“Three scatters” – the name of this site – is also one of the most misunderstood rules in slots. In Book of Dead three scatters start the bonus. In Gates of Olympus they do nothing; you need four. In Le Bandit three, four and five scatters start three different bonus rounds. This guide explains what scatter symbols are, the jobs they can do and how to read the rules of any slot in a minute.
What scatter symbols are
A scatter is a symbol that counts wherever it lands – it does not have to sit on a payline or touch other symbols. Depending on the game, it triggers a bonus, pays a prize, or both.
The exact rules for scatter symbols are always in the game’s paytable. Testing standards require it: GLI-19, the online gaming standard used by many regulators, says the game artwork must clearly state which symbols act as scatters, in which winning combinations they apply and how many symbols are needed to trigger a feature. In the UK, the Gambling Commission’s technical standards require game rules to be available before play and to describe clearly what counts as a winning outcome.
The three jobs a scatter can do
- Trigger only – the scatter opens a bonus round but pays nothing itself.
- Pay and trigger – the scatter pays a multiple of the bet and starts the bonus. In Sweet Bonanza, four to six scatters award up to 100x and 10 free spins.
- Instant prize – some newer games add special scatters that pay directly. In Sweet Bonanza Super Scatter, one Super Scatter pays 100x, two pay 500x, three 5,000x and four 50,000x – the game’s maximum win.
When the same symbol could qualify for a line win and a scatter win, the rules must say whether you get both or only the higher one. That detail is easy to miss and worth a look in games with stacked or wild scatters.
How many scatters do you need? Real examples
| Slot | Scatters needed | What you get | Retrigger |
|---|---|---|---|
| Book of Dead (Play’n GO) | 3 | 10 free spins with a random expanding symbol | 3+ scatters: 10 more |
| Gates of Olympus (Pragmatic Play) | 4+ | 15 free spins | – |
| Sweet Bonanza (Pragmatic Play) | 4–6 | Up to 100x and 10 free spins | – |
| Bonanza Billion (BGaming) | 4 / 5 / 6 | 10 / 20 / 30 free spins | 3 scatters: +5 |
| Bonanza Trillion (BGaming) | 4+ | 15 free spins, whatever the count | 3+ scatters: +5 |
| Waves of Poseidon (Pragmatic Play) | 4 / 5 / 6 | 10 / 15 / 20 free spins; 6 on a regular spin start Super Free Spins | +1 spin per scatter |
| Le Bandit (Hacksaw Gaming) | 3 / 4 / 5 | Three different rounds: 8, 12 and 12 free spins | 2 scatters: +2, 3: +3 |
| Invictus (Hacksaw Gaming) | 3 / 4 / 5 | Three different 10-spin rounds | 2 scatters: +2, 3: +4 |
“–” means no retrigger rule is given in the sources used here; the in-game paytable has the full detail.
Scatter tiers: when the count changes the bonus
Older designs use the scatter count to set the number of free spins – Bonanza Billion’s 10, 20 or 30. Hacksaw Gaming uses a different idea: the count picks a different bonus round. In Le Bandit, three scatters start Luck of the Bandit, four start All That Glitters Is Gold and five start Treasure at the End of the Rainbow, each with stronger rules. Four scatters landing inside the first round upgrade it to the second and add four spins.
The top tier usually cannot be bought. Hacksaw’s game page says Le Bandit’s five-scatter round cannot be purchased, and newer games in the series call it a Hidden Epic Bonus. Our comparison of the Le slots shows how this pattern changes across the series.
How often do scatters land?
Few providers say. No rule we found requires studios to publish bonus frequency, and most only publish RTP. BGaming is an exception: it lists a free spins rate for its slots – about one bonus in 395 spins for Bonanza Billion and one in 163 for Bonanza Trillion. Those two numbers show how much the “scatter odds” can differ between games that look alike.
Two practical consequences:
- A long run without a bonus is normal. At one bonus in 395 spins, stretches of more than 1,000 spins without one are part of ordinary variance.
- Scatter trigger rates are not “due”. Each spin is independent; a game does not owe you a bonus after a dry spell.
Buying past the scatters
Many slots let you skip the scatter trigger with a bonus buy, often priced at 100x the bet or more in the games we review. In January 2020 the UK Gambling Commission warned operators about “feature buy-in”: six operators were offering it on slots, one of them charging over £3,000 to enter a bonus, and all six removed it. Games we review, such as Le Bandit and Waves of Poseidon, list their buys as unavailable in the UK.
How to read the scatter rules in any slot
- Open the paytable and find the scatter symbol – it often looks different from regular symbols.
- Check the minimum count: 3 or 4?
- Check whether the count changes the number of spins or the type of round.
- Look for the retrigger rule and whether scatters also pay.
- Note which rounds can be bought and which only trigger naturally.
Strengths and weaknesses
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The short version
[wpremark preset_name=”default-info” icon_show=”1″ icon_image=”info-circle-regular” icon_color=”#3da2e0″ icon_width=”32″ icon_height=”32″ icon_indent=”16″ background_show=”1″ background_color=”#e3f1f4″ border_top=”0″ border_right=”0″ border_bottom=”0″ border_left=”0″ border_width=”2″ border_color=”#3da2e0″ shadow_show=”0″ shadow_x=”0″ shadow_y=”5″ shadow_blur=”10″ shadow_stretching=”-5″ shadow_opacity=”0.3″ title_show=”0″ title_bold=”0″ title_italic=”0″ title_underline=”0″ title_uppercase=”0″ title_font_size=”18″ title_line_height=”1.5″ text_bold=”0″ text_italic=”0″ text_underline=”0″ text_uppercase=”0″ padding_top=”20″ padding_right=”20″ padding_bottom=”20″ padding_left=”20″ margin_top=”20″ margin_right=”0″ margin_bottom=”20″ margin_left=”0″ border_radius=”5″]A scatter counts anywhere on the screen. Whether three of them start a bonus depends entirely on the game: three is enough in Book of Dead and Le Bandit, but not in Gates of Olympus or Bonanza Billion. The paytable always says – and it also tells you how RTP and bonus buys work, covered in our RTP versions guide.[/wpremark]
Frequently asked questions
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18+. Bonus rounds are part of a game’s RTP, not extra money. Help is listed on our responsible gambling page.
Sources
- GLI-19 Interactive Gaming Systems v3.0 (artwork and scatter rules)
- UK Gambling Commission – RTS 3, game rules
- UK Gambling Commission – Games warning for online operators (feature buy-in)
- Play’n GO – Book of Dead
- Pragmatic Play – Gates of Olympus
- Pragmatic Play – Sweet Bonanza
- Pragmatic Play – Sweet Bonanza Super Scatter
- Hacksaw Gaming – Le Bandit
- BGaming – Bonanza Billion
- BGaming – Bonanza Trillion