Irish slots is easily the most popular and successful of all slot themes, but why? And which games have stood the test of time? What is it about the Emerald Isle that makes it such as perfect backdrop for online slot machines? Read on and ye shall discover!
What makes an Irish slot?
No other nations get their own slot themes, so what’s special about Ireland? Well few other cultures (with the possible exception of Asia) have such as deep connection to luck. And that comes in pretty handy when you’re making online casino games.
From the green colour scheme that’s associated with the Irish, to the rural landscapes, Irish slots are instantly recognisable. And that’s before you get to hackneyed old stereotypes like leprechauns and iconic symbols of luck such as toadstools, four leaf clovers, shamrocks and horseshoes.
Despite all the obvious characters and symbols and sounds you find in most Irish slots, they do all have a welcome element of magic and mythology that’s contributed to their enormous popularity since the dawn of modern slots.
And from this immense anthology of Irish slots, we’ve picked out the best of the old and new Irish slots for your viewing pleasure.
OJO’s top Irish slots
Rainbow Riches
Barcrest’s Rainbow Riches is easily the most famous Irish slot ever. This 20 line slot may only have a 500x max win on any given spin, but its bonus features were trailblazing back in 2009, have spawned thousands of imitations and are still legendary today.
There have been 10 sequels including a Slingo version and the much-loved Rainbow Riches Pots of Gold, a classic in its own right. But the original is still one of the 5 most played games every year, 12 years after it was released. And there’s no luck in that.
Rainbow Jackpots
Rainbow Jackpots is one of Red Tiger’s bestselling titles and after 4 years, it’s still a Top 50 UK slot. It’s a fairly straightforward 20 payline game which is nicely designed, so why is it so popular?
As well as Free Spins, mystery symbol and pick-me features, all 3 bonus games can be upgraded for super-sized wins.
For example, your standard Free Spins feature with a random number of spins can be upgraded to 100 Spins, and the symbol swap gets a mega symbol upgrade. Check out the more recent Power Lines version with 6 reels and up to 7 rows, too.
Clover Rollover 2
The original Clover Rollover was a 2009 release from NetEnt and although that game didn’t have much of an impact on the Irish slot genre, the follow-up by Eyecon was an instant hit with low volatility slot fans.
The game has 5 win lines that pays both ways, and for an extremely low variance slot, the 10,000x max win is pretty remarkable. There are no bonus features as the game is completely built around its 3 progressive jackpots.
Irish Pot Luck
NetEnt had more luck with this 2020 release, a 20 payline Irish slot which is packed with bonus features and reel modifiers, from Free Spins to random multipliers and random mystery symbol adds.
Spin 3 jackpot symbols and you’ll enter the jackpot wheel mini game, where you can win multipliers or fixed jackpots of up to 5,000x.
Irish Riches Megaways
These days, no slot list is complete without a Megaways game, and it’s Blueprint Gaming we can thank for Irish Riches Megaways. This modern Celtic classic is of the 117,469 Ways variety, with the usual avalanche mechanic, and a 10,000 max win.
Wish Upon A Leprechaun
Blueprint took the easy route for another Irish slot success with a Celtic version of their epic Wish Upon A Jackpot slot. Like the game its loosely based on, Wish Upon A Leprechain has ELEVEN bonus features, far too many to list here, but the game essentially has borrowed something from every Irish slot that’s ever existed!
And if that wasn’t enough, there’s a Megaways version too.
Lucky Wizard
The design and gameplay of Red Tiger’s Lucky Wizard slot is head and shoulders above the rest, thanks mainly to the leprechaun character and some superb animations.
It gives Wish Upon A Leprechaun a run for its money when it comes to bonus features too. Definitely one to try if you have high standards for slot graphics.
Luck O’ The Irish Fortune Spins
Yet another Irish slot from Blueprint Gaming, who have cornered the market in the last decade.
This one’s a 10 liner that pays both ways and although it isn’t up to the standard of their other slots in terms of design or bonus, we like it for its Fortune Reels feature. Instead of the base game, you can pay £2 or more to spin 4 identical reels simultaneously, with special symbols activated too.
Wild Wild Riches
Pragmatic Play went off-piste for this Irish slot with their choice of a 3-3-4-4-4 reel configuration which generates 576 Ways to win.
You’ll need to combine some Wild symbols on the first 2 smaller reels with pots of gold or scatters on the bigger reels to trigger some of the game’s features, and there are mini, major and mega jackpots to aim for too.
9 Pots of Gold
Fresh from Gameburger, a Games Global studio, 9 Pots of Gold is a 20 payline slot that has rocketed into the Top 10 UK slots thanks to its Free Spins feature with multiplier and unlimited retriggers. Spin 9 scatters and you’ll hit the 2,000x jackpot. Although it’s only an Irish skin of the studio’s popular 9 Masks of Fire game, it’s well worth a look.
Our verdict
There’s no doubt that Irish luck is the oldest and best loved slot genre.
Unlike Christmas slots, it’s an evergreen theme that never gets old, and it is represented by some of the most famous slots of all time.
Sure, Irish themed slots can be a bit stereotypical, but even the Irish are partial to a bit of their own luck and it does make for an incredible distinct theme.
And despite the similarities between Irish slots online, innovative new Irish slots are being released every year, ensuring that these Celtic casino games are still top of the slots.
FAQs
Why play Irish slots at PlayOJO?
Aside from having one of the biggest collections of Irish slots online, PlayOJO plays fairs and above board. We don’t do bonuses with wagering requirements or sneaky terms. All bonus wins are paid in cash with no catch, and you get money back on every bet with no strings attached. There’s no minimum withdrawal either. Play Irish slots, animal slots or any of our 2,000 games at the Fair Casino and you’ll always be in control of your money.
Can I play Irish slots for free?
You can play most of our Irish slots for free in practice mode. Simply register, then find a game and choose TRY FOR FREE. You can see this option on desktop when you click the arrow at the bottom of the game panel, or when you tap the game panel on mobile. Don’t forget to look out for our free adventure slots too once you’ve registered.
What is the best Irish slot for 2021?
Emerald Gold from Games Global’s JustForTheWin studio is a 40 line Irish online slot with a 25,000x instant wins if you land 12 scatters. Try Pragmatic’s Emerald King Rainbow Road, the sequel to Emerald King, which has a superb bonus trail feature. And of course, IronDog’s Rainbow Wilds Megaways is a huge 2021 release too.
