Sticky Wilds In Slots

It’s pretty common to encounter wild symbols in most online slot games. These symbols replace other symbols on paylines to create new winning combinations. However, sticky wilds go one step further – they stick around for more than one spin!

Plenty of games, including many online slots, offer sticky wilds to add an extra dimension to play. Some offer sticky wilds as part of a free spins feature, while others let you unlock them during normal gameplay.

Regardless, before you get stuck into games with sticky wilds, it’s wise to know what you’re getting into ahead of time! In this guide, we explain how sticky wild symbols work in practice, how they might differ from typical wild symbols, and which games offer them.

How are sticky wild symbols used in slots?

Sticky wilds are wild symbols that remain on a slot game’s reels after a spin. Some sticky wilds last for several spins at a time, while others let you respin with the same symbols.

The way that sticky wilds work will differ from one game to the next. However, the general idea is that, like normal wild symbols, they replace other symbols in a slot game to help players line up winning combinations.

Sticky wilds can let players keep spinning for some time, with some even expanding to cover reels or large areas of play grids. In other cases, they might appear in bonus features – more on this later.

Like normal wild symbols, sticky wilds usually only replace standard symbols in a game. This means that they won’t replace scatter symbols or others that activate bonuses.

How sticky wilds differ from others

The main difference between sticky wilds and normal wilds is that stickies ‘stick’ to the grid for a certain amount of time. This might be for another spin or for several spins in a row. You might also find that sticky wilds trigger free spins until they’re used up.

Some sticky wilds even move up, down and across play grids, staying in effect until they move off the reels. Sometimes, this might mean that you keep playing for free until they disappear.

Sticky wilds can also lock in symbols and create combinations that roll over from one spin to the next. This can also mean that multipliers stack up, potentially increasing prizes.

As mentioned, some sticky wild features expand to fit reels and occupy several spaces simultaneously. Therefore, players have an increased chance to win prizes.

That said, while this type of wild might seem more likely to grant prizes, this is never the case! All online casino games using sticky wilds are completely random, meaning that there’s never a guarantee that you will win or lose from spin to spin.

So, if you decide to start playing a slot game with sticky wilds, be certain to set a clear bankroll limit and know when to walk away. There are plenty of games out there with traditional wilds that are just as fair and random!

Do keep a look out for other types of wild symbols in slot games – such as expanding wilds, travelling wilds and full-reel wilds. Sometimes, you might find symbols that are combinations of several in one go!

How to activate sticky wilds

There are no set ways that you can activate sticky wilds, as conditions will differ from game to game. For example, in one, a sticky wild might only last for one spin, meaning that you effectively take a free game regardless of whether you win or lose.

Some games throw sticky wilds into play as part of the base mode – meaning that you could spot them without getting into a bonus feature. This makes them a common type of random event, triggered regardless of your stake or paylines.

In other games, you might need to reach the bonus feature before you can start using sticky wilds. For example, in a game where you receive 20 free spins, sticky wilds might be active solely for that feature round.

You usually need to line up bonus scatter symbols on the reels to activate bonus features and rounds. In others, you might just need to line up enough sticky wilds in the base game!

Sticky wilds never guarantee line wins. As they’re used on multiple spins, a player’s chance of winning a prize might increase – however, as with normal wild symbols, there’s never a guaranteed prize.

LeoVegas slot games with sticky wilds

There’s a whole host of LeoVegas slot games with sticky wilds – here are just a few to get started.

Sticky Bees

Sticky Bees is a 7x7 game that offers free spins, cluster pays and two types of wild. As you might expect, the game is themed around the buzzing buddies in our gardens!

The sticky wilds in this game appear randomly during play and will usually fall into special grid positions. It’s here where you’ll activate a ‘super wild’, which stays in position for as long as the symbols keep cascading and tumbling into play.

So, it’s a sticky wild feature that hangs around for one spin, but in cascading games such as Sticky Bees, those spins can go on for some time!

Sticky Bandits Unchained

It’s time to saddle up and ride out into cowboy country with a popular Quickspin slot that offers sticky wilds as its main feature. Sticky Bandits Unchained is a 5x3 slot game featuring a motley crew of bandits and steeds with a maximum payout of 30,000x your bet.

The sticky wilds in this game pop up when you access one of the three bonus features – the free spins, the Peacemaker, or Peacemaker Fully Loaded rounds.

Just three wilds in the base game activate the free spins mode, with all wild symbols appearing in that mode turning sticky until the spins complete.