Reflecting on the debate generated by the Nitro 4 review, I've been considering my experience with ELK's offerings. If you ask me, Elk should top the 'Least Trusted Provider' list this year, given my recent experiences with their games.
I've played a bunch of their games, though I try to stick with their 95.0% RTP games despite that still being below industry standard. Sometimes I will demo their new interesting ones with a small money balance, but I never stick around past one or two bonuses because of 94.0% RTP. Pretty much every Elk title I've ever played, 94% or 95% has the same playing experience. If you are lucky, you will be able to roughly maintain RTP by landing bonuses frequently or by getting frequent base game wins. I say roughly maintain, because 95% of those bonuses and base game wins will pay you around 30x. If you get really lucky, you might get a bonus that pays close to or around 100x. After the tens of thousands of spins I've played on Elk titles, 300x is the biggest win I've achieved on any game, so I'm going to call a win that big insanely lucky.
It's also not just a personal experience, it seems to be the experience of many gamblers across many different forums and comment sections. Not just a few either, there are tons of people commenting on nearly any Elk title with the exact same experience I described above. As an example, Nitropolis 4 was released in February of this year. On stake, it's biggest win to date on the entire site in 950x. That is ridiculously low, especially on a high volatility game which boasts 50,000x potential, and on a site with so many players spinning every second. Elk also boasts that it is their most played Nitropolis title to date, you would think that the wins would follow. I should add that the win came in late June, before that the biggest win was 850x in February shortly after release.
Recently, while playing with a mere $0.20 per spin, Propaganda ended up depleting over 1000 times my balance in just a few hours. I did manage a single bonus round that rewarded me 35 times my bet. Intrigued by this, I tried Nitro 4 following my one-bonus strategy, yet after 1,200 spins, no bonus appeared, and I lost more than 600 times my stake. My concern isn't merely about losses or missing out on bonuses, it's the feeling of having no opportunity for recovery unless you hit a maximum win. ELK doesn't often offer statistics like other developers, and based on the max win frequency data I've seen, it's noticeably harder to hit it compared to NLC games, indicating that large RTP portions aren't necessarily allocated towards bonuses.
When it comes to ELK's slot mechanics, it seems the fortunate side results in getting a 30x bonus approximately every 150 spins, while the disappointing side means incurring losses up to 1000x and one wonders where the RTP actually goes. If anyone has experienced massive wins, in thousands multipliers directly from base gameplay, I'd love to hear about it. The consensus found online, via comments and interactions on BWB and Elk YouTube victories, tend to support the idea that bonuses seldom pay out significantly.
We still haven't covered:
- With a generalized 94% RTP across their offerings, ELK Studios isn't doing players any favors. This static RTP is rather lazy, as they don't customize it across games, aiming to extract more from players. Their justification is simply laughable. According to them - 'Several operators have pushed for 94% RTP. Instead of claiming a 96% RTP on forums and then reducing it to 94% for players with most operators, they claim to be upfront about the actual RTP.' This reasoning has holes as large as it is concerning. A 95% RTP already discouraged many players, and lowering it further to 94% prompts a call for the provider to be blacklisted.
- Their slot reels feel exceedingly scripted, as seen in the Nitropolis series, designed to exacerbate player frustration. With frequent bonus baits and close-call spins, players are led to believe they were a symbol shy of a win when, in truth, they were nowhere close.
- ELK provides sparse, if any, stats to players, so there's little clarity on bonus or win frequencies for most games. This lack of transparency makes knowing what you're up for challenging. Communication is disappointingly minimal, too.
- Xiter modes are excessively priced universally, draining players' funds far too quickly.
- A smaller gripe, but their titles don't begin at the minimum bet and fail to recall your previous bet size upon return. This oversight can lead players to inadvertently spend more than intended.
I must clarify that this isn't just frustration about losses. It centers on the mechanics of ELK games. Even though other studios like NLC can deliver severe losses, the potential for rewards is tangible. With ELK, one feels that losses prevail without chances of equivalent benefits. You'll occasionally see a max win on YouTube, yet stories of consistent 3000x bonuses seem nonexistent, reaching a point where I suspect their mathematical models. Though other games may have severe math models, ELK's appears particularly negative. I remain open to counterarguments or experiences that differ from my own.
ELK studios have countless problems.
I've spun their slots for over 5,000 times, lucking into a 900x payout on Propaganda base game, another 900x from Nitropolis 3 regular bonus buy, similar results from Tropicool 2, and a satisfying 800x from Ashoka. Along with several 300x-400x outcomes, my experiences suggest I'm fortunate beyond the average expectations.
