Slot symbols explained simply: every symbol on a reel either pays when enough of them line up, or does a job, such as substituting, triggering a feature or adding a cash value or multiplier. Knowing which is which, and reading what each pays at your stake, is the quickest way to understand any new slot before you put money into it.
Symbols either pay in combinations or perform a job; specials like the Book of Dead book do both.
Low-pay symbols land often and return little; premiums land less often and pay more.
Wilds substitute, scatters trigger features, and money or multiplier symbols add value.
Most modern paytables show pound amounts that change when you change your stake.
Main groups
Paying symbols and special symbols
Commonest special
The wild
Feature trigger
Usually scatters or bonus symbols
Where to look
The paytable in the game menu
Affects RTP?
Only via the published maths
Slot symbols explained: paying symbols and working symbols
Look at any reel set and you will see two kinds of symbol. Paying symbols do nothing except pay when enough of them land in a winning pattern, whether that is a payline, a way, a cluster or a total anywhere on the grid. Working symbols have a function: they substitute for others, start a feature, carry a cash value, or multiply a win.
Some symbols do both. In Book of Dead, the book is both the wild and the scatter, so it can complete a line win and also trigger the free spins. In Big Bass Bonanza, the fish symbols carry cash values that are collected only in the feature. Before playing a new game, the most useful thing you can do is open the paytable and sort each symbol into one of these two groups.
The main families of slot symbol at a glance
Symbol type
What it does
Typical place
Low-pay
Pays small amounts in combinations
Card ranks 10 to A, gems, fruits
High-pay (premium)
Pays larger amounts, lands less often
Theme characters and objects
Wild
Substitutes for paying symbols
Most video slots
Scatter
Pays or triggers a feature from any position
Free spins slots
Bonus symbol
Triggers a bonus round, often on set reels
Pick-me and wheel games
Money or cash symbol
Shows a value that can be collected
Fishing and hold and win games
Multiplier symbol
Multiplies a win or the total of a tumble
Pay-anywhere and grid games
Mystery symbol
Turns into one matching symbol after landing
Many modern video slots
Collector
Gathers values from other symbols
Cash collect games
Each of these has its own entry in our slot glossary, and the sections below explain how they behave in a real spin.
Low-pay and high-pay symbols: where most wins come from
Most of the reel is filled with low-pay symbols. On a typical five-reel video slot these are the card ranks 10, J, Q, K and A, or themed equivalents such as gems or fruit. They land often and keep small wins ticking over. High-pay or premium symbols are usually the characters and objects from the theme: the explorer, the god, the fisherman’s tackle box. They appear less often and pay several times more for the same length of combination.
The gap between the two groups is a big part of a slot’s volatility. A game whose top symbol pays only a little more than its card ranks will feel even and steady. A game whose premium pays many times more relies on rarer, larger combinations, so sessions swing more.
Wild symbols and their many variations
A wild symbol stands in for paying symbols to complete combinations. It normally cannot replace scatters or bonus symbols, and the paytable says so. Studios have built many variations on the basic idea:
Expanding wilds grow to fill the whole reel. Starburst’s wilds land on the middle three reels, expand and hold for a respin.
Sticky wilds stay in place for several spins, usually during free spins. They are a staple of free spins rounds.
Walking wilds move one reel each spin until they leave the grid.
Multiplier wilds double, triple or further multiply any win they help to form.
Stacked wilds fill several positions on a reel at once, making full-reel coverage more likely.
Collecting wilds gather the values of money symbols, like the fisherman in Big Bass Bonanza and Fishin’ Frenzy free spins.
Scatters and bonus symbols: the keys to features
A scatter symbol counts wherever it lands, not just on a line. Three or more anywhere on the screen commonly start free spins, and many scatters also pay a small amount in their own right. Gates of Olympus and Sweet Bonanza use scatters both to trigger free spins and, in the base game, to pay when four or more appear.
A bonus symbol is similar but often has stricter conditions, such as needing to land on reels one, three and five. It typically leads to something other than free spins: a pick-me screen, a wheel or a trail. The paytable will state how many are needed and on which reels, and UK rules require that information to be available before you play.
Money, collector and multiplier symbols
Newer games use symbols that carry a number on their face. Three patterns dominate.
