Bet St George is a classic fruit machine-style online casino slot developed by Microgaming. It is part of their wide range of games, with a distinct theme and features that attract players who prefer straightforward gameplay. This review aims to explore the history behind the game, its design, mechanics, payouts, bonuses, volatility, and overall strategy.
A Brief History
Bet St George has been available since 2011, shortly after Microgaming released their Viper platform. Developed during a time of rapid expansion for Play slots online casinos and the slot market as a whole, Bet St George was part of an attempt to create games that appealed to both new players looking for simplicity and seasoned gamblers seeking lucrative opportunities.
Game Design
The game’s design is quintessentially classic casino. Players find themselves surrounded by symbols reminiscent of old-school fruit machines: fruits (apples, grapes, cherries), bells, sevens, double bars, triple bars, and a single ‘St George’ symbol depicting the patron saint. This straightforward theme and minimalist background contribute to an air of familiarity, potentially drawing in players who prefer traditional slots.
Symbols
The slot features 5 reels with 3 symbols on each row. A total of 9 standard symbols can appear during gameplay: four fruit symbols (apples, grapes, cherries), three bar symbols (single, double, triple bars), and two special icons (‘St George’ and the bell). Each symbol has its respective payout rate per win combination.
- The ‘St George’ logo serves as the highest-paying standard icon.
- Fruits are grouped together by color/fruit type: apples pay 10x for five of a kind; grapes offer 20x, and cherries grant 30x. These values apply to wins with all three matching symbols on an active line.
- The bell is the only other higher paying symbol besides ‘St George’, offering up to 80x for landing five in a row.
Payouts
Standard payouts vary per symbol combination:
- Three of a kind pays out as follows: fruit (4x), single bar (5x), double bar (6x).
- Four of a kind awards the following:
- Fruit symbols pay between 10x and 30x.
- Single bars offer up to 15x, with higher value in rare combinations.
Wilds
The ‘St George’ symbol serves as both Wild and Scatter. It can substitute for all standard icons (bells, fruit, single/triple bar) within any combination. When it appears on a winning line as the primary or highest paying icon of that combination, the entire payout is doubled, but no more than 50x. In contrast to other slot games where wilds often multiply wins by their own symbol value, ‘St George’ plays this role much conservatively here.
Scatters
The Wild/Scatter also triggers scatter pays for four or five times the bet when these symbols land on any three and a half reels respectively during free spins play. Five Scatters yield the maximum 50x payout of total stake invested per spin.
Bonus Features
While Bet St George lacks a traditional bonus feature, landing three ‘St George’ icons anywhere within the game gives players a set amount of Free Spins (free games) as shown below:
- Reel spins: A one-time opportunity to play for free without staking any money is awarded with 15 or more reels playing automatically.