*Link:
jump to 03:13 timestamp.
While a 94% RTP is generally objectionable, it doesn't seem to hinder UK players too much as they've managed significant max wins on NLC slots despite the RTP percentile.
Discussing volatility, I would describe it as unpredictable. Numerous instances have occurred where my balance has swung by 100x either way within half an hour. Also, their spinning speed feels lethargic and sometimes quite frustrating.
Although some games boast 25Kx and 50Kx potential, a prevalent number of bonuses finish between 50x and 200x. I haven't observed this kind of distribution in other game studios like Hacksaw, NLC, Push Gaming, or BTG. From recording 189 bonus rounds in Nitropolis 3, the highest hit was 582x while the lowest was 35.6x. Such variance indicates extensive volatility levels.
Despite having prospects of up to 50,000x rewards, ELK rates some games with 7/10 volatility. Katmandu X is an ELK slot I still give a go; it offers 9/10 volatility and a slightly better 95% RTP.
Although significant earnings are rare, they occur, as evidenced by a 12,500x multiplier success on Katmandu X noted on Stake's leaderboard. Such outcomes suggest hitting a maximum win utilizing a Bonus Hout at a 2x cost, alongside a recent 22,000x achievement.
Furthermore, there's an incentive of a $1000 reward for anyone who achieves a 2000x win in Nitropolis 3, a goal that has remained unmet for several months.
The bonus round is also weird.
I've witnessed rounds that felt oddly orchestrated. A pattern emerged where most winnings concentrate on the final spin, with others being ineffective, noticed particularly in Nitropolis 3 and Tropicool 2.
Other issues: Slow spinning speeds.
ELK, possibly uniquely, provides dead spins prolonging up to half a minute, notably in Nitropolis 3 and 4 titles.
1. When two scatters appear on the first two reels, the suspense builds causing the next reels to take longer to come to a halt.
2. By completing half of a Nitro reel, you unlock another row – this cycle repeats itself.
3. Nitro booster sequences progress through 'Nitro upgrade' to 'Nitro match', reverting back to 'Nitro upgrade', evolving into 'Nitro wild', and finally becoming a wild symbol.
4. Activation of a redrop can extend the duration of a seemingly futile spin.
I appreciate the response.
With a 94% RTP, the impact is undeniably substantial. UK players aren't given any special coding to achieve max wins more easily; they do so under the standard 94% condition, implying considerable losses among UK players. Furthermore, BWB highlights this aspect starkly compared to other nations, making it a noticeable contrast. I often wonder what RTP is intolerable; 92%, 88%, or 78%? As bettors, ensuring strategic gameplay is essential to keep casinos and providers respectful of betting boundaries and profit margins. Slots already offer the greatest revenue and profit margins for casinos, but it’s unnecessary to increase these advantages without accountability. Max wins aren't frequent for any player group. In high-volatility, high-stakes slots, they're akin to traditional jackpots, providing life-transforming wins, attracting even more players. However, the average player shouldn't endure unnecessary disadvantages, particularly with such a prevalent casino edge. Betting $1.00 at a 96.5% rate, one could still lose $1000 within mere hours, and amplifying providers' edge isn't needed.
It's also worth mentioning that most other studios propose enhanced RTP for expensive bonus modes. Mode purchases, pegged at $20 or high $100 super bonuses (the lowest offered by ELK), pose hefty commitments for typical $0.20 players. A substantial buy approaches a daily salary for an average worker. Yet ELK maintains a 94% RTP, even at these stakes, deviating from many providers offering nearly 97% RTP at similar starts.
It might interest you that ELK indeed offers Turbo Spins; you'd need to set it in-game settings. However, even when enabled, it maintains a longer spin duration than average, which I discovered while using it. It depleted my balance even quicker than Tombstone RIP. Players from the UK or regions like Ontario may find these settings disabled, yet they are available.
For most slot enthusiasts, particularly those playing casually, achieving the maximum win or surpassing a 10,000x win is infrequent, yet ELK designs systems allowing thousands of X losses per hour without compensation. Other high-volatility providers, conversely, present abundant significant wins, proportionally speaking, except ELK's lineup. Titles such as Das xBoot or Pearl Harbor might seem ruthless, yet substantial wins, exceeding 5000x, still exist within. However, such wins remain elusive with ELK games. Analysis of forums or videos mentioning ELK consistently reveals challenges in securing worthwhile victories. In fact, it's been over six months since an ELK title was discussed in the Big Win forums. I'm genuinely glad if your encounters with ELK haven't been detrimental, and I sincerely mean that. Keeping fellow gamblers informed is imperative for honesty. Notching four 900x victories in a span of 5000 spins signals that you faired better than expected odds. Part of my query goes answered; resilient people are indeed beating the probability.
