Malta-based iGaming studio, Pragmatic Play, recently unveiled its first branded slots title, Peaky Blinders, in association with Endemol Shine Gaming. A subsidiary of the Endemol Group of Companies, which holds the exclusive production and distribution rights to the 2018 BAFTA award-winning British mob drama.
Players step into the shoes of Polly Gray and Tommy Shelby in this 5-reel video slot offering twenty paylines and a standard 96.5% RTP. Peaky Blinders buy-in starts from 20p per spin all the way up to €100. Pragmatic Play did away with the usual lightning bolt volatility meter, in favor of horseshoes and characters from the show to signify scores ranging between medium and high.
Starting from low to high, popular characters that pop up include Michael and Polly Gray, and Arthur and Tommy Shelby. Landing a full row of premiums is worth 5 to 20x of the total stake and a wild adds up to 20x for a line-of-five. These appear at random to substitute standard pay symbols, forming a winning combination.
Scatters, Bonuses, and Payouts
The Peaky Blinders slot isn’t as bold as the series, in terms of gameplay. Players only get access to a couple of bonuses apart from free spins. For example, if the two scatters appear on the last reel without other bonus symbols, it triggers independent bonuses.
Among the two scatters, the Shelby Betting Shop bonus applies to all high-paying character symbols, which are then added before payout. While the Order of the Peaky Blinders triggers an instant payout of on-screen win lines. Immediately followed by a re-spin where every character symbol reshuffles into matching symbols for a second payout.
The game offers an additional logo bonus that lands on reels 1 and 3. If both symbols appear on the screen simultaneously with any of the two scatters, the player wins free spins. These free spins can then be used in the base game. Order of the Peaky Blinders also adds 10 free spins to the player’s kitty.
Synopsis
Pragmatic Games went out of their way to design their first branded slot. Although the game perfectly covers the basic features, there is room for more. For example, while Peaky Blinders follows a conventional theme, the designers haven’t gone overboard with visual effects. A common sight on most slot titles!
In fact, the studio threw in as many references to the series as possible, in a bid to attract the purists, leaving regular players wanting for more. So, while the game justifies the license with its theme and gameplay, Peaky Blinders doesn’t offer much in terms of innovation. The excitement of catching familiar faces on the screen wears off quite fast, and there’s not much left after that.
The game offers a maximum payout of 2,022x total stakes, which isn’t the highest reward the players are used to. If you’re a die-hard Peaky Blinders fan looking for casual gambling, this is the ideal slot to try. Before you dive into the atmosphere and get a hardcore gambling experience, don’t forget to check out our Peaky Blinders slot review.
Brian Smithson 
