The Lightning Link video slot feature was released by Aristocrat in 2015 on four different titles. The games in question include Happy Lantern (a Chinese-themed slot), Magic Pearl (which features dolphins and other sea creatures), Sahara Gold (a game that takes place in the desert), and High Stakes, which is all about living the dream in Las Vegas. Kamal Kaur Aristocrat pokies Lightning Link, is the wonderful pokies with an explosive set of linked games with progressives that have proven to be a hit with players in New Zealand, Australia, North America and Europe. The game also is popular in Latin America and in Macau, making this pokies thus famous all over the world.
- Return To Player Percentage: 95.1%
- How Many Reels: 5
- Paylines: 5 to 50
- Min-Max Bets: 50c / $10
- Maximum Payout: $10K+ Progressive
- Can You Play For Free: No
- Are There Bonus Rounds: Yes
- Software Developer: Aristocrat
- Progressive Jackpot: Yes
- Compatibility: N/A
- Lightning Link pokie with a Las Vegas theme
- Win jackpots with the hold and spin feature
- Not available at online casinos
Play High Stakes Pokies for Real Money
High Stakes is part of the Lightning Link pokies range from Aristocrat. The theme is Las Vegas. You’ll find references to the gambling capital of the world on the reels. These include a showgirl, roulette wheel and playing cards. Aristocrat have used black casino chips for the hold and spin bonus feature. This can give you cash prizes and a shot at some big progressive jackpots.
When you trigger the free spins bonus on High Stakes, the reels transform. The middle 3 reels turn into one giant symbol. If this is a wild symbol, you can trigger all the win-lines at once. A giant chip will trigger the hold and spin.
Play High Stakes for Free
Aristocrat – who make the High Stakes games – have a lot of pokies available to play for free. The Lightning Link games have not yet become available at online casinos. When a new generation of live casino pokies replaces their popularity, this range of games is expected to become available in both real money and demo mode online.
How to Play the High Stakes Pokies
You won’t need to be a Las Vegas high roller to enjoy this pokie. You can spin the reels for as little as 50c. The cost of each spin depends on which denomination you choose, and how many win-lines. Coin sizes start at 1c and go up to 10c (higher denominations can be found in high-limit slot rooms). Win-line options are 50 minimum for the smallest coin sizes, with 25 minimum at 5c and up.
There are 3 reels, each with 5 symbols on them. The iconic ‘Welcome to Las Vegas’ sign in neon lights is a wild symbol. This can cover entire reels – and appears on reels 2 through 5 only.
The highest paying regular symbol shows a roulette wheel. This is the only symbol that pays from 2 of a kind from the left. All the others require a minimum of 3. Next on the pay table comes a showgirl, with a bright yellow sports car and playing cards completing the unique symbols. Playing cards Kings down to nines are the lower paying symbols.
There are two other symbols on the reels. Both are involved in the bonus features. Golden suitcases trigger the free spins, while black casino chips can trigger the hold and spin bonus.
Bonus Features on High Stakes Pokies
Lightning Link pokies each have a free spins bonus and hold and spin feature. While these are not the most complex of games, what they lack in quantity they make up for in quality.
Free spins on High Stakes pokies involves giant symbols. These are also used in the Magic Pearl pokies. In this feature the middle 3 reels transform into one giant symbol. The hold and spin is triggered when you hit 6 of the black casino chips. You’ll then get multiple opportunities to win extra cash prizes and jackpots.
High Stakes Slots Free Spins
A golden suitcase full of cash is the objective of every Vegas visitor. On High Stakes pokies, these scatter symbols will trigger the free spins bonus. You need a minimum of 3 anywhere on the reels. Hitting 4 or 5 of them gives you a boosted scatter win before the spins begin. 5 cases get you a generous 100x your triggering bet.
High Stakes Lightning Link Jackpots
The middle 3 reels becomes a giant symbol for your 6 free spins. One huge symbol will sit flush with the reels each time, taking up the entire 3×3 space. If you match this with one or more symbols on reel 1, you’ll trigger multiple wins. Your biggest wins will come those times you get a matching symbol on reel 5 too. It is possible to get wilds, scattered gold cases, or chips in this giant reel. Cases retrigger for 3 more spins, wilds trigger multiple win-lines and the chip starts the hold and spin bonus feature.
Hold and Spin Bonus
Chips make the perfect symbol for the hold and spin bonus. They even land with a distinctive sound effect like real casino chips. You can trigger this feature from the base game by getting 6+ chips in a single spin – or by hitting a giant chip in the free spins bonus.
On each chip is either a number or the name of a jackpot. Numbers show the coins you win. You get 3 respins to hit extra chips. Whenever you hit one or more, the number of spins you have left returns to 3. The bonus is finished when you run out of spins. If you manage to fill all 15 places on the reels, you get the grand progressive jackpot in addition to the wins shown on each chip.
How the High Stakes Jackpots Work
Each game has 4 jackpots. 2 are progressive (going up until won). The smaller two are jackpot bonuses, these are fixed value and go up as you increase your coin size.
The biggest jackpot is the Grand. This is linked between all the Lightning Link pokies in a real money casino. It starts at $10k – and goes up from there until won. The other progressive is the Major. This can be won via the hold and spin and has a maximum of $1000.
Frequently Asked Questions About High Stakes Pokies
Not yet. Lightning Link pokies are not available at online casinos. You will find these in live settings only. Hopefully they will be making their way online sometime soon.
Wilds only appear on reels 2 through 5 on High Stakes pokies. This means that you can’t trigger wins with only wild symbols. These Las Vegas sign symbols are stacked. It is possible to cover all the last 4 reels with wilds. This would deliver multiple 5 of a kind wins.
There are two ways to win the Grand and Major progressives on the High Stakes pokies. The most frequent way is via the hold and spin bonus. Fill the screen with casino chips, and you win the biggest (Grand) prize. Major jackpots appear on individual chips. You can also win these progressives at random after any paid spin.