Magic Lab

Magic Lab Slot Review

Slot Provider: NetEnt

RTP: 96.1% | Variance: Medium-High | Maximum Win: 5,999x

Our Score: 7.4

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About Magic Lab

Reviewed by:

Published Date: 20th February 2024

How We Review Slot Games

We test and rate all slot games across 5 criteria, assigning a score out of 10 for each and an overall score that is an average of the 5. To build an accurate assessment of each game we gather information from the supplier and play in real play or demo mode. Find out more.

Magic Lab is a scatter pays slot from NetEnt set in a magician’s lab and featuring avalanche wins and a free spins round with 3 extra features – locked wilds, symbol removes and wild multipliers. The gameplay is simple but the medium-high variance makes for hot and cold sessions. The maximum win is 5,999x and spins start at 10p per play.

Magic Lab is available in the UK from 21st March 2024.

Magic Lab Game Information

  • Release Date: 21.03.24
  • RTP: 96.1% | 94.15% | 88.12%
  • Variance: Medium-High
  • Maximum Win: 5,999x
  • Progressive Jackpot: No
  • Reels: 5
  • Rows: 3
  • Paylines: Scatter Pays
  • Minimum Stake: £0.10
  • Theme: Magic
  • Features: Avalanche Wins, Wilds, Free Spins, Progressive Multipliers

What We Liked

  • Guaranteed locked wilds with progressive multiplier in free spins
  • Simple gameplay is easy to follow in base game
  • 'Remove Symbol' feature in the free spins round increases odds of winning spins
  • Chance to double your multiplier with the free spins feature

What We Didn't like

  • Low 5,999x max win
  • Some casinos run the game at a low RTP rate

Magic Lab Review Scores

  • Theme and Design 7
  • RTP and Variance 8
  • Maximum Win 7
  • Symbols and Paytable 8
  • Features and Gameplay 7

What Our Reviewer Says ...

"A simple scatter pays game that lacks a bit of spark but may yet produce big moments thanks to its locked multiplier wilds in the free spins round."

Overall Score: 7.4

Theme & Design

Our Score 7

A Slot With Sorcery, Potions and Spell Books For Magic Fans

Magic slots can be fun when the right mix of potions is applied. And design is a big part of that. But in the case of Magic Lab NetEnt haven’t quite reached the creative levels of slots like Hacksaw’s dimension-twisting Time Spinners, or the epic fantasy, Merlin and the Ice Queen Morgana from Play n Go. Instead, we’re stuck in the confines of a stuffy lab, albeit one stacked to the rafters with potions and spell books, one of which sits open in front of the reel set. There’s a quaintness to the whole scene that suggest it might be the realm of some benevolent wizard but for me the whole scene is a bit underwhelming. Where’s the neon lights and fireworks?!!!

RTP and Variance

Our Score 8

What is RTP?

RTP (Return to Player) refers to the amount a game will pay out in cash prizes expressed as a percentage of all the money wagered on that game. For example, a 96% RTP means a game will pay out £96 for every £100 wagered. This is an average number and will vary from one session to the next.  Read more here.

What is Variance?

Variance refers to how far a game will deviate from its RTP over time. High variance games deviate a lot and produce uneven win distributions and unexpected windfalls. Low variance games provide a more stable and even distribution of wins. Read more here.

Magic Lab from NetEnt has 3 possible RTP settings – 96.1%, 94.15% and 88.12%. Whilst most UK slot sites run NetEnt games at the optimum RTP, beware because there are a few who choose the lower rates, even down to 88%. I recommend playing at MrQ from Lindar Media who consistently run slots at the highest RTP. You can check for yourself by opening up the game info screen once you’ve loaded up Magic Lab, then scolling through until you see ‘Return to Player’.

The variance here is medium-high, so perhaps not as volatile as other scatter pays slots from NetEnt like Bee Hive Bonanza for example. But it will still be a bumpy ride at times and requires sensible bankroll management to absorb the tougher spells.

Maximum Win

Our Score 7

What Is Maximum Win?

Maximum win refers to the maximum amount a player can win from one spin. It is expressed as a multiple of the stake. For example, where the maximum win is 100,000x, from a £1 stake, the maximum win would be £100,000.  

With a relatively high variance you might be expecting a blockbuster max payout on Magic Lab, but in fact it’s a disappointing 5,999x. If that doesn’t do it for you then I recommend checking out our list of NetEnt slots with the highest maximum wins for a game to play, including Rome: The Golden Age (100,000x) and Starburst XXXtreme (200,000x).

