Big Bass Bonanza 1000 slot review

What the 1000 means in Big Bass Bonanza 1000

Pragmatic Play and its partner studios have released a run of '1000' editions of popular games, and in several of them the number points to a top multiplier or symbol value of 1,000x. In Big Bass Bonanza 1000, it is the fish money symbols: their values range from 2x to 1,000x the bet. On a 10p spin, that means a single fish can show anywhere from 20p to £100.

Everything else will feel familiar to anyone who knows the original Big Bass Bonanza: the same 5x3 grid, the same 10 paylines, scatters that trigger free spins and a Fisherman wild who collects the fish. The difference is scale. Larger fish values push the top prize from 2,100x to 20,000x, and the game gives back a little RTP in exchange. For the rest of the family, see our Big Bass slots series page or browse all slot reviews.

How the features work in Big Bass Bonanza 1000

Scatters and the free spins award

Three, four or five scatters trigger 10, 15 or 20 free spins respectively. As with any scatter-triggered round, position on the reels doesn't matter.

Fisherman wilds collect fish money

Inside the round, Fisherman wilds collect the values on the fish money symbols in view. With fish values reaching 1,000x the bet, a single collection can be worth far more than in the original game. The game's paytable shows the values in play.

Random features that add fish or Fishermen

A feature the original lacks: random events during free spins can add fish money symbols or Fishermen to the reels. Adding fish gives a Fisherman more to collect; adding a Fisherman gives fish already on screen a collector. The details of when these features fire aren't published in the sources we use, so we won't guess at them. The summary in OLBG's Big Bass Bonanza 1000 guide (opens in a new tab) matches the developer's description.

Retriggers and multiplier steps

Every fourth Fisherman retriggers the round with 10 more spins and raises the fish multiplier, first to 2x, then 3x and finally 10x. That ladder is shared with the original. What changes is what it multiplies.

Big Bass Bonanza 1000 against the original

The headline trade is clear. You give up 0.20 percentage points of RTP and gain a far higher ceiling. In pounds, 0.20 points is 20p per £100 staked, or £2 per £1,000. That is small next to the overall margin, but it is real, and it buys the chance of a much rarer, much larger result. Neither version is better in long-run value terms; the original is slightly cheaper, the 1000 edition is more extreme.

Big Bass Bonanza 1000 RTP and cost per session

At 96.51%, the game keeps 3.49% of stakes over the long run. Our guide to expected value explains the formula: total staked × 3.49% = average cost.

Those are averages, and the law of large numbers only pulls results towards them over a huge number of spins. A high-volatility game with a 20,000x cap spreads its return very unevenly: much of the RTP comes from a small share of rounds. Most short sessions will lose more than the average cost, and a few will win a lot.

Playing Big Bass Bonanza 1000 on a £20 budget

A £20 budget behaves very differently at different stakes on this game. At 10p you get at least 200 spins of turnover and more opportunities to reach free spins. At £1 you get 20 spins of turnover, which can easily pass without a bonus. The risk of ruin, the chance of losing the whole budget before you stop, rises sharply as stake size grows relative to the bankroll.

• 10p stake: fish worth 20p to £100; max win £2,000.
• 50p stake: fish worth £1 to £500; max win £10,000.
• £1 stake: fish worth £2 to £1,000; max win £20,000.
• £2 stake (UK cap at 18 to 24): max win £40,000.
• £5 stake (UK cap at 25 and over): max win £100,000.

The 20,000x max win explained

A 20,000x cap means the game will never pay more than 20,000 times the stake from one game cycle, however the fish and multipliers line up. It doesn't tell you how often anything close to that happens, and the honest answer is very rarely. Our explainer on max win caps covers how the cap is applied.

It is still a big step up within the series. The 20,000x ceiling is higher than Big Bass Vegas 1000 at 15,000x and well above the original's 2,100x. Across Pragmatic's wider '1000' range, Sweet Bonanza 1000 and Sugar Rush 1000 publish 25,000x, while Gates of Olympus 1000 and Starlight Princess 1000 publish 15,000x. Our page on the highest paying slots explains why max win and RTP are different measures.

How to play Big Bass Bonanza 1000

1. Open the help screen and check the RTP reads 96.51%; a lower figure means a different version.
2. Read the paytable for the fish value range and the rules on random fish and Fisherman additions.
3. Choose a stake that fits your budget, up to £5 a spin at 25 and over or £2 at 18 to 24.
4. Spin by hand; UK slots have no autoplay or turbo and need at least 2.5 seconds per spin.
5. Land three to five scatters to trigger 10 to 20 free spins, then watch the Fisherman count for retriggers.
6. Use the on-screen net position and timer to keep track, and stop at your planned limit.

UK rules on Big Bass Bonanza 1000

Many modern slots sold in other markets let players pay to enter the bonus directly. That option isn't available here: since a Gambling Commission warning in January 2020, feature buy-ins are not offered to British players. The Commission's games warning for online operators (opens in a new tab) said they risked breaching its standards on clear game rules and chasing losses. Our feature buy rules page has more.

The slot also runs under the online slot stake limits and the design rules in RTS 14 (opens in a new tab): at least 2.5 seconds per spin, no autoplay, no turbo or slam-stop, and no celebrating a return that doesn't beat your stake. Casinos must also make the game's RTP available; our guide to RTP information rules explains where to find it.

Big Bass Bonanza 1000 myths and facts

• Myth: a 20,000x cap means a bigger return on average. RTP measures average return; this game's is lower than the original's.
• Myth: big fish in the base game mean the bonus is close. Each spin is independent of the last.
• Myth: you can time the random fish feature. It is decided by the game's random number generator.
• Fact: the stake doesn't change the RTP. It only scales wins and losses in pounds.

Where to play Big Bass Bonanza 1000 in the UK

We can't confirm which partner casinos carry this edition, so check the game lobby. Our partner offers are slot offers attached to particular games: PlayOJO's spins are on the original Big Bass Bonanza, not the 1000 edition, and Coral's and Ladbrokes' spins are on selected games. 18+ and terms apply.

• PlayOJO: 80 free spins on Big Bass Bonanza at 10p each after a first deposit of at least £10; no wagering, winnings paid in cash. New UK customers, excluding Northern Ireland.
• Coral: bet £10 on slots to get 100 free spins on selected games at 10p each, accept within 48 hours, valid for 7 days, no wagering; certain deposit methods excluded.
• Ladbrokes: play £10 on slots for 50 free spins a day for 10 days (maximum 500), 10p each on selected games, claim before 23:59 daily, 7-day expiry, no wagering.

Coral and Ladbrokes are run by the same company, so you may not be able to take both. See our Reel Kingdom page for the studio's other games.

18+. Every casino game has a built-in house edge, so over time you should expect to lose what you stake. Set a budget before you play and stop when it’s gone: safer gambling tools and support. Free, confidential help: National Gambling Helpline 0808 8020 133.