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We're going to go back in time now to take a look at one of a number of progressive jackpot games that have been somewhat forgotten over the years by many fans. Microgaming's progressive jackpot network has famously paid out more than a billion to lucky winners over the years, and not all of those winners have come from the headline slots like Mega Moolah.
Update: The Wowpot slot has changed and the Wowpot Jackpot now features in the new Wheel of Wishes slot. You can also find information about this slot at WheelofWishes.net.
A large number of those wins have come from the less well known games that people play and one such example of this is the Wowpot slots.
I say slots, as there are two different versions of the game. There was a 3-reel version that was released initially, and this was followed a short time later by the 5-reel version. Both are linked to the same progressive jackpot, which is seeded at 1,000.00 but which can grow beyond that, sometimes crashing through the 20,000 barrier.
In this article, we are going to take a look at the 5-reel version of the game using our standard review format.
Overview
Where can I play the Wowpot slot?
Microgaming slots are available at a wide number of casinos all around the world thanks to the company expanding into new territories over the past few years. However, still the best places to go to play Wowpot or indeed any of the other Microgaming progressive jackpot games, is below.
Casino Action offers an excellent choice for a starter bonus, which is a 1,250.00 Bonus in Euros, British Pounds, US Dollars, Canadian Dollars or New Zealand Dollars. This free cash can be used to play WowPot or any other progressive jackpot slots on the site. Sign up today.
Wowpot Presentation
Wowpot 5-reel is a retro-styled slot that was first released way back in September 2004. Despite it's age, the slot still has some intriguing game-play but it is fair to say that it is very much looking its age compared to some of the glitzy and technically astounding modern slot games.
The backdrop is simply purple, with the five reels superimposed over it and the soundtrack is simply generic crowd noise and vague casino sounds, punctuated by the occasional digitized musical accompaniment when you hit a win on the reels. The symbols are also retro styled too, so it is very much a game that will appeal to players that enjoy slot games as they used to be.
There are 15 selectable pay lines in play, but to play for the progressive jackpot you need to play all 15. The coin value is set at 0.10, which means that you need to wager 1.50 each spin to play for the top progressive prize. If you don't then the maximum win available is 5,000 coins.
What's on the Wowpot reels?
The symbols on the reels are retro in style and hark back to the days of the Fruit Machines of days gone by. They start with a number of different fruit symbols as the lower value symbols. These offer wins ranging from 2 coins up to 120 coins and the fruits used in the game are the Cherry, Plum, Lemon, Orange and Melon.
Alongside the five fruit symbols are a couple of other symbols that were used on fruit machines extensively in the past. These are the bell, the bar symbol, a striped number 7 and a gold-outlined number 7. Wins on these symbols range from 6 coins up to 400 coins.
One thing to note that the two different types of 7 symbols are not interchangeable on Wowpot as they are on some of the more modern slot games, so you need three or more of the same 7 symbol to land a win.
Wowpot Wild features
The Wowpot Symbol is the Wild in the game and this serves a number of purposes. Firstly, and most commonly, it is used as a substitute symbol for any of the lower value symbols on the reels. When used as part of a winning line in this way, you also get a 2x multiplier applied to the win, which is very useful considering that many of the regular base game wins are generally smaller amounts.
In addition, you can also land multiple Wilds across the reels on pay lines from left to right. When you land two or more, you will win a prize which ranges from 4 coins for two Wilds in succession right up to the base game jackpot of 5,000 coins for landing all five Wilds across the reels on a single pay line.
The Wild symbols also play a key role in paying out the progressive jackpot prize as we will reveal in the Other Bonus Features section below.
Wowpot Free Spins features
There is no Free Spins game on the Wowpot slot, but there are Scatter symbols and these simply offer a pay out of a multiplier of your total bet, depending on how many Scatters you land across the reels.
With each Scatter you land above three, you increase the value of your win tenfold, so for a 3 Scatter win, you would win 3x your bet, a 4 Scatter win is 30x your bet, while land all five Scatters across the reels and you can land 300x your bet. Played at a maximum bet of 1.50 per spin, that equates to a win of 450.00 for a 1.50 stake.
Other Wowpot bonus features
If you are playing Wowpot for anything less than the maximum bet, then you can't win the progressive jackpot prize. However, if you are playing maximum bet, then you can land the progressive jackpot prize in one way.
This is by landing the five Wild symbols on the 15th pay line of the slot. If you can achieve this, rather than the 5,000-coin top prize, you will win the progressive jackpot as it stands. The progressive jackpot is funded at 1,000.00 after being won, but it can grow well in excess of this, often beyond 10,000 and occasionally over 20,000 too.
Best feature of the Wowpot slot
There's no doubt that the best feature of the Wowpot slot is the Wild symbol. Not only is it responsible for a high percentage of the base game wins, it also can increase the value of lower wins with its multiplier and it is also the symbol that unlocks the highest value win in the base game and any progressive jackpot pay-out win too. The Scatter can pay some nice value wins too, especially if you can hit more than three on the reels, but the fact it doesn't trigger a Free Spins bonus round does diminish its importance in the game.
What does the Wowpot slot lack?
The obvious thing lacking on the Wowpot slot is a Free Spins bonus round, but in truth this is a slot that is about chasing that progressive, or at least the 5,000 coin base game jackpot prize and if you are in that mindset then the lack of Free Spins doesn't really impinge on the game a great deal.
Conclusion
Although it is one of the more venerable offerings in the Microgaming range of progressive jackpot games, and its jackpot size isn't the biggest on offer from that particular group of games, Wowpot remains a very playable slot. It is more affordable than many other games in the list of progressive jackpots and it is also lower variance than many, which is something that players that have to keep a tight rein on their bankroll will appreciate. Often overlooked, this is a game that should have a higher profile, and which still offers progressive hunters a fast, fun and enjoyable challenge.
Ratings
Good Luck!
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