Complete Guide to The Best Slingo Games and How to Play Them!

In our complete guide to Slingo, you will learn how this popular series of casino games were created, how they work, and some essential strategies to ensure you are always playing them optimally!

We have also provided you with a fantastic selection of our Top 5 Slingo games that you should definitely explore while covering plenty of the other great Slingo games that offer unique and novel variations to this popular series of games.

What Are Slingo Games?

The original Slingo game was created by Sal Falciglia back in 1994, who also founded the company Slingo. Since then, the game has evolved drastically and branched out with Slingo Originals offering unique and exciting gameplay across a wide variety of popular themes.

The Slingo game is a fusion of styles taking inspiration from the popular features of both Slot machines and Bingo and combining these key elements to create the fitting game name of Slingo (Slot+ Bingo = Slingo).

In recent years the introduction of Slingo Originals has seen Slingo games being released that incorporate well-known slots from different developers such as Rainbow Riches (Barcrest/SGi), Sweet Bonanza (Pragmatic Play), Starburst (NetEnt), or popular mechanics such as “Book Slots” (Book of Dead, Book of Ra Deluxe) being added as an alternate main bonus feature.

Even classic board games such as Slingo Monopoly have been covered, with popular quiz shows such as Deal or No Deal Slingo being created for US and UK versions of the TV show!

The simple and classic game of Slingo has evolved with bonus features such as free spins, picking bonuses, and a healthy dose of volatility, with games like Slingo XXXtreme offering increased jackpots up to 1000x stake!

As casino player trends continue to move towards more volatile gameplay, games such as Slingo Beserk offer four separate jackpots, and Slingo Inca Trail even offers max wins up to 5000x!

Even with these extra added features and options, the core Slingo gameplay remains faithful to the original. Once you understand the basics of playing Slingo, every “Slingo” game will appear straightforward.

How to Play a Slingo Game

The core gameplay on Slingo is consistent throughout the entire range of titles. Once the basics are learned, you are all set.

The combination of slots fused with bingo results in a bingo-style grid in a 5×5 grid layout with various numbers on them, generally ranging from 1 to 75.

Underneath this grid is 5 reels similar to those used in online slots. These reels either reveal a number (1-75) or one of several special Slingo symbols when spun. If a number lands in view and matches any number displayed on the grid, it is marked off in the same manner as a Bingo card.

A key difference to an online slot is that you start a game of Slingo with a fixed number of spins for your initial stake, generally 10 or 11 spins.

There is a possibility of earning extra spins or even purchasing additional spins, but these are a “gamble option” at the end of a regular game.

Scoring a Slingo

If you manage to mark off 5 numbers on a win line, you have scored a Slingo, which is also tracked to the left of the grid and shows your current progress of how many Slingos you have completed. The more Slingos you achieve, the bigger the cash prizes awarded!

There are 12 win lines in total, consisting of 5 horizontal, 5 vertical, and 2 diagonal paylines.

Marking off the entire grid awards a Full House, a stake-based jackpot of 500x or 1000x stake depending on the Slingo game, paytable, and volatility of your chosen machine.

What are the Slingo Games Bonus Features

Along with a range of numbers, the 5 reels contain a variety of special symbols. These tend to be consistent throughout the Slingo range, with a few additions if the Slingo game has additional bonus features or jackpots.

• Joker – When the Joker symbol lands on a reel, it acts as a Wild substitution, allowing you to mark off any number in the corresponding vertical win line. Landing 3 or more of these symbols acts almost like a Scatter would in slots but awards you an instant prize or, in some cases, a full bonus feature trigger.
• Devil – The Devil is not a symbol you want to see. It simply acts as a “blocker,” preventing you from completing any numbers in that column on the grid during that spin.
• Super Joker – The Super Joker again acts as a Wild substitution, but the “Super” element allows you to mark off any position on the entire grid that you choose.
• Coin – Land a coin symbol on the reel, and you will be rewarded with a stake-based instant prize. Generally, a multiplier value of your current bet level.

Throughout the entire range of Slingo games, several contain additional symbols such as Extra Spins, Jackpot symbols, and Trail bonus symbols. For these games, it’s best to consult the specific game rules and the paytable to find out exactly how they work.

What Are the Best Strategies for Slingo Games?

Slingo is a straightforward game. However, the best strategies are still well worth knowing to ensure you play the game optimally and are as close as possible to “perfect play,” ensuring the maximum RTP value.

The key Slingo strategies focus on the Joker and Super Joker symbols and which positions you opt to select on the grid when they land.

