Big Bass Return to the Races Review

Big Bass Return to the Races, developed by Pragmatic Play and hosted on the PokerStars casino is back at the online casino, and takes the familiar catch-and-collect structure of the Big Bass series but trades the quiet lake for the race course.

This time, rather than chasing bass, the focus shifts to horses, racing prizes, and Money symbols inspired by life at the track. It still plays with the familiar Big Bass structure, but the tone, setting, and graphics take the fishing classic in a very interesting direction.

Big Bass Return to the Races – Game Overview

Developer

Pragmatic Play

Game Layout

5 reels x 3 rows

Paylines

10 fixed paylines

Bet Range

£0.10 – £2.00

RTP (on PokerStars)

94.07%

Volatility

5/5 (High)

Max Win

5,000x bet

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Swapping Rods for Reins

Big Bass Return to the Races uses a five-reel, three-row layout with ten fixed paylines. Wins are paid from left to right, with only the highest win per line awarded, and all line wins added together for the final total.

The betting range on PokerStars sits between £0.10 and £2.00, making it perfect for those who want to have fun on the reels and not burn through their bankroll. The RTP is 94.07%, and the online slot has a high volatility rating. This means the game is designed for longer quiet stretches, with the larger moments coming with the Free Spins feature and higher-value symbol collections. The max win is capped at 5,000x the bet, and if that cap is reached during a Free Spins round, the feature ends immediately and any remaining spins are lost.

Theme and Design

This time, the fisherman has swapped quiet lakes and boats for grandstands, green turf, and the kind of atmosphere that resembles Cheltenham, Ascot, or the Grand National, rather than a quiet lake full of fish. Overall, it feels purposely spacious and clean, mirroring the open feel of a racecourse rather than feeling closed in and isolated, like the watery visuals the Big Bass series has become known for.

The symbols also back up the major shift in setting. Horse rider combinations act as the Money symbols during Free Spins, replacing the fish entirely. Binoculars, pints of beer, champagne buckets, and tackle boxes fill out the higher-paying symbols, nodding to race-day traditions while still keeping a playful link back to the original series. Card ranks from 10 through Ace form the lower-paying tier, designed to fit in with the theme rather than feeling like generic symbols used in other online slots.

There is also a subtle humour running in the background, as instead of fishing for bass, players try to hook very different prizes, the kind found at the races rather than the lake. It feels less like a sequel and more like a relaxed break from the rod.

Sound and Racing Atmosphere

The audio design also plays into the tone. Rather than the usual watery ambience and relaxed guitar from other titles, the soundtrack feels energetic and upbeat, capturing the optimistic attitudes of those going to the races and hoping their horse comes in first.

With that being said, the music never distracts from the reels, allowing players to focus on feature triggers and symbol collections. It feels more like background atmosphere rather than a deliberate way to cause tension, making it ideal for those who prefer anticipation rather than high-pressure moments.

Symbols and Paytable Explained

The paytable of this online slot has the familiar Big Bass structure, only the symbols include items that would be seen at the races. Based on a £1.00 bet, champagne buckets sit at the top, paying £200.00 for five of a kind, £20.00 for four, £5.00 for three, and £0.50 for two. Bait boxes follow, paying £100.00 for five, £15.00 for four, and £3.00 for three. Beer and binoculars both pay £50.00 for five, £10.00 for four, and £2.00 for three.

Horse rider combinations pay £20.00 for five, £5.00 for four, and £1.00 for three. At the lower end, Aces and Kings pay £10.00 for five, £2.50 for four, and £0.20 for three, while Queens, Jacks, and Tens pay £5.00, £1.00, and £0.20 respectively. Wild symbols show up only during Free Spins and substitute for all symbols except for the Scatters and Money symbols.

Scatter Symbols and Free Spins Triggers

Free Spins are triggered by landing three, four, or five Scatter symbols, awarding 10, 15, or 20 Free Spins. In the base game, when two Scatters land without a third, there’s a chance for a random feature to trigger. Scatters may nudge down one position while staying on the reels, triggering a respin, or an extra Scatter may show up in a random position after the initial result.

Before the Free Spins feature starts, a card-pick chooses the feature type. Choosing a Bonus card triggers regular Free Spins, while revealing a Golden Cup card launches Golden Cup Free Spins instead.

Sticking on ‘Track’ with Free Spins

During regular Free Spins, Wild symbols become collectors. Each Wild that lands collects the full value of all Money symbols on the screen. All Wilds that appear during the feature are also collected into a meter above the reels.

Every fourth Wild collected retriggers the feature, awarding 10 additional Free Spins and increasing the Money symbol collection multiplier. The multiplier increases to 2x at the second level, 3x at the third, and 10x at the fourth. After the fourth level, the feature can’t be retriggered again. Money symbols take random values ranging from 2x up to 500x, with higher potential totals of 1,666x, 2,500x, or 5,000x possible during Free Spins.

Golden Cup Free Spins

Golden Cup Free Spins takes away the standard paying symbols entirely. The reels are replaced with special strips containing just Money symbols, Wilds, and blank spaces. At every spin, all combinations involving Money symbols pay, and each Wild collects all Money symbol values.

The Wild collection and retrigger rules mirror those of regular Free Spins, including the same multiplier progression and retrigger limits. The reel shift changes the rhythm of the feature, focusing completely on collection rather than payline positions.

