Slots Like Reel King: Four Studios, One Crown
The grinning little king in the crown is Britain’s most-travelled slot character: born on Astra’s pub cabinets inside the Novomatic group, then officially licensed out until Red Tiger, Inspired and Blueprint had all built their own Reel King. This guide compares every slot like Reel King, across all four studios, and explains why studios keep queueing for the crown.
Where to Play Reel King Slots
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Reviewed by Brian TaylorPublished: August 2026
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On this page: The family at a glance · Every game reviewed · Full family tree · The classic: quick facts · RTP & the maths · History · Beyond the reels · What players say · Biggest wins · Which game? · FAQs · Series vs series
Every Reel King slot at a glance
Unlike most shared names, every entry here is officially sanctioned: the licence travels, the studios interpret. Figures checked 4 July 2026:
| Game | Studio | RTP | Standout |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reel King (classic) | Novomatic / Astra | ~94% | The mini-reels feature that defined the brand |
| Reel King Mega | Red Tiger | 96.17% | Best family maths; 500x cap, gentle ride |
| Reel King Megaways | Inspired | Not published | 12,500x, the family’s biggest ceiling |
| Riches Jackpot King | Blueprint | 94.5% | The king joins the progressive network |
| Hot to Pot Jackpot King | Blueprint | 93.5% | April 2026’s brand-new pot chase |
Four studios means four maths philosophies under one crown: the spread from 93.5% to 96.17% is the real story of this table.
The royal line: one king, four courts.
Every Reel King game, reviewed
1. Reel King (the Novomatic classic)
The original’s magic trick still lands: mid-session, tiny slot machines materialise on top of the fruit reels, each spinning for a line of 7s while the little king capers about. That randomness-on-top-of-randomness is pure pub-machine thinking, and the online conversion kept it intact, along with retail-grade maths of roughly 94%. Nobody plays the classic for the numbers; they play it for the moment the mini-reels appear.
The classic board: fruit, royals and the jackpot pot waiting top-left.
The famous moment: mini slot machines spinning for 7s over the reels.
2. Reel King Mega (Red Tiger)
Red Tiger’s 2019 interpretation, built under licence with Astra, is the family’s value pick: 96.17% published over twenty lines, low-to-medium volatility and the mini-reels feature lovingly recreated in modern resolution. The 500x cap keeps ambitions honest: this is the king as a session companion, and easily the best-behaved game in the household.
Mega: the king’s court, rebuilt by Red Tiger.
3. Reel King Megaways (Inspired)
Inspired’s 2020 take does what its name promises: variable ways and a 12,500x maximum, by far the family’s biggest ceiling. It’s the version for players who love the character but find 500x caps quaint; the trade is the volatility that always accompanies that ambition.
4. Reel King Riches Jackpot King (Blueprint)
Blueprint’s first turn with the licence wires the king to its Jackpot King progressive network, the same seven-figure Regal pot that powers half this site’s families, at 94.5% published. Classic fruit presentation, network jackpot underneath: the king finally gets a crown jewel worth stealing.
5. Reel King: Hot to Pot Jackpot King (Blueprint)
The newest royal, April 2026, adds a pick-modifier layer (Hot to Pot), a King Spins trail through the free spins, and a mini reel game as the route to four progressive tiers. The 93.5% published RTP is the family’s steepest toll, priced into the jackpot chase; know that before you kneel.
Hot to Pot: 2026’s king, with the pot trail running overhead.
Close cousins outside the family
The classic’s randomly-appearing-feature DNA echoes through Novomatic’s wider pub catalogue, and its true rivals are the other fruity royalty on this site: Action Bank fights it for the same betting-shop seat, while Cops ’n’ Robbers shares its journey from cabinet glass to multi-studio brand.
The complete family tree
| Game | In one line |
|---|---|
| Astra pub cabinets | Where the king earned his crown, £70 jackpot at a time |
| Reel King (online, 2014) | Novomatic’s faithful conversion |
| Reel King Free Spin Frenzy | Novomatic’s own sequel: 20 lines, ~95.3% RTP, ten free spins when scatters land on reels 1, 3 and 5 |
| Reel King Mega / Megaways | The Red Tiger and Inspired interpretations |
| Riches JPK / Hot to Pot JPK / Potty editions | Blueprint’s progressive line |
| Super Reel King & retail kin | The cabinet family that never stopped |
Checked 4 July 2026. With Blueprint releasing new editions this year, the royal line is still growing.
The classic: quick facts
| Reel King Slot Info | |
|---|---|
| Provider: | Novomatic, from Astra’s pub-cabinet original |
| First released: | Pub cabinets first; online in 2014 |
| Layout: | 5 reels × 3 rows, 20 lines |
| RTP: | ~94% published online |
| Volatility: | Medium |
| Signature feature: | The Reel King feature: mini slot machines spin for 7s on top of the reels |
✓ Facts checked 3 July 2026
The maths: four courts, four tax rates
The licence travels but the maths doesn’t: Red Tiger’s 96.17% and Blueprint’s 93.5% are nearly three points apart on the same character. What 100 spins at £1 costs on average, court by court:
| Version | House edge | £1 × 100 spins |
|---|---|---|
| Reel King Mega | 3.83% | £3.83 |
| Classic (~94%) | ~6% | ~£6.00 |
| Hot to Pot JPK | 6.5% | £6.50 |
✓ Calculated from the published RTPs, checked 4 July 2026
Same king, but Red Tiger’s court charges barely half Blueprint’s rent: the jackpot chase is what the difference buys. Tools on our Responsible Gambling page.
