Scatter Symbols Guideline

The Scatter is a special symbol in a slot game; it does not function like regular symbols. While you need matching regular symbols to line up in a particular pattern on the screen to get a winning combo, Scatters can appear anywhere on the grid to trigger a special feature or a bonus round.

While Wild Symbols were present in slots since the first one-armed bandits appeared, Scatters were introduced much later.

The thing is, slots in the past only offered 1 or 3 reels and paid out for winning combos with regular symbols, or with a Wild participating as a substitute for a symbol, and that was all. No bonus rounds or other special features were included in classic slots from the old days.

When much-improved slot versions started appearing, that’s when the Scatter first made its appearance. Scatters are the symbols that usually play the role of a bonus round or special feature trigger.

These are the symbols players pray for to land on a spin so that they could trigger a fun and often most rewarding part of the gameplay. You usually need at least 3 to land to trigger a feature, but in some slots, you might need as little as 2, or many more.

What Does the Scatter Do in a Slot?

As long as you see the needed number of Scatters appearing anywhere on the grid, you can rest assured that you’ll enter that particular special feature or bonus round.

Now, while that’s its main role in the slot, the role of a trigger, the Scatter usually also has a value on its own; what’s more, it is usually the highest-paying symbol in the slot. As if that wasn’t enough, it can pay out no matter the pattern it landed on. These wins are known as Scatter wins; wins where the Scatters land anywhere on the grid to form a win.

Other Roles the Scatter May Play in a Slot

The triggering role might be the main role the Scatter plays, but nowadays, you’ll come across hundreds of different slots where the Scatter has other powers. Some of the most popular are:

Feature Retriggers

When it lands in the base game, the Scatters usually trigger the Free Spins bonus round. That’s the most frequent case. But, if during the bonus round Scatters are allowed to appear, usually, when you land enough Scatters, you will retrigger the Free Spins. While not all slots allow Scatters to appear in the bonus, and not all slots offer feature retriggers, many of them do.

Extra Free Spins

If it does not work like a feature retrigger, the Scatter may add extra Free Spins to the total count. For instance, in many slots, you will see that once the bonus is triggered if during the Free Spins you manage to land at least 1 extra Scatter, you’ll receive extra Free Spins for it. Scatters are pretty game-specific, and that’s why we cannot pinpoint the exact number of Free Spins it can deliver extra, but trust us, there are such slots that offer Unlimited Free Spins, so you could only imagine the payouts you could generate thanks to it!

Generate Bigger Wins

In slots where no Free Spins round is offered, nor other special features, the Scatter may play the role of a booster. It may even come with a jackpot prize. So, depending on the game, you might need to land a certain number of Scatters to get to the top prize the slot can deliver.

Instant Rewards

Similar to the previous one, the Scatter can also trigger Instant Wins in some slots. For instance, in Relax Gaming’s 10 Kings, you need to hit as many Scatters as possible to trigger an Instant Reward; the more Scatters you land, the bigger the rewards.