The first slots strategy might sound completely obvious, but you should always mark off numbers on the grid in the positions closest to completing a Slingo line.

Remember there are horizontal, vertical, and diagonal win lines, so check how placing a Joker will increase the chances on these other win lines.

Optimal Slingo Picking Strategy

If you aren’t close to completing any Slingo lines, you should consult the diagram above.

The best position to add a Joker or Super Joker is the center position marked with a yellow circle. This is because this position covers 4 win lines in total, 1 horizontal, 1 vertical, and 2 diagonal.

If this position is already completed, or you have a regular Joker wild symbol to mark off that isn’t on the middle reel, then any of the positions marked with a green circle are optimal. This is because they cover 3 win lines, 1 horizontal, 1 vertical, and 1 diagonal.

The remaining positions on the grid only cover 2 win lines making them less optimal Joker positions.

The overall strategy is to give yourself a maximum chance on all future spins of completing more Slingos. By picking the positions that cover the most win lines, you do this!

TIP – The easiest way to remember this tip is to visualize both the diagonal win lines. These positions are the best spots to pick first, provided you aren’t close to completing a Slingo line elsewhere!

Should You Gamble For More Slingos?

Further extra spins can be bought at the end of a regular game of Slingo once all your regular spins and any free spins have been played out.

Think of this as a “Gamble option,” but one that can also come at a very hefty cost. The Yes/No gamble decision depends on personal choice and whether you have the bankroll to afford it.

Carefully consider what could be a costly risk and is it worth taking to achieve a Full House.

The more Slingos you have collected, the greater the cost to have further spins. If you manage to collect a few more Slingos with an extra spin, then the price to repeat this feature will increase even further!

The outcomes of these spins are all random, you could take an extra spin and land 5 new numbers to mark off and win the Full House, or you could spin indefinitely and land no other new symbols.

Approach this feature with extreme caution and understand that the cost of having further extra spins changes based on how many Slingos have already been scored.

Be aware that even with optimal play, the RTPs on all Slingos are marginally lower using this feature, meaning the house edge increases slightly in favor of the casino when using “Extra Spins.”

The Top 5 Slingo Games

Are you looking for the best or most popular Slingo games to play online? We have assembled a collection of the very best Slingo Originals.

Our top 5 Slingos all offer the classic Slingo base gameplay and come packed full of unique bonus round features, including free spins, picking rounds, and Multipliers similar to their online slot counterparts.

1. 🥇Slingo Rainbow Riches
2. 🥈Book of Slingo
3. 🥉Slingo Lucky Larry’s Lobstermania
4. 🎖️Slingo Sweet Bonanza
5. 🏅Slingo Deal or No Deal

#1 Slingo Rainbow Riches

Slingo Originals have teamed up with the legendary SGi(Light & Wonder)/Barcrest and have incorporated all the appeal of the classic Irish-themed Rainbow Riches slot into a Slingo.

The Rainbow Riches Slingo game offers many bonus features, including a Wishing Well Bonus, Cash Crop Bonus, Magic Toadstool Bonus, Road to Riches Bonus, and Pots of Gold Bonus.

Scoring 5 or more Slingos offers you the option to collect these features instead of the regular stake-based wins.

The final “Full House” prize leads to the “Pots of Gold Bonus” with wins of up to 1000x stake from the Gold Pot if you have the luck of the Irish!

Technical Data

• RTP: 95.6% (Best Strategy)
• Volatility: 3/5
• Spins: 10
• Unlimited Extra Spins: Yes

#2 Book of Slingo

Book of Slingo is heavily inspired by the “Book of” style slot machines. If you are unaware, this is an iconic series of top-rated slots such as Book of Ra Deluxe (Novomatic) and Book of Dead (Play’n GO) that include a special expanding symbol in the free spins bonus round.

In the Slingo version, the free spins round is triggered by scoring 8 or more Slingo lines in the base game, with an option to collect the regular cash reward or select the free spins round.

Book of Slingo is heavily inspired by the “Book of” style slot machines. If you are unaware, this is an iconic series of top-rated slots such as Book of Ra Deluxe (Novomatic) and Book of Dead (Play’n GO) that include a special expanding symbol in the free spins bonus round.

In the Slingo version, the free spins round is triggered by scoring 8 or more Slingo lines in the base game, with an option to collect the regular cash reward or select the free spins round.

With any good Book slot, landing 3 or more Scatters rewards you with a full bonus re-trigger. In the image below, 5 Scatter Book symbols result in 20 extra free spins, extending the bonus round further!