Money symbols collected by a wild
In fishing slots such as Big Bass Bonanza, fish symbols show a cash value based on your stake. In the base game they are just decoration or low pays; in free spins, every fisherman wild that lands collects the value of each fish on screen. This is the cash collect mechanic.
Coin symbols in hold and win
In hold and win games, landing six or so coin symbols locks them in place and starts a respin round. Each new coin resets the respin counter; at the end, the values are added up. Some coins show jackpot labels instead of cash amounts.
Multiplier symbols
Gates of Olympus drops multiplier orbs that apply to the total win of a tumble sequence. Sweet Bonanza uses multiplier bombs during free spins. These symbols are where the big outcomes on pay-anywhere games tend to come from, which is also why those games are volatile. Our explainer on how multipliers work goes deeper.
Mystery, split, stacked and upgrading symbols
Mystery symbols land as a blank block or question mark and then all reveal the same symbol, which can turn a dull screen into a full one.
Split symbols count as two of the same symbol, raising the number of matches on a reel.
Stacked symbols occupy several positions on a reel, so whole-reel matches are more common.
Upgrading symbols turn low pays into higher ones, usually as a feature progresses or a meter fills.
Expanding symbols in free spins, as in Book of Dead, grow to fill reels and pay even when not adjacent.
None of these change the game’s RTP on the fly. They are part of the maths the studio designed and tested, and their effect is already built into the published return.
How to read a slot paytable in pounds
Most modern games display symbol payouts as cash amounts at your current stake, so the paytable changes when you change your bet. Older games show multiples of the line bet or coin value instead. Here is a reliable routine:
Set the stake you actually plan to use, then open the paytable from the menu or info button.
Check how wins are formed: paylines, ways, clusters or pay anywhere. This decides what ‘five of a kind’ means.
Read the low-pay values first. These are the wins you will see most often, and many will be smaller than your stake.
Read the premium values and note how many times larger they are than the low pays.
Find each working symbol and read exactly what it does, which reels it lands on, and whether it can substitute for scatters.
Scroll to the RTP and max win lines to confirm the version you are playing.
A worked example
Imagine a 10-line game at £1 total stake, so 10p per line. The paytable shows five of the lowest card symbol paying 50p and five premiums paying £10. Three of the low symbol might pay 5p. That 5p win lands on a £1 spin, so you are 95p down even though the screen shows a win. Five premiums on one line returns ten times your stake. Change the stake to 20p and every figure divides by five, but the proportions stay the same. Our paytable guide has more worked layouts.
Why some symbols land more often than others
Every outcome is chosen by the random number generator, which picks positions on each reel strip. Those strips are not equal: low-pay symbols appear many times, premiums fewer times, and scatters sparsely. That uneven weighting is how the studio sets both hit rate and RTP.
It also explains why two scatters and a near miss on the third reel feel so common. When a symbol is rare on the final reel, missing by one position is a frequent result. It means nothing for the next spin. Our guide to near misses explains why that pattern is not a sign that a feature is close.
Each game at a UKGC-licensed casino must show its paytable and rules before you stake. PlayOJO’s welcome spins are on Big Bass Bonanza, which shows money symbols and a collecting wild in action, while Coral and Ladbrokes give 10p spins on selected games. 18+, new customers only, a qualifying deposit or stake is needed and terms apply.
PlayOJO’s spins are on Big Bass Bonanza, a clear example of money symbols and a collecting wild. Coral and Ladbrokes give 10p spins on selected games. 18+, new customers, terms apply.
Coral and Ladbrokes are both run by LC International Limited (Entain). If you already hold an account with one Entain brand, you may not be able to open a new account with another; check the terms before signing up.
Significant terms: 18+. New UK customers (excluding Northern Ireland). First deposit only. Minimum deposit £10. 80 free spins on Big Bass Bonanza, £0.10 each. No wagering requirements; winnings paid in cash. Cannot be used with any other offer. Only available to players who arrive through the designated offer link. Full T&Cs apply. GamCare.org.uk
Read the PlayOJO reviewLicence: Skill On Net Limited, UKGC account 39326. Offer checked 5 October 2026.
