Aladdin-themed slots are like London buses: you wait ages for one, then two or three turn up at once. And while you'll have to forgive us our abysmal analogy, take some time to enjoy Sultan's Gold by Playtech, which has arrived at online casinos just at the right time.
While the free spins bonus isn't a deal-breaker, the Mystery Scatter just might be. Throw in 5,000x line bet jackpots and 20 paylines for real cash players, and there's the making of a decent slot. Does Sultan's Gold open sesame, or will it be heading for the chop? Read our review to find out.
If you've played Amaya's Aladdin's Legacy or Saucify's cracking and quirky Aladdin's Loot, you'll know that the Arabian tale has been ripe pickings for online slot manufacturers for a while.
Sultan's Gold is a bit more general with its themes, featuring clear skies backdrops, starry nights, and grand viziers' palaces. There's also a golden lamp (but no genie), a scimitar sword, and a beautiful princess.
Gamblers can alter the coins and paylines, with line bets ranging from 0.01 to 50.00. At 20 paylines that makes a nice max bet for the high roller punters.
Like the best online slots, there's some nice animation when you land a winning combination. Luckily, unlike some 3D slots from the likes of BetSoft, there's no animated tomfoolery happening at the side of the reels to distract you while you gamble.
The 10-to-Ace symbols are the low payers, awarding 5x line bet for three-of-a-kind. The 100-150x jackpot for 5OAK is a bit better, however. Better are the lamp, scimitar, and princess icons. These pay for just TWO matching symbols on a valid payline. Again, 5x-line bet wins are paid for two symbols, but the princess herself will dish out 2,000x if you land five symbols.
The jackpot symbol in Sultan's Gold is, as you'd expect, the sultan himself. This moustachio'd bad-ass pays 10x line bet for two matching symbols, while 5OAK pays 5,000x.
The grand sultan's palace acts as both the game's Wild AND Scatter. It will substitute for ALL symbols when completing a winning combination. However, it also triggers a free spins bonus if you land three or more on a payline.
Players will earn themselves 10 free spins when they activate the round, and a Mystery Scatter will be picked too. The Scatter is any of the regular symbols (except the palace Scatter/Wild symbol), and like all Scatters it will pay out wherever it lands during the free games.
As this is a top Playtech online casino game, you'll be able to enjoy infinite free spins if you keep on activating the round.
If you like some Aladdin action, definitely check out Amaya's Aladdin's Cave slot. The game features a similar 5x3 reel set-up but goes the extra mile when it comes to bonus games. The magic lamp triggers free spins (10-20, depending on how many activating Scatters you land) but you can also trigger a mini-game within the free spins. In this 'In The Cave' bonus, gamblers have select from three gemstones and gain access to the Treasure Room and big cash prizes.
There's no doubt that Sultan's Gold is a cracking little online slot, especially if you're fond of the Aladdin tale. The animation - for what it's worth - is effective, especially the palace Wild and the belly-dancing princess. It's probably a little volatile for our tastes, however, so remember to bring along a bankroll.