Lots of exciting features, including Zulu stacks, Wild Walkers and Charged Wilds
High max win of 10,000x the bet
The “Gold” series continues to impress us
Cons
While the 95% RTP may be pretty good for Elk Studio standards, it does not wow us
Zulu Gold slot overview
Zulu Gold is another excellent addition to what is undoubtedly one of the most significant and most successful series of online slots ever produced: The “Gold” slots by Elk Studios.
Playing the Gold slots not only provides fun entertainment but also broadens your knowledge of exotic places and cultures.
Well, maybe not that much of the latter, but the themes are definitely different from what is found in traditional slots.
Elk Studios keeps improving these Gold slots, and Zulu Gold is one of their best ones so far.
Best UK Online Casinos to play Zulu Gold
If you want to play Zulu Gold for real money, we have selected some excellent UK online casinos for you.
New players who make a first deposit are eligible for a welcome bonus.
Good RTPs on NetEnt, Nolimit City and Thunderkick slots
18+ New UK players only | 23 No Deposit Spins Winnings Have 10x Wagering Requirements | Max Cashout on No Deposit Spins is £100 | Cash Spins Winnings Are Wager-Free | No max cash out on Cash Spins | Eligibility is Restricted for Suspected Abuse | Skrill Deposits Excluded | Spins Values Are £0.10 Per Spin | All Spins Expire in 48 hours |
Welcome Bonus: 50 Cash Spins on Big Bass Splash + 50% Match Bonus up to £50
Impressive games selection
Over 2,000 slots from 100+ providers
300+ Live Casino games
18+. New players only. Min. deposit £20. Max. bonus bet is £5. Welcome Offer is 50 free spins on Big Bass Splash on your first deposit and 50% match up to £50 on your 2nd deposit. To claim the free spins you also need to wager a minimum of £10 of your first deposit on slots. Free spins must be used within 72 hours. Winnings from free spins credited as cash funds and capped at £100. These cash funds are immediately withdrawable. Bonus funds expire in 30 days, unused bonus funds will be removed. Bonus funds are separate to Cash funds, and are subject to 10x wagering the total bonus. Only bonus funds count towards wagering contribution. Affordability checks apply. Terms apply. Please gamble responsibly. BeGambleAware.org
New players only | Deposit & wager at least £10 to get free spins | Free Spins winnings are cash | No max cash out | Eligibility is restricted for suspected abuse | Skrill deposits excluded | Free Spins value £0.20 per spin | Free Spins expire in 48 hours |
You can try this slot for free right away by playing our Zulu Gold demo. There are plenty of new features to try out before deciding if you want to play this game on a real money version once it has officially been released on UKGC-licensed online casinos.
Zulu Gold has a fixed RTP of 95%. That is not overly impressive, as we prefer our online slots to pay back at least 96% over the long run.
RTP comparison for Zulu Gold
The CasinoWizard will keep an eye on this RTP and update our RTP comparison table (which can be found above) when or if this changes and Elk Studios starts to offer different RTP versions of this game.
If you are a new player at our recommended casinos of your choice that offer the Zulu Gold slot, you can start playing the game with an increased balance, as you are entitled to activate the casino welcome bonus.
Why RTP is important when playing slots
Whether we like it or not, the Return to Player, or RTP, of a slot significantly impacts a lot of crucial elements that come with playing slots.
The RTP is another term for the average percentage that a slot pays back for each stake. So, when a slot has a 96% RTP, it will pay back, on average, 96p for each pound staked. As you can imagine, the higher the RTP, the better it is for you, the player, as this will result in:
More spins before your money runs out
More spins = more chances to win
Increased playing time for the player
More value for money for the player
A lower profit margin for the casino
History of RTP and online slots
In the “old days”, all online slots had a default RTP, meaning the Return to Player was the same for each slot, no matter which online casino you played it in. However, since around 2020, due to regulations, increased Gambling Taxes and rising costs, online casinos started pressuring slot providers to release slots with different RTP configurations.
In effect, the online casino now had a choice: it was now able to offer its players a lower-paying RTP version. You could be playing a specific slot with a 96% RTP at casino A, and play the same slot with a 94% RTP at casino B, without even knowing it. The slot may look and feel the same, but the maths model underneath, which is the heart and soul of a slot, may be different, with all the negative consequences that come with it.
