Shanghai Lights Slots
There are plenty of Asian-themed slots on the market these days. And while many games recall classic Chinese stories, legends, or celebrations, not many explore China's more recent history. That has changed with RTG's Shanghai Lights video slot. The game takes players back to the early 20th century, when Shanghai was a booming trade region, and a magnet for gamblers and hotel tycoons.
The prizes on offer here might not be to the level expected by the high rollers that frequented Shanghai in the 1930s, but there is still a lot of action to be enjoyed. With free games, Super Spins, and wild symbols, this might be the Chinese-themed slot you have been waiting for. Let's take a closer look with a trip to Shanghai.
Take a Trip to a World of Gangsters and Gambling
In the 1920s and 1930s, Shanghai used to be known as the "Paris of the East" for its culture and nightlife. By 1936, the city was one of the largest in the world, boasting over 3 million inhabitants. But the opium trade also brought in millions in illicit dollars, attracting a new crowd of gangsters and criminals. Gambling and casinos became a big part of Shanghai life before the Second World War. The Great World was an amusement park packed with criminals and gamblers alike.
Online slots developer RTG (Realtime Gaming) has tapped into this rich vein of Chinese history for its free Shanghai Lights slot. Neon lights surround the screen in this 5-reel online slot. In fact, the reels are set against a backdrop of what looks like an enormous concert hall, typical of the ones built during Shanghai's boom years. Perhaps it's where the 1930s merchants, gangsters, and girls mingled to spend their ill-gotten gains.
The online slot is played with 50 paylines, and coins begin at just 0.01. Like another recent RTG slot, Fu Chi, the top coin of 5.00 means players can wager up to 250.00 on every spin. Shanghai Lights is perfectly mobile-optimized for tablets and smartphones. If you are playing the desktop or mobile version of the game, make sure your web browser is up to date. We recommend Google Chrome. There is also an Autoplay button that allows the gambler to program up to 100 consecutive spins.
Find the Casino Boss for an 800x Jackpot
After you tap the touchscreen at the start of a Shanghai Lights spin, you will notice eight regular symbols spinning on the reels. Marking Shanghai's gambling past, the low-limit symbols are represented by the playing card suits. The club, spade, diamond, and heart all play the same, that is 5-80x your line bet when you hit three, four, or five of a kind.
Payouts jump massively when you hit the high-limit icons. The two Shanghai girl symbols both pay a prize worth 8-300x your line bet, while the club boss pays 5-800x. You will only need to match two of this symbol to earn a small real cash prize. Also paying 5-800x is the gangster, so look out for him in his unmistakable white tuxedo.
The wild symbol in Shanghai Lights only appears on reel 3, but it's responsible for a top prize worth 888x your line bet. Wilds substitute for all regular icons in the game except scatters. This wild acts as an expanding wild symbol, stretching down the whole reel to cover all positions>
Activate Free Games and Land Super Spins
The golden poker chip is the special currency of this Shanghai night spot. It's also the scatter symbol that triggers the free games round. Three or more scatters will trigger the free spins round, with five games awarded initially. During the free games, you may also spot added wilds appearing on reels 3, 4 and 5. All wins that include a wild are doubled during the feature.
The free spins can be retriggered, which as just as well. Five spins to start with isn't that generous an offering. But there's some Shanghai light at the end of this tunnel with an added bonus feature: Super Spins.
After your five free games, the Super Spin feature is triggered. Three 'Super Spins' are played, with various upgrades being awarded depending on how many scatters you’ve managed to land during your free spins. If you land further scatters, you win one extra Super Spin.
If you hit zero scatters, you will just earn grouped Shanghai Lights scatters on reels 2, 3, 4 and 5. If you land one scatter, you will earn the group scatters plus a wild reel on reel 5. Landing two scatters will earn you the latter bonuses, and all scatter pays will be set at 5x. Meanwhile, three scatters award all of that plus a wild multiplier of 3x. With 4 scatters, you also get all of the latter; plus reel 4 will turn wild. And finally, 5 scatters will see you bag all of the above while reel 3 turns wild.
Stick With RTG for More 50-Payline Fun
If you want to find the best online slots on the web, our experts have hand-picked some of the top titles. And when it comes to good US-facing online casino games, RTG's slots should always be considered.
RTG’s catalog contains several 50-payline gaming slots that are worth your attention. The Chinese-themed San Guo Zheng Ba has medium-to-high volatility and expanding wilds on most reels. You can also trigger 8 free spins in the bonus game.
Also following the format of Shanghai Lights is RTG's manic nature-themed slot, Triple Twister. The game features scatters and wilds, plus it gives players the chance to trigger 9 free spins in the bonus. In addition, the tornado twister will replicate itself onto one or two extra reels during free spins. And don't forget the Win-Win feature. This triggers whenever you win 10x your total stake or less during free spins. It's like having a guaranteed bonus win when you play.
Take a Trip to Shanghai With RTG's Enjoyable Slot
Like a lot of RTG's bonus slots, Shanghai Lights can be volatile, but it is worth persevering with to win the jackpots. The free spins and Super Spin feature is where the serious cash can be made, of course. If you can hold on long enough to trigger that baby, there are some really good three- and four-figure coin prizes to win. Give Shanghai Lights a try today, and see if the luck gods are smiling on you.
