It’s Saint Patrick’s Day this week, so I thought I’d share my thoughts on Irish-themed slots. After all, they are undoubtedly some of the most popular casino games — from the perspective of the software developers, at least.
In an already saturated market, no fewer than 40 such titles were released between March 17th 2023 and this year’s celebrations. Begorra, that’s a lot o’slots to be sure, to be sure. Ahem.
Who Is Actually Playing Irish Slots?
The thing is though, I’ve been around gambling my entire adult life, and I’ve never known anyone who actually enjoys Irish slots. I certainly don’t play them.
Well, as a gambling writer, I sometimes have to, in order to review them. And I can tell you, they’re always packed full of stereotypes, they often have terrible RTPs and frankly, they all look the same.
I think I dabbled with the original Rainbow Riches back when I was a deputy manager in a William Hill shop. In demo mode, mind you. But let’s face it — Rocky was far superior anyway!
Even though I produce dozens of slot reviews every month, I can only remember working on one Irish-themed game in the past three years. They just all blend into a giant green mass in my mind.
For reference, that particular slot was Pot O’Gold by Wizard Games, which does at least try to be a little different. It offers three different bonus games, which genuinely makes a nice change from the standard free spins features.
Don’t Knock It Until You’ve Tried It
Still, you know what they say. Maybe I’m in the minority here. Perhaps I’ve been too harsh and these games are actually quite good? So, with Saint Patrick’s Day just around the corner, I thought I’d try out a few of the Irish-themed slots released in the past 12 months.
Honestly, most of them were complete trash and I stand by my opinion. However, there were a couple that I quite enjoyed. Here are my favourites.
Shamrock Saints (Push Gaming)
| Reels x Rows | 5 x 4 |
| Paylines | 20 |
| RTP | 96.30% |
| Volatility | Medium-High |
| Maximum Payout | 10,000x |
| Release Date | March 2024 |
I do like Push Gaming slots, generally speaking. Jammin’ Jars is obviously a classic, but the Fat series was enjoyable too. Their games often feature really high potential payouts, so the 10,000x maximum win in Shamrock Saints is actually comparatively low. However, the 96.30% RTP is decent for a game that’s inspired by the Emerald Isle.
That’s probably because this isn’t your typical Irish slot. Sure, it stars a bunch of Leprechauns and yes, it’s set in a pub. But there are no rainbows or pots of gold here. Nor will you hear the standard “diddly-dee” of fiddles as you spin the reels. Instead, this 5×4 slot is actually quite dark.
I think that’s the main reason I enjoyed playing it. I’ve already bemoaned the fact that Irish slots are all the same, but this one really switched things up. To be honest, if it weren’t for the Leprechauns, you likely wouldn’t even call it an Irish slot. Either way, it’s certainly entertaining, with its mystery symbols and increasing multipliers.
Hiding Clovers (Triple Cherry)
| Reels x Rows | 6 x 3-10 |
| Paylines | Up to 1,000,000 |
| RTP | 96.35% |
| Volatility | Medium |
| Maximum Payout | 7,703.5x |
| Release Date | February 2024 |
We’re back on familiar turf with Hiding Clovers by Triple Cherry. Lucky horseshoes, mugs of frothing beer and green, shamrock-studded outfits adorn the reels grid, which starts out with three rows but expands to 6×10. I can’t say that I’m massively familiar with this particular studio, but I actually did enjoy playing this game.
Although the RTP is abysmal at some sites, plumbing depths as low as 88.15%, it’s pretty entertaining if you can find a better-paying version. In a sort of reverse-cascade mechanism, an extra row is uncovered with every win, potentially creating additional combinations. I don’t see this type of idea often, and I genuinely appreciated the creativity in what is an otherwise tired theme.
My only real gripe is that it’s too centred on the bonus round. I actually found it really hard to win prizes of note until I finally unlocked the feature. Still, at least there’s a Bonus Buy, allowing you to skip straight to the good bit.
Irish Treasures: Wild Celtic Charms (Spinomenal)
| Reels x Rows | 5 x 4 |
| Paylines | Up to 100 |
| RTP | 96.04% |
| Volatility | Medium-High |
| Maximum Payout | 3,000x |
| Release Date | February 2024 |
I’m not going to lie, this game is awful. It’s everything I hate about Irish slots, riddled with Paddy-painted clichés everywhere you look. But you know when something’s so bad that it’s actually sort of good? Yeah, it’s that. I just couldn’t help but chuckle, for instance, at how innuendo-laden and route one the whole thing is.
An unnecessarily-buxom redhead is the only character in this slot, and she serves as the wild. The game is literally called Wild Celtic Charms, which honestly sounds like something from an adult website. While I can’t confirm how domesticated she is, there are certainly some ample “charms” on display. It’s hilarious, and obviously quite intentional, that the wilds in this game are said to be “stacked”.
You just have to take it all with a pinch of salt the size of a pint of Guinness. Yet, in terms of the mathematical model, at least, the game is actually fairly solid. You’ll find a perfectly average RTP of 96.04%, for example, though some versions are quite a lot lower. The maximum possible win of 3,000x is adequate, too, while the volatility seems reasonably well-balanced.
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