Play 88 Riches for Free

The number 88 is sacred in Chinese culture. Just like the number 7 and 13 hold superstitious powers in the West, the two digits of 88 are seen as bringing good luck and wealth.

Why? Well there is a logic to it because, in many Chinese languages, the word for “eight” sounds very similar to the word for “wealth”. So there is more to it than mere superstition.

So powerful is this number in modern Chinese culture that a car licence plate containing multiple number 8s can be sold for tens of thousands of US dollars. Did you know that the 2008 Beijing Olympics started on the 8th day of the 8th month of 2008 at 8pm?

It is quite clear that the Chinese are absolutely mad for the number 88, and this slot machine aims to convey some of the wealth and good fortune that is associated with the number.

As such, the reels are adorned with all sorts of special symbols related to luck and riches, from koi carp to red envelopes – traditionally filled with money and given as a present at Chinese New Year. The most important icons to keep an eye out for are the wild golden dragons (shaped to form the number 88, of course) and the yin yang scatter.

With 50 pay lines across the reels, players will not need to spin this slot machine for too long before they find a win. The downside to this is the fact that the low volatility slot machine doesn't pay out the biggest prizes in the world, with a top jackpot that pays a line bet multiplier worth just 200x when five golden Chinese characters appear across one of the pay lines.

Players should also note that the game doesn't offer the chance to place any huge wagers, with a total bet maximum of 5.00 credits. Interestingly, however, this game does calculate its total bet in a slightly unorthodox way by applying line bet options – 0.01, 0.02, 0.03, 0.10, 0.20, 0.50 – to 5 pay lines instead of just one. So, players will effectively be able to play with 50 pay lines for the price of 10, which is pretty neat.

Indeed, this game is slightly on the low-paying side, but that doesn't mean that it won't reward lucky punters who stick it out. Thanks to a couple of special bonus symbols, spinners can hope to boost their balances into big winning territory.

First of all, the golden dragons in this slot machine act as the wild icon to replace other symbols and complete line wins except for the scatter. That is because this yin and yang scatter doesn't need to line up on a pay line to activate a round of 10 free spins. This round of free spins is triggered by three scatters on reels 2, 3 and 4, giving punters a chance to rack up wins without spending any wagers.

The best thing about this bonus feature is that it contains locked wilds. So, whenever a wild appears during the free games round, it will stick in place for the remainder of the feature. Let's just say that this makes it very possible to hit some big multi-line five-way pay outs.

Those bonus free spins won't come around that often, so players will need to make the most of every other small win that they can find in the base game. Fortunately, there is a gamble game to help punters maximize their prizes, allowing them to double the value of their wins from any spin with a simple 50/50 red or black gamble game.

88 Riches is all about celebrating Chinese culture by focusing on the wealth and good fortune of the number 88. It has to be said that players won't find a whole lot of fortune when they spin these reels but, if they hold out and get lucky, then they might just be able to benefit from a very rewarding bonus game with locked wilds.