American Football is popular the world over, and not just with spectators and supporters. It’s also popular with online gamblers. In the U.S., live betting on American Football isn’t allowed in all States, but playing American Football slot games is. Considering how popular Gridiron Football is, there are surprisingly few online casino American football slot machine games around. But have no fear.
Our team of slot experts here at Casino Grading has checked out the best football-themed online slot machines that are trending globally right now, and here are the results.
Touchdown Thunder Hold and Win by Kalamba Games
Screenshot of Touchdown Thunder by Kalamba Games, courtesy of Weiss Casino
With its cartoon Tiger Wilds and Multipliers, Touchdown Thunder Hold and Win by Kalamba Games is not your typical NFL football slot machine. However, this 5×3 slot, with 243 ways to win, 4 Jackpots, its Hyperbet Feature, and Hold and Win mechanic, is one of the most popular football slot games with NFL fans the world over. Our Casino Grading review of the Touchdown Thunder starts by taking a look at the symbols and the game’s paytable/
The Symbols and Paytable
The paytables vary depending on which Hyperbet Feature you choose.
| Symbols | 2 of a Kind | 3 of a Kind | 4 of a Kind | 5 of a Kind |
| 9 or 10 or J or Q or K or A | – | 0.16x | 0.36x | 0.76x |
| Running Shoes | 0.04x | 0.36x | 1.36x | 3.16x |
| Chest Protector | 0.16x | 0.36x | 1.36x | 3.16x |
| Helmet | 0.16x | 0.36x | 1.36x | 3.16x |
| Ring | 0.16x | 0.36x | 1.76x | 3.76x |
| Bonus Symbol | – | 2x | 5x | 10x |
| Gold Running Shoes | 0.4x | 0.9x | 3.4x | 7.9x |
| Gold Chest Protector | 0.4x | 0.9x | 3.4x | 7.9x |
| Gold Helmet | 0.4x | 0.9x | 3.4x | 7.9x |
| Gold Ring | 0.4x | 0.9x | 4.4x | 9.4x |
| Gold Bonus Symbol | – | 5x | 12.5x | 25x |
| Bonus Symbol (Pay Way 3) | – | 30x | 75x | 150x |
The Hyperbet selection panel (shown above) is a unique tool on this football slot game.
There are 3 settings, and you can choose which one you prefer to play with by clicking on the up/down arrows. When the game opens, it is in Hyperbet 2 mode, which is the one where higher-paying Gold Symbols are used.
If you click the ‘Down’ arrow once, it puts the game into Mode, and if you click the ‘Up’ arrow, it activates Mode 3, which includes the Hold and Win’ Symbols.
Special Symbols
The special symbols include:
The Wild Symbol
is the Tiger with the ball. It can act as a substitute for all symbols apart from the Bonus, Hold and Win and Super Hold and Win Symbols. As well as being a Wild, this Symbol can also carry a multiplier value, which is assigned at random.
The Hold and Win Symbols
can appear both in the base game and the Hold and Win Feature Round. They are a popular feature of most American Football slot games. Each Symbol carries a randomly assigned value. When 4 or more appear, their total value is calculated and added to the player’s total.
Special Features
As well as the Hyperbet Feature, the Touchdown Thunder Hold and Win slot by Kalamba Games also includes several other special features. They include:
The Hold and Win Feature
The Hold and Win Feature is triggered by landing 6 or more Hold and Win Symbols in 1 spin. They can appear in any position on the grid. When they do so, you are awarded 3 Free Hold and Win Spins. This can occur during the gameplay of this football slot game, in both the base game and the Free Spins Round. If you land any more Hold and Win Symbols during the Hold and Win Round, the quantity of remaining spins is reset to 3. If all 15 spaces are filled, you’ll be awarded a special prize.
Cashpots
There are 4 Cashpots: Mini, Minor, Major, and Maxi. These can only be triggered in the Hold and Win Feature when 4 or 5 Hold and Win Symbols land. The type of Cashpot awarded is assigned at random.
The Free Spins Feature
This feature activates when 3 or more Bonus Symbols are landed. During the base game, it works like this:
- 3 Bonus Symbols trigger 10 Free Spins.
- 4 Bonus Symbols trigger 15 Free Spins.
- 5 Bonus Symbols trigger 20 Free Spins.
During the Free Spins Round, if you land more Bonus Symbols, it works like this:
- 2 Bonus Symbols trigger 3 additional Free Spins.
- 3 Bonus Symbols trigger 10 additional Free Spins.
- 4 Bonus Symbols trigger 15 additional Free Spins.
- 5 Bonus Symbols trigger 20 additional Free Spins.
