Big Bass Return to the Races Slot Review

The Big Bass Return to the Races Slot Game

Any ardent online slot player should know the Big Bass series was designed as a fishing franchise. The assumption could have become a cliche, forcing Pragmatic Play and Reel Kingdom to complement it with a horse-racing theme.

Have you ever been to a racecourse? If not, then the Big Bass Return to the Races will give you a clear picture.

Right off the bat, on the Splash screen is the part-time punter and fisherman holding a trophy while a group of jockeys fly behind him. An expansive, well-terraced, lush green field sits under the clear blue sky, surrounded by a dusty patch.

The 5-reel, 3-row playing platform is at the centre of the reels. However, I wish it were transparent so players could soak up the backdrop’s beauty even when playing. Regardless, the developer has added a soothing melody to entertain your ears.

Symbols and Payouts

The symbols on this video slot’s paytable are similar to those in Big Bass Day at the Races. So, then, what do you expect? Beer, binoculars, jockeys, and others.

According to the paytable, you have 10 standard symbols that should help you generate wins. To do so, aim to hit the number of identical symbols displayed in the paytable when spinning the reels. The identical symbols should be from the leftmost side and on adjacent reels.

If you’re curious about how your win was evaluated, check the dynamic paytable for the winning combination payouts determined by the selected stake.

The low-paying symbols in Big Bass Return to the Races are the colourful 10 to A card royals. Aim for three or more of the same to win between 0.2x and 10x the stake.

Then, the high-value symbols include:

• Jockeys - 1x, 5x, and 20x bet.

• Binoculars & Beer - 2x, 10x, and 50x stake.

• Baitbox - 3x, 15x, and 100x bet.

• Champagne Bucket pays 0.5x, 5x, 20x, and 200x bet for 2+ of its kind.

For the record, the Jockey symbols are also money symbols with 2x to 5,000x bet values, which you can win during the free spins. In addition, the game has a Wild, which appears on all reels and substitutes for all symbols during the free spins.

Big Bass Return to the Races Slot Bonus Features

The base game doesn’t have any events that could boost your wins. Instead, you have to hope for the free spins—the heart of the game!

Free Spins

Hitting 3, 4, or 5 scatters awards 10, 15, or 20 free spins, respectively. Whenever two scatters appear in the Big Bass Return to the Races base game without the 3rd, another one can appear on the screen through:

• Respin - if the scatters on-screen can move down one position without leaving the reels, the reels with scatters will move downwards while the reels with scatters respin.

• Also, randomly, another scatter can appear on the screen in a random position after the initial spin result.

Before the round starts, select a card from 12 possible selections to reveal the free spins won. Revealing a Bonus card triggers a regular free spins round, while the Golden Cup triggers the Golden Cup free spins.

The following random features can happen during any free spins:

• Randomly, when there are wilds on the screen without Money symbols, at the end of the feature, Money symbols can appear in random positions.
• Randomly, when Money symbols are on the screen without wilds, a lasso will appear at the end of a free spin and bring wilds to the Big Bass Return to the Races grid.
• Randomly, when there are wilds but no Money symbols, a curtains animation can appear at the end of a free spin, changing all the symbols from the screen except the wilds to something else.

Regular Free Spins

Every wild symbol collects all the Money symbol values on the screen. Further, all the wilds are collected until the round ends. Every 4th wild collected retriggers the feature with 10 more free spins.

It also increases the Money symbol collection multiplier to 2x, 3x, and 10x for the second, third, and fourth levels, respectively. However, the feature cannot be retriggered after the 4th round.

Golden Cup Free Spins

The reels will only have Money symbols, wilds, and blanks. This round starts with 10 free spins, where at every spin, all the paylines with money symbols payout, and every wild that hits collects all the Money symbol values on the screen.

All the wilds that appear will be collected until the end of this Big Bass Return to the Races round. Every 4th wild retriggers the feature and increases the Money symbol collection multiplier, as in the regular round. Again, it’s impossible to retrigger the feature after the 4th round. 

Ante Bet & Buy Bonus

You can change the bet multiplier from 10x to 15x to activate the ante bet and boost the chances of naturally triggering the free spins. In addition, three scatters can be randomly added to the screen after a spin or respin, resulting from 2 scatters hitting without the 3rd.

Further, pay 100x bet to buy the free spins and pick random cards to get the Golden Cup or regular free spins. Meanwhile, paying 270x bet lets you into the Golden Cup free spins instantly!

How to Win at Big Bass Return to the Races Slot

Players will encounter a traditional setup of 5 reels, 3 rows, and 10 permanent paylines.

Whenever you spin the reels, symbols will randomly fill the positions. Consider yourself lucky when identical symbols, as highlighted in the paytable, appear on the predefined lines and adjacent reels from the furthest left column to the right.

Since winning in this slot is randomised, you should set an ideal bet to limit your risk exposure. Luckily, the Big Bass Return to the Races has multiple bets from €0.10 to €375. 

Press the Spin button (icon with a crowned ape) or use the Spacebar to trigger a single round. However, to avoid starting every game manually, enable the Autoplay function to play several rounds automatically.

Big Bass Return to the Races Slot RTP & Volatility

Before I conclude, here are the stats. First, the theoretical RTP is above average at 96.07%. Then, the slot is highly volatile and can pay upwards of 5,000 times the stake!

The Final Thoughts

While writing this review, I wondered why Pragmatic Play and Reel Kingdom didn’t develop a new racing-themed series instead of incorporating it into a fishing slot. Yes, the duo probably wanted to ride on the success of the Big Bass series. But, considering their popularity and reputation, don’t you reckon the new series would have still been a huge hit?

Otherwise, this Big Bass Return to the Races is just another Big Bass slot camouflaged as a horse-racing experience. If you don’t believe me, you better look at the Big Bass Secrets of the Golden Lake, as this new release is its clone with a few title tweaks.

While its features are identical to all other games in the series, its free spins round is a bit different. It offers two choices: regular or Golden Cup. The only difference is that the latter offers special reels with no regular symbols. Regardless, it still plays similarly to regular free spins.

All in all, it’s not a bad gambling option, considering its slightly different gameplay. However, if you’re tired of playing the never-ending Big Bass slots, I recommend moving to newer options, such as Greedy Fortune Pig or Peppe’s Pepperoni Pizza Plaza. In short, anything other than a fishing slot.