Vegas Diamonds Introduction

For reasons known only to ELK Studios, they chose to release yet another entry in their line of “innovative” Mobile First 3 reel slots. Yes, the first two instalments Ivanhoe and Route 777 were solid enough and even gained some traction thanks to a handful of casino streamers. From our perspective, though, we never really saw what made them special. The classic 3 by 3 format can be enjoyable in small doses, and we’re sure it has its fans, but judging by what players are chasing right now, it feels seriously behind the times.

ELK says Vegas Diamonds is meant to feel much more contemporary than its sister slots while still respecting the old-school formula. With the limits of a 3×3 layout, it can’t have been easy to avoid creating something that would be seen as essentially tantamount. So how well does Vegas Diamonds stack up to the earlier titles? Let’s take a closer look.

This ELK Studios powered slot features 3 reels, 3 rows and 5 pay lines. While it runs smoothly across all devices, it’s clearly tuned for mobile play as part of the studio’s push to build for newer hardware. The 96% RTP sits a bit below the 96.3% option found in the other two games, and the hit frequency is also lower (14.4% compared to 16%).

On the presentation side, it leaves a strong first impression, and we were genuinely impressed by how well it captures that Las Vegas vibe. The bright Vegas background doesn’t move, but the animations above the reels are a welcome touch and, together with the ambient crowd noise when the game is idle, they help sell the feeling of being right in the middle of the world’s gambling capital.

Vegas Diamonds Symbols, Paytable & Features

The reel set includes low-value cherries, lemons and watermelons, alongside three higher-paying single, double and triple Bar symbols, plus the diamond symbol, which pays 30 times the stake for 3 across a pay line.

Multiplier wilds are a key part of the gameplay. Each wild carries a multiplier of 2x, 3x, 4x or 5x. Wilds can only land on reels 1 and 3, so you can’t hit a full wild line, but they can still combine with other symbols to produce some respectable base-game wins.

Two features are included in the main game:

• Nudge Feature – If three diamond symbols land anywhere in view, the nudge feature activates and moves them into alignment on the middle row.
• Perfect Match Respin – Triggers when matching symbols land on the first two reels. Those reels lock, and 3 respins are then played on the third reel, which can create winning combinations on every spin, or trigger the bonus if two bonus symbols are locked on the first two reels. With the right luck, the Perfect Match Repsins can also retrigger the nudge feature three times.

Vegas Diamonds Fortune Wheel Bonus

Landing three fortune wheel symbols anywhere on the reels activates the Fortune Wheel with 3 spins. The wheel appears in the animation area above the reels and is split into three tiers—Bronze, Silver and Golden Wheel—each offering bigger prizes than the last. To advance to the next tier, you’ll need the wheel to stop on the arrow symbol. If you manage to reach the Golden Wheel, you’ll have a shot at the 1000 times the stake top prize.

A free spins feature can also be started if the wheel lands on the free spins segment. When that happens, you receive 5 free spins on the reels, with the opportunity to collect extra bonus symbols that then grant additional spins on the fortune wheel. On top of that, every win during free spins is paid with a x5 multiplier guaranteed.

Vegas Diamonds Conclusion

So, how does it measure up against Ivanhoe and Route 777? Since it’s the lowest-paying of the three, with a 2000x max win potential versus Ivanhoe’s 3000x and Route 777’s 4000x, and it also comes with lower RTP plus reduced hit and bonus frequency, we have to call it poor value. It’s also worth noting that all three are equally volatile, so don’t count on any of them being a better option than the others for fightning wagering.

There’s a lot we appreciate about ELK Studios, particularly their focus on fairness, trust and transparency. They regularly include statistical details in their game sheets, which obviously makes it easier to evaluate their releases and leaves them a bit more susceptible to criticism, but it’s also a big reason they’ve earned so much respect. Sadly, Vegas Diamonds didn’t really do it for us—though it may very well be exactly what someone else is looking for.