Wheel of Wealth Special Edition Slot Review

Provider	Microgaming

Wheel of Wealth Special Edition is a 5-reel, 3-row video slot from Microgaming, released in October 2009. It carries a 95.87% RTP and 25 fixed paylines, with bets running from £0.01 per line up to £250 per spin. The game is a full expansion of Microgaming's original 3-reel Wheel of Wealth, adding two bonus rounds and a dramatically higher top payout potential. There are no free spins - the entire bonus system runs through a pick-em round and a spinning wheel mini-game.

The theme blends classic fruit machine symbols with a wealth and luxury aesthetic. Lower-value positions on the paytable use oranges, cherries, and lemons - standard fruit machine fare. Higher-value symbols shift into lifestyle imagery: private jets, sports cars, gold bars, and bundles of cash. It is a combination that worked well for Microgaming's clientele in 2009, giving the game a broader appeal than a pure fruit slot would have managed.

Wild Symbol and Paytable

The Wheel of Wealth logo is the wild. It substitutes for all standard symbols, not scatters or bonuses, and applies a 2x multiplier to every winning combination it forms part of. Five wilds aligned on an active payline pays 10,000x the line bet - the largest single hit available outside the bonus game. At a £0.01 line bet that is £100; at maximum coin value the figure scales significantly higher.

The scatter is a casino chip. Unlike many modern slots, scatters here do not trigger a free spins round - instead they pay directly based on total bet. Five scatter chips anywhere on the reels returns 200x your total spin bet. Two or more scatters on screen simultaneously pays a multiplier on the spin bet. It is a straightforward payout mechanism with no activation sequence required.

For other games with strong wild mechanics, Thunderstruck II and Immortal Romance are both Microgaming titles worth comparing. The Microgaming slots page lists all their titles available at bash the casino.

Bonus Features

There are two distinct bonus stages, and they link together. Neither involves free spins.

Reel Bonus: Triggered by landing three or four bonus symbols on any active payline from left to right. Once inside, the screen presents a pick-em game where you select from a set of bonus symbols. Each selection reveals an instant cash prize. The maximum instant prize from this stage is 2,000 coins. Crucially, some picks reveal a "WoW" result that escalates the session into the Wheel of Wealth bonus round.

Wheel of Wealth Bonus: This can be reached two ways - either through the Reel Bonus escalation, or by landing five bonus symbols on an active payline in base play. A large spinning wheel appears, divided into 20 segments. Each segment carries a coin prize. Spin the wheel once and collect whatever it lands on. The highest-value segment on the wheel pays 10,000 coins. At maximum bet, that figure translates to a significant return on a single spin.

The two-tier structure is unusual compared to most slots of this era, which typically used free spins as the primary feature. The absence of free spins makes session variance feel quite different - bonus hits are shorter and more decisive rather than extended sequences of respins.

How the Betting System Works

Wheel of Wealth Special Edition uses a traditional coin-based betting setup. You set a coin value (from £0.01 to £0.50), choose how many coins to bet per line (up to 10), and multiply across 25 paylines. A minimum stake plays one coin at £0.01 on one payline - though for the paytable to function properly you should play all 25 paylines. Playing all lines at one coin per line at the minimum coin value costs £0.25 per spin. Maximum configuration - 10 coins at £0.50 across 25 lines - reaches £125 per spin, not the £250 figure sometimes cited in older write-ups.

The 95.87% RTP sits slightly below the original Wheel of Wealth (96.04%), which is worth noting if you are comparing the two. The Special Edition's lower RTP is offset by the expanded paytable, larger maximum payouts, and the two-stage bonus system that the 3-reel original lacks.

Game Design and Playability

Visually, the game is straightforward. Reels display on a dark background without animation flourishes. The audio is unobtrusive - there is no soundtrack that demands to be muted after a few spins. For a 2009 release, the presentation holds up for its target audience: players who want clean gameplay over cinematic production.

The 25 fixed paylines mean there is no option to reduce active lines, which keeps the maths consistent but also means the minimum effective spin cost is the full 25-line stake. Base game hits come with reasonable frequency given the low-to-medium volatility profile, though the top payout of 10,000x the line bet requires five wilds - a rare alignment.

If you prefer higher-volatility Microgaming slots with more elaborate bonus structures, Avalon and Mega Moolah offer different risk profiles. For other classic-styled games, Cashville and King Cashalot are comparable in theme and era. The casinos page lists sites where you can play Microgaming games including this title.

Key Facts

Developer: Microgaming
Released: October 2009
Reels / Rows: 5 x 3
Paylines: 25 fixed
RTP: 95.87%
Volatility: Low to medium
Minimum bet: £0.01 per line
Maximum bet: £125 per spin
Wild: Wheel of Wealth logo (2x multiplier)
Scatter: Casino chip (pays up to 200x total bet)
Bonus 1: Reel Bonus pick-em (max 2,000 coins)
Bonus 2: Wheel of Wealth spin (20 segments, max 10,000 coins)
Free spins: None
Progressive jackpot: None

Verdict

Wheel of Wealth Special Edition delivers a competent if straightforward Microgaming slot experience. The 95.87% RTP is slightly below average for the catalogue. The two-stage bonus system - Reel Bonus feeding into the Wheel of Wealth spin - gives the game a distinctive structure compared to free-spins-heavy contemporaries. The 10,000x line bet wild payout and the 200x scatter payment on total bet provide meaningful top-end targets in base play. Players who prefer defined, quick bonus resolutions over extended free spins sequences will find the format suits them. Those expecting a modern feature set should look elsewhere.

What is the RTP of Wheel of Wealth Special Edition?

Wheel of Wealth Special Edition has an RTP of 95.87%. This is slightly lower than the original 3-reel Wheel of Wealth, which returns 96.04%.

Does Wheel of Wealth Special Edition have free spins?

No. There is no free spins round in this game. The bonus content consists of a Reel Bonus pick-em game and a Wheel of Wealth spin, both triggered by bonus symbols on the reels.

How is the Wheel of Wealth bonus triggered?

The Wheel of Wealth bonus can be triggered two ways: by landing five bonus symbols on an active payline in base play, or by reaching it through the Reel Bonus pick-em feature. The wheel has 20 segments and pays a single coin prize on each activation.

What does the wild symbol do in this slot?

The Wheel of Wealth logo is the wild symbol. It substitutes for all standard symbols and applies a 2x multiplier to any winning combination it contributes to. Five wilds on an active payline pays 10,000x the line bet.

What is the maximum bet per spin?

The maximum bet is 10 coins per line at a coin value of £0.50 across 25 lines, totalling £125 per spin.

How does the Reel Bonus work?

The Reel Bonus triggers when three or four bonus symbols appear on an active payline from left to right. Players then pick from a set of bonus symbols on screen, each revealing an instant cash prize of up to 2,000 coins. Picking a WoW result during this phase escalates into the Wheel of Wealth bonus game.