What are scatters in slots?
Scatter symbols are special symbols in slots that pay out based on how many appear anywhere on the reels, rather than needing to land on a specific payline. They’re called scatters because they can ‘scatter’ across the grid and still count.
What scatters trigger
Landing 3 or more scatter symbols is typically the trigger for a slot’s main bonus feature, most commonly free spins. The number of scatters required and what they award varies between games. Some scatters pay a prize in addition to triggering a feature, while others only trigger the bonus without a direct payout.
Scatter pays
Some modern slots, particularly cluster pay and Megaways titles, use scatters as direct payout symbols regardless of position. Landing 3 scatters on a 5-reel game might pay 2x your bet, 4 might pay 10x, and 5 might pay 50x or higher. This makes scatters valuable both as bonus triggers and as standalone payout symbols.