The moment you load up the slot game Hotline, you’re greeted by a short 3D animation introducing the characters in the slot and the fictional actors who play them. It’s a loving homage to the sort of introduction you’d see on a show like Miami Vice, and if you’re a fan of those shows, these are the touches you’ll appreciate. However, that doesn’t mean people who don’t care about the theme should stay away. Hotline offers fun, interesting bonus features that will keep anyone playing.
What will you play next?
Best features on Hotline slot
Game developer NetEnt has been on a roll with creative, well-designed slots in recent years, and Hotline is no exception. It offers player choice and excitement through amazing features, such as:
- Choose your hotlines: Strengthen your bonus features and increase your bet by choosing to activate two or three hotlines.
- Potent expanding wilds: Wilds can expand, trigger respins, and stick around for multiple consecutive free spins during bonus games.
- Quality free spins over quantity: Enjoy cumulative wild-boosted combinations during Hotline’s quick, exciting free spins.
How to play Hotline slot for free or real money
Hotline is a 5×3 slot with 30 fixed pay-lines, a basic betting range from $0.15 to $150, and an RTP of 96.13%. Click the button to the right of your bet amount to bring up a menu containing all the options, and simply pick the one you want. These are all things you’ve seen before, but there’s one big wrinkle to Hotline’s gameplay; the Hotline mechanic.
You can activate a second and third hotline by clicking buttons to the left of the reels. These double and triple your bet and increase your chances of triggering certain bonus features. The more hotlines that are active, the higher RTP is with a maximum of 97.04%. But before you jump into playing with real money, try the slot for free on your own with our demo version. Refresh the game to restore your credits, and if you like the game, you can sign up for a regulated online casino that carries Hotline to bet real money.
Hotline graphics and design
Hotline’s graphics are a real strength of the game, both in terms of style and execution. The buddy cop protagonists, heist-worthy necklaces and tiaras, and the license plate wild symbols all perfectly suit the ’90s PI movie look. Likewise, the game has a hazy waterfront background that doesn’t have too many details and leaves the right amount of room for your imagination.
| Name | Hotline |
|---|---|
| Software | NetEnt |
| RTP % | 96.13% / 96.70% / 97.04% |
| Volatility | Medium |
| Min / Max Bet | $0.15-$150 / $0.30-$300 / $0.30-$450 |
| # of Pay-lines | 30 |
| Max Payout | x400 |
| Max Free Spins | 7 |
| Bonus Features | Reel expansion, free spins, bonus bet, expanding wild |
| Theme | Retro, cop movie |
How Hotline’s bonus features work
The core bonus feature of Hotline online slot is the Hotline itself. You can push the buttons to the left of the reels to activate that reel as a hotline, increasing the bet by 100% for each active hotline. Activating more hotlines gives your gameplay enough of a boost to increase average RTP because it’s the key to accessing expanding wilds and respins.
Wilds and re-spins
Normally, a wild that lands on the reels simply functions as a substitute for paying symbols. However, a wild that lands on a hotline expands to cover the whole reel. Then, it stays in place while all other reels respin with the potential to win new respins should fresh wild symbols land on the other reels.
Free spins
Free spins function like an even more powerful version of respins, although they’re different enough to feel distinct. You trigger seven free spins by landing three scatter symbols on the reel. During these free spins, any wild that lands on an activated hotline becomes a persistent expanding wild that remains until the end of free spins.
Where to find the Hotline slot game online
If you want to play Hotline for real money, you can find it at Mohegan Sun and Golden Nugget. These regulated online casinos carry Hotline and many other slots, as well as live poker tables and sports betting. The Fallsview Casino app often has better promotions, but the Golden Nugget Casino app has a larger overall game collection and more options. Golden Nugget is the only regulated casino that currently hosts both Hotline and the sequel, Hotline 2.
Free and Real Money NetEnt Slots
Final thoughts on Hotline by NetEnt
Hotline has makes a good impression by having more fun with its theme than most other online slot games do. It maintains this strong impression by providing a balanced set of quick, exciting bonus features and meaningful gameplay choices. In all, we award this game an 8/10.