What are Scatter Pays in online slots and why are there so few of Pay Anywhere slots? Scatter Pay slots, or video slots with Scatter Pays, are online slots where wins are achieved by collecting the designated number of symbols anywhere on the grid, instead of chasing a certain pattern. Hence the name, Pay Anywhere.
In other words, Scatter Pay slots do not have win ways or paylines, they only require a satisfying number of matching icons anywhere on the grid to produce a win. Although this concept sounds super fun, it’s not that common online.
That is why we decided to introduce you to some of our favourite Scatter Pay slots made by leading iGaming content providers.
Why are Scatter Pays casino games called Pay Anywhere slots?
The reason is quite straightforward: because they do indeed pay anywhere.
Icons landing on the grid need not fall into certain pattern or line, but rather they can land anywhere. When a certain number of matching icons lands on the grid, it activates a win, and the player receives the corresponding prize.
The name Scatter Pays comes from the fact that in most online slots, Scatters never have to obey the rules of paylines, and instead 3 Scatters anywhere on the grid are needed to trigger Free Spins. The same principle is applied in Scatter Pays games, so they are known as Scatter slots or Pay Anywhere slots.
Scatter Pays are often confused with Cluster Pay Slots. Indeed, both of these types of slots rejects the idea of arranging symbols on the grid into specific patterns or paylines/winning ways. Instead, the icons need only to freely fall onto the grid in large numbers to activate a cash prize.
But there is a major difference between Scatter Pays and Cluster Pays.
While Cluster Pays icons must land in a cluster, i.e., on adjacent positions forming a cluster (group) of matching tiles, Scatter Pays icons can land anywhere, and it would still count as a win if there is enough of them.
Cluster Pay casino slots are becoming increasingly popular nowadays, so there’s no surprise that more and more online slots feature this game mechanic.
Here are the current 10 best slot machines with Scatter Pays that you can play for real-money today:
You can find and play all of these casino games online for real money and for free.
Bee Hive Bonanza by NetEnt is a bee-themed video slot with signature NetEnt features, including the Avalanche™, Buy Bonus, and Scatter Pay mechanics. In technical terms, it’s a 5×5 video slot granting wins of up to 5,000x the stake. Some of the most popular features in NetEnt Bee Hive Bonanza are the Money Bee Feature, Free Spins, Increasing Multipliers, and many other boosters.
You can play the game at every NetEnt online casino on the internet. We recommend playing for free first, especially if this is the first time you are trying a Scatter Pays video slot. We have an excellent selection of top-tier NetEnt casinos with both freeplay and real-money options.
Calavera Crush by Yggdrasil is the second slot on our list of top-rated Scatter Pay video slots. Compared to the list’s debut game, Calavera Crush features a similar lively atmosphere, but the theme is quite different. With Calavera Crush, we peek into the category of Dia de los Muertos slots, something we’ve already covered right here at BestCasinos.
The game starts with 6 reels and 5 rows. Calavera Crush does not boast a very high RTP (it’s 96%), but we’ve seen lower, so we are not complaining. Calavera Crush calls its Scatter Pays Avalanche Respins, and on every respin that occurs post-win, you get extra chances to bag a prize. There’s also a Buy Bonus option. Yggdrasil Gaming capped the slot’s max win potential at 5,000x the stake.
Another quite vibrant slot comes from Red Tiger, and it’s a bit connected to the previous slot on our list. Pinatas & Ponies is a 6×6 holiday-themed video slot, with a festive spirit and dashing features that make it a must-play during the off-days. The main point of the game lies in the multipliers that you can unlock by smashing pinatas.
It’s the first release of 2023 for Red Tiger, and so far, has shown great success due to its nature and profitability. You can enjoy various features, including Pinatas, Sweet Spins, the progress bar which helps you boost Multipliers, and more. The game has a maximum win potential of 2,172x the stake.
The second of three NetEnt Scatter Pay slots on our list is Cupcakes, a sweet sugary video slot with a 6×7 grid, a 96.05% RTP, and high volatility. The theme might be sweet, but the game is not that easygoing. In fact, you would do well to stay alert when betting to avoid losing chunks of money on dry spells.
