9 Pots of Gold Megaways: Slot Overview

Considering how prolific the Games Global connected studios are, you could be excused for expecting them to lean more heavily on the Megaways licence from Australian studio Big Time Gaming. Yet despite a constant stream of online slots coming from these linked teams, they haven’t exactly gone all-in on Megaways. Maybe they’d rather keep more of the tech in-house, or perhaps they don’t want a third-party brand too closely tied to their output. Speculation aside, here we have 9 Pots of Gold Megaways. It’s produced by Gameburger Studios, and anyone familiar with their catalogue will quickly spot that this is essentially a Megaways rework of the 2020 release 9 Pots of Gold.

Before that, 9 Pots of Gold itself followed what must have been a huge success for Gameburger Studios: 9 Masks of Fire, a game that appears to have influenced a wave of scatter prize-focused titles ever since. While 9 Masks of Fire revolved around masks and similar themes, 9 Pots of Gold shifted to a leprechaun setup packed with the usual genre staples. Those elements return in 9 Pots of Gold Megaways, so expect four-leaf clovers, harps, hats, and the rest. Visually, there isn’t a dramatic departure from the earlier game either, which is pretty typical for these Megaways conversions.

The most noticeable change is the reel setup, now built on 6 reels, with each reel able to display up to 7 symbols. With that comes fluctuating win ways, reaching a maximum of 117,649 when the grid is fully expanded. The slot is also highly volatile and comes in four RTP configurations, where 96.1% is the top option. That return rises to 96.5% if you enable the Win Booster ante bet. Activating it increases the stake by x2, provides an increased chance of triggering the features, and guarantees at least 4 rows of symbols on the grid. Stakes run from 20 p/c to $/€50 per spin, and on the highest RTP setting the theoretical hit rate is 34.89%.

Wins land when matching symbols connect across adjacent reels starting from the far-left reel. A 6-symbol way pays 1 to 1.2 times the bet for the low-value 10-A royals, while the higher symbols (clover, hat, harp, and golden 7s) return 1.6 to 5 times the bet. When winning combinations hit, they are removed and replaced as new symbols drop in from above via the tumble mechanic. In addition, reels 2-5 can show trippy-looking wilds, which substitute for any standard paying symbol.

9 Pots of Gold Megaways: Slot Features

A couple of 9 Pots of Gold Megaways’ features have already come up, including the Win Booster and the Rolling Reels tumble system. The remaining highlights are Epic Strike, free spins, and a feature buy.

Epic Strike

Epic Strike scatters are shown as a pot of gold with a rainbow bursting out of it. Hitting at least 3 awards an immediate cash prize. Specifically, landing 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, or 9 Epic Strike scatters pays 1x, 5x, 15x, 40x, 100x, 500x, or 2,000x the bet, respectively.

Free Spins

Collecting G, O, L, D via 4 scatter symbols triggers 10 free spins. Any additional free spins scatters visible add +5 free spins each. When the free spins feature starts, it also awards 1x the bet, and free spins scatters only show up in the base game. During the bonus, retrigger scatters can appear, and for every 4 gathered, a further 4 free spins are added.

Free spins also include a win multiplier that begins at x1. The multiplier increases after each Rolling Reels cascade. It applies to all wins in free spins, but it does not apply to Epic Strike payouts.

Bonus Buy

Finally, if you want to jump directly into free spins, you can purchase 10, 15, or 20 free spins for 50x, 70x, or 85x the bet, respectively.

9 Pots of Gold Megaways: Slot Verdict

If you’re someone who wants a fresh experience every time you open a new slot, you may want to steer clear of 9 Pots of Gold Megaways, because this formula is very familiar at this point. Early on we referenced the rise of the 9 Masks of Fire-style approach, and it’s essentially become a full-blown trend that doesn’t look like slowing down. Plenty of studios have been eager to put their own spin on it in one way or another, and not only those connected to Games Global. Even if Gameburger Studios didn’t completely originate the idea, 9 Pots of Gold Megaways does feel like a return to the roots of this particular style in certain respects.

Realistically, how many people are loading up 9 Pots of Gold Megaways expecting something truly different? Likely not many. So, if you’re here for the chance to land Epic Strike scatters and pick up prizes of up to 2,000x the bet, it’s a decent enough choice. It’s a pity Epic Strike payouts don’t benefit from the increasing free spins multiplier, as that could have made the feature more exciting. As is, 2,000x isn’t especially standout for a Megaways title. Can standard ways wins combined with a strong multiplier deliver better? In theory, yes, since the stated maximum exposure is 5,000x the bet max bet. Still, that’s not exactly a jaw-dropping ceiling for a Megaways game.

For anyone who enjoys the whole 9 ‘x’ of something series, 9 Pots of Gold Megaways likely offers enough to keep things fun, fair play. For everyone else, it comes across as a bit superfluous. It doesn’t really propel 9 Pots of Gold into bold new territory, nor does it do anything with the Megaways engine that hasn’t already been executed on a larger scale elsewhere.