One popular format of slots in today’s casino is the 9-line version of 3-reel mechanical reel slots. We’ve shared examples like the newer version of Double Top Dollar in recent years, and they own a specific place on the casino floor.
One player wondered what was possible on these game types.
On 9 line reel slots, is it ever possible to land a spin where all 9 lines are paid? Or are the reels created in such a way as to prevent that from being possible?
Jim S.
The capability to do this will depend most often on the game’s design itself. While some 9-line games are built in ways that will not create a scenario where all 9 lines can be won at once, others can open the door.
For example, some of these games will pay for one wild or cherry on a reel. If they fall in the right places, it might be possible for a scenario, albeit rare, where something is awarded on each line.
While many mechanical reel slots have symbols spaced out with empty reel spaces between them, on occasion games will have those spaces filled on part or all of the reels.
An example is the wild middle reel on the Respin series of slots by IGT – the middle reel has stacked multiplier wilds, and those wilds pay on their own. Land a full reel of wilds in the middle and you’ll get paid something for all nine lines.
That said, if we look at the category as a whole, it’s not particularly likely for that to be an outcome on many games in that sort of format. Instead, the nine-line format takes the edge off by allowing more frequent wins than a 1-line or 5-line version, albeit with the trade-off of a higher cost per spin to cover all those lines.
Many of these 9-line games also encourage playing all 9-lines by putting a bigger progressive on the 9th line, only making you eligible for it if you play all 9 lines. Or, in the case of a game like Double Top Dollar, you get access to that bonus only when you bet 10 credits – 9 for the 9 lines, and the 10th for the bonus.
So the answer is it’s possible, if on a game where its design allows for it, but we wouldn’t expect that to be a likely scenario by design, even on the games where it’s a possibility.
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