The game features a slew of features, including the Avalanche™, gumdrops that collect candy to deliver Win Multipliers, and Free Spins. The cherry on top is the Crush Feature, a rare booster that involves giant Cupcakes. You can win up to 2,762x the stake by playing Cupcakes video slot for real money at NetEnt online casinos.
Scatter Monsters by Quickspin is a monster-themed video slot with 6 reels, 6 rows, and Scatter Pays. As such, it’s a rewarding game, offering medium volatility and a subdued 1,493x potential win payout. Quickspin also introduced three different RTP configurations, so you might get three different experiences depending on the variant that’s used in your chosen Quickspin casino. The optimal version has a 96.08% RTP.
You can benefit from several boosters whilst spinning the reels of the Scatter Monsters slot. The Monster party in hell features the Soul Meters, Symbols Upgrades, Colour Removals, Free Spins, and Win Multipliers. The whole plot revolves around the Soul Meter, and depending on the colour you’ve collected, you can trigger the Vampire, Zombie, and Demon modifiers.
Perhaps the most easygoing slot on this list, iSoftBet’s Tropical Bonanza is a heaven on earth for all beachgoers. The game revolves around vacation, and thus, has the exotic beach as its setting. Rainbow-coloured cocktails, happy hour free shots, and Extra juice to keep the party going are just some of the things you’ll encounter once you get on the exclusive iSoftBet resort called Tropical Bonanza.
The game lives up to its name of Tropical Bonanza by securing a bonanza of features in a tropical setting. You have 6 reels and 5 rows to orchestrate a win, and you need only 8 icons anywhere on the grid to pay anywhere. You can play Tropical Bonanza online slot for real money at every online casino accepting iSoftBet’s casino games.
Yet another monster game in our Scatter Pay slots collection! This time, we are following the story of Pragmatic Play which decided to regale us with a story about gruesome monsters living on a distant planet, giving us also an alien slot theme along the way. Winning in Monster Superlanche might look like an easy feat, but it’s not!
Tumbling Reels, multi-coloured monsters, and vials of Free Spins sloshing on the grid make for a very interesting sight, but what will surely captivate your attention is the combination of features in Pragmatic Play’s Monster Superlanche. In total, you might win up to 5,000x the stake by playing Monster Superlanche for real money. We recommend playing it on mobile as it’s a great experience, especially for novices.
Brave warriors, assemble – we’re going on a deadly mission to conquer the Dream Drop jackpot by Relax Gaming. Volatile Vikings 2 Dream Drop is a 6×5 Norse-themed video slot about mighty Vikings storming through enemy ranks activating Multipliers and other game boosters. Relax Gaming made it very volatile, as expected, so please be careful with placing bets. The lowest you can stake on Volatile Vikings 2 Dream Drop slot is $0.20.
The only downside is the game’s extremely low RTP of 94.80%. But on the other hand, you can win up to 10,000x the stake, which is an excellent win potential that ranks as one of the highest on our list right here. Be sure to check out the first Volatile Vikings slot, as well as other Dream Drop jackpot games.
We know, we know – not one, not two, but three NetEnt slots ended up on our list right here. It’s just that NetEnt does Scatter Pays so well that it’s impossible to miss those games! And considering how cool they are and how well-loved the NetEnt slot portfolio, we found it hard to ignore the sweet Milkshake and Cupcakes slots.
Compared to Cupcakes, Milkshake XXXtreme packs a bigger punch. The maximum win potential in the game equals 7,100x the stake. It’s a slot with medium-high volatility, a 96.06% RTP, and great game boosters. Check it out at the nearest NetEnt online casino and play Milkshake XXXtreme for real money or for free.
No slot is close to the low RTP of Volatile Vikings 2, but this. Treasures of Fire: Scatter Pays is a dragon-themed video slot with 6-reels and icons that pay anywhere. As a Pay Anywhere slot, Treasures of Fire is a highly volatile slot, but also one that has a lower-than-standard RTP rate of 95.51%. Players need 8 icons to stack a win in the dragon slot.
Despite being highly volatile and with a low RTP, the fantasy themed slot has garnered a lot of attention from Playson fans due to its high payout potential. Namely, you can win up to 20,000x by playing Treasures of Fire: Scatter Pays slot for real money. You can also try it in demo mode before investing real money.
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