Scarab Slot Review

IGT presented the latest innovations at the 2019 Macau Gaming show. Among several exciting features, the “Wilds Stay Charges Then Pays” one stood out. It was installed into two new standalone machines that were also presented on the occasion. Egyptian-themed Scarab slot is one of these machines. We couldn’t wait to test it and see what’s hidden behind the new bonus feature. Stay tuned to find out everything you need to know about Scarab. 

The slot itself is very similar to IGT’s big hitter Cleopatra in many aspects. At first look, the improved enchanting soundtrack left a strong impression, just as the whole top-notch graphics layout with pyramids in the background.

Slot aficionados from all over the world will love the fact the machine is available in both brick-and-mortar casinos and online, regardless if you play it on a desktop computer or a mobile device (compatible with all types of phones, including iOS and Android versions).

The Scarab slot is built around five-reel and four-row set. The designers found the way to squeeze 75 paylines into the slot, meaning you can’t wager fewer than 75 cents on a single spin given that coins begin at $0.01. The maximum coin size is 30, leading to $2,250 as the maximum wagering amount for one spin.

The players will deal with 11 different symbols in a regular game. Playing cards from 10 through A (10, J, Q, K, A) bring the lowest payout. You can get a maximum of 30 coins for landing five such symbols. Animal gods are right in the middle, netting the max of 75-coin win. These involve the following:

• Maahes – Lion
• Anubis – Dog
• Horus – Falcon

Female pharaoh Hatshepsut, Eye of Ra, and golden ankh cross are the highest-paying regular symbols. We then have Cleopatra herself, representing the most rewarding game element with a 2,000-coin win for five of a kind on the reels. You will only see the high priestess 4-symbols high.

An easily recognizable blue and gold icon represents the wild symbol. It substitutes all other elements in the game except the scarab beetle. Now, remember the brand new bonus feature we mentioned in the very opening lines of the review? It comes in play to help you benefit significantly from the Scarab beetle symbol.

“Wilds Stay Charges Then Pays” divides your game into ten spins apiece. How so? Whenever a Scarab appears on the screen, you'll see its frame locked. It will remain locked for the next 10 spins. After 10 spins, all Scarab frames automatically turn into wild symbols, helping you create numerous winning combinations and land strong profits. One important thing to remember is that you must not change the size of your bet per spin upon seeing a Scarab element. If you do so, the "Wilds Stay Charges Then Pays" feature will be deactivated and the symbol's frame won't be locked anymore.

A pyramid symbol represents the scatter element. Being your entrance to the bonus rounds, it is one of the key elements of the whole game. Keep reading to learn how you can take advantage of it.

Free Spins

You will unlock the bonus round whenever three or more scatter symbols (pyramids) show up on the reels. The number of free spins and the number of random wilds available to claim depends on whether you've landed three, four, or five pyramids in a regular game. As a matter of fact, players are given to choose between more free spins but less random wilds or vice versa, just as follows:

*If you hit 3 scatters you can select between:

• 5 Free Spins + 10 Random Wilds
• 10 Free Spins + 7 Random Wilds
• 15 Free Spins + 5 Random Wilds

*4 Pyramid scatters will increase the potential number of free spins you can claim:

• 10 Free Spins + 10 Random Wilds
• 20 Free Spins + 7 Random Wilds
• 30 Free Spins + 5 Random Wilds

*Finally, if you are lucky enough to land 5 Pyramid symbols, you can choose between:

• 15 Free Spins + 10 Random Wilds
• 30 Free Spins + 7 Random Wilds
• 45 Free Spins + 5 Random Wilds

If you ask us, we’d always go for more random wilds (the numbers above show how many random wilds you’d get on every single spin) for an opportunity to land more significant wins. It should also be noted that the free spins can be retriggered up to four times, meaning that you can theoretically claim as many as 225 free games with 5 random wilds on each spin on the Scarab slot.

Scarab Slot RTP

Scarab is a low-variance game with a 96% RTP.

To be fair, Scarab did not leave us speechless in terms of the win potential. We've seen much more rewarding slot machines elsewhere. The 10-spin cycle will keep you interested at the start but could become boring after a while. Whereas the graphics and soundtrack secure the top-notch experience, the aforementioned elements may not satisfy all of the avid slotting fans' needs.