San Quentin Slot Review

Published: 22/04/2024
San Quentin Slot Review

Inspired by the notorious California prison, San Quentin is a 5 x 3 slot with at least 243 ways to win and a top prize of 150,000x your bet available. We’ll cover everything you need to know about it in our San Quentin review, including the Enhancer Cells, Split Wilds, very high volatility, and more. San Quentin was released in January 2021 by Nolimit City, creator of such slots as Disturbed, Serial, and Folsom Prison.

Rating: 9/10
Released: 12/01/2021

San Quentin

Game Provider
Nolimit City
Themes
Crime
RTP
96.03% (varies)
Paylines
243 ways
Bet Amount
£0.20 to £32
Max Win
Up to 150,000x

San Quentin RTP and Wagering

San Quentin uses a standard 5-reel, 3-row layout with 243 ways to win, though you can unlock many more ways if you land Razor Split or Split Wild symbols. You can bet from £0.20 to £32 on each spin. 

To build a winning combination and grab a prize in San Quentin, you need to land three or more identical symbols across adjacent reels (from left to right). San Quentin’s base Return to Player (RTP) rate is around average at 96.03%. 

As San Quentin has incredibly high volatility, the prizes available are more generous than in less-volatile slot games, but bigger payouts are less frequent. The maximum potential win on offer in San Quentin is one of the biggest we’ve seen — 150,000x your bet! 

Best Casinos to Play San Quentin

You’ll find San Quentin at a wide range of online casinos, but which are best? Check out our pick of the top slot sites for playing San Quentin below.

Exclusive Welcome Bonus

Spin Genie

9.3 / 10
Spin Genie Logo

New Player Offer
100% up to £100
+ 65 Spins on Book of Dead

18+. BeGambleAware.org. Automatically credited upon deposit. Cancellation can be requested. First Deposit Only. Min. deposit: £10. Max Bonus £100. WR of 30x Deposit Plus Bonus amount (Slots count 100% and any other game 10%) within 30 days. Spins Game: Book of Dead. WR 60x free spin winnings amount (only Slots count) within 30 days. Spin value: £0.10. Max bet is 10% (min £0.10) of the Bonus amount or £5 (lowest amount applies).Bonus must be claimed before using deposited funds. Bonuses do not prevent withdrawing deposit balance. First Deposit Bonus can only be claimed once every 72 hours across all Casinos. Bonus Policy applies.
Gambling Zone Exclusive

Genting Casino

9.4 / 10
Genting Casino

Get 100% up to £150
+ 50 Spins on
Big Bass Bonanza

18+. BeGambleAware.org. Automatically credited upon deposit. Cancellation can be requested. First Deposit Only. Min. deposit: £10. Max. Bonus £150. WR of 30x Deposit Plus Bonus amount (Slots count 100% and any other game 10%) within 30 days. Spin Game: Big Bass Bonanza. WR 60x spins winning amount (only slots count) within 30 days. Spin value: £0.10. Max bet is 10% (min £0.10) of the Bonus amount or £5 (lowest amount applies). Bonus must be claimed before using deposited funds. Bonuses do not prevent withdrawing deposit balance. First Deposit/Welcome Bonus can only be claimed once every 72 hours across all Casinos. Bonus Policy applies.
Gambling Zone Special Offer

Slingo Casino

9.0 / 10
Slingo Logo

New Player Offer
£55 Deposit Match
+ 55 Spins

Automatically credited upon deposit. Cancellation can be requested. First Deposit Only. Min. deposit: £10. Max Bonus £55. WR of 30x Deposit Plus Bonus amount (Slots count 100% and any other game 10%) within 30 days. Spins Game: Big Bass Bonanza. WR 60x free spin winnings amount (only Slots count) within 30 days. Spin value: £0.10. Max bet is 10% (min £0.10) of the Bonus amount or £5 (lowest amount applies).Bonus must be claimed before using deposited funds. Bonuses do not prevent withdrawing deposit balance. First Deposit Bonus can only be claimed once every 72 hours across all Casinos. Bonus Policy applies.

San Quentin Symbols and Audio & Video Design

As San Quentin is inspired by the prison of the same name, it’s not the cutest or most light-hearted slot, but it’s still visually impressive. 

