matching icons to win, although some slots pay out for as few as two matches on a payline.

The direction in which identical symbols align is also important. Winning combinations usually must run from left to right on the payline. For example, imagine scarab symbols land on the third, fourth, and fifth reels. You will not receive a payout if different symbols appear on the first and second reels.

However, some video slots such as Starburst, The Invisible Man, and Good Girl, Bad Girl pay in both directions. Although this feature does not improve the player’s odds, it keeps the gameplay more engaging.

4Reels and Paylines

Regardless of their value, standard symbols behave differently in slots with the so-called “cascading” reels. This feature resembles retro games like Tetris. When a winning combination appears on a payline, the matching symbols explode and disappear from the reels, allowing new symbols to fall into place and potentially create another win. Such is the case in Betsoft’s Sugar Pop and Invaders from Planet Moolah by WMS.

The “collapsing” reels mechanic is similar. If identical symbols create a match on a payline, they vanish and the icons above drop into position. This feature is known as “Free Fall” in NetEnt slots.

Some games include dynamic multipliers that progressively boost your payouts with each subsequent winning combination, while others unlock bonus events like free spins after a string of wins.

There are also slots that lack paylines altogether. In these titles, the standard-paying symbols behave like scatters, meaning they must appear on adjacent reels to yield a payout. The patterns they form and their exact positions on the reels are irrelevant in this case.

Wild Symbols – Types and Purpose

Wilds are slot players’ best friends because they can replace all standard symbols and create more winning combinations. The only icons they cannot substitute are the scatters and the bonus symbols. You may not find wilds in every game, but if you play modern slots there is a good chance you will encounter these special symbols.

Let’s use Divine Fortune by NetEnt to demonstrate how wilds work. This mythology-themed game uses Pegasus as the substitution symbol. Suppose you have two Q icons on the first and third reels on payline 1.

If Pegasus lands on the second reel on line 1, the game will award a payout that corresponds to a Three of a Kind combination. This is a shifting wild, which moves down one position on the reels after wins (if any) are awarded for a given spin, potentially creating additional winning combinations.

Depending on the slot, wilds may appear both in the base game and during special features like free spins. Some wilds are used solely for substitution, while others award higher payouts for combinations of three or more symbols. Wilds can also trigger bonus events in certain slots, although scatters and bonus symbols are normally used for this purpose.

Because software developers are constantly looking for ways to improve slots, there are many different types of wild symbols players can benefit from. Below is a rundown of the most common types you will encounter.

Walking wilds
blank Expanding wilds
blank Stacked wilds
blank Sticky wilds
blank Random wilds
blank Replicating wilds

Walking wilds

Walking wilds operate on the same principle as the substitution symbols in NetEnt’s Divine Fortune discussed earlier. When they land on the reels, they shift one position with each subsequent spin.

Depending on the slot you are playing, the wild might walk to the left, to the right, upward, or downward until it eventually disappears from the screen. The reels respin at no cost each time the wild moves by one position. This feature appears mainly in NetEnt slots like The Invisible Man, Divine Fortune, and Jack and the Beanstalk.

Expanding wilds

Expanding wilds are extremely powerful because they stretch to cover the entire reel on which they land. This can potentially create multiple winning combinations, especially when you play advanced slots with five reels and numerous paylines. These wilds usually expand only when they are part of a winning line.

Sometimes a single wild symbol can take over several reels, creating impressive winning combos in the process. Players usually receive a free respin after an expanding wild hits the reels. Among the slots featuring such icons are NetEnt’s Starburst and Hall of the Gods, as well as 1429 Uncharted Seas by Thunderkick.

Stacked wilds

Stacked wilds are similar to expanding wilds in that they also cover entire reels. The difference is that the wilds stack on top of one another instead of merging into a single large symbol.

In some slots, wilds can stack on any reel, while in others the stacking occurs on specific reels only. These details are listed in the slot’s paytable, which we recommend you check before you play. Some of the most popular titles featuring stacked wilds include Kiss by WMS and IGT’s Wolf Run and Western Belles.

Sticky wilds

Sticky wilds, also known as “frozen” or “locked” wilds, are special symbols that remain locked in position when they land on a reel. The symbol stays on the reel for the next respin or for the entire duration of bonus events like free spins. Some sticky wilds also act as expanding wilds and can occupy entire reels.

