Return to player
96.09%
Min bet size
0.1
Game type
Live
Variance
Low
Reels
5
Progressive Jackpot
No
Popularity
Max bet size
5
Game provider
Evolution Gaming
Bonus Features
Yes
Paylines
10
Theme
Live Casino Show
Balloon Race Live
Once again, Evolution Gaming has outdone itself by delivering a spectacular mix of a slot game and a live show in the form of Balloon Race Live. With this live game, you don’t need to worry about picking between the best parts of slots and dealer games because you get a mix of both. Bursting with colors and jam-packed with special bonus features, Balloon Race Live offers a hot air-filled adventure that everyone has been waiting for. So, put on your vibrant hats, and let’s jump into this thrilling live slot game together!
Introduction to Balloon Race Live
Evolution’s Balloon Race Live may be a slot game at its core, but it has simplified that whole mechanism quite a bit. A simple five-reel, three-row grid is present on the screen, displaying just the slot symbols without any grid boxes. The background lets you know that the grid is set amongst the clouds, which is fully on-brand for this game’s theme. The slot has ten paylines and seven symbol types, apart from wilds and scatters (10, J, Q, K, A, bronze ribbon, and silver ribbon). Overall, the theming brings a sense of calmness to whoever plays this live slot game, and we are no different.
The RTP for Balloon Race Live is 96.09% in Standard Spin mode, 96.00% in XXXtreme Spin mode, 96.03% in Super XXXtreme Spin mode, and 96.05% in the Top-Up phase. The mechanics behind this game aren’t new for Evolution. The developer has experimented with this type of gaming before, in titles like Crazy Pachinko. There are three phases to the slot. First up is the qualification, followed by a top-up phase, and finally, there’s a bonus round with several multiplier payouts. This process ensures that bettors are always invested in the game, with something new to look forward to on every corner.
Everything Bettors Need to Know About Evolution’s Balloon Race Live
The first leg of the gameplay happens during the qualification phase. The main objective of this game is to pass the qualification phase and make it to the final race in the bonus multiplier round. Here, you will find balloons floating to the top of the screen. Whichever balloon makes it to the top first will award the bettor its total multiplier.
We found the overall gameplay simple yet thrilling. It incorporates bonus elements in a pretty straightforward format, helping everyone get the hang of the game right away without having to work through excessive rule books, as is the case with many other live dealer slots.
Now that you know what Balloon Race Live is all about, let’s take a look at the way this slot’s gameplay works:
- During the qualification phase, bettors land a win when three or more of the same symbol line up. The payout varies from symbol to symbol.
- In order to trigger the top-up phase, you need to land at least three scatters or three wilds. The best part is that the scatters may already contain multipliers, which will then be added to the total win at the end of the game.
- Now, here’s the catch, and a good one: there are three playing modes, two of which can accelerate your move to the next phase. In the standard mode, every spin will cost a base stake amount. In the XXXtreme spin mode, bettors pay 5x the base stake and receive a guaranteed wild or scatter in each spin. In the Super XXXtreme spin mode, the cost is 50x the base stake, and bettors receive two scatters or wilds in every spin.
- Once you reach the top-up phase, additional multipliers boost the total multiplier count for each balloon. This is the best way to prepare for the bonus round that awaits you.
- The bonus round is where the ‘live’ part of this slot occurs. Four different-colored balloons rise to the top of the screen during this round. The balloon that reaches the top first is won by the bettor, with its multiplier being added to their total win.
- There’s a simple formula to the final payout: (Bonus round multipliers x Scatter multipliers) + Top-up multipliers.
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How Do I Play Balloon Race Live?
By now, we’ve covered a brief outline of how this live slot works, but what does the in-depth gameplay look like? In this section, we tell you everything you need to know about betting on Balloon Race Live!
First Phase: Qualification
This is the phase you need to pass to enter the final balloon race, so how you choose to proceed here is extremely important. First, you need to pick which mode you’d like to play in. Do you want the standard spin mode, or are you willing to pay 5x or 50x your base wager for guaranteed wilds and scatters? This depends on your total budget for the game, so make sure you make this decision wisely.
After you’ve made this super important choice, here is what actually playing the slot will look like:
- Choose your base bet carefully. This is the value that will eventually decide your final payout.
- Line up at least three of any of the seven symbols in this game and receive a win. The wins for the symbols are assigned as follows:
| Symbol | Three-of-a-Kind | Four-of-a-Kind | Five-of-a-Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
 | 0.1x | 0.3x | 1x |
 | 0.2x | 0.5x | 1.3x |
 | 0.3x | 0.8x | 1.5x |
 | 0.4x | 1x | 2x |
 | 0.5x | 1.5x | 3x |
 | 1.5x | 5x | 10x |
 | 4x | 7.5x | 15x |
The live slot also contains expanding wilds, which act as substitutes for all symbols except the scatters.
Scatters may contain multipliers. If these are present when the bettor qualifies for the top-up round, they are carried and added to the total winning amount.
Whenever three scatters or wilds are present, the player progresses to the top-up round.
All the wins you rack up before qualifying will pay out.
Note that this slot game does come with an autoplay feature. Using this, you can pre-program the number of spins you want to play and the bet amount you want for each. The main benefit is that it will allow the game to progress much faster, and you won’t find yourself aimlessly pressing the spin button. However, the drawback is that it will take away your engagement with the game, which may make it a little less interactive for you.
How long will the qualification process take?
On average, people need to play somewhere between 100 to 200 spins to qualify with the normal spin mode. In the XXXtreme spin mode, it may happen in 50 to 70 spins. In the Super XXXtreme mode, it can happen in as little as ten spins. Overall, it may take more or less than the values we cited, but these are the average values we have come across.
