Hotline

Hotline (NetEnt): Introduction

There’s no mistaking the influence behind this game; you’re right if you thought of Miami Vice. With artful production, this slot resembles a video game, packed with exciting intros and scenes that capture the era’s fast-paced nostalgia and thrilling 80s vibes.

While initially it might seem like your average slot with 5 reels, 3 rows, and 30 paylines, NetEnt elevates the experience by implementing a unique feature known as Bonus Bet.

Hotline’s game mechanics revolve around a straightforward yet engaging idea: players select a row, termed a Hotline, and any Wilds that appear on this row will stretch to fill the entire reel and stick during Re-Spins. Come Free Spins, these expanded Wilds stay in place for a truly exhilarating experience.

For a little extra stake, players can enable the Hotline Bonus Bet, allowing them to pick additional Hotlines to boost their chances of achieving Expanding Wilds and Re-Spins. By activating up to three rows, players get the best shot at covering all reels with Wilds.

Hotline (NetEnt): Features

The Hotline Bonus Bet is an advantageous feature that heightens the likelihood of getting Expanding Wilds and Re-Spins by wagering more. Players have control over which Hotline rows are active. Regardless, one Hotline remains always on, sticking with the Base Bet setup. Activate two lines, and it switches to Double Bet, while three results in a Triple Bet, enhancing the prospects of Wild Wins.

Wild symbols are versatile in the main game, Re-Spins, and Free Spins, standing in for all symbols barring Scatters. If placed on an active Hotline, the Wild broadens to cover the reel entirely. Substituting Wilds ensures you capture the top potential winning combo based on the Paytable.

During both the main game and Re-Spins, catching a Wild on an active Hotline makes it expand to cover a reel, awarding a Re-Spin after victories are tallied.
The Expanded Wild remains in play throughout Re-Spins. The Re-Spins conclude if no fresh Wilds appear on an active Hotline.

Landing three Scatter symbols on reels 1, 3, and 5 during the main game activates 7 Free Spins. Here, a Wild hitting an active Hotline expands and lingers for the entire span of Free Spins. However, additional Free Spins cannot be won within this feature, nor can they be launched during Re-Spins.

Hotline (NetEnt): Verdict

There's no second guess, Hotline is crafted with care. NetEnt clearly spares no expense on graphics, making the experience akin to video gaming. However, if a slot looks amazing but lacks potential and robust features, it doesn’t quite hit the jackpot, and that's a bit uncertain here.

A single maximum spin win caps at 400x with a screen full of Wilds. Meanwhile, the sticky bonuses can theoretically max out at 2,800x, but that hinges on hitting all the Wilds in one go.

In testing, triggering the initial bonus was relatively quick, which paid about 50x. However, results dwindled afterward. The Re-Spin aspect in both regular gameplay and the bonus rounds adds a bit of fun, but the reward feels minor, lacking a significant wow factor to maintain peak interest.

The jackpot for this slot hits a ceiling at €60,000 or €2,000 per bet line across 30 lines. The return to player rate shifts depending on active Hotlines: 1 Hotline keeps it at 96.13%, 2 Hotlines at 96.70%, and 3 Hotlines at 97.04%.

Don\"t Miss

If the Hotline slot resonates with you, don’t miss out on its sequel. Hotline 2 as well.