Perhaps no theme in the history of online casino gaming has captured slot players’ imagination quite like the Irish theme due to its combination of bright, vibrant colours, lively and engaging music, whimsical atmosphere and Celtic imagery drawn from folklore. Oh, the image of chasing the proverbial pot of gold at the end of the rainbow is quite powerful too. And no other franchise quite encapsulates this theme like the Rainbow Riches series of slot games. From humble beginnings, it has become one of the most popular and enduring franchises in online gaming.
Rainbow Riches, the first instalment in the series, was developed by Barcrest, a leading software provider in the gaming industry, and released in 2008 exclusively to land-based casinos. The title featured two screens; the main one showcased a 5×3 play grid with symbols directly inspired by the Irish theme, including playing cards woven into a bright and colourful Celtic design; the second screen was dedicated exclusively to the Roads to Riches feature, a unique bonus round involving spinning a wheel to move across a winding path to collect multiplier prizes along the way, the top one being 500x the stake.
The game’s success can be attributed to its vibrant graphics, engaging gameplay, and a touch of Irish charm. Players were introduced to a host of lucky symbols and leprechaun-themed features, not to mention the cheeky leprechaun himself, Lucky O’Leary. This was quite a departure from the standard fruit slots of the time, so no wonder Rainbow Riches quickly gained a loyal following. The Rainbow Riches series continues to captivate players worldwide. Its enduring popularity (encompassing 20+ entries to date) is due to its audio-visual presentation (usually centred around rolling green hills and blue skies), engaging gameplay, generous bonus features, and the timeless allure of the Irish theme.
All the Rainbow Riches Slots at Lottomart
The Rainbow Riches series transitioned seamlessly into the world of online gaming with the release of the original title in online casinos only a year after it debuted in brick-and-mortar establishments, and with it came additional features and bonus rounds. Sequels and spin-offs followed every few years, each with its own unique features and enhancements. These multiple entries are now available across various platforms, including desktop, mobile, and tablet devices, at Lottomart. Let’s start from the beginning.
Rainbow Riches
The original Rainbow Riches made its online debut in 2009 courtesy of Barcrest and Light & Wonder (formally SG Digital). Like its land-based counterpart, the online slot features a 5-reel, 3-row slot with 20 active paylines and a maximum potential payout of 500x the stake from the various bonus features. Speaking of which, the online version of Rainbow Riches adds two bonus features, Wishing Well and Pots of Gold. The former involves selecting an on-screen Wishing Well to reveal a potential multiplier prize. Bronze, Silver and Gold Pots spin around the reels in the latter, and one pot gets randomly chosen. The multiplier of the said pot then gets revealed. Like most of the sequels that followed it, Rainbow Riches has a charming and simple old-school, retro look; players looking to get into the franchise should start right where it all started!
Rainbow Riches Pick ‘n’ Mix
Rainbow Riches was a massive success for Barcrest. Surprisingly, however, a sequel did not materialise until three years later. That sequel – released in 2012 – was Rainbow Riches Pick ‘n’ Mix. Far removed from the purple tones of the original, the slot goes for something more traditional, the action occurring on the rolling green hills of the Emerald Isle, with blue skies and a winding yellow brick road taking centre stage in the background. It also showcases a 5×3 play grid, 25 active paylines, and a potential max payout worth 500x the stake, but improves on the original with enhanced graphics and an expanded set of bonus features. Road to Riches and Pots of Gold return alongside new bonus features Free Spins, Cash Crop and Magic Toadstool. With these last two, players pick 3 from a predetermined number of coins or toadstools to reveal potential multiplier prizes. Like the original? You’ll love the sequel as well!
Rainbow Riches Freespins
Despite the popularity of Rainbow Riches Pick ‘n’ Mix and the brand in general, it took Barcrest another 5 years to release the next instalment in the franchise. This was Rainbow Riches Freespins , the 2017 entry that focuses almost exclusively on, you guessed it, Free Spins. And who doesn’t love those? The game features the usual 5×3 grid layout plus a lower-than-usual 10 paylines. The graphics also take a step back as they return to the purple background of the original, complete with a rainbow arching its way across the reels. The lack of bonus features (other than the titular Free Spins, which again can pay out a potential 500x the stake) may also disappoint some fans. However, the series would bounce back with the next entry…
Rainbows Riches Megaways
Barcrest and Light & Wonder struck gold in 2019 with Rainbow Riches Megaways, the Irish-themed slot game that uses Big Time Gaming’s revolutionary game engine. This means enhancements across the board, including the audio-visual presentation, game grid and bonus features. The slot features a 6-reel layout with anywhere between 2 – 7 rows (depending on the on-screen action and the size of the symbols in view) plus 117,649 active paylines and a potential maximum payout of 10,000x the stake. The graphics are lush and verdant, with green fields giving way to rolling hills and distant forests and mountains, all under a blue sky. The symbols comprise Celtic-themed playing cards and crystalline gems. The main selling point, however, is the slot’s multiple bonuses. These include cascading reels, unlimited win multipliers, and a Free Spins round that showcases bonus retriggers. Everything in Rainbow Riches Megaways is bigger and bolder than before!
Rainbow Riches Cluster Magic
Barcrest released not one but two Rainbow Riches slots in 2020. The first was Rainbow Riches Cluster Magic, released in June of that year. Barcrest opted to mix up the formula by using the Cluster Pays mechanic, the first slot in the franchise to do so. As a result, Rainbow Riches Cluster Magic’s play grid includes anywhere between 2 – 8 rows and columns. This is allied to a potential maximum payout of 5,000x the stake. Although the action still occurs on the rolling green hills of the Emerald Isle, Barcest has gone for a more stylised, dream-like presentation here. Symbols comprise different coloured gems and traditional Irish symbols like toadstools and four-leaf clovers. The title’s main bonus feature is a multi-faceted Free Spins bonus round triggered by landing at least six consecutive cascades. This, in turn, can trigger one of the game’s three minigames, Persisting Wilds, Infinity Spins or Wild Rain. If you’re looking for something different within the Rainbow Riches universe, this is it!