There is no limit to the number of times that free spins and additional free spins can be triggered. It can prove to be a very profitable feature.
Casino Grading’s Concluding Thoughts of the Thunder Hold and Win by Kalamba Games
Although the Touchdown Thunder football slot game is a high volatility slot, the 37.2% hit frequency ensures that you can get some regular, reasonable-sized wins. The Hyperbet and Fee Spins retriggers can also kick in and contribute to some nice payouts. With its Tiger Wilds and Multipliers, it may not be a bona fide NFL football slot machine (the team with the closest big cat name is the Carolina Panthers), but our experts here at Casino Grading found it to be one of the most exciting and potentially lucrative football slot games around at the moment.
Golden End Zone by BetSoft
Screenshot of the Golden End Zone Slot Machine by BetSoft, courtesy of Bspin Casino
Since it was released in October 2023, Golden End Zone by BetSoft has become one of the most popular American Football slot games on the planet. It offers 243 paylines, 4 Jackpots and an above-average RTP of 96.41%. Why is it so popular?
Well, it’s a medium volatility football slot game, which means you have the chance of winning a good mix of small, medium and large payouts without having to wait long between wins. Winning combos start from 2 like
symbols from left to right. The bet range is µ₿2.20 to µ₿300, so it’s suitable for all rollers (low, high, or somewhere in between), and the Grand Jackpot is µ₿600,000 —a great amount of money in anybody’s language.
The Paytable
| Symbol | 2 of a Kind | 3 of a Kind | 4 of a Kind | 5 of a Kind |
| J or Q or K or A | 0.04x | 0.20x | 0.48x | 0.8x |
| Ball | 0.12x | 0.4x | 0.8x | 1.2x |
| Whistle | 0.12x | 0.4x | 0.8x | 1.2x |
| Chest Protector | 0.12x | 0.4x | 0.8x | 1.2x |
| Helmet | 0.12x | 0.4x | 0.8x | 1.2x |
As you can see, the payouts for the base game symbols shown above are pretty low. In most cases, they represent a loss, except for 4 of them, where you win a little more than your wager. But fear not. Being a medium volatility football slot game, with various features and a Hold and Win mechanic, there are other ways of landing significantly better wins.
Special Symbols
The Wild
can act as replacements for all symbols apart from the Bonus Ball Symbols. Wilds only land on reels 2, 3, 4, and 5.
The Mystery Symbol
(Stacked over 3 rows). When they appear, all 3 change into the same ordinary Symbol and can combine with a like symbol to create or enlarge a winning combo.
The Bonus Ball Symbol
appears in both the base game and the Hold and Win Free Spins Feature.
The Nudging Wild Symbol.
Only features on reel 3 in the base game.
Special Features of the Golden End Zone Slot
As previously mentioned, the ordinary symbols in the base game aren’t very profitable. It’s the Features of this slot that enable bigger wins.
The Nudging Wild Multiplier Reel Feature
When the Nudging Wild Multiplier Symbol appears (Reel 3 only) on this NFL football slot machine, it will nudge up or down and will cover the entire reel. The multiplication value of the Symbol is randomly selected from 2x, 3x, 5x, 8x, or 10x. Whichever value it is, it will increase the size of the win by the factor displayed.
If, initially, there is no win, the reel will become sticky, and another spin will be applied in which all non-sticky reels will spin, creating another opportunity to land one or more winning combos.
The Hold and Win Bonus Round
If you land 6 or more Bonus Ball Symbols anywhere on the grid with a single spin, you will trigger the Hold and Win Bonus Round. This is the Feature that makes the Golden End Zone slot one of the best football slot games on Bspin Casino.
The Bonus Ball Symbols are locked in position, and 3 Free Spins are awarded. If another Bonus Ball Symbol lands, it too will become sticky, and the Free Spins counter will be reset to 3. This will continue until no spins are left, at which stage the Feature will come to an end, when all of the Bonus Ball totals will be added together and paid.
The Four Jackpots
The Golden End Zone slot machine has 4 Jackpots:
- Mini – 15x your bet for each Symbol locked in position.
- Minor – 30x your bet for each Symbol locked in position.
- Major – 200x your bet for each Symbol locked in position.
- Grand – Awarded when all 15 positions are filled. Max win 625,000.
Casino Grading’s Concluding Thoughts on the Golden End Zone Slot by BetSoft
If you’re into American Football slot machine games, the Golden End Zone slot by BetSoft is well worth your attention. Although the graphics are simple and there isn’t much by way of animation, this medium volatility slot, with its 243 ways to win, its interesting features and 4 Jackpots, can keep you enthralled for ages, and with an above average RTP of 96.41%, we here at Casino Grading label it as one of the top football slot games on the Bspin Casino platform.
