Wild and Scatter are labels for special-symbol roles, not universal rule sets. A Wild commonly substitutes for specified paying symbols. A Scatter commonly pays or triggers a feature according to its count or placement rules. The exact behavior always comes from the paytable.
Wild answers “what can substitute?” Scatter answers “what happens when enough eligible symbols land?” A Bonus or Jackpot symbol can use a third rule entirely, and one symbol can combine more than one role.
How Wild Symbols Work
A Wild can replace one or more symbols when the rules allow it. It does not automatically substitute for every icon. Common exclusions include Scatter, Bonus, Jackpot, Collector, Cash, or other feature-specific symbols.
Check whether the Wild:
- substitutes for all regular symbols or only selected groups;
- has its own payout;
- appears on every reel or only specified reels;
- works in the base game, bonus, or both;
- carries a multiplier;
- can combine with other Wild multipliers;
- triggers a respin or another modifier.
NetEnt describes the Starburst symbol as an Expanding Wild that substitutes for paying symbols, covers its reel, and triggers a Respin. That is one game-specific implementation, not a definition of every Expanding Wild.
Common Wild Variations
| Wild type | Typical behavior | Rule to verify |
|---|---|---|
| Expanding Wild | Covers additional positions or an entire reel | Whether expansion requires a win and whether it triggers a respin |
| Sticky Wild | Remains for later spins or respins | How long it remains and when it resets |
| Walking Wild | Moves between positions or reels | Direction, respins, and exit condition |
| Stacked Wild | Appears in a vertical or grouped stack | Maximum stack size and eligible reels |
| Multiplier Wild | Multiplies qualifying wins | Whether multiple values add, multiply, or use another rule |
| Random Wild | Appears through a random modifier | Eligible spins, positions, and excluded symbols |
ELK Studios’ Wild Toro 3, for example, describes Toro as a Walking Wild that lands on reel 5, moves left, generates respins, and increases its multiplier as it moves. That complete rule is more useful than the generic label “Walking Wild.”
How Scatter and Bonus Symbols Work
A Scatter often uses count-based rules and can work outside traditional paylines. However, “Scatter” does not guarantee all of the following:
- paying cash;
- triggering Free Spins;
- appearing on every reel;
- paying anywhere;
- retriggering a feature;
- using the total bet as its payout unit.
Some Scatters are trigger-only. Some pay an award without starting a bonus. Some require eligible reels or specified positions. Others scale the award or starting feature when additional Scatters land.
Usually a count- or position-based special symbol. It may pay, trigger, or do both.
A symbol whose primary role is feature activation. It may be functionally similar to a Scatter but use different placement rules.
Can qualify, collect, or trigger a jackpot layer under separate eligibility rules.
Displays or carries a value, often for Hold-and-Respin features rather than ordinary line wins.
When One Symbol Is Both Wild and Scatter
A hybrid symbol can use substitution rules and trigger rules at the same time. Play’n GO’s official Book of Dead GO Collect page describes its Tomb Scatter as both Scatter and Wild: it substitutes for all symbols, pays anywhere, and triggers 10 Free Spins when three or more land in the base game.
Do not transfer that rule automatically to other “book” games. The eligible symbols, payout unit, trigger count, expansion rules, and retrigger cap can differ.
How These Symbols Interact with Different Payout Systems
| Payout system | Wild role | Scatter / Bonus role |
|---|---|---|
| Paylines | Substitutes on active line patterns | Often evaluated by count or special placement rules |
| Ways to Win | Substitutes in adjacent-reel combinations | Can trigger independently of Ways wins |
| Cluster Pays | Can join or transform connected groups | Can trigger a separate feature or meter |
| Pay Anywhere | Can replace eligible symbols in count-based wins | Can be a separate trigger symbol or a multiplier symbol instead |
| Hold-and-Respin | May be absent or feature-specific | Cash, Bonus, or Collector symbols often control entry and values |
The icon design does not define the rule. A crown labelled “Scatter” can behave differently from another provider’s Scatter, and a coin symbol can be a regular payer in one game but a Hold-and-Respin trigger in another.
Paytable Checklist
- Which symbols can the Wild replace?
- Does the Wild have its own payout or multiplier?
- Which reels and modes can contain it?
- Does the Scatter pay, trigger, or both?
- Are Scatter positions restricted?
- How many symbols trigger and retrigger?
- Is any symbol a Wild–Scatter hybrid?
- What payout unit applies: line bet, total bet, coin value, or feature value?
Use SlotRandomizer for discovery, then verify every special-symbol rule in the active game.
Find slots by feature →Frequently Asked Questions
The Bottom Line
Wild, Scatter, Bonus, and Jackpot are functional labels, not universal rules. Read what the symbol replaces, where it can land, what it pays, and which feature it activates.
