Play Mandalay Bay Riches for Free

Based, of course, on the famous Las Vegas hotel and casino, the Mandalay Bay Riches slot machine sets the reels in tropical gardens at the front of this huge edifice. It’s hardly in view though, as a 5x3 grid topped by treasure chests, plus jackpot values to the sides fill the screen of desktop and mobile versions.

What’s important is what happens on the reels, and I like the way games developer Play’n GO use realistic images linked to the topic of gambling. Gold-effect high card symbols, opulent diamonds, classic BAR, and red 7s are among the symbol mix. Details such as palm trees embossed on higher value symbols are another link to this gambling mecca although a funky soundtrack wasn’t really to my taste, so I hit the mute button pretty quickly.

It’s a game with 10 paylines crossing the 5x3 grid, but alongside line wins, the action centers around Cash Collections and a Hold & Win Respins feature. Either can trigger at any time, and I enjoyed the anticipation that the next spin could lead to big jackpots, or the respins round.

The bet range is from 0.1 to 50 credits, and I chose my usual starting point of 1 credit when I played the Mandalay Bay Riches slot online. The high volatility requires playing at a level where the bankroll can withstand a few losses in a row, and while the return to players of 96.20% is respectable, it’s not overly generous.

Here’s a list of how many credits symbols pay when matched from the left on a line –

There are two bonus features here, and I found that while coin collections are fairly common, triggering Hold & Win respins is a lot harder. This is how they work –

• Vault Collections - What you want to see are the various coin and jackpot symbols in combination with a golden bank vault. Instant Prize Coins hold random values of 0.25x, 0.5x, 1x, 2x, 3x, 5x, 10x, 20x, or 50x your stake. The Mandalay Bay Riches slot machine doesn’t have progressive jackpots, with the Mini, Minor, Major, and Grand prizes worth fixed amounts of 20x, 50x, 200x, and 1,000x the stake respectively. If the vault lands and there are any coins in view, you collect their combined values. I managed to grab the Mini prize a couple of times, but unfortunately, the other jackpots eluded me.

• Hold & Win Respins - Respins are perhaps my favorite online slot bonus feature, as they tend to guarantee wins. Before revealing their values on any collections, coins hold X’s, +’s, or $ emblems. If coins land, but no vault, they collect in treasure chests above the reels with matching X, +, or $ marks. I found this collection feature triggers on just about 1 in 3 spins, but it will vary.

Randomly, one, two, or all three chests awards the Hold & Win feature, with their corresponding modifiers active throughout. You get three respins with only Instant Prize Coins, jackpots, or blanks that don’t count. Here’s where I found that the Mandalay Bay Riches slot really shines. If the X Multiplier chest respins play out, all wins double in value, while the + Expand chest increases the size of the reels, giving you more places to land those valuable coins. If the $ Big Cash respins trigger, a high value coin is on the grid from the outset.

Prize symbols reset the spin counter back to three and the Hold & Win feature runs until you have three in a row with just blanks. I only triggered the X Multiplier spins, but with luck, you get any mix of two or even all three chest features working together.

• Unlike many games with just a single bonus, the Mandalay Bay Riches slot machine has two distinct features, with collections in the base games plus the respins round.

• I didn’t get anywhere near it, but a win limit of 15,000x the stake is generous.

• It’s a good-looking example of a Vegas-themed slot and while I’m not a fan of the soundtrack, tastes vary, and it’s a good match for the vibrant style.

If you want to play games with a similar vibe to the Mandalay Bay Riches slot machine, you should take a virtual tour of the Vegas strip with the MGM Grand Emerald Nights slot from Push Gaming and the Bellagio Diamonds slot from the same studio.

My thoughts on the Mandalay Bay Riches slot are as follows. It has bright, bold graphics with some clever links to the topic, matched to some excellent features. But I had to play for a while before triggering the Hold & Win feature, and even then, with just one of the three modifiers active. Fortunately, coin collects are far more frequent, and I picked up some nice wins along the way.

It’s a game that rewards patience, so if you want instant gratification, perhaps it’s not right, although that 1,000x Grand jackpot could be lurking on any spin. If you can’t manage a trip to the real Las Vegas, then at least the Mandalay Bay Riches slot machine can bring some of that atmosphere to our favorite real money casinos online.