Rainbow Riches Pots of Gold
The other Rainbow Riches title released in June 2020 was Rainbow Riches Pots of Gold. Barcrest returns to some more familiar territory with this entry that features the classic 5×3 play grid, plus 20 active paylines and the same rolling green hills and yellow brick road imagery seen in previous entries, with the distant mountains dominating the screen seemingly misty. Meanwhile, the main feature (predictably, perhaps, given the slot’s title) is the Pots of Gold bonus round, triggered by landing a certain number of Pot of Gold symbols on the reels. More Pots of Gold = greater potential prizes. 3 – 4 Pots of Gold award between 30x – 2,000x the stake. Landing 5 pots triggers the Pots of Gold Super Bonus, and here players can win the maximum potential 5,000x the stake. If you were looking for a Rainbow Riches slot that focuses solely on the Pots of Gold mechanic, then this is the game for you!
Rainbow Riches Retro
Barcrest/Light & Wonder released Rainbow Riches Retro in July 2020. Little seems to have changed on the surface compared to the original. The slot still features the same purple background, with the low hill and rainbow arching across the sky. Some keen observers might notice minor UI changes, particularly the buttons across the bottom of the screen and the payline markers on the left and right vertical sides of the gilded Celtic-inspired frame. The play grid still features a 5×3 layout and 20 active paylines alongside the same three bonus features, Road to Riches, Wishing Well and Pots of Gold. So what has actually changed? One simple fact. Said bonus features now allow players to win multipliers and a maximum potential payout of 2,500x the stake. Such potentially lucrative takeaways might make some players do a double-take about which version of the original Rainbow Riches to play!
Rainbow Riches Power Mix
Barcrest returned to their flagship series a year later with Rainbow Riches Power Mix, released in December 2021. The action occurs on four simultaneous 5×3 play grids, and at the start of each game, players choose a bonus feature for each one from among the following: Road to Riches, Pots of Gold, Cash Crop, Free Spins or Magic Toadstool. In fact, these are almost like a greatest hits compilation of Rainbow Riches bonus features! Also, players can change the bonus features at any point during the game by pressing the CHANGE BONUS button on the ride side of the screen. So they are not stuck with the same bonuses for the duration of play. There’s also a Power Mix Bonus triggerable on any reel and at any time. The Power Mix Bonus symbol appears only on reel 3, and to trigger the bonus, it needs to cover the reel from top to bottom. All four reels then get joined together, and the reels spin to reveal either a multiplier, blank space or one of four modifiers. All in all, Rainbow Riches Power Mix is probably the most unique entry since the previous year’s Cluster Magic!
Rainbow Riches Power Pitch
Six months later Barcrest/Light & Wonder struck again with Rainbow Riches Power Pitch, released in August 2020. The graphics are more stylised than in previous entries (apart from possibly Cluster Magic), although they feature the same rolling green hills and deep blue skies as other titles in the series. The action in the base game occurs on a 5×3 game grid with 10 active paylines. So far, so standard. The Power Pitch feature is the main addition here and is played on a special 9×5 play grid that can increase to 11×5 depending on the number of Scatters that triggered the feature. The reels spin to reveal a multiplier, blank space or one of four multipliers. A LIVES counter appears on the right side of the screen; this shows 3 lives. Should a spin reveal no multipliers and modifiers, a life is lost. Conversely, revealing a multiplier or modifier resets the life count. It’s possible to win a maximum potential win of 10,000x the stake in this feature, a far cry from the days when 500x the stake was the highest amount possible in a Rainbow Riches title!
Rainbow Riches Crops of Cash
Barcrest/Light & Wonder keep churning out Rainbow Riches titles, and this slot – Rainbow Riches Crops of Cash – is one of the latest ones, having released in December 2022. The action occurs on familiar green fields with winding paths, distant forests and looming mountains. The slot features a 5×3 game grid filled with traditional Irish symbols. This is allied to 1,024 active paylines and a potential maximum payout of 11,520x the stake. As the slot’s title suggests, the main feature is the Crops of Cash bonus round, triggered by landing 6 or more bronze, silver or gold coin Scatter symbols. The higher the value of the coins that triggered the feature, the higher the multipliers in the bonus feature. Leprechaun symbols are active during the feature, and every two increases the multiplier values of all existing and future coins. As in the previous year’s Power Pitch slot, a LIVES counter appears on-screen with three lives. One life is lost if a spin fails to reveal either coin or leprechaun symbols. On the other hand, the counter resets to 3 should the opposite occur. Again, if you like Rainbow Riches slots that hone in on a particular bonus feature (in this case, Crops of Cash), look no further than this title!
Rainbow Riches Slots Summary
The above 10 games represent the very best of what the Rainbow Riches series has to offer, and we’re sure that the series is far from done and can’t wait to see what Barcrest/Light & Wonder come up with next! All these games are available to play on the Lottomart website right now. While you’re there, why not discover Lottomart’s ever-expanding library of 1,500+ games? We have every theme and genre imaginable, from online slots to progressive jackpots, instants, table and live games, and more! There’s never been a better time to sign up and play, and new players in the UK can also gain access to a generous welcome offer!
If you are a fan of the Irish genre as whole, you could also take a look at our list of the ‘Best Irish Themed Slot Games‘.
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