Technical Data

• RTP: 96.37% (Best Strategy)
• Volatility: 2-4/5
• Spins: 11
• Unlimited Extra Spins: Yes

#3 Slingo Sweet Bonanza

Slingo Sweet Bonanza combines the classic Slingo gameplay with the awesome Sweet Bonanza candy fuelled grid-based slot, mixing in a picking bonus with multipliers up to 10x.

Key symbols from the online slot to look out for are the Lollipops that continue the bonus picking rounds (Re-Trigger) and Bomb symbols which act like Scatters and can instantly award the main bonus round.

Bomb Bonus Symbols

The Bomb symbols are present in the 5 reels of the regular game. Landing 3 or more of these in a single spin award the bonus feature. Extra symbols result in bigger multipliers!

• 3 Bomb Symbols – 3 picks with a 3x multiplier
• 4 Bomb Symbols – 4 picks with a 5x multiplier
• 5 Bomb Symbols – 4 picks with a 10x multiplier

Regular Slingo wins can be exchanged when 8 or more Slingos have been won for the same picking bonus feature.

Technical Data

• RTP: 96.45% (Best Strategy)
• Volatility: 5/5
• Spins: 10
• Unlimited Extra Spins: No, Limited to 40

#4 Slingo Lucky Larry’s Lobstermania

This Slingo is based on the superb Lucky Larry’s Lobstermania (IGT) series of slots. A hugely popular land-based slot machine and equally popular online with further titles in the series.

This Slingo version comes with three fixed jackpots Light Trap, Full Trap, and Motherlode, which are displayed at the top. These are awarded from the base game with special Jackpot symbols found on the reels. The Motherlode jackpot awards a stake-based win of 1000x!

Achieving 5 or more Slingos activates the Lucky Larry Bonus. This bonus can be several Free Spins played out on the online slot or a Buoy Bonus (prize picking round).

As you collect more Slingos, the number of starting free spins, multipliers, or the total number of picks increases.

The online slot based free spins round has stacked wilds and the ability to re-trigger, and it seems to occur quite frequently. With a capped maximum of 240 free spins available in that bonus round!

The Buoy Bonus is a classic picking round involving lobster pots. Various locations are available such as Maine, Australia, and Brazil, and each of these offers a unique bonus game should you be fortunate to catch a special Golden Lobster.

Technical Data

• RTP: 96.38% (Best Strategy)
• Volatility: 4/5
• Spins: 10
• Unlimited Extra Spins: Configurable

#5 Slingo Deal or No Deal

Slingo Deal or No Deal combines the hugely popular game show, and the suspense of Deal or No Deal with Slingo, the combination of the two is seamless.

There is a specific US-themed version of Slingo Deal or No Deal and one based on the UK TV show, and if you love the format, make sure to check out the live casino games version too!

Start by choosing your lucky briefcase. As you create Slingos, prizes will be eliminated from the game like they are on the show.

When four Slingos have been created, the Bankers offers will unlock, and you will be prompted to choose ‘Deal’ or ‘No Deal’ or continue playing.

You progress up the Prize Boost Ladder each time you achieve a Slingo, and if you a very fortunate, you might even complete the Full House. Plenty of banker’ offers are given during play, so make sure to consider them carefully!

Technical Data

• RTP: 95.00%
• Volatility: 2-4/5
• Spins: 10
• Unlimited Extra Spins: Yes

New Slingo Games

There is a constant slew of new Slingo Games appearing, with brand new themes being released each month, along with casino-exclusive titles in the works. The current roadmap for Slingo games for the end of 2022 and the beginning of 2023 includes some huge game titles like Slingo Cleopatra, World Cup related soccer games, and, of course, Xmas titles!

• Slingo Deadliest Catch – 22nd November 2022
• Slingoooal 24th November 2022
• Slingo Bells 1st December 2022
• Slingo Golden Envelope 17th January 2023
• Slingo Cleopatra February 2023

Online Casinos in the US are quite up to date with all of the previous Slingo releases with several US exclusives available at the big casinos, so we expect these new titles also to be added very shortly after the release dates!

Where to Play Slingo Games

Slingo is available to play in many of our recommended and licensed US Casino apps and is compatible to play on all Desktop, Mobile, and Tablet devices.

States such as New Jersey (NJ), Michigan (MI), and Pennsylvania (PA) already have a fantastic range of Slingo Games, including all of our top 5 games, with plans to add additional locations soon. For indication, there are over 30 Slingo games on DraftKings.

Some licensed US casinos even have their own exclusive Slingo titles, such as BetMGM Slingo XXXtreme.

Slingo FAQ