Although the statistics you shared are quite low relative to other game companies, especially since you were purchasing bonuses at a minimum of 100x your stake, this supports my argument: you were exceptionally fortunate, yet there still wasn't a 1000x win to be found. I'm genuinely pleased for you, but until people frequently experience 1000x + bonuses on ELK games, unlike other developers, I remain skeptical of their mathematical models. These games seem to drain funds swiftly without substantial rewards. They deliberately display enticing near-wins to frustrate players, encouraging them to bet more. As you noted, the Nitro series has 30-second spins that serve mainly to increase player frustration. Given that outcomes are pre-determined and scripted, it can feel exploitative. Their subpar return-to-player (RTP) rates disadvantage players significantly, as with every thousand $1 spins, $20 are lost, and $4 lost for every thousand $0.20 spins, unlike other providers. They fail to provide game statistics or engage with the community. Hence, I strongly believe ELK is the least trustworthy provider in 2023. Whether other companies are struggling this year or not, ELK repeatedly fails its players without showing any intent to improve.
When betting $1 on high-volatility slots with a 96.5% RTP, you can quickly find your $1000 balance depleted within just an hour.
If your strategy involves just base spins or a classic +20% extra bet feature, you're likely to stake around $1200-$1500 in an hour, and losing $1000 in that time frame would require extremely bad luck.
ELK definitely includes Turbo Spins, but you must navigate the game settings to activate them.
I consistently have Turbo Spins enabled, yet it remains slower compared to other gaming providers.
With Turbo Spins active, Nitro 4 achieves approximately 500 spins per hour, while NLC slots can easily surpass 1000 spins, sometimes nearing 1500, thanks to Tombstone RIP's notably low hit frequency in both base and bonus games.
There's an intentional strategy employed by the games to provoke players into wagering more by presenting provocative near-wins directly.
This is surely a negative tactic. I've witnessed countless retrigger teases in the Nitro 3 Super Bonus, without success, aside from one regular bonus retrigger that disastrously resulted in eight dead spins. Consider dedicating hours to achieve a retrigger only for it to yield nothing.
Moreover, these outcomes were observed during real-money gameplay.
In the first screenshot, when Both Ways isn't activated and the spin results in nothing, a nitro booster might suddenly throw in high-value symbols or wilds purely to provoke annoyance.
In the second screenshot, when wilds appear across reels 1, 3, 4, and 5, yet reel 2 remains blocked, it leads to disappointment. Tropicool 2 had potential, but it's hindered by a 94% RTP, confusing math models, and obstructive graphics, paying minimally if at all.
Other things:
On the Stake platform, ELK slots can be tested in demo mode, but X-iter features are unavailable. Other casinos provide demo modes for ELK slots but often result in error messages.
Visiting ELK's website, I found demo versions with X-iter features for older games like Bompers, but not for newer releases like Nitropolis 3 and 4.
I've collected data from bonus buy features in demo mode; while the sample size isn't comprehensive, more extensive data might reveal different outcomes. At least ELK's demo mode appears transparent, partly thanks to Bigwinboard facilitating the trial of X-iter and bonus buy features.
Nolimit City, Misery Mining
Regular Bonus(66x cost), Mouse Mode
361 Rounds recorded.
96 Rounds(26.6%) pays at least 1x Buy-in cost.
16 Rounds(4.4%) pays at least 3x Buy-in cost.
109 Rounds(30.2%) ends between >=17x and <33x.
131 Rounds(36.3%) ends between >=33x and <66x.
Standout round: 1022x base bet(>15x the buy-in); least impressive: 11x base bet(1/6 the buy-in).
Top 1/5/10% percentile pays 7.69x/2.86x/2.01x Buy-in.
This describes one of the less volatile bonus rounds available in NLC's popular games. Others, like Disturbed, display significantly higher volatility.
ELK Studios, Nitropolis 3
Regular Bonus(100x cost)
201 Round recorded.
43 Rounds(21.4%) pays at least 1x Buy-in cost.
Two rounds (1.0%) paid at least 3x the buy-in cost. Yes, just two rounds.
56 Rounds (27.9) ends between >=25x and <50x.
102 Rounds (50.8%) ends between >=50x and <100x.
Top 1/5/10% percentile pays 4.39x/1.95x/1.71x Buy-in.
Top round: 582x the base bet (the only one paying over 5x the buy-in); lowest: 35.6x base bet (exceeding 1/3 of a buy-in).