The prison’s stark exterior fills the background, with watchtowers, barbed wire, and security cameras on display. Heavy guitar music and the sound of cell doors slamming complement these grimy visuals perfectly.

There are 10 standard symbols in San Quentin, represented by 5 inmates and 5 common prison items (e.g. a shiv). The highest-paying standard symbol is inmate Beefy Dick, worth up to 5x your bet. While the standard symbols only award small prizes, splitting them in two can lead to better payouts. Split Wilds, Jumping Wilds, and Bonus symbols can also land on the reels.

Toilet Roll

3 — 0.15x bet / 4 — 0.60x bet / 5 — 1.50x bet

Handcuffs

3 — 0.15x bet / 4 — 0.60x bet / 5 — 1.50x bet

Shiv

3 — 0.15x bet / 4 — 0.60x bet / 5 — 1.50x bet

Lighter

3 — 0.20x bet / 4 — 0.75x bet / 5 — 2x bet

Soap

3 — 0.20x bet / 4 — 0.75x bet / 5 — 2x bet

Crazy Joe Labrador

3 — 0.25x bet / 4 — 0.90x bet / 5 — 2.50x bet

Biker Bill

3 — 0.30x bet / 4 — 1x bet / 5 — 3x bet

Loco Luis

3 — 0.35x bet / 4 — 1.10x bet / 5 — 3.50x bet

Heinrich the 3rd

3 — 0.4x bet / 4 — 1.25x bet /5 — 4x bet

Beefy Dick

3 — 0.50x bet / 4 — 1.50x bet / 5 — 5x bet

San Quentin Mobile Features

San Quentin was created with HTML5 technology, so it’s available for you to play on desktop and mobile devices. The graphics are just as sharp on smartphones and tablets, and the controls are easy to use on a touchscreen. You can play San Quentin in landscape or portrait mode, whichever you prefer. 

San Quentin Bonus Features

San Quentin has a great range of bonus features that give the gameplay extra depth. Let’s dive right in.

Enhancer Cells

Enhancer Cells appear at the top and bottom of the reels. These are locked initially, but landing one or two Bonus symbols will open the Enhancer Cells on the respective reels.

Open Enhancer Cells can reveal one of the top-five standard symbols, a Wild, a Razor Split, or an xWays symbol. The Razor Split symbol splits all symbols on its reel to double the positions and increase the number of ways to win. This happens twice if Razor Splits land in the top and bottom Enhancer Cells on the same reel.

The xWays symbol reveals matching symbols stacked four positions high.

Bonus Symbols

If you land one or two Bonus symbols during the base game, they will turn Wild and open their reels’ Enhancer Cells. 

Split Wilds

Split Wilds can appear on any reel during the base game. This splits all standard symbols on that reel, but never itself. Split Wilds can increase the number of ways to win to more than 46,000. 

Lockdown Spins

Three or more Bonus symbols trigger the Lockdown Spins feature. You’ll get one to three Jumping Wilds to start with, and the Enhancer Cells in the triggering reels will stay open. 

The number of spins and win multiplier awarded are selected randomly. Inmate mystery symbols will reveal any inmate symbol or a Jumping Wild. 

Jumping Wilds

Jumping Wilds (the police badge) leap to random positions on each spin during the Lockdown Spins feature. If Jumping Wilds land on reels with a Razor Split, they double the current win multiplier (up to a maximum of 512x).

Nolimit Bonus

You can use the Nolimit Bonus feature to trigger the Lockdown Spins feature immediately for a price. The cost is 100x, 400x, or 2,000x your bet for 3, 4, or 5 Bonus symbols. The RTP increases to 96.26% for 3 to 4 Bonus symbols, and 96.95% for 5 Bonus symbols.

San Quentin Final Thoughts

San Quentin is a slot with an original theme that won’t be to everyone's taste, but it includes fantastic features and a massive top win nevertheless. 

The game’s volatility is very high, and the top win of 150,000x your bet is mind bending, though the chances of hitting it are extremely slight. If you’re looking for a highly volatile but unique slot, give San Quentin a try.

Rating: 9.0

 

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San Quentin FAQ

Let’s answer five common questions about San Quentin:

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