A multiplier is a value, such as ×2 or ×10, that a slot applies to a win to multiply what it pays. Multipliers can attach to a single symbol, a line, a cascade sequence, a spin or a whole bonus round.
What multipliers are
A multiplier does not create a win on its own. It increases the value of wins that happen while it is active. If a spin pays £1 and a ×5 multiplier applies, the spin pays £5 instead. Multipliers are among the most common slot features because they are easy to show and they change the size of wins dramatically.
How it works, step by step
- A multiplier becomes active. It might be printed on a wild, shown on a meter, carried by a special symbol, or set by a bonus round.
- The spin is evaluated as normal and wins are calculated from the paytable.
- The multiplier is applied to the relevant win: only wins including that wild, all wins in that cascade, or the total for the spin, depending on the game.
- If several multipliers are active, the game combines them by its own rule, either adding them or multiplying them together.
- The multiplied win is paid.
Common variations
- Wild multipliers: a wild carries ×2, ×3 or similar, applied to any win it is part of.
- Cascade multipliers: with cascading reels, the multiplier rises with each consecutive cascade in a spin.
- Progressive bonus multipliers: in free spins, the multiplier grows and does not reset until the round ends.
- Multiplier symbols: random symbols showing a value, common in pay anywhere games, applied to the total win of a tumble sequence.
- Reel or position multipliers: a value attached to a reel or a cell, which may grow each time it is used.
- Random multipliers: a value applied to a spin at random, sometimes from a wheel.
What it does to the maths and the feel
Multipliers are one of the main tools for raising volatility. Because a multiplier scales the result, the difference between a feature with no multiplier and one with a large one is huge. To keep the RTP at its target, the game makes large multipliers rare, or pays less on ordinary wins, or both.
Whether values add or multiply matters a great deal. As an illustration only: three ×4 multipliers give ×12 if they add, but ×64 if they multiply. Games with multiplying multipliers can produce very large results on rare occasions and are typically among the most volatile titles. A huge on-screen multiplier attached to a small base win can still produce a modest payout.
Rules in Great Britain
Multipliers are available on GB-licensed sites. The stake limits apply to what you stake, not to what you can win, so multipliers are unaffected by them. Under the game design rules, a multiplied win that still comes to no more than your stake cannot be celebrated with sounds or imagery.
Questions people ask
Do multipliers add together or multiply?
It depends on the game. Two ×3 multipliers might give ×6 if they add, or ×9 if they multiply. The paytable states the rule.
Does a game with big multipliers pay more?
Not on average. Big multipliers are balanced by how rarely they land and how much base wins pay, so the RTP is unchanged; the results are just more spread out.
Do multipliers ever reset?
Usually. Cascade multipliers commonly reset at the next paid spin, and bonus multipliers reset at the end of the feature, though some carry on for the whole bonus.