Big Ben is a five-reel, 25-line slot from Aristocrat Technologies. It was released for online play in 2003.
Big Ben slot offers different betting options for free and real-money play. Both versions allow you to adjust lines from 1-25. Both versions allow you to adjust lines from 1-25. The free mode features a bet per line worth between $0.01 and $0.10.
This slot is a straightforward take on the Big Ben, which is located at the Palace of Westminster. It combines British cultural elements with several entertaining features to overcome its lame background graphics and limited sound effects.
| Game manufacturer: | Aristocrat |
| Number of paylines: | 25 |
| Game theme: | Big Ben, Landmark |
| RTP: | 95.6% |
| Reels: | 5 |
| Min/Max bet: | $0.02/$125 |
| Progressive jackpot: | No |
| Regular jackpots: | No |
| Coin denominations: | $0.02 - $5 |
| Maximum standard win: | $150,000 |
| Free spins: | 15-25 |
Theme and visuals overview
This game is set in a dark London alley, with the Big Ben and the Palace of Westminster visible in the distance. The animated background fails to make you feel like you’re in London.
The palace and Big Ben are shadowy objects. These shadows give off the impression that Aristocrat rushed this game’s release rather than taking the time to add background details.
The symbols look good, especially given when they were designed. All of the icons feature solid detail and look advanced for a 2003 slot.
Symbols include a British flag, a Queen’s Guardsman, the Big Ben, a double-decker bus, a crown, a red phone booth, a tavern sign, a streetlight, K, Q, J, 10, and 9.
This game doesn’t offer many dynamic animations. Most animations consist of winning symbols flashing to indicate where a win has occurred. The only unique animations include a spinning view of the Elizabeth Tower and the Big Ben ringing.
This slot doesn’t feature any music during the main game or bonus round. Its sound effects are mostly blip-type noises that hearken back to the old slots days.
Betting options and paying combinations
Big Ben slot offers different betting options for free and real-money play. Both versions allow you to adjust lines from 1-25.
The free mode features a bet per line worth between $0.01 and $0.10. The line-bet option is listed as “Bet One,” and it adds one cent to each active line when selected. “Bet Max” can be used to quickly initiate the $0.10 max line wager.
Real-money play offers a bet per line worth between $0.02 and $5.00. Given the $0.02 coin size, you’d need to wager a minimum of $0.50 to play all 25 lines.
The autostart button automatically spins the reels with your betting preferences in place. You must select autostart to make the reels spin automatically, then de-select it whenever you want to regain control of the spins.
Other gameplay options include sound, max screen, enlarged screen, and widescreen. Max screen is a good option for when you want the largest-possible view of the game.
The Return-to-Player (RTP) for Big Ben is 95.6%, which is slightly better than what the average online slot offers. The volatility is low for a 25-line game, making the RTP feel even higher.
Regular prizes can go as high as $150,000, which comes via five wild symbols with a $5 line bet. The other regular payouts are substantially lower than what the wild symbol offers.
What jackpots are available in Big Ben?
This game doesn’t offer a regular jackpot. However, it features payouts that feel like big jackpots with the right bet size.
Landing five Queen’s Guardsmen in a line offers 30,000x the line bet. This prize translates into a $150,000 payout with a max $5 bet per line.
The Big Ben scatter delivers payouts worth up to 1,000x your total wager. You can, therefore, qualify for up to a $125,000 payout by betting $5 on 25 lines ($125 total bet).
Additional features and bonus rounds
Big Ben not only offers large regular and scatter payouts, but it also includes features that can deliver even more big wins.
Wild symbol
The Queen’s Guardsman serves as the wild symbol. This icon doubles any prize that it helps form.
It also offers payouts on its own, including the game’s two largest prizes. The wild pays 30,000x for five symbols, 3,000x for four, 300x for three, and 10x for two.
Scatter symbol
Big Ben is the scatter icon. It triggers both free spins and the Big Ben Feature.
This symbol also offers prizes on its own. It pays 1,000x the total bet for five symbols, 25x for four, 5x for three, and 2x for two.