Significant terms: 18+. New players only. Offer runs 01/10/2026 to 01/02/2027. Deposit (certain types excluded) and bet £10+ on slot games to get 100 free spins (selected games, £0.10 each, 48 hrs to accept, valid 7 days). No wagering on free spin winnings. Deposits by Neteller, PayPal, Paysafe, Skrill, prepaid cards and certain debit cards do not qualify. Restrictions and T&Cs apply. GamCare.org.uk
Read the Coral reviewLicence: LC International Limited, UKGC account 54743. Offer checked 5 October 2026.
Significant terms: 18+. New customers only, from 14/11/25 until further notice. Certain deposit methods excluded. Deposit and spend £10+ on slots for 50 free spins a day during the first 10 days after first deposit and registration (max 500, £0.10 each, selected games, claim before 23:59 each day, valid 7 days). No wagering. Prepaid cards, PayPal, Paysafe, Neteller, Skrill and Moneybookers deposits do not qualify. Restrictions and T&Cs apply. GamCare.org.uk
Read the Ladbrokes reviewLicence: LC International Limited, UKGC account 54743. Offer checked 5 October 2026.
18+. Gambling should be entertainment that costs money, not a way to make it. Set a deposit limit before you play: how to set limits. Free, confidential help: National Gambling Helpline 0808 8020 133.
Frequently asked questions
What are the symbols on a slot machine called?
They fall into two broad groups: paying symbols and special symbols. Paying symbols include low pays, often card ranks 10 to A, and high pays, usually theme characters. Special symbols include wilds, scatters, bonus symbols, money symbols, multipliers and mystery symbols, each with its own rule. Older fruit machines used cherries, bells, bars and sevens, and many classic slots still do. The paytable in each game lists every symbol and what it pays.
What is the difference between a wild and a scatter?
A wild substitutes for other symbols to complete a winning combination, so it only helps when it lands in the right place. A scatter counts wherever it appears on the screen and usually triggers a feature such as free spins once three or more land. Wilds normally cannot stand in for scatters. A few games combine the two roles in one symbol, as Book of Dead does with its book. Our wild symbol entry covers the variations.
Which slot symbol pays the most?
It depends on the game, so check the paytable. Usually the top premium symbol or the wild pays the most for a full line, but on many modern games the largest results come from multipliers or money symbols during features rather than any single symbol combination. Paytables now often show cash amounts at your current stake, so you can see the top value in pounds. Our paytable guide shows how to compare them.
Do some symbols appear less often on purpose?
Yes. Each reel strip is designed with more low-pay symbols than premiums, and scatters are usually the rarest of all. That weighting, chosen by the developer and tested before the game is approved, is how the published RTP and hit rate are achieved. It is fixed in the certified game and does not change depending on your recent results or the time of day. Our explainer on how slot maths models work covers this in detail.
What does a money symbol do on a slot?
A money symbol shows a cash value, usually a multiple of your stake, and pays when it is collected. In fishing games, a wild collects the values of all money symbols on screen during free spins. In hold and win games, coin symbols lock in place during a respin round and are totalled at the end. Outside the feature, they may pay nothing at all. Our cash collect slots page lists games that use this mechanic.
Why does my paytable show different amounts each time?
Most modern slots display payouts in pounds at your current stake, so the figures change whenever you change the bet. A symbol that pays £5 at £1 a spin will show £1 at 20p. The proportions do not change, and neither does the RTP. Some older games show multiples of the line bet or coin value instead, which you then need to multiply out yourself. Our guide to coin value explains the older system.
Can a wild symbol replace a scatter?
Usually not. In most games, wilds substitute only for regular paying symbols, and the paytable or rules state that they do not replace scatters or bonus symbols. Exceptions exist where one symbol is designed to be both, as in Book of Dead, but that is a single dual-purpose symbol rather than a wild replacing a scatter. Always read the rules on the info screen; our guide to reading a slot’s game info shows where to look.
Are slot symbols different on UK sites?
The symbols themselves are the same as elsewhere, but UK games must explain every symbol and feature in the rules before you play, and some features differ. Bonus buy buttons are not available to players in Great Britain, and there is no turbo or slam stop, so special symbol animations play out at normal speed. Spins also take at least 2.5 seconds. Our guide to UK slot game design rules lists the differences.
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