In NetEnt’s Dead or Alive 2, sticky wilds carry a 2x multiplier on wins generated during free spins. The symbols can also retrigger additional bonus spins if they appear during the feature.

Other slots with sticky wilds we recommend you try include Betsoft’s Mamma Mia, NetEnt’s Lucky Angler and Finn and the Swirly Spin, and Tower Quest by Play’n GO.

Random wilds

Random wilds occur when substitution symbols are randomly added to the reels. This usually happens during bonus events like free spins. The symbols can behave differently depending on the slot you are playing.

Random wilds may carry multipliers that further boost the wins they help create. In some games, one or more reel grids turn into wilds to award additional prizes. In others, entire reels can become wild during a free round.

Either way, random wilds can appear on any spin. This adds an element of surprise and makes the gameplay more engaging. Keep in mind, however, that these symbols do not necessarily create winning combinations when they appear; it can be frustrating to see them land without completing a paying combo.

You will encounter this feature in slots like Microgaming’s Immortal Romance, Moon Princess by Play’n GO, and Vikings Go Wild by Yggdrasil.

Replicating wilds

Replicating wilds, also known as transferring wilds, are substitution symbols that duplicate themselves so they appear in several positions on the reels. A good example is Grim Muerto by Play’n GO, where one reel is randomly selected at the start of a spin. If a wild symbol lands on the highlighted reel, it duplicates to cover all of its grids.

These wilds behave differently depending on which software studio produced the slot. They can appear during bonus features, in the base game, or in both. Such symbols are often found in slots with high volatility, where you win larger prizes less frequently.

Transferring wilds can be found in many games developed by WMS Gaming, including Fire Queen, Spartacus: Gladiator of Rome, and Bruce Lee Dragon’s Tale. These slots are unique because they play on multiple sets of reels.

Scatter Symbols and How They Benefit the Slot Player

1Scattered Payouts

The scatter symbols discussed earlier are valuable to slot players for two main reasons. First, these special icons pay even when they do not align on a winning payline.

You win as long as the required number of scatters appears anywhere on the reels. When they land, scatters award some of the highest prizes on the paytable, and these wins are usually multiplied by the player’s total bet.

2Bonus events

However, scatters in some slots do not necessarily deliver standard payouts. Instead, their role is to trigger bonus events such as free spins, respins, and side games where you can win additional cash prizes.

You must land a certain number of scatters on a single spin to trigger the bonus event. Some game developers make it harder for the player by requiring these symbols to appear on specific reels to unlock the special features.

Most often, you need a minimum of three scatters to activate a bonus feature, although landing four or more can further enhance the rewards in certain games.

3Example

One example is Hall of Gods by NetEnt, where you receive 10 free spins with 3 scatters, 15 free spins with 4 scatters, and a maximum of 20 free spins with 5 scatters. These special symbols can usually retrigger additional free spins when enough of them land during the feature. Developers often attach multipliers to scatters for even larger prizes.

Bonus Symbols and Paytables in Slots

Bonus Symbols in Slots

Get to Know the Paytable and Winning Symbols before You Play

Bonus symbols are among the most anticipated icons in video slots. Similar to scatters, bonus symbols activate bonus events, such as free spins or side games with guaranteed cash prizes. They are absent from retro three-reel slots but are quite common in modern titles.

We examine the various types of bonus games in the next article from our slot guide. For now, suffice it to say that these extra features can be extremely lucrative and entertaining, elevating your slot experience to a whole new level. Designed in line with each slot’s theme, bonus games add plenty of excitement to any betting session.

Bonus symbols differ from scatters in that they normally do not award regular payouts. Their sole purpose is to trigger the slots’ bonus features. Unlike standard icons, bonus symbols cannot be substituted by wilds. In some slots, the bonus symbols must appear simultaneously on specific reels to work their magic.

You usually need at least three such symbols to unlock bonus features. Using NetEnt’s Fairytale Legends: Hansel & Gretel as an example, three treasure-chest icons must land on the first, third, and fifth reels to trigger one of three bonus features.

In other games, such as Play’n GO’s Rich Wilde and the Pearls of India, players collect bonus symbols during regular spins and need a minimum of 25 icons to launch the side game. In Tower Quest by the same provider, three wizard bonus symbols can land in any reel position to activate the feature.

The bottom line is that bonus symbols are strictly game-specific, and their behavior depends on the developer behind each slot. This brings us to the next section, where we discuss the importance of paytables.

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