Slots Like Santa Paws: Low Volatility Alternatives at 96.52% RTP

Santa Paws runs an RTP of 96.52% on 5×3 with 20 paylines, from Microgaming. For more in the same vein as Santa Paws, try Santa Surprise, Santas Free Spins and Santa Vs Rudolf. On the bonus side you get free spins and increasing multipliers. You can stake from 0.01 to 50 a spin. Expect a Santa, Festival and Christmas theme. It is a High RTP game with low volatility. You can expect regular small payouts and a steadier balance.

Santa Paws casinos

Play Santa Paws slot game at these top casinos.

Reviewed by Paul Stone
Published: May 2022 · Updated: 16 July 2026

Games like Santa Paws

Santa Paws has several slots that are similar based on theme, bonus features, RTP and developer, they are Santas Free Spins, Santa Vs Rudolf, Santa 3×3 and Santa Surprise.

Santas Free Spins leans into a Santa theme. It is played across a 5 reel, 4 row grid with 20 paylines. Headline features include expanding wilds, additional paylines, random feature and random wilds. In play that shows up as game history, additional wilds and scatter symbols. That sits a touch below Santa Paws, which runs 96.52%. Bets start at 0.1 and reach 140 a spin, covering most bankrolls. Volatility is medium, so it strikes a middle ground, mixing a fair hit rate with the odd larger payout. Return to player sits at 95.00%, placing it in the medium bracket. Treat it as a guide to long-run payback rather than a promise for any one session. Players who like it tend to try Santa as well. Fans of Santa Paws should find plenty to like here.

Developed by NetEnt, Santa Vs Rudolf carries a Santa theme. You spin a 5-reel, 3-row grid with 20 paylines in play. That sits a touch below Santa Paws, which runs 96.52%. Stakes run from 0.2 up to 100 a spin, so it suits both small and larger budgets. On the bonus side you get free spins, no win respins, pick a prize bonus, sticky wilds, random feature and random wilds. Look out for random wild and sticky wild. It plays at medium volatility, which means it strikes a middle ground, mixing a fair hit rate with the odd larger payout. Return to player sits at 96.35% and counts as medium-high overall. In practice that means the game pays back around that share of stakes over a long run of spins, not in any single session. If you liked Santa Paws, Santa Vs Rudolf is an easy one to try next.

Santa 3×3 is a Santa-themed release from 1X2 Gaming. You spin a 3-reel, 3-row grid with 9 paylines in play, a tighter setup that keeps things simple. Return to player sits at 98.10%, placing it in the very high bracket. As ever, that is a theoretical average measured over a huge number of spins, so short sessions vary. Stakes run from 0.25 up to 50 a spin, so it suits both small and larger budgets. Headline features include increasing multipliers. On return it edges out Santa Paws, which runs 96.52%. It plays at medium volatility, which means it strikes a middle ground, mixing a fair hit rate with the odd larger payout. It sits close to Santa Paws in feel, making it a natural follow-on.

Santa Surprise comes from Playtech. The reels form a 5 reel, 3 row layout offering 20 paylines. Return to player sits at 97.05%, placing it in the high bracket. In practice that means the game pays back around that share of stakes over a long run of spins, not in any single session. That is a little higher than Santa Paws, which returns 96.52%. Gameplay extras run to free spins, gamble feature and increasing multipliers. You can bet from 0.01 to 1000 per spin, leaving room for cautious and bigger play alike. It plays at medium-low volatility, which means smaller wins come around often, so the balance moves more smoothly. It sits close to Santa Paws in feel, making it a natural follow-on.

More games to play like Santa Paws

Santa Paws is primarily an Christmas themed slot game with secondary themes of Festival and Santa themes.

The best Christmas themed games

Santa Paws is a Christmas themed slot game. Similar Christmas themed slots include Naughty Or Nice, Nice List, Secret Santa and Christmas Eve.

Santa Paws was created by Microgaming

Santa Paws was developed by Microgaming and first went live in December 2006, making it one of the older names in this Christmas-slots niche. Microgaming built some of the earliest genuine online casino software, effectively helping start the industry, and titles like Immortal Romance (2011), with its four-character free-spins system, are still running in casinos worldwide. Worth flagging: Microgaming sold its game catalogue and distribution business to Games Global in 2022, and the original Microgaming brand has since rebranded as Apricot Investments, so Santa Paws is these days operated under the Games Global banner even though “Microgaming” remains the name most casinos still use for it.

Here are the best Microgaming slot games to play, these slot games are all developed by the same developer as Santa Paws, the slots are Football Star, Centre Court, Fire Hawk and Lucky Witch.

Santa Paws key stats and facts

We’ve summarised the key info for Santa Paws in the table below.

Santa Paws screenshot

Games with the same features as Santa Paws

Santa Paws has features and bonuses including: Free Spins and Increasing Multipliers.

Other slots with Free Spins

Our Recommended slots with Free Spins are Light Racers, Totally Wild, Wonder Woman and Super Sumo.

Games with Increasing Multipliers

The top slots with Increasing Multipliers are Pyramid Fortunes and House Of Doom.

Sources & Verification

Primary sources checked 16 July 2026: multiple independent Microgaming-licensed slot trackers cross-referenced for the RTP range and release date, since this 2006 release predates Microgaming’s own current game-listing site; industry reporting on Microgaming’s 2022 sale of its content and distribution business to Games Global; and general UK bonus-term guidance from the UK Gambling Commission, whose Social Responsibility Code 5.1.1 wagering-requirement cap (in force since 19 January 2026) we checked this page against, though no wagering figures appear in the body content itself.

Santa Paws slot sites FAQs

Santa Paws Pros and Cons

A quick look at the main pros and cons of Santa Paws, based on its RTP, volatility, features, ranking and gameplay.

Pros

• Includes a free spins feature
• Frequent smaller wins thanks to low volatility
• 96.52% RTP, better than the average slot
• Gameplay adds multipliers that climb as you play

Cons

• Not among Microgaming’s stronger-rated games (#232 of 314)
• The low volatility limits the jackpot-sized hits
• The santa and festival theme won’t be for everyone
• No progressive jackpot on offer