History and legacy
Reel King ruled the pubs long before browsers, an Astra staple whose mini-reels gimmick made it one of the most recognisable machines of its era. Novomatic carried it online in 2014 more or less untouched, and then did something rarer: it let the character out. Red Tiger’s licensed Mega (2019) proved the brand could wear modern maths; Inspired’s Megaways gave it a ceiling; and Blueprint’s Jackpot King editions, still arriving in 2026, hitched it to Britain’s biggest progressive network. Few slot characters have ever been formally franchised across four studios; this cheerful little man in a crown may be the only one.
Why this family still matters
Because it’s the industry’s cleanest experiment in what a slot brand is actually worth. Strip everything away (the maths, the engine, even the studio) and the king still sells, which is why competitors pay to borrow him. Each licensed version doubles as a house style on display: the same character rendered in Red Tiger’s politeness, Inspired’s ambition and Blueprint’s jackpot machinery. It’s a masterclass in franchising, wearing a paper crown.
Beyond the reels
The king never left the building: Astra-lineage Reel King cabinets remain a working presence in British pubs, clubs and arcades, and the character’s bobbing-crown animation is among the most recognised sprites in UK gambling. Collectors preserve the older cabinets, and the retail estate keeps releasing Super Reel King-style variants for venues, meaning the physical and online royal lines are still evolving in parallel.
What players say
The mini-reels moment owns this family’s reputation: players describe the little machines popping up with genuine fondness, and Reel King Mega is frequently cited as one of the best modernisations of a retro brand precisely because it changed nothing that mattered. The grumbles aim at the maths spread: the same crowd recommending Mega will warn you off the lower-RTP editions in the next sentence.
The biggest Reel King wins
Royal wins come in flurries here: the feature can chain, and the memorable sessions are the ones where the mini-reels refuse to leave. Ceilings range from the classic’s pub-honest caps to Megaways’ 12,500x; this recorded free-spin frenzy shows the classic feature doing its thing:
Recorded session for flavour: the king visits when he pleases.
The best Reel King version for each type of player
| If you want… | Play | Why |
|---|---|---|
| The best maths by far | Reel King Mega | 96.17% and the feature intact |
| The authentic pub feel | The Novomatic classic | The mini-reels as they always were |
| A real ceiling | Megaways | 12,500x from Inspired |
| A progressive chase | Riches or Hot to Pot JPK | The Regal pot, at Blueprint’s prices |
Slots like Reel King, from other UK favourites
Razor Shark uses Razor Reveal, Immortal Romance unlocks Chamber of Spins modes, and Sweet Bonanza drops multiplier bombs on a scatter-pays grid. Reel King is the simpler retail-to-online contrast, built around its named fruit-machine feature.
| Series | Choose them if… | Choose Reel King if… |
|---|---|---|
| Razor Shark (Push Gaming) | Push Gaming’s Razor Reveal sounds more like your kind of session | You’re after Novomatic’s take instead: The Reel King feature |
| Immortal Romance (Games Global (originally Microgaming)) | You’re drawn to Games Global’s approach: Chamber of Spins | You’d rather have medium volatility, built around The Reel King feature |
| Sweet Bonanza (Pragmatic Play) | Pragmatic Play’s Random multiplier bombs (2x to 100x) during free spins sounds more like your kind of session | You’re after Novomatic’s take instead: The Reel King feature |
Choose the rival for a modern reveal, progression chamber or scatter grid. Choose Reel King for the compact pub-fruit structure and familiar feature ladder.
Our verdict on Reel King Mega
SlotsLike score: 7/10. We’re scoring Red Tiger’s Mega, the version that honours the king and pays the best rent.
| Features: | 7/10: one perfect gimmick, faithfully restored |
| Win potential: | 5/10: 500x; the throne is comfortable, not lucrative |
| Design: | 7/10: retro charm at modern fidelity |
| Playability: | 9/10: the friendliest fruity revival in the catalogue |
Take the throne if you want pub nostalgia with the family’s only genuinely good maths. Abdicate if you need ceilings or features beyond the one royal party trick.
Reel King FAQs
Who makes Reel King?
The original is Novomatic’s, from Astra’s pub cabinets, and the brand is officially licensed to Red Tiger (Mega), Inspired (Megaways) and Blueprint (the Jackpot King editions).
What is the Reel King feature?
The brand’s signature: miniature slot machines appear on top of the reels and spin for lines of 7s, repeating until they miss: randomness stacked on randomness, pub-style.
What is the RTP of Reel King?
Roughly 94% for the classic online version; Red Tiger’s Mega leads the family at 96.17%, while Blueprint’s Hot to Pot runs 93.5% to fund its progressive tiers.
Which Reel King has the biggest max win?
Inspired’s Reel King Megaways at 12,500x; the classic and Mega keep traditional caps around 500x.
Is there a progressive jackpot Reel King?
Yes, Blueprint’s Riches and Hot to Pot editions connect to the Jackpot King network with its seven-figure Regal pot.
Can I still play Reel King in pubs?
Widely, the cabinet line never retired, and the little king remains a fixture of British pub and club gaming machines.
Which version should a newcomer start with?
Reel King Mega, the authentic feature at the family’s best published maths and calmest volatility.
Are Reel King slots fair?
Yes, Novomatic’s, Red Tiger’s, Inspired’s and Blueprint’s versions all operate under UK Gambling Commission licensing with independent testing.
Sources & Verification
Primary sources checked 9 July 2026: Novomatic’s own corporate site; and the UK Gambling Commission’s public register (NOVOMATIC AG, account 45352).