An example in real numbers
To illustrate the difference between playing a high-RTP slot versus playing the same slot but with a lower RTP, we have done some calculations.
Let’s take, as an example, one of the most popular online slots ever made: Book of Dead by Play’n GO. It has five possible RTP configurations: 84.18%, 87.25%, 91.25%, 94.25%, and 96.21%. Of course, other slots have different payout percentages, so results will vary.
We have calculated for Book of Dead, per RTP configuration, how many spins it takes to run out of money, based on theoretical losses (house edge) per spin, a starting balance of £100 and a stake of £1 per spin.
Book of Dead RTP
Theoretical Playtime
House Edge
96.21%
2,612 spins
3.79%
94.25%
1,721 spins
5.75%
91.25%
1,131 spins
8,75%
87.25%
776 spins
12.75%
84.18%
625 spins
15.82%
As you can see in our calculations, there are huge differences in the number of spins when you compare the different RTP configurations. The difference between the 96.21% RTP and the 94.25% RTP version is over 900 spins!
Conclusion
Playing with a higher Return to Player increases your chances of winning and playing time. So, when you want to play an online slot, always try to find a casino that offers it at the highest payout setting.
Why RTP is important when playing slots
Playing with a higher Return to Player increases your chances of winning and playing time.
Gameplay and features
Zulu Gold is played within a six-reel, 4-row grid with the Avalanche feature and 4,096 ways to win.
The game can expand to eight rows and 262,144 ways to win, as a new row is added after each subsequent win, but then it returns to four rows when no more wins are achieved.
Main Zulu Gold features explained:
Zulu Stacks: A symbol stack representing any symbol type except the wild walker, charged wild, and the bonus symbol.
Wild Walker: A wild symbol that moves and leaves a trail of wild symbols behind. It is persistent between avalanches.
Charged Wild: A wild symbol with extra lives. It only consumes a life when it contributes to a win.
Bonus Symbol: Three or more bonus symbols trigger the Multiplier Free Drops bonus game. In addition, free Drops can be retriggered.
3 Bonus Symbols = 10 Drops
4 Bonus Symbols = 15 Drops
5 Bonus Symbols = 20 Drops
6 Bonus Symbols = 25 Drops
Safety level: In the bonus game, the safety level advances one row for every new free drop initiated, resulting in a win. Every new free drop starts at the current activity level.
Multiplier feature: The Free Drops game features a progressive Multiplier. The progressive multiplier can be increased throughout the bonus game.
Multiplier Symbol: When three or more Multiplier Symbols are in view, they activate, adding their multiplier values to the total progressive multiplier.
The X-citer/feature Buy: offers five different options – also gives you an indication of the expected value of reaching these features in the base game:
One guaranteed win: 5x stake will award you with one win of some sort
Zulu Stacks: 25x stake will buy you three drops with this feature.
Guaranteed bonus game: 100x stake is the cost to land three bonus symbols that trigger the Multiplier Free Drops bonus game.
Wild Walkers: This feature will set you back a 250x stake if you buy it. This guarantees you three drops with Wild walkers on each one.
The Super Bonus: The most special bonus is expensive but has the highest potential. 500x stake is the cost and will give you multiplier symbols that don’t disappear and can be repeatedly reused during the feature.
Betting options on UK slots sites range from 20p to £2 (aged 18-24) and £5 (aged 25+) per drop/spin.
What is the max win on the Zulu Gold slot?
The best possible outcome when playing Zulu Gold is to grab the max win of 10,000x your bet per drop/spin.
The big wins can be achieved by landing as many Bonus symbols as possible. Ideally, six of these give you 25 Free Drops.
Again, the safety levels are super valuable here as they keep you on the higher way-to-win levels.
Multiplier symbols and the total progressive multiplier play a crucial role during the bonus game.
You want to secure a high total multiplier early during the Free Drops that then stays along during the rest of the bonus game while securing massive wins.
CasinoWizard’s verdict: 8 out of 10
The anticipation before each new Gold-series slot launch has increased over the years as these slots deliver quality.
The CasinoWizard is interested to see if Elk can continue to innovate at the same pace as they have managed to do lately.
This Zulu Gold slot is packed with good features, a high max win, and stunning visuals.
If you don´t have the patience to wait for the features and are prepared to risk and gamble more, you can access the features directly through the X-citer/feature buy option.
Just remember to play responsibly and have fun!
Find more high-RTP slots
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