U Spin Slots

Ever since the advent of video slots in the mid-1970s, slot machines have undergone a large scale evolution to stay competitive with other forms of gaming. Bally Technologies' U-Spin slots series is a product of this innovation, and it's managed to gain quite a bit of hype in the casino world.

But does the product match the hype in this case? Let's first look at what U-Spin slots are, discuss some specific U-Spin games, and come to a conclusion on the quality and uniqueness of these slots.

However, if you would like to skip reading the review, you jump right into playing the free version of the game that we have provided for you below. You can use this free version to play as much as you want before deciding whether or not you want to bet real money on the slot game.

Similar Slot Games

What Are U-Spin Slots?

Over time, we've come to expect that playing slots involves continuously pushing a button, no matter whether you're spinning the reels or playing a second-screen bonus round. This is where the U-Spin series differs because it incorporates touchscreen technology to create a more interactive feel.

The U-Spin slot machine runs on Bally's V32 cabinet design, which is a large, rectangular slot machine, with a wheel at the top and reels / betting options at the bottom. You spin the reels until you're able to trigger the bonus round, which involves spinning a wheel with your fingers.

Think of this like the game show "Wheel of Fortune," only with a touchscreen separating you from the wheel that you're spinning.

Built in sensors detect the force at which you spin, just like if you were spinning an actual, physical wheel. The prize spaces on the wheel can differ based on the specific U-Spin game; however, jackpots and free spin spaces are common.

Another component to the U-Spin slots series is iREELS, which creates an intense 3D effect during special animations. Through the use of an LCD screen, the iREELS effect does a good job at making symbols appear closer to the player.

3D slots are of course nothing new in the gaming world, but iREELS are an extra frill that Bally has added to the U-Spin series.

As we get into some individual games below, you'll notice that there's absolutely nothing special about the slots component itself. In fact, these are merely basic, 3-reel games with 3D graphics. The special ingredient is all in allowing you to physically interact with the wheel and have influence over what bonus prizes you win.

Cash Spin – The First U-Spin Game

The first slot machine in the U-Spin series was Cash Spin. Still popular in land-based casinos today, Cash Spin generated a lot of buzz by winning first place for "Best Slot Product" at the 2010 Gaming & Technology Awards.

As alluded to earlier, the actual slots play in Cash Spin is nothing special. It features 3 reels, 25 pay lines, and a number of generic symbols like money bags, money signs, BAR, 7s and a wild symbol. This game doesn't really get interesting until you unlock the iREELS feature or the wheel-spin bonus round.

The iREELS feature happens when you land 3 money bag scatters anywhere on the reels.

This changes all of the reels to 3D video monitors with money bags on them. You then select one of the money bags to receive a prize worth 3x-50x your original bet.

To trigger the wheel-spin bonus round, you must get a U-Spin icon in an active pay line in the third reel. When you spin the wheel with your fingers, your prize will either be credits (200-5,000), free games (12 free spins) or one of two progressive jackpots.

The two progressive jackpots are as follows:

Minor, which resets at $100
Major, which resets at $5,000

One important point to remember is that you must place an additional 15 credit wager to qualify for the bonus round. Just click the "U-Spin Bonus Active" button on the right-hand side to place your extra 15-credit bet.

Other U-Spin Slots

Another U-Spin game that you can play in land-based casinos is Cash Spin Multi Spin. This closely follows the original version, with notable differences being more-colorful graphics and a multi-spin wheel.

The bonus round has a 3 level wheel where the prizes get larger as you move to the innermost wheel. If you hit an arrow symbol on the outermost wheel, you get to spin the second wheel; if you land another arrow here, you spin the innermost wheel for the largest payouts, including a major progressive jackpot.

As you can see in the following video, spinning the multi wheel may prove difficult at times: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d8dYWvccx68

Beat the Heat is yet another land-based game in this series. This is essentially just like Cash Spin, except with a different interface, new graphics / symbols and up to a 5x multiplier.

Cash Spin Online and Mobile

The PC/Mac version of Cash Spin is essentially just like many other slots games. It is a 5 reel slot with 243 pay lines, or 243 ways to win, and the same wheel spin bonus round as the land-based version.

Unfortunately, Cash Spin online just doesn't have enough to differentiate itself from the land-based machine because you can't use your fingers to spin the wheel. But in comparison to other PC / Mac slots, it's at least nice that you can play the second screen wheel bonus round.

The mobile version, which you can access on Android and iOS devices, does allow you to spin the wheel with your finger. So if you're looking for the closest recreation to the Cash Spin machines, then we suggest that you play the mobile version.

Summary

In an era where many casino operators and slots manufacturers are trying to produce more interactive games, Bally's U-Spin series does a good job at accomplishing this feat. Many players have been drawn to the prospect of physically moving the bonus wheel, as opposed to just pushing a button over and over.

On the downside, the symbols and 3 reel set up reek of the 1990's and earlier casino scene. So it would be nice to see Bally advance the current theme beyond just spinning a wheel.

Potential examples include a baseball themed slot where you could swing a bat with your fingers, or an adventure game where you swing a sword to defeat an enemy.

In summary, hopefully this innovative feature evolves over the next few years to engage more people. But for the time being, U-Spin slots still stand apart from the rest of the gaming industry.