Wild Symbols in Slots: Standard, Expanding and Walking Wilds

A wild symbol is a slot symbol that can substitute for other symbols to complete a winning combination. If a payline shows two cherries and a wild, the wild counts as a third cherry. Most wilds do not replace everything, though: scatter and bonus symbols are usually excluded, and the exact rules sit in the game's paytable. Beyond that simple substitution, game designers have built a whole family of wilds that expand, move, stick or multiply.

Seven kinds of wild compared

Expanding wilds

An expanding wild lands on a single position and then stretches to fill the entire reel. A wild-covered middle reel touches every payline that passes through it, which is why expanding wilds tend to come with a short animation and a pause.

Games handle the expansion differently. In some it happens every time the symbol lands. In others the wild only grows when doing so completes a win, and in some it only expands during free spins. The help screen says which rule applies, and that detail changes how often the feature does anything useful.

Walking wilds

A walking wild moves one reel to the left or right after each spin, usually triggering a free respin while it travels. It keeps walking until it steps off the edge of the grid. A wild that lands on the far side therefore produces several respins in a row, each with the wild in a new column.

Walking wilds can feel like a little bonus round inside the base game. They are not extra value on top of the advertised return, though. The game's total return is shared out among all its features, including these respins, and the numbers already account for them.

Sticky and multiplier wilds

Wilds that hold their position across spins are common in free-spin rounds and get their own entry: what sticky wilds are. Multiplier wilds apply a factor such as ×2 or ×3 to a win they complete, and when two multiplier wilds sit on the same line, some games add the multipliers together while others multiply them. Locking prize symbols, a related idea used in respin features, is covered in our entry on hold and win slots.

Reading the paytable for wilds

1. Check what the wild replaces. Look for a line such as "substitutes for all symbols except scatter".
2. See whether wilds pay on their own. In many games a full line of wilds is the top-paying combination.
3. Note the trigger rules. Does the wild expand every time, only on a win, or only during a feature?
4. Look for restrictions by reel. Some wilds can appear only on the middle reels.
5. Find the return figure. The overall return-to-player percentage covers wilds and every other feature together.

A free demo is a calm place to watch these rules in action without any money involved; see our entry on slot demo mode.

Common questions

Do more wilds mean a better game?

Not necessarily. A game with frequent wilds may pay smaller amounts per win, while a game with rare wilds may save its value for larger moments. The total return and the volatility description say more than the number of wild types.

Do wilds turn up more often in free spins?

In many games the reels used during free spins are different from the base-game reels, and some of them carry extra wilds or add sticky or multiplier versions. The paytable or feature description normally says when the reel set changes.

Can a wild replace a scatter?

Rarely. Scatters usually trigger features on their own count, and wilds are excluded from that count unless the paytable says otherwise.

Can I buy my way into wild features?

Some games sell entry into a feature round. The entry on bonus buy slots explains what that purchase costs.

Wilds make a slot look generous, but they are part of the same arithmetic as everything else on the reels. Slots are for adults and online slots are prohibited in a number of countries, so check where you stand legally, and spin only with money you have planned to spend.