Sweet Bonanza is the candy-themed pay anywhere slot Pragmatic Play released in June 2019, and it remains one of the most recognised games in UK casinos. Eight matching symbols anywhere on a six by five grid win, winning symbols tumble away, and the free spins add random multiplier bombs.
One caveat up front: the official Pragmatic Play page for this game returned a 404 error when we tried to read it, so we could not confirm provider figures directly. The facts below come from named independent sources, and we flag where they conflict. We have not played the game.
Sweet Bonanza at a glance
| Detail | Figure |
|---|---|
| Provider | Pragmatic Play |
| Release | June 2019 (Racing Post and other reviews) |
| Grid and pays | 6 reels, 5 rows, pay anywhere with 8 or more matching symbols |
| RTP | 96.48% most commonly; 96.49% and 96.51% also reported |
| Volatility | High, or medium to high (third-party sources) |
| Max win | 21,175x or 21,100x depending on the source |
| Free spins | 10 from 4 or more scatters (most sources) |
| Reported hit frequency | 50% (OLBG) |
| Reported free spins frequency | 1 in 451 spins (OLBG) |
| UK stake range | Reported minimum 20p, £2 maximum for ages 18 to 24, £5 maximum for over 25s |
How to play and stakes
There are no paylines and no wild. A win needs eight or more identical symbols anywhere in view, and the symbols do not need to touch. Winning symbols disappear and new ones drop in, and the tumbling continues until no new win forms.
Casinomeister reports a 20p minimum and a 125 maximum in other currencies, and notes that casinos can lower the maximum. In the UK the stake rules for online slots apply: £2 a spin for 18 to 24 year olds and £5 for those aged 25 and over. The optional ante bet adds 25% to each spin, so check how your casino applies the limit to it. Casinomeister mentions autoplay and quickspin, but those are not available to UK players.
RTP: which figure applies
This is the least settled number. Casinomeister gives 96.48% in its text and 96.51% in its header table. Racing Post, WSN and several others say 96.48%, OLBG says 96.49%, and CasinoBeats and Fruity Slots say 96.51%. Fruity Slots also reports versions of 96.48% and 95.45% at some casinos, and Sigma lists 96.6%, which we treat as an outlier. Because we could not read the provider’s page, we cannot say which figure is current.
UK casinos can run different RTP settings, so the information panel in the game at your casino is the figure that applies. Iogames and Slot Picks also report small RTP differences with the ante bet and bonus buy, which we have not been able to confirm.
Volatility
Casinomeister and HeronBYTE call it high. OLBG and WSN call it medium to high, and Stake lists medium. The sources broadly agree it is a game where most of the return sits in the free spins. Casinomeister says the ante bet softens that to medium to high.
Max win
Casinomeister and OLBG quote 21,175x the stake, while Racing Post, Slot Picks, Iogames, HeronBYTE and others quote 21,100x. The difference is small and we could not resolve it without the provider page, so we use 21,175x in the table and say so. OLBG lists the odds of reaching the cap as not available for this game, and a casino review site claims odds of 1 in 100 million or worse, which we do not treat as a source. OLBG gives a 1,000x or higher win as about 1 in 261,097 spins.
At UK stakes, 21,175x converts to the following, using the 20p minimum most sources report:
| Stake | Max win at 21,175x |
|---|---|
| £0.20 (reported minimum) | £4,235 |
| £1 | £21,175 |
| £2 (18 to 24 limit) | £42,350 |
| £5 (over 25 limit) | £105,875 |
At 21,100x the figures are slightly lower. The £2 and £5 rows only apply to players within each age band’s limit.
Tumbles, multiplier bombs and free spins
Every win triggers a tumble, so one spin can chain many wins. In the base game there are no multipliers. Casinomeister says that three or more scatters trigger the free spins, but OLBG, HeronBYTE, Fruity Slots and most others say four or more, and we follow the majority. The round starts with 10 free spins, and three or more scatters during it add 5 more with no stated limit.
During free spins the multiplier bomb appears. Bombs carry values from 2x to 100x, according to Casinomeister and others, and at the end of a winning tumble sequence the bombs on screen are added together and applied to the total win. Scatters also pay on their own: 4 pay 3x, 5 pay 5x and 6 pay 100x, as listed for the sister game Sweet Bonanza 1000 by Bigwinboard, and the original uses the same scatter pay scale in most reviews.
Ante bet and bonus buy
Casinomeister describes the ante bet as an extra 25% on each spin that doubles the chance of triggering the free spins. It also lists a bonus buy at 100x the stake. Casinomeister says the UK Gambling Commission has banned bonus buys, and Slotcatalog marks the buy on Sweet Bonanza 1000 as not available in the UK. We could not verify the regulator’s position, so we simply note that UK players should expect the buy not to be offered.
