Play Gem Machine for Free

Despite starting out as a land-based games developer, Bally Technologies has more recently developed an exciting range of online and mobile slots.

Scientific Games bought out Bally in 2014 in a massive $5.1m deal. It now resides under the SG Gaming umbrella along with other established developers like WMS and Barcrest. Since the takeover, SG/Bally has released some interesting games. And the Gem Machine video slot looks like a successful addition to the portfolio.

Gem Machine is played on a standard set of 5 reels, but there is one big difference when compared to regular 5-reel games: each reel can be bet on separately. You will notice the reels are numbered 1 to 5. By clicking on each reel number independently, you can choose where your stake goes. Payouts are then made depending on which symbols appear on the active reels. So, the more reels you bet on, the higher your chance of winning money.

This 'Buy-A-Reel' format is sure to be a hit with players. Could we see it rolled out on other developers' slots sometime soon? It really depends on the frequency of wins, and the payouts. The RTP is listed as 95% when betting on the one reel. That rises to just over 97% when gambling on the full five reels. The difference is noticeable.

Gem Machine works a little differently from other gem-themed slots. Instead of matching horizontal paylines, prizes are awarded for hitting certain symbols anywhere on the reels. For example, if you hit one blue gem on the reels, you will win 1x your stake. Hit two and you win 2x, while you win 5x for hitting three.

These real cash prizes jump quite a lot when you land the green gems. You will win 10x, 20x, or 50x your stake if you land one, two, or three symbols on your chosen reels. Finally, the yellow gems pay an impressive 100x for one symbol, 500x for two symbols, and 1000x for three.

There is a good range of coins for the player in the Gem Machine video slot. The minimum bet is set at 0.05 per reel, with a max bet set at 30.00 per reel.

Not only can each colored reel be chosen individually, but you can also access five separate progressive jackpots. By landing jackpot symbols on the reels, you will win the corresponding prize displayed on-screen. There are five tiered jackpots: Mini (Reel 1), Minor (Reel 2), Major (Reel 3), Mega (Reel 4), and Grand (Reel 5).

Jackpot symbols are designated to their own reel, so you will have to make sure you activate the right reels to be in with a chance of winning. The jackpot symbols pay as little as 100x your total bet for the green Mini jackpot, and up to 5000x the bet for the white Grand jackpot symbol.

Free spins offer slot players the chance to increase their winnings. You can earn extra games in the free Gem Machine slot by landing ‘Free Spins’ symbols anywhere. These display various multipliers (1x, 3x, or 5x) and can appear on any reel. You will win the number of bonus free games displayed on the symbol.

Being master of the reels is nothing new, of course. And there are several slots out there that put the gambler in control. Let's highlight a key contender right away. Betsoft's Good Girl Bad Girl slot lets players control their own gameplay. But it also boasts some amazing animation and juicy bonuses to boot.

The game has two settings: Good Mode and Bad Mode. Good Mode offers low-variance gaming for the player. Payouts are more frequent, but lower. On the flipside, the Bad Mode is high-variance. Wins are less frequent, but they can also be much larger. It is also possible to turn both modes off at the same time. Good Girl Bad Girl is a great example of Betsoft's slots output. It has some beautiful 3D graphics, easy gameplay, and great bonuses to boot.

If you like the sound of free spins and a unique slot bonus, take a look at Habanero's London Hunter game. The steampunk-themed slot features a free spins bonus game with added multipliers. It's also possible to trigger a selection of progressive jackpots with multipliers, depending on your stake.

Slots developers are always trying to offer gamblers something fresh. With the Buy-A-Reel feature in Gem Machine, Bally might have a new winner on their hands. The added excitement of progressive jackpots makes Gem Machine all the more intriguing.

But choosing which, and how many, reels to bet on is a matter of trial and error. Most of the reel positions in Gem Machine are completely blank. We found that it can pay to pick more reels in order to have the most chance of winning some real cash.

Give the free Gem Machine slot a try today. Bally has some great classic slots in its arsenal. Play it and decide if this new addition is worthy of your time and money.