Symbols and Paytable

Our Score 8

With its scatter pays engine, Magic Lab has a 6 reel, 5 row game area where wins are triggered by landing 8 or more identical symbols ANYWHERE on a spin. The beauty of this format of course is that you can create some big, big wins by landing lots of identical symbols across the reels.

There are 10 pay symbols in all to help you. The low payers are made up from the cards, 10, Jack, Queen, King and Ace. These come in at from 0.1x for 8 10s. The premiums are the potion bottles in yellows, greens, purples and blues. These are valued at up to 35x for 15 or more of the highest value bottles.

There are also Wild symbols that substitute for any pay symbol to help complete wins. Only one can appear on each spin, and when they form part of a win, they stick for the subsequent avalanches, with a multiplier that increases by 1x for each avalanche. At the end of the game phase, the wild disappears before the next spin.

Features and Gameplay

Our Score 7

Magic Lab is a simple slot in the base game, relying solely on avalanche wins to elevate the gameplay. But it gets more interesting in the free spins round where three extras can be unlocked.

Avalanche Wins

Before we get to the main feature, a word on the avalanche wins. These are commonplace in scatters pays and cluster pays slots, and even some standard win ways games too. Here, after each win, winning symbols are removed from the reels. Existing symbols drop down to fill the spaces, and any remaining spaces are filled with new symbols dropping down from above the grid.

This process repeats until no more wins are formed. Then, all wins are paid out and the next spin phase begins.

Free Spins With Wilds and Multipliers

To be in with a chance of landing a big win you need to move into the free spins phase of Magic Lab. This is unlocked by landing 3 or more scatter symbols at which point you are awarded with 5 spins.

This is a powerful feature because it comes with three extras:

  • A Guaranteed Wild is added somewhere on the bottom row of the grid. It stays in place until the round ends, increasing it’s multiplier value with each successive win.
  • In the Remove Symbol feature, one pay symbol is removed from the reels to increase your odds of landing wins. The symbol remains removed until the round ends.
  • The Double Wild Multiplier doubles the value of the multiplier on the wild at the bottom of the reels until the end of the round.

The interesting part is that the feature trigger in a specific order depending on how many scatters landed to unlock the free spins. It works like this:

  • 3 scatters triggered free spins – Guaranteed Wild on spin 1; Remove Symbol on spin 2 and 3.
  • 4 scatters triggered free spins – Guaranteed Wild on spin 1; Remove Symbol on spin 2, 3 and 4.
  • 5 scatters triggered free spins – Guaranteed Wild on spin 1; Remove Symbol on spin 2, 3 and 4; Double Wild Mulitplier on spin 5.

The Final Verdict

Despite its magical theme Magic Lab didn’t quite grab the attention in the way I had hoped. Scatter Pays is another slot format that seems to be very much in-vogue right now, with new versions of Sugar Rush and Gates of Olympus already this year, and when done well it can be compelling. However, from design through to gameplay, Magic Lab just lacked a bit of spark to elevate it from the pack. That is partly because the base game has no feature beside the avalanches, but also because to get the full benefit of the extras in the free spins round you need to land all FIVE scatters. Which is a big ask. And with an underwhelming 5,999x max win, it’s hard to imagine Magic Lab will compete with better scatter pays right now.

Useful Tips When Playing Magic Lab

Remember, online slots are games of chance, there is NO strategy that can improve your odds of winning. However, reading our review and following these tips will help you get the most out of your time playing this slot game.

1. Make Sure You Play At A Good RTP

This game has 3 RTP settings. Make sure you are playing at the optimum setting to give yourself the best chance of coming away with a positive balance. Check the game info screen for the RTP at your casino.

2. Start At A Low Stake

With medium-high variance slots like this one it makes sense to start playing with a sensible stake. It can burn your balance in no time so use good bankroll management strategy go absorb the slot times.

3. Watch Out For Scatters

The best way to score big wins in Magic Lab is via the free spins round and you will need to land scatter symbols to trigger this. So, keep your eyes peeled and remember, the more you land, the more features you activate when the round finally drops.

4. Play At Recommended Slot Sites

We recommend the sites on this page because they are licensed by the UK Gambling Commission which makes them safe and secure. All the games are audited for fairness and to ensure the random outcome of every spin. Never play at unlicensed sites.

Who Made Magic Lab?

  • Name: NetEnt
  • Established: 1996
  • UK License: 39861 (Under Evolution Gaming)
  • Total Games: 500 +
  • Known For: Massive range of games, branded slots, big progressives, low to high variance
  • Popular Slots: Starburst, Dead or Alive, Gonzo's Quest, Aloha! Cluster Pays
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