Sticky Bandits slot review

Sticky Bandits slot summary

Sticky Bandits was released in 2017 by Quickspin, the Stockholm studio owned by Playtech since May 2016 and licensed by the Gambling Commission under account 38516. The game uses a taller grid than most line slots, with five rows instead of three, and 30 paylines that are always active.

The rest of our game reviews are collected in the slots hub, including other Quickspin titles listed further down this page.

How the features work in Sticky Bandits

The key symbol is the Massive Wild. Rather than filling a single position, it is two reels wide, and it appears on reels 2 and 4. Like any wild symbol, it stands in for other symbols to complete wins, and because it covers so much of the grid it can touch several of the 30 lines at once. How tall a Massive Wild can be is shown in the paytable.

The free spins trigger needs two things in the same spin. A Bonus symbol must land on reel 1, and a Massive Wild must land as well. Together they award 7 free spins. A Bonus symbol on its own, or a Massive Wild on its own, does not start the round.

During the free spins, the sticky part of the name kicks in. Any wilds on screen when the round begins stay locked in place, and every further wild that lands during the seven spins is held too. Nothing is removed until the round finishes, so the wild coverage on the grid can only stay the same or grow from one free spin to the next. Our guide to sticky wilds shows how this mechanic appears in other games, and the casinos.com Sticky Bandits review (opens in a new tab) also describes the round.

Why sticky wilds change the shape of the free spins

The order in which wilds arrive matters a lot in a sticky round. A wild that lands on the first free spin is held for all seven, while one that lands on the last spin helps only once. The table counts how many spins a held wild takes part in, depending on when it first appears.

This is the main source of the game’s medium-high volatility. Because the trigger itself includes a Massive Wild, the round always starts with some wild coverage, but the value of the round still depends heavily on how early further wilds arrive. Rounds where wilds build quickly pay much more than rounds where they arrive late or not at all. The average across many rounds is already part of the 96.58% RTP.

Feature buy-ins have not been offered to British players since a Gambling Commission warning in January 2020, so the seven free spins can only be triggered in play. See feature buy rules.

30 paylines on a 5×5 grid

Five rows on five reels give 25 positions and a very large number of possible left-to-right paths: 5 × 5 × 5 × 5 × 5 = 3,125. Sticky Bandits pays on only 30 of those, the fixed lines shown in the paytable. That is why large wilds are so useful here: a block of wild positions crosses many lines at once, making it far more likely that some of the 30 lines pass through it.

All 30 lines are active on every spin and the stake covers them all, so there is nothing to adjust. The line count has no effect on the RTP.

Sticky Bandits RTP: costs on a £20 budget

The 96.58% figure is the default RTP. Where a slot has a stated default, casinos may be able to run other settings, so confirm the number in the game. UK rules require the RTP or likelihood of winning to be available before you play; our page on RTP information rules explains what you should see.

Medium-high volatility means the base game often trickles along while the free spins carry a large share of the return. On £20, a 10p stake gives 200 spins for the Bonus-plus-Massive-Wild combination to appear; at £1, twenty spins may well pass without it. A time-out or session reminder helps keep a feature-chasing session in check.

How to play Sticky Bandits

1. Open the paytable to check symbol values, the shape of the 30 lines, the Massive Wild size and the RTP your casino runs.
2. Choose a stake within your budget and the UK limit for your age.
3. Start each spin yourself; autoplay is not permitted on UK slots.
4. Watch reels 2 and 4 for Massive Wilds, which help complete line wins.
5. If a Bonus symbol on reel 1 lands with a Massive Wild, the 7 free spins begin.
6. In free spins, note how each new wild is held until the round ends.
7. Check your net position and time played, both shown on screen, and stop at your limit.

UK slot rules for Sticky Bandits

Stakes are capped by the online slot stake limits at £5 a spin for players aged 25 and over (since 9 April 2025) and £2 for 18 to 24-year-olds (since 21 May 2025); the Commission’s guidance on online slot stake limits (opens in a new tab) sets out the detail. Results must come from a genuinely random process, as the RTS 7 standard on random outcomes (opens in a new tab) requires, and since 31 October 2021 every UK slot must allow at least 2.5 seconds per spin with no turbo, slam-stop or autoplay.

Quickspin slots to try after Sticky Bandits

Big Bad Wolf has the highest listed RTP of the group. Sakura Fortune shows why checking the version matters: its range runs from about 90% to 96.58%.

Sticky Bandits: who it suits

It suits players who like a clear, single bonus to aim for and accept that it does not arrive often. Anyone wanting smoother results should look at a medium-volatility game such as Big Bad Wolf. Remember that a long wait for the feature does not make it any closer; our answer to can a slot be due a win explains why.

Where to play Sticky Bandits in the UK

The partner offers here are slot spin offers on named or selected games, not on Sticky Bandits, so check each lobby. New customers aged 18+ only, and terms apply.

• PlayOJO: 80 free spins on Big Bass Bonanza at 10p each after a first deposit of £10 or more, with no wagering and winnings paid in cash. Excludes Northern Ireland; can’t be combined with other offers.
• Coral: deposit and stake £10 or more on slots for 100 free spins at 10p on selected games, available from 1 October 2026 to 1 February 2027. Accept within 48 hours; valid for 7 days; no wagering on winnings. PayPal, Skrill, Neteller, Paysafe, prepaid and certain debit cards don’t qualify.
• Ladbrokes: spend £10 on slots for 50 free spins a day across your first 10 days, up to 500, at 10p each on selected games. Claim each day by 23:59; use within 7 days; no wagering. PayPal, Skrill, Neteller, Paysafe, Moneybookers and prepaid card deposits are excluded.

Coral and Ladbrokes are owned by the same operator, LC International Limited. See our Ladbrokes slots guide for more on that brand.

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.