Second Phase: Top-Up
This phase is optional because it may or may not benefit you towards the end of the game. Let’s understand why. During the top-up phase, additional multipliers get added to balloon colors. However, only one color wins at the end.
So, while you may be able to add a ton of multipliers to one color, you have no idea if that’s the color that will win. It is entirely possible that a color with no additional multipliers ends up winning. But you may also win a color that has several additional multipliers. In this way, this is one of the best gambling decisions you will have to make in Balloon Race Live.
During the top-up round, three to six balloons with multipliers float up towards the top of the screen. Each color can only have a maximum of two balloons. Some of these balloons may burst along the way. All the balloons that actually make it to the top get their multipliers added to their colors.
If you increase your bet amount during the top-up phase, you can increase the multipliers of these balloons. However, this increase in the bet will not impact your total payout, so that is something to be kept in mind. If you choose to add this extra amount, it will only have a benefit during the top-up round.
Once the top-up is completed, a plane flies across the screen, adding even more multipliers to each color. If a scatter multiplier is present, it will be multiplied by these additional multipliers and added to the total pay amount.
Third Phase: Live Balloon Race Bonus Round
This is the final showdown that everyone waits for since the start of the game. The idea is simple: All four balloon colors race to the top, and whichever one reaches the finish line first pays out. This is the only part of this game where the RTP doesn’t matter because the final result depends on the actions of the live dealer. This exciting balloon race is why this live slot is so popular.
The bonus game features a bingo-style ball machine with 80 colored balls, 20 for each color. On the top, you can see the current multiplier value for each color, based on their performances in the top-up phase. On the bottom, you can see one balloon of each color. The slot’s theming is kept up during this phase as well, as planes fly across the screen.
When the round begins, the dealer starts the ball machine and begins to pick out balls one by one. Whenever a ball is chosen, the balloon matching its color rises one space. The process continues until one balloon reaches the top. To reach the top, a balloon needs to rise five spaces.
Once the winning balloon is declared, bettors receive its multiplier payout. Keep in mind you won’t win the same amount as other players. This is because scatter values, base bets, qualification wins, and top-up multipliers are different for each bettor. These will all combine to decide each individual’s total payout.
Strategy Spotlight: Which Spin Mode Should I Choose?
This is one of the toughest questions in Balloon Race Live. The base rule is that the more you spend on the spin mode, the less time it will take to qualify. But that also means that in the XXXtreme modes, you will play fewer spins before you make it to the top-up phase. This way, you won’t have a lot of opportunities to land normal wins during the qualifying round.
We don’t know how many spins it takes on average to make it to the qualifying round, but we do know that the RTP is 96.09%, so you have a good chance of winning during the standard spin mode as well. Another point to consider is that the final win amount depends on the base bet, not the other particulars of the qualification round. Thus, if you played XXXtreme modes, you’d need much higher wins to break even.
It’s also necessary for you to keep in mind that the entire point of this game is making it to the bonus round, so that is something that every player will qualify for. It may take you some more time to go through the normal spin mode, but it’s not worth spending extra money on the XXXtreme modes.
Keeping this in view, we recommend the normal spin mode to be your safest bet. It may take a long time to qualify for the top-up round, but at least your payouts can look better through this mode. If you just want to try it, you can take a shot at any of the two XXXtreme modes, but we don’t recommend making them your primary playing mode.
Strategy Spotlight: Should I Play the Top-Up Phase?
This is an intriguing question. While the top-up round does sound exciting, you need to consider whether it will actually offer you any real benefits. The more you increase your bet during this round, the more your multipliers will increase in value. But the problem is that you don’t know if the balloon you choose to top-up will actually win.
Another issue with this round is that any bet increases during this time do not impact the final payout, which is based only on the qualification round bet. Thus, if you actually want to get your money’s worth, your total payout needs to be more than what you spend in both the qualification and the top-up phases.
Given the amount of variables in this situation, we don’t see any point in playing the top-up round. More often than not, you will be topping up balloons that won’t even win, so your money will be going to waste.
So, What Strategy Do I Use?
You now know our stance on the speedier qualification modes and the top-up round: we aren’t very fond of either. But then, how do we suggest you win this game? Here are two strategies that we recommend when playing Balloon Race Live:
- Increase your base bet a little: At the end of the day, your final payout depends on your base bet, so it may be a good idea to increase it slightly. Instead of spending money during the top-up phase or on XXXtreme spins, we recommend starting with higher base bets.
- Don’t expect great profits from the qualification phase: The most common winning options during the qualifying round are quite low, which is why you won’t make a lot of money during this round. You may get some extra bucks through the scatter multipliers, but even that is nothing to scream with joy about. This is because the entire purpose of the game is to make it to the live round, not to enjoy profits during the initial base round. The game might be a slot, but its main selling point is its live dealer component.
In Summary
Balloon Race Live is a spectacular slot in terms of gameplay as well as visuals. The colorful graphics can put a positive spin on anyone’s mood. The mechanisms have been seen in other games by Evolution as well, which is what makes it exciting for seasoned fans. As for newbies, they have something unique and exciting to look forward to in the form of a live slot game.
Our only complaint would be that this isn’t a game for big wins. If you’re looking to bet at Balloon Race Live, you need to do it for the experience and not for the money. But other than that, you get the option to keep the game as simple as you want or make it extremely volatile. The choice is entirely in your hands. Overall, we had a great time with this slot, and we think it is going to become a popular choice with many live dealer game enthusiasts.
James is a casino games expert on the Playcasino.com editorial team. With many years of professional experience at a leading casino game development company and a passion for playing casino games, James has become a true expert in slots, blackjack, roulette, baccarat, and other games.
James uses this expertise to provide reliable, insider advice through his reviews and guides, breaking down the game rules and offering tips to help you win more often. Rely on James's extensive experience for expert advice on your casino play.
