Ainsworth Slot Games / Machines
For players who enjoy the feel of live casino slots which you can play online – Ainsworth titles are a must see. The likes of Grand Dragon, 50 Dolphins and Mustang Money focus on the old fashioned gameplay – and have free spin features and often progressive jackpots too.
The company behind these titles was created by Len Ainsworth. This Australian self-made billionaire previously created gambling giant Aristocrat. You’ll be able to spot many similarities between the games. These include the distinctive ‘galloping clicks’ as the reels come to a stop, and also the design of the playing card symbols on the reels. Ainsworth is based in Sydney, Australia. They have offices in the US, and are very much focused on providing games for the US live casino industry. Improvements in technology and the move towards non-download casino games has meant that Ainsworth slots are now available online at many major casino sites.
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What Makes Ainsworth Slots Different?
In comparison with the Aristocrat slots, many of which were also created under the leadership of Len Ainsworth, the Ainsworth titles have more advanced features on the reels.
For a start, most of the titles have ‘stacked’ symbols. This means that there are runs of 5+ of the same symbol on the reels – allowing entire 3 or 4 row reels to be covered in the same symbol. Depending on the game you play, these symbols may also substitute for the regular winning ones – creating a lot of winning potential for each spin. In some games it may be possible to get these stacked wilds to cover more than one reel on a single spin.
I also like the use of sticky wilds during some of the free spins bonus rounds. The exact format will depend on the slot, though the concept is similar. When you land a certain symbol during the bonus feature it both acts as a wild (substituting for other symbols) and stays fixed in place for the remainder of the bonus feature. With several of these in place, every spin can bring you multiple wins.
In terms of the themes, Ainsworth slots stick to the classics. You will find Asian themed games make up many of their titles – with golden dragons a popular topic. Native America also gets multiple titles, with one game themed on bears and another with the eagle as the central symbol. There is an element of humor going through many of the games – Jungle Monkeys sees a monkey on a tropical vacation!
History of Ainsworth Slots
Len Ainsworth first took over Aristocrat from his parents in 1953. This was originally a dental equipment business – making the transition into slots. Aristocrat is now operated by Ainsworth’s sons, though Len does maintain a majority stake in the company.
Ainsworth was created in 1995, the vision of the company was to become the leading manufacturer and supplier of gaming solutions. They are now a publically listed company (on the Australian stock exchange) and have offices dotted around the world. While their primary market is North America, there are also offices in South America and their native Australia. While online players focus on the games, the cabinets are important in the live casino sphere. There are three flagship models in their range; the A560, Ambassador and Celebrity cabinets. Ainsworth also produce the technology for live casino progressive jackpots – which include jackpots linked between different slots as well as stand-alone prize pools.
Should I Play Ainsworth Slots?
You will be able to feel the many years of experience which has gone into creating these slots. At the same time, compared to many of the elaborate interactive titles released by other designers, these are relatively simple games by today’s standards. Other than the progressive jackpots (at live casinos) the biggest single win amounts also does not compare to some of the huge prizes available elsewhere. What you will find instead is that you will often have wins over multiple lines at once. Many of the games have 100 win-lines, and combined with stacked symbols (often the wilds), these can sometimes trigger 10 or more of the smaller wins at once.
Many of the bonus games come with a ‘scatter’ payment of up to 100 times your total stake before you even start the free spins. Some of the bonuses have interesting twists to the game play. Examples include stacked wilds which move over to the left compared to the main game (this produces many more wins), and those sticky wilds mentioned above. Again it is the combination of these with the 50 or 100 win lines which is the key – you will often find the main games relatively quiet and then bigger payouts coming from the bonus games.
For many players, the single feature is an advantage – while many rival slot makers get ever more complex, Len Ainsworth sticks to what he does best – Creating solid and playable slot games.