Many casinos Lightning Link slots in banks, where you'll find all the titles in a group. You'll find these in casinos in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Iowa and, of course, in Las Vegas. Online these games can be found in the form of play-money only apps, though have not yet appeared in the regulated online casinos rolling out across the US. Lightning Strike Megaways is a video slot with six reels and five rows, where you can find 15,625 ways to win. Using the patented BTG Megaways engine, the game will select randomly two to five symbols on each reel for every spin, creating anywhere between 64 and 15,625 ways to win.
Most Popular Online Slot Games
All Aristocrat Slot Games
The Original Hold and Spin Bonus Features with Distinctive Themes
Go to any US casino and you'll find multiple slots with variations of ‘hold and spin' features. These involve symbols with cash awards instead of the regular ones. You'll have 3 spins to continue hitting them – run out of spins and you win whatever is on the screen.
This idea was pioneered by slot maker Aristocrat. The first games to feature a ‘Hold and Spin' bonus were the ‘Lightning Link' and ‘Dragon Link' titles – first released in 2015. There were also ‘Lightning Cash' variations, which had stand-alone jackpots instead of shared ones.
Here are the most popular Lightning Link slot machine games:
- Wild Chuco (Wild West)
- Magic Pearl (Under Sea / Mermaid)
- High Stakes (Vegas / High-Roller)
- Happy Lantern (Asian)
- Tiki Fire (Hawaiian / Volcano)
- Sahara Gold (Desert / Oasis)
- Best Bet (Horse Racing)
Each has its own free spins bonus game in addition to the hold and spin. Each Lightning Link slot machine has a linked jackpot. You can win the biggest – or Grand Jackpot – by filling the entire screen with symbols during the hold and spin bonus feature.
This guide to Lightning Link slots shows you how the games work and where you can play them at legal casinos around the US.
Lightning Link Slots: Setup and Basics
These slots kick-started a new phase of innovation from many slot studios. You might be surprised to know that they did not use a crazy reel setup or other gimmick to do this. All the Lightning Link slots have a simple 5×3 reel setup.
Win-lines and the size of the coins you spin for are changeable. You can choose 25 or 50 win-lines (fewer at the high-roller level denominations), and coins from 1c to 10c are standard. You will notice the Mini and Minor jackpots change as you move up the coin sizes.
Each of the games has wild symbols in play to connect additional wins. There are stacked symbols on the reels, making it common to cover one or more reels with the same symbol. Your biggest wins will come from those times you cover the entire reels with one of the higher paying symbols.
How the Hold and Spin Bonus Feature Works?
The main attraction of the Lightning Link slot family of games is the Hold and Spin bonus. Each game has symbols which show either numbers or the words Mini, Minor or Major – which are the 3 smaller jackpots. The symbols containing the numbers are themed.
For example, pearl symbols in the Magic Pearl game and Horseshoes in ‘Best Bet'.
Sometimes, these will simply block the regular symbols, getting in the way of your wins. What you need is 6 or more to land on a single spin. This triggers a ‘Hold and Spin' feature.
You now see the regular symbols fade away, so they are barely visible. You get 3 spins with your cash awards held in place to hit more of them. Each time you hit one or more new awards, the number of spins resets to 3. If you spin 3 times with no extra wins, then your bonus ends, and your winnings count up with lightning strike effects.
To win the big linked Grand jackpot you need to fill all 15 spots on the reels with these special symbols.
Free Spins Bonus Games on Lightning Link Slots
Aristocrat developed free spins bonuses which help keep these games varied. These variations are shared with the Dragon Link and Lightning Cash games. The amount of free spins you win varies by game, with a minimum of 3 bonus symbols needed to trigger.
These can be profitable bonuses, which is reflected in the lower level of free spins you get on some of the Lightning Link titles.
Here are some examples of Lightning Link slots free spins feature:
- Magic Pearl: You get 6 free spins with giant symbols. Here the middle 3 reels turn into one big one. You'll get a 3×3 symbol – which always lands flush with the reels. This can be a wild (mermaid), a bonus symbol, or a pearl. Hitting a pearl will trigger a Hold and Spin bonus.
- Best Bet: This free spins bonus removes all the lower paying symbols from the reels. This not only give you a better shot at hitting bigger wins, it increases your chances of hitting 6 horseshoes for a hold and spin.
- Wild Chuco: This wild-west themed game features ‘reveal' symbols in the bonus. While you spin, long lines of symbols with ‘Wanted' posters will appear. They open to reveal matching symbols when the spinning stops. It is possible to reveal gold coins for the Hold and Spin.
- High Stakes: This free spins bonus is the same as for Magic Pearl. The symbols are all Las Vegas themed. If you get a giant chip, then you'll start the Hold and Spin.
- Sahara Gold: You need to pick a chest to get this bonus started. You'll find out how many free spins you won, and how many camel silhouette symbols are added to the reels. These are wilds, giving you plenty of potential for bigger wins.
There are expanding wild symbols during the base game in many of these titles too. Grand Jackpots are linked between the games in each casino. The ‘Major' jackpots accumulate on individual machines.
Where to Play Lightning Link Slots in the USA?
You'll find these slots in land-based and riverboat casinos from coast to coast. Many casinos Lightning Link slots in banks, where you'll find all the titles in a group. You'll find these in casinos in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Iowa and, of course, in Las Vegas.
Online these games can be found in the form of play-money only apps, though have not yet appeared in the regulated online casinos rolling out across the US. Many Aristocrat slot titles are appearing online in mobile casino apps and websites – so hopefully we will see Lightning Link slots games at legal US casinos in the near future.