I prioritize enjoying a game over minor differences in RTP, even if it's between 96.00% to 96.20% like NLC games, or higher for others like Gates of Olympus at 96.50% and DOA 2 at 96.8%. As long as enjoyment is part of the mix, slightly reduced RTP is acceptable.
Playing due to high RTP makes sense, though isn't always true. For instance, Book of 99 claims a 99% RTP, but after exploring it in demo mode for 20 minutes, I didn't return, simply because the genre didn't appeal to me.
I've also played titles like Pine of Plinko Dream Drop with a 93% RTP, because the excitement of the bonus round and potential for a substantial jackpot—even a Major prize—was reason enough.
I encountered something noteworthy on Stake's Buffalo Toro leaderboard.
In first place: a 50000x max win, whereas the second and third spots managed only 700x.
That's a dramatic 70x disparity between first and second positions.
Thanks for the feedback. Sadly, I've written comments only for them to vanish upon sending, so I'll keep this concise.
While RTP isn't our common ground, under 96% should be avoided and under 94% shunned. Pine of Plinko, a 96% game, allocates base game RTP to 94%, with the remaining enhancing the dream drop jackpot, if I understand correctly. I might be wrong, but Wanted could lose you 1000x in a bad run and still afford 1000x wins to recover. Propaganda took just over two hours to deplete 1000x from my balance.
Your data and screenshots demonstrate my point. The blatant, infuriating teases like those in Nitropolis epitomize how ELK tries to frustrate players. Such teases are frequent yet rarely pay off. The Buffalo Toro leaderboard confirms what I'm saying about Nitro 3, Nitro 4 Propaganda, etc. 1000x wins are nearly non-existent; so rare they might as well be unattainable. While that would be excusable, these games behave like high-volatility options that drain funds—where's the compensation? Not like substantial wins occur often enough to justify it.
The constant, explicit teasing, inadequate RTP, rare major wins across player communities, and lack of transparency from ELK leave me distrustful of them. Their games don't seem crafted with the best interests of players in mind.
Though I haven't achieved the 900x wins you did on their games, that alone wouldn't vindicate how significantly their games have depleted my funds. Providers like Print, Relax, NLC, and others consistently deliver 1000x-10000x wins, both personally and within the player community, yet ELK doesn't seem capable. Beyond an elusive max win, we seem unable to recover to an acceptable RTP after bad sessions. Perhaps if they offered stats as others do, a clearer understanding would emerge, but likely such transparency wouldn't favor them.
In Pine of Plinko, you're engaging with a 96% game, with base game allocation at 94% and additional RTP enhancing the dream drop jackpot feature, at least as far as my understanding goes.
No.
Finding the version with 96.48% RTP is a challenge as it lacks jackpots and remains elusive.
The option with 93.48% RTP does include potentially life-changing jackpots, allocating 12% of bets to the jackpot pool, suggesting the jackpot RTP is approximately 12%, leaving slightly over 80% RTP for the base game and bonus rounds.
I observed this in a BigWinBoard's YouTube video.
Buffalo Toro exhibits 8/10 volatility, and with an RTP below 87%, it supports a 50000x max win frequency of 1 in 30 million.
With a 94%-95% RTP, I'd expect this number to be acound 1/27M. And for Katmandu X, the only ELK slot I'm still playing, It have a 9/10 volatilty and a 25000x Max Win, I guess the number would be around 1/10M1/15M, and that would be easier to achieve than some lower-volatilty NLC slots such as The Cage(1/35M), and the upcoming DJ Psycho (1/37M)
A noticeable issue is the lack of substantial wins between the 1000x and maximum win; too much of the RTP leans towards smaller wins under 200x. Spending 30 minutes on 20 bonus rounds each costing 100x, only to find results between 30x and 300x, can be highly disheartening.
Recently, I made another observation about ELK slots.
Nitropolis 4.
Among the last 20 natural bonuses, roughly a third concluded between 15x and 25x.
Subsequently, I devoted some time to bonus buys in demo mode, and the results were startling. From over 50 bonuses, not one fell below 35x.
I'm referring to regular bonuses, not super bonuses. Initially, I suspected natural super bonuses may be deceptive, but even the regular bonuses seem questionable. It's extremely unlikely purchased and natural bonuses operate under the same rules and mechanics.
With ELK's RTP lingering around 94%, it's far from optimal for players. Apart from PIROTS, I'm not fond of their games. Aim for over 96%.
Playing Cygnus 5 recently highlighted how unfriendly ELK can be. Purchasing bonuses leads to symbols jumping around before commencing bonus sequences, but during normal play, essential symbols appear then disappear, creating more frustration than enjoyment. I won't revisit this game.