Random Features During Free Spins

During any Free Spins round, extra random features may trigger. If Wilds land without Money symbols, Money symbols may appear in random positions at the end of the spin. If Money symbols land without Wilds, a lasso animation can pull a reel to reveal Wilds. If Wilds land without Money symbols, a curtain animation can transform all non-Wild symbols on the screen. These moments add movement and a little more variation without changing the core mechanics.

Ante Bet Option

An Ante Bet option is also available, increasing the bet multiplier and improving the chances of triggering Free Spins. When Ante Bet is active, there’s also a chance for three Scatters to be added to the screen in random positions at the end of a spin or respin following a two-Scatter result. These Scatters trigger Free Spins but do not award line wins on the triggering spin.

Not the First Day at the Races

This isn’t the first time that the fisherman has had a flutter at the race course. Big Bass Day at the Races, hosted on PokerStars, shares the same horse racing theme, with small differences between the two. The soundtrack stays upbeat in both, with ambient crowd cheers sprinkled in to sell the grandstand atmosphere. On the reels, the paytable values and symbol art stay the same.

Where Return to the Races starts to separate itself is in how it treats the “racing prizes” side of the format. PokerStars adds riders to the set of symbols, which also pay on 5, 4, or 3, which gives the grid one more way to land a better result outside of the standard line rhythm.

Day at the Races, on the other hand, leans harder into the set-up and modifiers. Free Spins trigger on 3+ Scatters for 10 Free Spins, while 4 or 5 Scatters kick off the following pick bonus with one or two items already on the reels. Before the Free Spins begin, the pick bonus can reveal modifiers such as More Free Spins (up to +6 total), Fixed Horse (guaranteed Money symbols each free spin), Already Collected Wilds, and options that remove lower Money values from the round’s values.

Free Spin Differences

In Return to the Races, the Free Spins side is more straightforward and capped, with the round limited to 5,000x and ending as soon as that ceiling is reached. Day at the Races pushes the ceiling further with a 10,000x cap, and it also keeps extending the ladder of collection multipliers through eight levels (up to 50x) as Wilds are collected in sets of four.

Both online slots are classed as high volatility titles (5/5), which means both are designed to be unpredictable, with plenty of swings. The main difference is how sessions play out. Day at the Races feels more like a feature that gets built through modifiers, while Return to the Races feels more like the fisherman has wandered into the stands for a simpler, different day out, with the extra rider-paying layer adding a fresh twist to these unique titles in the Big Bass series.

More Horse Racing Slots on PokerStars

Horse racing themes have a long history in casino games, and the slots on PokerStars are designed to replicate the spectacle and momentum of real-life race day. Alongside Big Bass Return to the Races, there are other titles that approach the theme from different angles, from wheel-based bonuses to traditional line-play formats with racing twists.

Derby Wheel

Derby Wheel, developed by Play’n GO, combines three classic casino games into one title: online slot play, a prize wheel, and an animated horse racing bonus. Rather than leaning on a large reel set, the game runs on a simple 3×3 grid, keeping the focus on bonus triggers rather than complicated line patterns.

The visuals mix futuristic style with neon lighting and robotic horses. The reels sit inside a sci-fi-style derby arena, backed by vibrant colours and glossy symbols. When features trigger, the game shifts into a 3D sequence, especially during the horse racing bonus, which delivers the headline moment for this slot.

Landing enough Scatter symbols unlocks the Big Wheel bonus. The wheel can pay out instant prizes or trigger the Horse Racing feature, where the main decisions are made. The race itself offers several choices, including skipping the race for a fixed multiplier, picking a winning horse, or the more focused outcomes through Exacta or Trifecta. These higher-risk choices come with higher potential rewards, with wins reaching up to 2,240x the stake depending on the option selected.

9 Races to Glory

9 Races to Glory takes a more traditional slot-led approach to the racing theme. The online slot runs on a 5-reel, 3-row grid with 20 fixed paylines, paying left to right. At its core, it follows familiar payline rules, with Wild symbols substituting for regular icons and Scatter symbols acting as routes to the bonus features.

The racing theme comes through its symbols and feature design rather than animated races. Jockey Scatter symbols pay anywhere on the reels and add to extra wins, while Free Spin symbols trigger a wheel-based bonus that determines both the number of free spins and a multiplier. During Free Spins, line wins and Free Spin symbol wins are multiplied, giving the feature a sense of growth.

With an overall RTP of 94.06%, 9 Races to Glory sits comfortably within the average expectations of a modern online slot. Its structure leans into clarity and consistency, with fixed paylines, straightforward Wilds, and Free Spins that can boost wins.

Compared to Big Bass Return to the Races, 9 Races to Glory feels more traditional in its pacing and graphics. Where Big Bass focuses on collection mechanics and layered Free Spins, 9 Races to Glory keeps its racing theme tied closely to the payline and multiplier-driven bonuses, offering a simpler way to enjoy a horse racing theme.

Final Verdict: Leaving the Lake Behind

Big Bass Return to the Races is a refreshing take on the fisherman theme, with an extreme change of setting that injects a huge contrast rarely seen in online slot titles. The core mechanics stay unmistakably Big Bass, but the racing theme, Money symbols, and visual tone give it a totally separate identity. It feels like a side trip rather than a sequel, a fisherman on holiday rather than back at work.

For players who enjoy the Big Bass format but want a different atmosphere, this horse racing version offers a familiar structure wrapped in brand new surroundings. It may still be about collecting, but this time, the prizes aren’t so scaly.

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