Many Copies – Only One Original: Lightning Link Titles
This range of slots captured the imagination of players around the country. The Hold and Spin bonus and jackpots is the common theme. Each title then has a distinctive theme, and different take on how to run a free spin bonus round.
If you enjoy those Hold and Spin bonuses, you'll have plenty of variations of game to enjoy while you wait for that full screen – and resulting Grand Jackpot.
Lightning Strike Slots Play Online
Totem Lightning is the brainchild of Red Tiger Gaming software provider. The slot carries 5 reels and 40 paylines. Red Tiger features a native North-American theme with a bright colour display, innovative special features, multipliers, and re-spins. Gamblers can play Totem Lightning slot machine online with no download required.
First Things First
Red Tiger Gaming is a software provider that has been known to push the limits with western themes. Totem Lightning casino online game aims its focus on the totem- a symbol of faith among native America people that was used as an antenna of communication with their gods. The themes execution is quite minimalist and user-friendly. The 5 reel 40 payline slot is suspended on a purple background and surrounded by golden fonts.The symbols on the reels use shouting blue, green, and purple colors encased in a golden face like the one you would find carved on a totem pole.
There are expanding wild symbols during the base game in many of these titles too. Grand Jackpots are linked between the games in each casino. The ‘Major' jackpots accumulate on individual machines.
Where to Play Lightning Link Slots in the USA?
You'll find these slots in land-based and riverboat casinos from coast to coast. Many casinos Lightning Link slots in banks, where you'll find all the titles in a group. You'll find these in casinos in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Iowa and, of course, in Las Vegas.
Online these games can be found in the form of play-money only apps, though have not yet appeared in the regulated online casinos rolling out across the US. Many Aristocrat slot titles are appearing online in mobile casino apps and websites – so hopefully we will see Lightning Link slots games at legal US casinos in the near future.
Many Copies – Only One Original: Lightning Link Titles
This range of slots captured the imagination of players around the country. The Hold and Spin bonus and jackpots is the common theme. Each title then has a distinctive theme, and different take on how to run a free spin bonus round.
If you enjoy those Hold and Spin bonuses, you'll have plenty of variations of game to enjoy while you wait for that full screen – and resulting Grand Jackpot.
Lightning Strike Slots Play Online
Totem Lightning is the brainchild of Red Tiger Gaming software provider. The slot carries 5 reels and 40 paylines. Red Tiger features a native North-American theme with a bright colour display, innovative special features, multipliers, and re-spins. Gamblers can play Totem Lightning slot machine online with no download required.
First Things First
Red Tiger Gaming is a software provider that has been known to push the limits with western themes. Totem Lightning casino online game aims its focus on the totem- a symbol of faith among native America people that was used as an antenna of communication with their gods. The themes execution is quite minimalist and user-friendly. The 5 reel 40 payline slot is suspended on a purple background and surrounded by golden fonts.The symbols on the reels use shouting blue, green, and purple colors encased in a golden face like the one you would find carved on a totem pole.
The low-value symbols on the reels are depicted by the face card symbols with the addition of 10. Premium symbols are artfully drawn animal carvings such as:
- Crab
- Badger
- Puma, and
- Eagle.
The game lacks in the absence of wild and scatter symbols. However, it makes up for this misfortune by including 3 unique bonus features within the slot. The bonus symbol, depicted by the word 'BONUS' in gold can be used to initiate the Totem Multiplier Bonus feature.
Lightning Bonuses
- The Lightning Strike feature catches a player's attention first. During the base game, lightning may strike the reels removing one of the low-value symbols to make room for the premium icons.
- The Totem Multiplier feature is enabled by the occurrence of at least three bonus symbols. The player is required to pick one of five pipes in this mini-game. The option chosen will spew smoke off its top. The higher the smoke travels, the further the player progresses up to the totem pole. Reaching the leading positions on the totem pole earns a gambler up to 1000x their base bet. Along the game, players can collect money rewards and other gifts such as re-spins.
- The Symbol Strike feature is perhaps the defining characteristic of Totem Lightning casino slot online. The phenomenon is a version of collapsing reels that has been one of the popular special features in slot gaming. Totem Lightning, however, adds a small twist. Each time a player spins a winning round that involves a lower paying symbol, all instances of that character is eliminated. The symbol removed is displayed at the left-hand side of the reels. Moreover, the player is awarded a free spin. This feature will continue until the player reaches a winless round.
Placing a Bet
Slot's minimalist outlook mirrors its simplistic game mechanics. Bets can be adjusted between 0.20 and 500 pounds. All 40 paylines are always active. Once the desired wager is placed, a gamer may proceed to hit the START button at the middle bottom of the screen. Gamers can play Totem Lightning for real money or fun using the demo version.
Lightning Strike Free Slots Online
Payouts
The most lucrative venture when playing slot is the Totem Multiplier feature. The highest award of this bonus round is 1000x the base stake. Coming in second earns a player 800x their original bet. Among the symbols, the eagle pays the most and landing five icons yields 888 coins. The maximum payout is 40,000 coins. The actual value of winnings is determined by the amount wagered. There is no provision for a jackpot.
Lightning Strike Slots Online
The slot comes with an RTP of 95.53%; this means that the machine will pay out fairly often. Playing a large stake has a high chance of earning a player more.
Overview
Apart from classic slots, it is uncommon for online casino slot machines to leave out wild and scatter symbols. Despite this, Totem Lightning is still modestly fascinating. The game can be played by small-time gamblers as well as high rollers.