9 Masks of Fire slot

9 Masks of Fire slot: the basics

9 Masks of Fire comes from Gameburger Studios, one of the independent teams whose games are distributed by Games Global, the company that took over Microgaming's content business. It launched in 2019 and uses a deliberately traditional frame: five reels, three rows and 20 fixed paylines, with a fire-and-mask theme.

What sets it apart from a standard 20-line video slot is how much of its return is carried by one symbol. The mask is a scatter, so it doesn't need to land on a payline. Counting masks is the main event on every spin, and the game's name points to the scatter count the paytable rewards most generously.

How the 9 Masks of Fire slot machine works

Each spin is evaluated twice: once for line wins and once for scatters. The RNG chooses the stop positions on all five reels, the game checks the 20 lines for three or more matching symbols from the left, and then it counts every mask in view regardless of position.

1. Pick a total stake; it is divided across the 20 fixed lines.
2. Press spin. The reel positions are fixed by the RNG straight away.
3. Line wins are calculated from left to right, with any wild substituting.
4. Masks are counted anywhere on the 15 positions and paid as a multiple of the total stake.
5. If enough masks are present, free spins are awarded.
6. Line and scatter wins are added together and credited.

Because scatter wins are paid on the total stake rather than on a single line bet, a scatter award is usually worth far more than a line win of a similar-looking size. That's why a spin with no line wins at all can still return several times the stake if enough masks appear.

Mask scatter pays explained with numbers

Suppose, for illustration, a paytable shows a mask award of 2x total stake for three masks, 10x for four and 50x for five. Those figures are invented for the arithmetic; the real values are on the game's paytable at your chosen stake. On a 20p spin, three masks would return 40p, four would return £2 and five £10. The awards climb steeply with each extra mask, and the top counts are rare.

A line win works differently. On 20 lines, the line bet is a twentieth of the total stake: 1p on a 20p spin. A line paying 50x the line bet is 50p, which is only 2.5x the total stake. This is why scatter-led games such as 9 Masks of Fire feel lumpier than pure payline games at the same volatility rating: the scatter is where the larger amounts sit. Our paylines explainer covers line-bet maths.

9 Masks of Fire free spins and bonus

Enough masks trigger the 9 Masks of Fire free spins as well as paying their scatter award. During the bonus the reels play on without deducting your stake, and Games Global's help screen states the number of spins, any multiplier applied to wins and whether the bonus can be retriggered. Because the help screen is the authoritative source and the figures we hold don't include those details, we don't quote them here.

Medium volatility suggests the bonus is reasonably frequent and doesn't carry an extreme share of the return. That's a contrast with games where a rare bonus holds most of the RTP. Even so, any individual session can go many spins without one, and there's no point at which it becomes due. Our page on what triggers a bonus round explains why.

Games supplied to UK-licensed casinos don't include a bonus buy, so in Great Britain free spins only start when the masks land.

9 Masks of Fire RTP and what 100 spins cost

The 9 Masks of Fire RTP is 96.24%, a house edge of 3.76%. On a medium-volatility game, results over a few hundred spins drift around that figure less wildly than on a high-volatility one, but a single session can still end well above or below it.

Under UK rules each spin lasts at least 2.5 seconds, so 500 spins take at least 20 minutes 50 seconds. That gives a rough cost per hour: at 20p and the minimum spin time, a full hour is 1,440 spins and £288 staked, with a long-run average cost of about £10.83. Our cost per hour guide explains why real sessions are slower than the theoretical maximum.

9 Masks of Fire max win and stake limits

We don't hold a verified 9 Masks of Fire max win, so we don't quote one. To find it, open the paytable and look for the top scatter award and the largest line pay, then check the rules section, where Games Global titles normally state a maximum win as a multiple of stake. Multiply that by your stake to get the pound figure.

Whatever the multiple, the UK stake cap limits the pound value. A game with, for example, a 2,000x ceiling would top out at £4,000 for an 18 to 24-year-old and £10,000 for an older player. See online slot stake limits.

UK rules that apply to 9 Masks of Fire

The game's UK version follows the Gambling Commission's Remote Gambling and Software Technical Standards (opens in a new tab). Since 31 October 2021 that means no autoplay, at least 2.5 seconds per spin, no turbo or slam-stop, a visible running net position, and no win celebrations for returns that don't exceed the stake. Three masks paying 2x would be celebrated on a 20p spin; a line win of 10p would not.

Free demo play needs age verification under the rules the Gambling Commission introduced in 2019 (opens in a new tab). Our demo slot age verification page explains how that works.

9 Masks of Fire and the fruit machine feel

Its simple layout and count-the-symbols excitement give 9 Masks of Fire some of the directness of a British fruit machine, though the mechanics are those of an online video slot. A pub machine is a Category C gaming machine with a £1 maximum stake and a £100 maximum prize, and it runs on its own percentage cycle with holds and nudges. Online slots sit outside those categories and use a fixed RTP with independent spins. Our slots vs fruit machines page sets out the differences.

9 Masks of Fire myths

• 'Two masks on screen means the third is coming.' Each spin is independent; two masks is just a common losing outcome.
• 'Medium volatility means you'll break even.' The house edge still applies; you should expect to lose over time.
• 'Scatter wins are bonus money on top of the RTP.' Scatter pays are part of the 96.24%, not added to it.
• 'Switching stake changes the odds.' RTP and the chance of masks are the same at every stake.

Our gambler's fallacy page explains why the first belief feels so convincing.

Is 9 Masks of Fire worth playing?

It suits players who like a straightforward, mid-risk game where one symbol carries the excitement. Other Games Global titles with a medium rating include Thunderstruck and Avalon. Browse more on our medium volatility slots page or the main slots hub.

Where to play 9 Masks of Fire in the UK

The offers below are from UK-licensed partner casinos. Coral gives 100 free spins after you deposit and bet £10 on slots; the spins are 10p each on selected games, must be accepted within 48 hours and have no wagering. Ladbrokes gives 50 free spins a day for 10 days (500 in total) when you play £10 on slots, also at 10p with no wagering. PlayOJO's 80 no-wagering spins are on Big Bass Bonanza. None of these is tied to 9 Masks of Fire, and lobbies change, so search each one. 18+ and terms apply.

Set a deposit limit and a time limit before you play. To block yourself from all UK online casinos, GAMSTOP (opens in a new tab) is free. The National Gambling Helpline, 0808 8020 133, is open around the clock.

18+. Gambling should be entertainment that costs money, not a way to make it. Decide a budget before you play: plan a slot budget. Free, confidential help: National Gambling Helpline 0808 8020 133.