Big Ben Feature
This bonus is triggered by landing two Big Ben scatters in reels one and five. The bell then instantly starts ringing to signify how large of a scatter payout you’ll receive.
It can ring anywhere from one to 12 times. One ring would deliver a payout worth 2x your total bet, while 12 rings would offer 500x.
Free spins
25, 20, or 15 free spins are triggered by five, four, or three scatter symbols, respectively. All prizes are doubled during free spins.
The background turns to a yellowish hue when the bonus is triggered. Unfortunately, this different setting only makes the backdrop look worse.
Autostart is automatically enabled for free spins. You have no way of stopping the reels during this bonus, which is a pain if you want to take a break before free spins start.
Gamble
You have the option to gamble your payout after any win. The gamble round involves either guessing the correct color of a card or the correct suit.
Selecting the color (red/black) gives you a chance to double your payout. Choosing one of the four suits gives you an opportunity to quadruple your prize.
The previous four suits are shown in the upper-right-hand corner. This display is meant to help those who like to analyze previous patterns before betting.
You lose the entire payout by guessing incorrectly. You can exit the gamble feature at any time.
You’ll automatically be returned to the main game if you win five consecutive gamble rounds.
Who is Big Ben ideal for?
Low rollers will appreciate the small bet sizes. The adjustable lines and $0.02 minimum bet per line allow for fairly cheap wagers.
Anybody who likes slots that are loaded with features will also enjoy this game. Free spins, scatter payouts, gamble, and the Big Ben Feature all offer the chance to earn large payouts.
Players who crave modern slots with excellent graphics should stay away from this one. It was designed in 2003 and features a weak atmosphere.
Other similar games from Aristocrat
Aristocrat hasn’t released an online slot that’s close to Big Ben in terms of theme. They’ve merely designed land-based slot machines that feature British pop cultural elements.
Downton Abbey, which is based on ITV’s same-titled historical drama that ran from 2010-2015), is a land-based slot machine with a massive 16×5 layout. It features a country estate in the background that’s reminiscent of Big Ben’s gothic architecture.
The Rolling Stones, which is based on the same-titled legendary band, doesn’t relate as much in terms of graphics and symbols. However, its heavy usage of the British flag and traditional 4×5 layout bear similarities to Big Ben.
What’s hot:
Several features: This game is rare for its era considering all of the available features. The scatter payouts and Big Ben Feature are especially notable because they can both lead to huge wins.
Low bets: Lines can be adjusted from 1-25, while the bet per line goes as low as $0.02. Virtually any player can afford 5-10 lines with the minimum $0.02 line bet. The low volatility ensures that wins come frequently enough to make your bankroll last.
Large variety of symbols: Aristocrat did a good job of creating plenty of symbols to represent Big Ben and London as a whole. The symbol graphics look polished, especially for this game’s age.
Big Ben Games
What’s Not:
Cheap background: Given how well Aristocrat did with the symbols, it’s a shame that they didn’t put more work into the background. Big Ben and the Palace of Westminster are jagged shadows that don’t do anything for the atmosphere.
Lame sound effects: Big Ben really shows its age with the sound effects. Most winning payouts are indicated by generic blip sounds. This game doesn’t feature any music, even during free spins.
No progressive jackpot: This slot offers a sizeable maximum win worth $150,000. However, you need to bet $5 per line to qualify for it. The lack of a progressive jackpot means that you must bet big to win big.
Final ratings:
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- Graphics and design – 3/5: Aristocrat seems to have treated the background as an afterthought when designing this game. The symbols, however, look solid and offer plenty of detail. We like the high number of London-themed icons.
- Sound effects – 1.5/5: The sound effects are reminiscent of a 1990s slot. The only original sounds happen when features are triggered. This game doesn’t have any music either.
- Jackpot value – 2.5/5: Big Ben doesn’t have a jackpot per se. However, it does offer the chance to win payouts worth six figures with a max line bet. Five wilds pay 30,000x the line wager, while five scatters delivers 1,000x the total wager.
- Replay value – 3/5: This slot doesn’t rate particularly high in most categories. However, it’s still an enjoyable game overall. Big Ben offers plenty of features, good symbol graphics, and huge wins with the right bet.