Slot Lucky 88

Game overview

Lucky 88 is an Aristocrat video slot that takes its name from the number eight, which is linked with prosperity in Chinese tradition. Its online version is listed with a 2016 release date. The look is plain and old fashioned, with an Asian setting that uses pagodas, golden lions, drums and lamps around a smiling emperor.

It is a straightforward game at heart. Most of its appeal comes from one free spins round where you choose how much risk to take, plus an optional side bet that opens up extra choices.

Rules and how wins are paid

The reels are laid out in five columns and three rows with 25 paylines. Line wins start from three matching symbols on adjacent reels from the leftmost reel. Your stake is set as a coin value per line, and the total bet follows from that.

Symbols

The premium symbols are the golden lions, the pagoda, the Chinese drum and the ancient lamps. The lower values are the card ranks from A down to 9. The emperor is the wild and the lantern, or Chinese lamp, is the scatter.

Special features

Emperor wild

The emperor stands in for regular symbols to complete line wins. He does not replace the scatter. His real value shows up in the free spins, where wins that include him are multiplied.

Extra Choice

Extra Choice is an optional side bet. Turning it on raises the cost of each spin, and in return the free spins menu grows to five options and a dice feature becomes available. In the dice game you roll three dice and collect a prize for every eight that appears. Reviews report that the return is higher with Extra Choice switched on, so the RTP you get depends on whether you use it.

Gamble

After a win you can try the gamble screen, picking the colour of a card to double the amount or its suit to multiply it by four. A wrong guess loses the win.

Free spins

Three or more lantern scatters anywhere on the reels start the bonus, and you then pick one of three packages:

• 20 free spins with wild multipliers between 5x and 18x
• 10 free spins with wild multipliers between 8x and 38x
• 3 free spins with wild multipliers between 18x and 88x

When a wild helps form a win during the round, that win is multiplied by a value from the range of the package you picked. With Extra Choice active, the menu adds longer versions of these packages and further options. The free spins can be retriggered by landing more scatters.

Bet settings, bonus buy and RTP

There is no bonus buy. Published RTP figures for Lucky 88 vary between review sites and change with the Extra Choice setting, so we do not quote a single number here. Check the help screen in the game you open, and keep in mind that casinos may run lower RTP versions of the same title.

How to play, step by step

1. Choose your coin value per line to set the total stake.
2. Decide whether to switch on Extra Choice, which costs more per spin.
3. Spin and watch for three or more lantern scatters.
4. Pick one of the free spin packages when the bonus starts.
5. Use the gamble option only if you are happy to risk the win you have just landed.

Tips before you play

The three free spin choices change the feel of the bonus a lot: 20 spins give steadier results, while 3 spins rely on a wild landing at the right moment. Try the demo first if you can, set a spending limit before you start, and stop when you reach it.