Dolphins Slot

Dolphins Slot Machine Review

Many slot developers have explored the underwater theme at some point, and Ainsworth, founded by Len Ainsworth of Aristocrat, has effectively captured this with Dolphins. This slot feels more like a traditional, land-based machine rather than one designed primarily for online play. The colors are vibrant, the graphics detailed, and the gameplay straightforward and solid, rather than flashy or complex. Notable features include stacked wilds (depicting dolphins) and a bonus round with free spins, though the slot itself is not overly intricate. Dolphins is a 5-reel slot with 50 paylines.

The visuals and animations in this game are visually appealing. The background features deep blue hues with sunlight streaming through the waves from above. The backdrop for the reels is a simple cream color, but the symbols themselves are vivid and include a conch shell, pearl-filled oyster, treasure chest, and what looks like a parrotfish. The stacked dolphins have a unique animation when part of a winning combination, with water splashing outside the symbol. The sound effects are typical of Ainsworth slots, including reel stopping clicks and different tunes based on your wins. Additionally, there are aquatic sounds and a background tune during the free spins round.

The free spins feature is not particularly outstanding, featuring different reel arrangements against a blue background. However, during my playthrough, I experienced a significant number of dolphins landing on the central reels, which was quite rewarding.

Setup and Play for Dolphins

Despite its lively visuals, Dolphins is a 50-line video slot. Players can wager on all 50 lines or choose to bet on 40, 25, 10, or even just 1 line. The minimum bet per line is 1 cent (50 cents for all lines), while the version I played allowed bets up to $625 per spin. Players can gamble their winnings after each round and activate the auto-play feature.

Initial payouts may seem modest according to the paytable. However, the stacked wilds often lead to multiple simultaneous wins, compensating for the seemingly low individual payouts.

The highest prize for standard symbols is 1000 coins, awarded for landing 5 ship symbols. This is followed by 300 coins for the treasure chest, 200 coins for the fish and pearls, and 150 coins for the conch shell. The game also features traditional playing card symbols from Ace to Nine, offering smaller payouts.

There are two special symbols in the game. The dolphin acts as a wild symbol, replacing all standard symbols except the scatter coin. Multiple wilds in a row count as the highest-paying symbol (the ship) rather than awarding separate prizes.

The scatter symbol is a gold coin with a dolphin engraving, paying 100x, 10x, or 2x the total bet for landing 5, 4, or 3 scatters, respectively. Landing 3 or more scatters triggers the free games feature.

Dolphins Free Games Feature

The free spins round in Dolphins is relatively straightforward. Players start with 10 spins, as indicated by a pop-up notification. The reels appear similar to the base game but against a blue background. During this round, stacked wild dolphins appear more frequently on the central reels, leading to more winning combinations. If players land 3 or more gold coin scatters, they receive an additional 5 spins, which are added to the existing total. Once the bonus round ends, the total win is displayed, and players have the option to gamble their winnings using the same method as during regular play.

Dolphins – Conclusion

Dolphins is an aesthetically pleasing slot with a luxurious and colorful design. The gameplay mirrors the experience of playing a traditional Ainsworth slot machine and will surely appeal to fans of their land-based casino offerings. If you appreciate underwater and dolphin themes and prefer simpler slot games, Dolphins is an excellent choice for new players to explore on their own.

Jesse Miller iGaming Writer

Last Updated: April 30, 2025