Definition
Wild Symbol
Also known as Wild, Wilds, Joker, Substitute Symbol
By Abhinav VasudevanReviewed Editorial policy
In short
A wild symbol substitutes for other symbols to complete winning combinations. Wilds almost never substitute for scatters, which is why they do not help you reach the bonus round.
A wild stands in for other symbols. Land two matching symbols and a wild on a payline and the wild completes the combination.
The universal exception
Wilds do not substitute for scatters. This holds in essentially every game.
The reason is mathematical rather than arbitrary: allowing wilds to complete scatter combinations would sharply increase bonus trigger frequency, and since most of a slot’s RTP lives in the bonus, the entire model would need rebalancing.
Many games also exclude wilds from substituting for other special symbols, jackpot symbols, collect symbols, multiplier orbs.
Varieties
| Type | Behaviour |
|---|---|
| Standard | Substitutes, then disappears |
| Expanding | Fills its entire reel |
| Sticky | Stays in place for subsequent spins |
| Walking | Shifts one reel each spin |
| Stacked | Appears as a block covering several positions |
| Multiplier | Multiplies any win it completes |
| Random | Added to the grid by a feature rather than landing naturally |
Multiplier wilds are the most consequential for large wins. Two 3x wilds on the same line multiply together for 9x, and games that stack multiplier wilds are where the biggest base-game outcomes come from.
Reel restrictions
Wilds are usually restricted to certain reels, commonly 2, 3 and 4, and almost never reel 1.
This is a deliberate design choice. Excluding wilds from the first reel prevents combinations being completed too easily from the left, since most games pay left-to-right and require a win to begin on reel 1.
It also produces the sensation of frequently having a wild land just too late to help.
Wilds do not increase RTP
Worth stating because the marketing implies otherwise. Wild features are part of the maths model, not an addition to it. A game with abundant wilds has lower base symbol payouts to compensate.
The RTP figure in the game information panel already accounts for every wild in the game.
Common questions
What is a wild symbol in slots?
A symbol that substitutes for others to complete winning combinations. Variants include expanding, sticky, walking, stacked and multiplier wilds, with multiplier wilds responsible for most large base-game wins.
Why are wilds never on reel 1?
Because most games pay left to right and require a win to begin on the first reel. Allowing wilds there would complete combinations too easily and require the rest of the paytable to be rebalanced.