5 Lucky Lions Slot Review

Chinese festival online slots are nothing new, but 5 Lucky Lions earns its spot with a 6×4 grid, 88 paylines, and a pick-and-play bonus that stacks your chosen lion on a random reel each spin. Released in 2019 by Habenero, it runs at 96.64% RTP with low volatility. From a player’s perspective, it’s a calm, bankroll-friendly grind where the bonus round does the heavy lifting.

5 Lucky Lions Slot Summary

Play the 5 Lucky Lions Demo

Try the demo first and watch for two things: the base hit rate (lots of small line wins) and, in free spins, how the guaranteed stacked reel changes the board. The magic happens when stacks connect across multiple reels. This is a great way to familiarise yourself with the game before depositing real money.

Game Overview

5 Lucky Lions is a 6×4 slot with 88 fixed lines that pay left to right. In South Africa, stakes typically start at R0.88 per spin and can reach R4,400, though some sites cap lower. The default RTP is around 96.6% with low volatility, so you’ll see plenty of small results between features. The max win from standard features is 4,400× your bet. Some SA casinos also layer Habanero’s progressive jackpots over the top that can exceed the standard ceiling but aren’t part of the core paytable.

Theme and Storyline

The theme is very basic: a lion dance celebration against temple backdrops, with bright reds and golds dominating the overall aesthetic. The five coloured lions (red, pink, yellow, purple, green) act as premium symbols, and the A-9 royals handle the small stuff. There’s no deeper story here, but it doesn’t really need one - the focus is on a clean, festival-style “lucky” experience that’s easy to follow on a cellphone.

Graphics, Sounds and Animations

The presentation is clean and readable. Symbols are crisp, win animations are short (the lions “dance” briefly), and the interface keeps lines and wins visible at a glance. It scales well to smaller screens, which is a big plus for SA players on mobile data. The soundtrack leans traditional - soft during base play, with sharper drum and cymbal cues when scatters land or wins climb. It supports the action without crowding it.

Gameplay

This is a traditional line-win slot game with no cascades or tumbles - each spin resolves once. Wilds are the smiling Buddha and substitute for everything except the Scatter (drum). Scatters trigger free spins from three or more anywhere and also pay as scatter wins, up to 100× total bet for six. 

The bonus round is where the game steps it up a gear. Hitting the feature opens a pick screen with five lion heads. You choose one and receive 8, 10, 12, 15, or 18 free spins. Your chosen lion becomes the only premium during the round; the other four are removed. Before every free spin, one random reel is fully stacked with that lion. This boosts premium connections and raises the ceiling when stacks land on central reels and the rest of the grid cooperates. 

There are no multipliers and no retriggers, so the outcome largely depends on where stacks appear and how many spins you were awarded. My best round in testing cleared 200× when two spins lined up multiple five- and six-of-a-kind lines.

How to play

Playing 5 Lucky Lions might sound slightly complicated, but here is a quick guide to get you started. 

• Set your ZAR stake: Start from R0.88; keep spins around 0.5-1% of your bankroll (e.g., R2.50-R5 on R500).

• Know the symbols: Wild (Buddha) substitutes for all except Scatter and pays like the top lion; Scatter (drum) pays anywhere and is the bonus trigger (3+).

• Spin the reels: No cascades - each spin resolves once. Expect frequent small hits due to low volatility.

• Play the free spins. On 3+ drums, pick a lion to get 8/10/12/15/18 spins. Only your chosen lion appears as a premium; one random reel is fully stacked with it before every spin. No retriggers, no multipliers - central stacks are your best friend.

• Manage the session. Use bonuses if available to stretch play. Some casinos add random progressives-they can hit on any spin but aren’t part of the core paytable.

5 Lucky Lions Bonus Features

Bonus Pick & Free Spins

Trigger the feature with 3+ Drum scatters. You’ll pick one of five lion heads to reveal 8, 10, 12, 15 or 18 free spins. Only your chosen lion appears as a premium during the round; the other four are removed. Before every free spin, one random reel becomes a full stack of that lion. There are no multipliers and no retriggers.

Why it matters: removing four premium symbols and forcing a stacked reel concentrates wins. Central stacks are the sweet spot; they set up multiple 5/6-of-a-kind lines. In my test session, ordinary rounds landed 60×-120× fairly often; my best cleared 200× when two spins lined up central stacks with connectors.

Scatter Pays

Drums pay anywhere on the reels, up to 100× total bet for 6. Scatter wins are added to any line wins on the same spin. Worth noting, this gives occasional base-game spikes even when the bonus doesn’t show up.

Wilds

The smiling Buddha wild substitutes for all but scatters and pays like the top lion on full lines. It doesn’t expand or multiply; its job is to finish lines and nudge totals.

Payouts & Volatility

This is low volatility with a default RTP of around 96.6%. This means you can expect frequent small wins (often under or near stake) and occasional medium bursts, mainly in free spins when stacks land well.

Tips for playing 5 Lucky Lions

1. Bet sizing: Keep spins near 0.5-1% of bankroll (e.g., R2.50 -R5 on R500) to ride the low-volatility rhythm.

2. Check live RTP: Open the “i” panel; prefer tables near 96.6%+.

3. Don’t chase the feature: Set a feature budget; if it doesn’t land within that budget, take a break.

4. Read the stacks: During the bonus round, central stacked reels drive bigger wins - take note where stacks land and adjust your expectations.

What is the RTP for 5 Lucky Lions?

The default build sits around 96.6%. It’s a multi-RTP title, so SA casinos may configure it slightly higher or lower; always confirm in the game’s info panel.