Gridiron Legends X UP™ by Alchemy Gaming
Screenshot of the Gridiron Legends X UP slot by Alchemy Gaming, courtesy of Fairspin casino
As soon as you open this slot machine, its pounding soundtrack lets you know that you’re in for some heavy action, and your expectations soar. The team here at Casino Grading doesn’t think you’ll be disappointed. This 5×4, 1024-ways-to-win football slot is one we feel sure you will enjoy. With a 20.97% Hit Rate and an above-average RTP of 96.2%, you should land wins reasonably regularly, as you seek out a top win of 15,000x your wager.
Symbols and Wins
As with many slots, the lower-paying symbols are the playing card values, while other theme-relevant symbols offer higher payouts. In Gridiron Legends, this means:
- Playing card values 10, J, Q, K, and A, pay between 0.8x to 1.2x your bet for landing a minimum of 3 of a kind from left to right.
- The higher-paying symbols, Drawing Board, Earphones, Helmet, and Running Shoes, pay between 1.8x and 4x your bet for 3 to 5 of a kind.
Special Symbols
The Wild Symbol
can take the place of other symbol to make winning combos, except for Bonus, Cash, Collect, or Jackpot symbols. As well as substituting for other symbols, Wilds also award wins when they align.
The Cash Ball Symbol
features on all reels in both the base game and the Free Spins game round. The Ball Symbols bear nominal cash values that are allocated at random. Several of the best American football slot games have similar Cash Ball Symbols.
The Cash Collect Symbol.
Cash Collect Symbols appear only on Reels 1 and 5. On Reel 1, it is the Right Wide Receiver, and on Reel 5, the Left Wide Receiver. This Symbol is an inspired link to the sport itself, made even more realistic by the animation of the hands reaching out to catch the ball. If the Collect Symbol lands and there is money showing on any Ball Symbols that have landed, the value will be totalled and collected. If you land both Wide Receivers on the same spin, each money prize is collected twice.
The Scatter Symbols
in this football slot game can be Red, Blue and Gold. The Red Scatter can appear on all reels during base game play, but only on Reels 1 and 5 in the Free Spins Round. The Gold Scatters only land on Reel 1 in the base game. These symbols also have the power to upgrade any multipliers.
The Golden Ball Bonus Symbol
The only other special symbols are the 4 Jackpot Symbols. These can land in both the base game and the Free Spins Game.
Special Features
It’s the Special Features in this NFL football slot machine, particularly the X UP™ mechanism, that make this such an exciting game to play. For example, when you activate the Free Spins feature, the X UP levels you’ve reached are carried forward into the feature and can provide some really big wins.
The Free Spins Feature
The Free Spins Feature on Gridiron Legends X UP™ by Alchemy Gaming is activated by landing 3 Red XP Scatters. It starts with 8 Free Spins. Any activated X UP cash and Jackpot prize multipliers you’ve collected will be applied. The Free Spins will play out automatically. If you land 2 Red X UP Scatters in any spin during the round, another 2 Free Spins and an X UP token will be awarded.
The Touchdown Bonus Feature
All good football slot games have exciting features that can trigger more wins. With Gridiron Legends X UP™, one such feature is the Touchdown Bonus Feature. It’s triggered by landing Golden Ball Bonus Symbols.
The Golden Ball Bonus Symbol appears once only on all 5 reels. When one lands, it is recorded in the Bonus Symbol Indicator above the reel in question. Once all 5 indicators are charged and lit, the Touchdown Bonus is activated.
An expanded Wide Receiver Symbol will cover Reel 1 during this Feature Round. It means that all cash prizes will be collected as they land.
The Blue, Red, Silver and Gold Trophy symbols appear on the reels during the Touchdown Bonus. If you collect 3 of one colour, you’ll win the same colour-matched Jackpot.
The Gridiron Legends X UP™ Upsizer Feature
If the Free Spins Feature is triggered with an active X UP level between 1 and 5, you might be offered the Upsizer Feature. It is triggered at random. When triggered in this NFL football slot machine, it gives you the opportunity to buy a higher multiplier, which applies to all cash and jackpots acquired in the FS Round. The cost will be displayed when the options appear.
Casino Grading’s Concluding Thoughts on the Gridiron Legends X UP™ Slot
Gridiron Legends X UP™ is one of the top picks when it comes to football slot games. Its special features are designed to start the adrenaline pumping with every spin, and the X UP mechanism can really ramp up the size of the wins.
