Irish Luck Slot Review: Gameplay & Features Overview
Discover a picturesque land of rolling green hills, clear blue skies, folklore, magic and lots of luck in Playtech’s aptly titled slot, Irish Luck. The evident Irish theme sets the scene for enjoyable gameplay that unfolds across 5 reels, 3 rows and 30 adjustable paylines. All payouts are awarded from left to right whenever 2-3 matching symbols land. Plus, Wilds improve your chances of winning when present and Scatters award entry to the main free spins bonus where rewarding multipliers await.
So, if you fancy a trip to the Emerald Isle to discover what riches potentially lie in store, be sure to keep reading our Irish Luck slot review.
Irish Luck Features
We must point out that Irish Luck isn’t an online slot that includes a vast number of features. Instead, Playtech has opted for a streamlined approach that focuses on a core bonus – free spins. Nevertheless, there’s still plenty of opportunity for substantial cash prizes during the base game thanks to Wild symbols that can vastly improve the game’s payout potential.
Wild Symbol
In typical fashion, the Wild symbol increases your chances of winning by substituting for all regular paytable symbols. It’s also this slot’s most valuable symbol, awarding 10,000x your line bet whenever 5-of-a-kind land on a payline.
However, it also has a secondary function; the Wild doubles all payouts when part of a winning combination.
Scatter Symbol
To trigger the free spins on Irish Luck you’re going to need to land 3 or more Scatter symbols during a single spin. Unfortunately, you won’t gain any extra bonus perks for landing more, but you will receive an increased payout for doing so, as we’ve outlined below.
- 2 Scatters: 2x payout
- 3 Scatters: 5x payout
- 4 Scatters: 20x payout
- 5 Scatters: 500x payout
Irish Luck Free Spins and Bonus
Upon triggering the free spins feature, you’ll initially receive 8 free spins and a 2x multiplier that applies to all wins. When the game screen transitions, 5 pots of gold appear on the screen and you’ll need to select 2 of them to win additional free spins and multipliers, up to a total of 33 free spins and a 15x multiplier!
The free spins bonus will then begin and all wins you earn accumulate and are awarded once the feature concludes.
Landing 3 Scatters during free spins earns you an additional 15 free spins at the same multiplier as the triggering spin – there’s no limit to how many retriggers are possible!
Irish Luck Theme and Symbols
As you can probably surmise by the slot’s name, an Irish theme lies at the heart of this release. Yes, it’s colourful and fun, but by no means is it a unique idea and we do feel as though Playtech could have done more to bring this game to life. The static background makes the environment seem somewhat dated and the lack of an accompanying soundtrack doesn’t help the sense of immersion – still, we understand some players may see the latter point as a plus.
The game’s symbols are indicative of the theme. Vibrant green 9-A royals represent the lower half of the paytable, whilst trinity knots, harps, shamrocks, horseshoes and Claddagh rings offer much more valuable prizes. Finally, the redheaded maiden Wild symbol is the game’s premium, awarding 10,000x your line bet (333.3x total stake) for 5-of-a-kind.
Irish Luck RTP and Volatility
One potential drawback that may put players off is Irish Luck’s RTP. At 94.25%, it sits well below the industry average and doesn’t compare favourably to many modern releases. Of course, though, this number is worked out over millions, if not billions of spins, so deviations are possible.
However, when you couple the RTP with the high volatility nature of this slot, you could quite easily end up seeing a long series of non-winning spins. So, like similar slots, you may need to exercise some patience when hunting for those larger wins.
How To Play Irish Luck
On a more positive note, you’ll be pleased to hear that Irish Luck is simple to play. The 5×3 reel structure puts players on familiar ground and winning combinations are awarded from left to right whenever 2-3 matching symbols appear on an active payline.
You’ll find all of the necessary functions below the reels, including the spin button and the game information tab, plus you can use the respective + and – buttons to adjust the number of active paylines and your total stake. Here, the stake limits range between the €0.30 minimum bet and the €30 maximum bet.
Slotsia’s Review
Given this slot’s release date (2009), it’s understandable that the visuals seem somewhat dated by today’s standards. However, we don’t judge a release solely on its appearance; we take into account all that it has to offer before forming a conclusion.
In truth, Irish Luck plays exactly like how you would expect an online slot developed in the late 2000s to do so. It’s built upon solid foundations and there’s a central bonus feature that’s both enjoyable and has the potential to be rewarding. The clear drawback though is that there’s little else to discover, and when you couple a lack of varied in-game features with a low RTP and high volatility, the gameplay can feel like a bit of a grind.
Nevertheless, it’s perhaps the simplicity of the gameplay that will appeal to a certain audience. So, if you’re looking for an uncomplicated online slot experience, you may want to check out Playtech’s Irish Luck.
Straightforward gameplay
Free spins
Adjustable paylines
Up to 15x multipliers
High volatility
Low RTP – 94.25%