Symbols and paytable
There is no wild. The symbols are bananas, grapes, watermelons, plums and apples, plus blue, green and purple sweets and a red heart sweet. Bigwinboard and Casinomeister agree on the ranges below.
| Cluster size | Payout range (x stake) |
|---|---|
| 8 to 9 symbols | 0.25x to 10x |
| 12 or more symbols | 2x to 50x |
The red heart sweet is the top symbol at up to 50x for 12 or more, according to Casinomeister. We did not find a complete per-symbol table from a source we trust, so we do not list one.
Hit frequency and win rate
No provider figure was available to us. OLBG lists a hit frequency of 50%, meaning a win on half of all spins, and a free spins frequency of about 1 in 451. Other sites give rougher figures such as roughly 1 in 4 spins from Slot Picks, so the hit frequency in particular is not consistent. We quote OLBG’s numbers as reported, not official, and note that many wins are below the stake.
SlotPal’s guide to hit rates in Big Bass and Eye of Horus does not cover this game, so there is nothing there to cross-check.
How it compares with other Pragmatic Play games
Sweet Bonanza 1000 raises the multiplier ceiling to 1,000x and the cap to 25,000x, and Bigwinboard lists much better odds of reaching that cap than the original’s tiny reported figures. If you want the original format with fewer large claims, this version is the milder one. OLBG compares Gates of Olympus to this game, noting a lower 5,000x cap but bigger multipliers that appear in the base game as well.
Is it enjoyable? Our verdict
This section is based on mechanics, provider rules and independent data. We have not played the game.
The format is easy to follow, tumbles keep the base game moving and the free spins have a clear source of excitement in the bombs. The criticisms are the standard ones for the format: dead runs, many wins below the stake and a headline cap that independent reviewers question as realistic. OLBG calls it a cult favourite in the UK.
Verdict: a good fit for players who like tumble and multiplier games and accept high volatility. If you want to pin down the RTP before playing, check the game panel at your casino, because the sources do not agree.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Simple pay anywhere format with no paylines or wilds
- Multiplier bombs up to 100x in the free spins
- Unlimited retriggers reported
- Ante bet doubles the scatter chance for a 25% extra stake
Cons
- We could not read the provider page, and sources disagree on RTP and max win
- Base game has no multipliers
- Reported 50% hit frequency includes many wins below the stake
- High volatility with long dry stretches
Sweet Bonanza FAQ
What is the RTP of Sweet Bonanza?
Sources disagree: 96.48% is the most common, with 96.49% and 96.51% also reported. We could not read the official page, and UK casinos can run different settings, so check the game information panel.
What is the max win?
Casinomeister and OLBG say 21,175x, and many others say 21,100x. At a £5 stake the 21,175x figure is £105,875.
How many free spins do you get?
Most sources say four or more scatters award 10 free spins, and three or more scatters during the round add 5 more. Casinomeister says three or more trigger the round.
How do the multiplier bombs work?
They appear in free spins with values from 2x to 100x. At the end of a winning tumble sequence the bombs on screen are added and applied to the win.
What does the ante bet do?
It adds 25% to each spin and doubles the chance of triggering the free spins, according to Casinomeister.
Is it high or medium to high volatility?
Casinomeister and HeronBYTE say high, while OLBG says medium to high.
What is the highest paying symbol?
The red heart sweet at up to 50x for 12 or more symbols. Six scatters pay 100x.
What are the stake limits in the UK?
£2 a spin for ages 18 to 24 and £5 for ages 25 and over. The reported minimum is 20p.
How often does it hit?
OLBG lists a 50% hit frequency and free spins about once in 451 spins. These are not official figures.
Can I use autoplay in the UK?
No. UK rules removed autoplay and quick spin from online slots.
Is the bonus buy available in the UK?
Casinomeister says the UK Gambling Commission has banned buys, and Slotcatalog marks the sister game’s buy as not available in the UK. We could not verify the regulator’s position.
How we checked the figures
- Official provider page: not read. The Pragmatic Play page for this game returned a 404 error, so no figure here is confirmed by the provider.
- Casinomeister review: structure, stakes, symbols, ante bet, bonus buy, multiplier range and the 21,175x figure.
- OLBG: hit frequency, free spins frequency, 1,000x win frequency, volatility and the 96.49% RTP.
- Racing Post, WSN, CasinoBeats, Fruity Slots, HeronBYTE, Slot Picks and Iogames: RTP and max win conflicts, and volatility labels.
- Bigwinboard: scatter pay scale and symbol payout ranges, taken from its Sweet Bonanza 1000 and 2500 reviews.
- UK stake limits: UK Gambling Commission rules for online slots.
- Max win in pounds: our own arithmetic using the 21,175x figure.
- Not verified: the current official RTP and max win, the per-symbol paytable and the UK availability of the bonus buy.
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