Kingmaker slot explained

Kingmaker slot: a five-reel Megaways game

Most Megaways slot machines use six reels. Kingmaker, from Big Time Gaming, uses five, each showing between two and seven symbols per spin, which caps the count at 7⁵ = 16,807 ways. The medieval theme is built around four noble houses, each with a gem symbol and a banner down the left of the reels. Those banners hold multipliers, and the game’s whole idea is that they rise as you play the base game, then come together in the free spins.

Launch coverage from August 2019 quoted Big Time Gaming describing a deliberately slow bonus trigger, with the base game paying more the longer it runs. That makes Kingmaker an unusual design: the base game is not just a waiting room for the feature.

How the Kingmaker slot machine counts its ways

The ways count is the number of symbols on each reel multiplied together. Wins pay for matching symbols on adjacent reels from the left, in any row. A few examples show how wide the range is from spin to spin:

As with every Megaways game, more ways does not mean more value; the RTP is the same at every reel height, and pays per way are set accordingly. See what 243 ways means for the simpler fixed-ways version of the same idea.

Kingmaker gem multipliers: how the base game builds

Each of the four houses has a gem: green for the double-headed snakes, blue for the griffins, red for the minotaurs and purple for the dragons, according to launch coverage. Each gem’s banner carries a multiplier on its top pays. As the base game runs, those multipliers increase, so the same five-of-a-kind gem win can be worth more later in a session than at the start. Launch coverage described the base-game multipliers as having no fixed upper limit.

Here is an illustrative example of what a rising banner does to one gem win at a £1 stake (the base pay and multipliers are invented for clarity; the real values are in the paytable):

Why a high banner doesn’t mean a win is coming

A high multiplier makes a future gem win larger, not more likely. The RNG decides every spin independently, so the chance of landing five gems is the same with a 1x banner as with an 8x one. Nor does a long session make the free spins due. Our page on the gambler’s fallacy explains the trap, and progressive multipliers covers the general mechanic. Persistent features like this are sometimes called streak features.

Kingmaker free spins and the third crown

The free spins are triggered by crown scatters, with the third crown starting the feature. When it begins, the base game’s multipliers are brought together and the reels play at maximum Megaways (all reels at full height) for the rest of the bonus. Launch coverage describes the feature as high volatility. The number of spins and the exact way the multipliers combine are set out in the game’s help screen.

1. Two crowns land during base-game spins; nothing happens yet.
2. The third crown triggers the free spins.
3. The banner multipliers built in the base game are combined for the feature.
4. Spins play with every reel at full height, giving 16,807 ways each spin.
5. When the feature ends, play returns to the base game and the banners start again.

That reset is the honest catch. Players can’t choose when the feature arrives or hold the banners, and an early trigger simply means smaller multipliers that time. Over the long run the game’s 96.65% return is the same however and whenever the feature lands.

Kingmaker RTP and average cost of play

The Kingmaker RTP is 96.65% in published figures, higher than most Megaways releases. That means an average long-run cost of £3.35 per £100 staked, before volatility does its work. Casinos can be supplied with more than one setting of a game, so check the help screen; see RTP variants.

A high RTP is not protection against a losing session; it only describes the very long-run average. Our page on whether high RTP slots are better explains the difference.

Kingmaker max win at UK stake limits

The Kingmaker max win is 10,000x the stake. Since the 2025 stake limits, that converts into pounds as follows:

Launch coverage in 2019 listed stakes up to £20; UK players can now stake no more than £5, or £2 if aged 18 to 24, under the online slot stake limits. See max win caps for how a capped feature ends.

How to check the Kingmaker RTP and rules

Every spin at a licensed casino must come from a properly tested random process, under the Commission’s rules on generating random outcomes (opens in a new tab), and the game’s rules and return must be available to you. To read them in Kingmaker:

1. Open the menu and choose the paytable or game rules.
2. Find the theoretical return to player; 96.65% is the published top figure.
3. Read how each gem banner grows and whether it has a cap in your version.
4. Read the free spins page for the number of spins and how multipliers combine.
5. Confirm the maximum win statement.

UK rules that shape Kingmaker

The UK version follows the Commission’s responsible product design standard (opens in a new tab), in force for slots since 31 October 2021. There is no autoplay, every spin takes at least 2.5 seconds, there is no turbo or slam-stop, wins equal to or below the stake are not celebrated, and net position is always shown. On a game whose base game rewards long sessions, those last points matter: the on-screen net position shows plainly what a session has cost. Feature buys are not part of slots supplied to Great Britain.

Kingmaker and session length: a word of caution

Because the multipliers build the longer you play, Kingmaker can feel as if stopping wastes progress. That is a design feeling, not a maths fact. The multipliers are part of the game’s 96.65% return, and the average cost per spin is the same at minute one as at hour three. Set a time and money limit before you start, and use your casino’s reality checks. Our page on why slot machines are absorbing explains how design features like this hold attention, and slot session limits shows how to set limits.

Is the Kingmaker slot worth playing?

It suits adults who like a base game with progression and who set limits firmly. Similar BTG titles include Bonanza Megaways, Extra Chilli Megaways and Millionaire Megaways; Danger High Voltage is the studio’s fixed 4,096-ways alternative.

Where to play Kingmaker in the UK

Kingmaker launched in August 2019 as a timed exclusive at one casino before a wider release, and it is now spread across many sites. We can’t confirm that any of our partners lists it today, so search the casino’s lobby; game availability changes. The offers below are for new customers aged 18+ and terms apply. Coral gives 100 free spins at 10p on selected games when you deposit and bet £10 on slots, accepted within 48 hours and valid seven days, with no wagering on winnings. Ladbrokes gives 50 no-wagering free spins at 10p each day for 10 days, up to 500, once you play £10 on slots, each day claimed before 23:59.

PlayOJO offers 80 no-wagering free spins at 10p on Big Bass Bonanza with a first deposit of at least £10. The spins in all three offers are for selected games, and PayPal, Skrill, Neteller, Paysafe and prepaid deposits don’t count at Coral or Ladbrokes. For free, confidential advice at any time, call the National Gambling Helpline run by GamCare (opens in a new tab) on 0808 8020 133.

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.