Hockey Bonanza: Slot Overview

Quick one for slot fans: what do Mt Olympus and ice hockey have in common? As far as we can tell, nothing at all—until Pragmatic Play decided otherwise. The studio has lifted a large chunk of the familiar mechanics from its hit Gates of Olympus slot (plus elements seen in some of its successors) and repackaged them into an ice hockey-themed online slot. It’s an odd pairing, but the core gameplay has already shown it can work, so the real question is whether it feels just as entertaining with a sports coat of paint.

The game is called Hockey Bonanza, set on the rink inside an arena packed with fans watching the action. Why Pragmatic Play opted to create a hockey-flavoured version is debatable, but it does give slot players and ice hockey followers a two-in-one pastime. Given how popular the sport is in certain regions, it’s not surprising there are a few hockey slots out there competing for attention. Also worth noting: the crowd audio in Hockey Bonanza does a solid job of building that rinkside atmosphere.

Hockey Bonanza uses a scatter paying/pay anywhere format, meaning a payout is formed whenever at least eight matching symbols appear anywhere on the grid. Any winning symbols then vanish from the reels, with new symbols dropping in from above to fill the gaps. If the tumble creates another win, the process repeats, only stopping once no further win is produced. The layout is 6 reels with 5 positions each, so 30 symbols land per spin. Bets range from 20 p/c to $/€100, and players can switch on Bet Double, which increases the stake by 25% while boosting the chance of triggering the feature. Alternatively, the feature can be purchased instantly for 100 times the bet. However you choose to play—standard, Ante Bet enabled, or bonus buy—the top RTP is 96.5%.

For symbols, metallic 10-A card ranks cover the low end, while the higher-paying icons include a thumbs-up, skates, a helmet, and a puck and stick. Landing 8 or 9 matching symbols pays 0.25 to 10 times the bet, while 12 to 30 matching symbols return 2 to 50 times the bet. There are no wilds in Hockey Bonanza at any stage.

Hockey Bonanza: Slot Features

Additional mechanics you can run into while playing Hockey Bonanza include multiplier symbols and free spins.

Multiplier Symbols

Multiplier symbols may randomly appear on any spin in either the base game or the bonus. These multipliers come with values of x2 to x500. Once the tumbling sequence finishes, every multiplier value still showing on the grid is totalled and then applied to the spin’s overall win.

Free Spins

The ice hockey player scatter symbol can land on every reel. When 3, 4, or 5 of them hit, players receive 3x, 5x, or 100x, respectively, along with 15 free spins. During free spins, if multiplier symbols land and there is also a win, the multiplier amount is added to a global win multiplier. That global win multiplier is then applied to the total win at the end of the free spin, provided a multiplier symbol landed during that spin. If 3 or more scatters appear while the feature is running, +5 additional free spins are awarded.

Hockey Bonanza: Slot Verdict

Slots such as Sweet Bonanza and Gates of Olympus clearly bring Pragmatic Play plenty of revenue, because the studio has revisited, reworked, and re-themed those ideas many times—and it doesn’t look like that production line is slowing down. Hockey Bonanza is simply another entry in that long run, and it mainly separates itself by appealing to players who like the sport. Strip away the ice, pucks, and goals and you’re left with a blueprint that’s been used repeatedly, so if Hockey Bonanza doesn’t grab you, there are plenty of other titles that are identical or extremely close—and likely more on the way.

From a technical standpoint, there isn’t much to criticise in Hockey Bonanza. The scatter pay/win anywhere approach is clearly popular with both players and developers, judging by how quickly these games keep appearing. Of course, it helps when studios are happy to lean heavily on earlier releases. Still, with a max win of 5,000x the bet and an enjoyable scatter/tumble multiplier mix, Hockey Bonanza is difficult to knock in terms of mechanics.

One last thought: ice hockey can be a rough sport, packed with heavy checks and the odd scrap. Maybe the connection between something like Sweet Bonanza and Hockey Bonanza is the chance of losing teeth? Not from the slot itself—unless the celebrations get a bit too wild. Beyond that, Hockey Bonanza glides along about as smoothly as the rest of its team.