Reels of Gold slot review

Reels of Gold slot: the short version

Reels of Gold (often listed as Rainbow Riches Reels of Gold) is Barcrest’s experiment with scale. Instead of one grid, the screen carries two: a conventional 5×4 set of reels and a second set that is five reels wide and twelve symbols tall. Paylines can number up to 100, far more than the 20 lines of the original Rainbow Riches.

This review sticks to what we could verify. Third-party descriptions of the game’s bonus rounds disagree with each other, and we found no reliable published figure for its volatility or maximum win. Where that is the case we say so and point you to the in-game help screen, which is always the definitive source for the version you are playing.

Reading the Reels of Gold layout

The two reel sets give the game its look. The main set behaves like a standard four-row video slot. The colossal set is three times as tall, which leaves room for very large stacks of the same symbol, the defining trait of games built on stacked symbols. How wins on the two sets connect is set out in the paytable, and it is worth reading before your first spin because a dual layout can be confusing at a glance.

Eighty symbol positions is a lot to track. If you find it hard to follow, the line-win display and the win summary after each spin are more reliable guides than trying to trace lines across the screen.

What up to 100 paylines means for your stake

With many paylines, your total stake is spread thinly across each line. If all 100 are active, a £1 spin is 1p per line and a £2 spin is 2p per line. Prizes in the paytable may be shown per line or as multiples of total stake, so read the small print beside the figures.

Lots of lines also means lots of small wins. Many of those wins will be smaller than your total stake: a 40p line win on a £1 spin is still a 60p loss. Before 2021, slots often greeted those results with lights and sounds, a pattern known as losses disguised as wins. UK rules now ban celebrating any return below the stake, and the net position display shows whether the session as a whole is up or down.

The 40x example is purely arithmetic to show the effect of spreading a stake; it is not taken from the Reels of Gold paytable.

How to play Reels of Gold

1. Open the help screen and find the RTP table, which shows the return for each stake band.
2. Read the paytable pages for both reel sets and any bonus rules, including how many lines are active.
3. Choose a stake within your budget and the UK limit (£5 at 25 and over, £2 at 18–24).
4. Spin. Each spin runs for at least 2.5 seconds, and you start every one manually because autoplay is not allowed in Great Britain.
5. Use the win summary and net position display, not the animations, to judge how the session is going.

Reels of Gold RTP: what ‘up to 96%’ means

Barcrest commonly links RTP to stake, and Reels of Gold follows that pattern: 96% is the top of its range, not a figure every player gets. Some stakes return less. Barcrest’s typical range is around 94% to 96%, and the exact bands are listed in the game’s help screen.

The practical rule is to set your stake from your budget first and then note which RTP applies, rather than raising your stake to reach the top band. A larger stake at 96% still costs more per hour than a small stake at a lower percentage. For example, 300 spins at £2 (£600 staked) at 96% has a theoretical cost of £24, while 300 spins at 50p (£150 staked) at 94% costs £9.

Bonus features and volatility on Reels of Gold

Reels of Gold has bonus rounds in the Rainbow Riches tradition, but the names and mechanics given by third-party sites do not match one another, so we have chosen not to list them. The help screen sets out each feature’s trigger, what it awards and how it ends.

We also could not verify a volatility rating. Two clues help you form a view in the demo: a large number of lines usually produces frequent small wins, while very tall reel sets with stacked symbols can produce occasional large line hits when a stack fills several reels. Our guide on comparing slot volatility explains how to read a paytable for those signs.

Max win: what we could not confirm

We have not been able to confirm a maximum win stated as a multiple of stake. Some review sites quote a pound figure, but those are based on stake ranges that are no longer allowed in the UK, so they are not useful here. Check the paytable for the top line prize and any feature caps; our guide to slot max win explains how to read them.

UK rules and demo play for Reels of Gold

The 2.5-second minimum spin time, the ban on autoplay, turbo and slam-stop, and the £5 and £2 stake limits all apply. There is no feature buy. The demo version, where offered, opens only after you have verified your age, and with a layout this unusual it is a sensible place to learn how the two reel sets interact before staking money.

How it compares with other Rainbow Riches games

Outside the series, Dynamite Riches (Red Tiger, 5×4, 20 lines, 94.76% default) is another four-row, 20-line game, and our Irish slots page lists more leprechaun-themed alternatives.

Pros, cons and who Reels of Gold suits

Reels of Gold suits Rainbow Riches fans who want something visually different and are happy to read a detailed paytable. If you prefer a slot you can understand at a glance, the original 20-line game is simpler.

Where to play Reels of Gold

Search for Reels of Gold in the lobby of a UK-licensed site before depositing, as not every casino carries every Barcrest title. Ladbrokes gives new customers up to 500 free spins after a £10 slots stake (50 a day for 10 days, 10p each, no wagering, selected games), and 10bet offers a 100% match up to £25 with 10x wagering on slots within 3 days. 18+, T&Cs apply.

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.