Barcrest Casinos

More about Barcrest

Barcrest is a game provider that’s been producing top-notch slots long before the internet was on the horizon. The company was founded in the 1960s, creating slot machines for U.K. casinos. The company was an early adopter of online casino games, producing more than 80 releases over the years. Unfortunately, the team doesn’t have much presence in the U.S., as only some of its releases are available here.

The company operated independently until 1998, when IGT acquired it. However, the Barcrest brand continued to exist and produce new games. It was sold again in 2011 to Scientific Games, now known as Light & Wonder. Under their supervision, the Barcrest brand has slowly been phased out. Instead, all new games by the team are launched under their parent company’s label.

Popular Barcrest Slots

Barcrest has made many smash hits over the years. While they’re not the same juggernaut they used to be, their titles still draw in many players. Thanks to that, you can find Barcrest slots on many U.S.-focused gambling sites. In this section, we’ll go over the most popular titles and why players adore them as much as they do.

Action Bank

The greatest treasures of the world are stashed away deep beneath the earth, protected by secure vaults. If you want the valuable rewards that lay within, you’ll have to play this 5-reel, 3-row slot with 20 paylines.

Losing circle symbols have a chance to transform into Vault Scatters at the end of every turn. Collect five or more Scatters to unlock the Free Spins or Big Bank feature. The latter requires players to open vault doors to reveal the gemstones within. Revealing three of the same gems awards the corresponding prize and ends the bonus.

Legend of the Pharaohs

While the pharaohs of Egypt are long gone, rumors of their incredible wealth persist to this day. Barcrest invites would-be treasure hunters to try their luck in Legend of the Pharaohs, its 5×3 slot with 20 paylines.

You can spin the reels regularly or take advantage of the linked Big Bet spins. The latter requires a higher upfront cost but has a better RTP than regular play. Three or more blue pyramid Scatters grant ten free spins, with extra Scatters unlocking additional bonuses. This can include Wild Reel, Win Eliminator, Colossal Symbol, and Wild features.

Himalayas Roof of the World

While our local mountains can sometimes feel impossibly tall, they have nothing on the Himalayan mountain range. It is home to the highest peaks in the world, so it’s fitting that Barcrest’s game is equally tall, with a 5-reel, 10-row layout.

Every spin has a chance of triggering a Snow Slide feature, which can add up to 50 Wilds on the screen. You can trigger free spins by collecting at least three Scatters. The feature is paired with expanding Big Freeze icons, increasing your odds of landing a win.

Dr. Jekyll Goes Wild

Even if you aren’t an avid book reader, odds are you’ve heard of the tale of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. The team brings the book to life, setting its 5×3 slot with 10 fixed paylines in the creepier corners of Victorian London.

Watch for the Jekyll and Hyde symbol, as you need it to trigger the Free Spins feature. Landing a potion on the first reel while the bonus is active will upgrade it to the Hyde Spins feature. During Hyde Spins, Wilds lock in place to improve your chances of scoring a payout.

Golden Chief

Golden Chief combines Native American culture and the gorgeous view of the American Rockies to create a unique spin on a familiar theme. The game has a 5-reel, 4-row playing area with up to 100 paylines, naturally resulting in more frequent rewards.

Players can benefit from several bonus features. Which one you get is determined by spinning the Golden or Super Golden bonus wheel, which you trigger by landing three or four Scatters simultaneously. Additionally, you benefit from features like Expanding Wilds and Mystery Symbol Upgrades that can occur during regular gameplay.

Software

While Barcrest is a big name when discussing slot machines, its internet presence isn’t nearly as impressive. The team didn’t start making games for online casinos until the 2010s, leaving the door open for other companies to swoop in and eat their lunch. It’s not all bad, though. As the company started making games after smartphones exploded in popularity, they designed their titles with desktop and mobile in mind.

Most games you can find in online casinos are ports of Barcrest slot machines. Because of that, the visuals aren’t quite on par with newer titles. That said, most releases have a great theme, an eye-catching backdrop, and cool animations. If you don’t mind the slightly older visuals, Barcrest can still impress you.

Most games have a matching soundtrack that plays while you’re spinning the reels. Its presence immerses you into the theme of whatever slot you’re enjoying. The developer also simulates the sounds of physical reels starting and stopping, which fans of their one-armed bandits will appreciate.

RTP & Payouts

Though online casinos can set game RTPs differently, Barcrest defaults to around 96% if you’re betting $2 or more. Wagering less than $2 tends to drop the RTP to around 94%, which is below average. If you want the best chances of winning, use the Big Bet feature. It increases how much you spend per round but bumps up the expected return to player to around 98%.

The developer primarily sticks to medium and high variance releases. Its medium volatility slots cater to a broader group of people, as they have more frequent feature activations and payouts. Their high variance games are aimed at big spenders, giving them a chance to land impressive jackpots.

Certain Barcrest slots have grand prizes up to 12,500x your total stake. However, most of the releases by this company don’t come close to that figure. Their maximum payouts will range between 500x to 5,000x.

Barcrest Background

While Barcrest isn’t a big name in the United States, it was a big deal across the pond. The developer was effectively British gambling royalty in the 1960s, producing slot machines for nearly all U.K. casinos. Their strong presence in a valuable market and excellent reputation led to their acquisition by IGT in 1998.

Unfortunately, Barcrest wasn’t big on putting their games online, which posed a problem as players shifted away from real-world venues. The developer slowly began to lose its lead, becoming less profitable in the process. As a result, IGT would end up selling Barcrest to Scientific Games, now Light & Wonder, in 2011.

With a new owner steering the ship, existing Barcrest games would slowly start making their way online. Though Light & Wonder initially kept the brand alive, it slowly began shifting resources away from it. Today, the Barcrest label mostly exists to point players to their classic library of games.

It’s a somewhat disappointing end for such a legendary brand, but we can at least console ourselves knowing their games are available to U.S. players. Plus, there’s always a chance Light & Wonder reactivate the brand. If things change substantially, we at OnlineCasinoUSA will be the first to let you know.

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