Scatters on a slot machine are symbols that don't have to be on the same payline to produce a winning combination. Nowadays, almost every slot machine has a scatter on the reels. We can describe these symbols as crossed symbols that don't have to fall precisely on the payline to get a cash prize. I.e., a payout occurs whenever these symbols appear.
Scatters on a slot machine
Still trying to figure out what a scatter is? No problem, we'll start at the beginning. When the internet didn't exist, slot machines only had one payline. So when slot machines first appeared and were only offline, this wasn't a problem. However, it became apparent that playing with only one payline was a bit boring after a while. After all, you always had to get two or three of the same symbols on a payline to win a prize. Fortunately, this problem was quickly solved, and a solution was found.
Slot developers made the cherry symbols the first scatter symbol in slot machine history. Now you also had a prize when two cherries appeared on a picture, regardless of the payline.
The newest scatter symbols
The scatter symbol as we know it today still works on the same principle. These days, the scatter symbol takes on different forms. For example, you have scatter symbols of flowers, crowns, dollar signs, gold bars, etc.
Most slot machines give you a prize of three or more scatter symbols. These symbols don't have to appear on the payline, but only on the field of play. Some slot machines will display scattered symbols as jokers or activate a bonus game. However, this may only sometimes be the case.
Scatters for bonus games
What you can often see is that the scatters symbolise getting bonus games. This almost always requires three or more scatters to appear on the screen. This makes this symbol a central part of many of the most popular casino slots. Below you can see famous scatters that trigger bonus games in some of the most popular slots:
- Books in the Book of Dead
- Purple monkey in Mega Moolah
- Bottles of champagne in Mega Fortune
- Club symbols in Club 2000
Of course, you can play all these games for free on our free online slots website. Check out all the slot games with scatters and choose your favourite game. Play for free right now!