Scatter
A scatter is a symbol that counts wherever it lands. It doesn't need a payline or a cluster. Land enough of them, usually three or four, and the free spins start. Some games pay the scatters themselves as a multiple of your total bet.
Scatter rules in games you know
| Game | Scatters needed | Scatter pays | What starts |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gates of Olympus | 4 or more | 4 = 3x, 5 = 5x, 6+ = 100x | 15 free spins |
| Sweet Bonanza | 4 or more | 4 = 3x, 5 = 5x, 6+ = 100x | 10 free spins, 3+ in the round add 5 |
| Fruit Party 2 | 3 or more | 3 = 3x up to 7 = 100x | 10 free spins for 3, up to 25 for 7 |
| Le Bandit | 3, 4 or 5 | None | A different bonus round for each count |
| Le Pharaoh | 3, 4 or 5 | None | Bonus choice, a Super version for 4, a third round for 5 |
Pays are in multiples of the total bet. Hacksaw labels the symbol FS.
Counting stops at the screen. A scatter in the top corner of reel 1 counts the same as one in the middle of reel 4, and in pay-anywhere games like Sweet Bonanza a scatter that drops in during a tumble counts too. In the Hacksaw games the number also picks the round, so a fourth scatter means more than a few extra spins.
How often they land
| Reel set | Scatters on the strip, reels 1 to 6 | Exactly 3 | 4 or more |
|---|---|---|---|
| Set 1 | 1, 2, 1, 1, 1, 1 | 1 in 88 | 1 in 1,175 |
| Set 2 | 1 on each reel | 1 in 108 | 1 in 1,500 |
| Set 3 | 1, 2, 2, 1, 2, 1 | 1 in 45 | 1 in 459 |
| Set 4 | 1 on each reel | 1 in 110 | 1 in 1,551 |
| Set 5 | None | Never | Never |
Our count from the reel strips in the free demo (game data read 12 Nov 2026): every stop on every strip, 5 rows shown, scatter = symbol 1. First drop only, so tumbles that bring extra scatters are left out. How often the game picks each set is not in the data.
You'll see three scatters 10 to 14 times as often as four, depending on the set. Three scatters with nothing behind them is the most common almost-bonus there is, and the strips produce it on their own. Set 3 carries a second scatter on three reels, which fits what the ante bet is said to add to the strips.
Some newer games add a super scatter on top. In the Gates of Olympus Super Scatter edition it pays a prize of its own, and four of them at once are the top win. The three Gates versions page has the amounts.
Pop Parade is our own game. It has no scatter: a chest on the balcony fills as stones break during one play, and a full chest starts the March Past. Sergeant Grim empties it when the play ends.
Not affiliated with Pragmatic Play or Hacksaw Gaming. Game names belong to their owners.
Questions
What is a scatter in slots?
A symbol that counts anywhere on the screen. Enough of them start free spins, and in many games they also pay a multiple of the total bet.
How many scatters do you need for free spins?
It depends on the game. Gates of Olympus and Sweet Bonanza need 4, Fruit Party 2 and the Hacksaw games Le Bandit and Le Pharaoh need 3.
Do scatters have to be on a payline?
No. That is the point of the symbol. Position and line do not matter, only how many are on the screen.
How rare are 4 scatters in Sweet Bonanza?
On the first drop, between 1 in 459 and 1 in 1,551 spins depending on the reel set, by our count of the demo reel strips. Tumbles add a few more chances per spin.
Sources
- Pragmatic Play demo: Sweet Bonanza (game data, reel strips). five reel sets, scatter = symbol 1, scatter pays 3x / 5x / 100x, 10 free spins Checked 12 November 2026
- Pragmatic Play demo: Gates of Olympus (game data). scatters 4 / 5 / 6+ pay 3x / 5x / 100x, 15 free spins Checked 12 November 2026
- Pragmatic Play demo: Fruit Party 2 (game data). scatters 3 to 7 pay 3x / 5x / 10x / 20x / 100x and give 10 / 12 / 15 / 20 / 25 free spins Checked 12 November 2026
- SlotCatalog: Sweet Bonanza. 4+ scatters trigger, +5 spins for 3+ in the round Checked 12 November 2026
- Hacksaw Gaming: Le Bandit. 3, 4 or 5 FS symbols start three different rounds Checked 12 November 2026
- Hacksaw Gaming: Le Pharaoh. 3 FS bonus choice, 4 FS Super variants, 5 FS Rainbow Over The Pyramids Checked 12 November 2026
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