Sticky Bandits 3 Most Wanted

Sticky Bandits 3 Most Wanted Slot Review

Slot Provider: Quickspin

RTP: 95.82% | Variance: High | Maximum Win: 22,468x

Our Score: 8.4

Play at Barz Casino
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WHY YOU CAN TRUST THIS REVIEW: The information and opinions on this page are the result of an comprehensive process of information gathering and live game testing by the gambling experts who work at allslotsites.com. Find out more here.

About Sticky Bandits 3 Most Wanted

Reviewed by:

Published Date: 22nd April 2021

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.

Sticky Bandits 3 Most Wanted is a 5-reel western slot from Quickspin. It is a highly volatile game with a massive top win of 22,468x. The aim of the game is to land 3 or more scatters to unlock the free spins round where Wild Bandits that land on any reel where they stick for the round and ALL wins are subject to a 2x multiplier booster. You can spin from a low minimum stake of just 9p.

Sticky Bandits 3 Most Wanted Game Information

  • RTP: 95.82%
  • Variance: High
  • Maximum Win: 22,468x
  • Progressive Jackpot: No
  • Reels: 5
  • Rows: 3
  • Paylines: 9
  • Minimum Stake: £0.09
  • Theme: Wild West
  • Features: Free Spins, Wilds, Sticky Wilds, Multipliers

Testing Notes: Here’s What Happened When We Played Sticky Bandits 3 Most Wanted

IMPORTANT: To give you an accurate assessment of the games we review our writers play 200 spins. Whilst this is a useful tool to help us review games and to give an example of what might happen when you play, keep in mind that 200 spins is only a very small sample and cannot be used to accurately predict what might happen over another 200 spins. The outcome of all slots play is always random.

Boom Or Bust? Our Session By The Numbers

I played 200 spins on Sticky Bandits 3 Most Wanted for real money at Casumo Casino to test the game and this is what happened.

  • Stake Size: £0.09
  • Start balance: £36.18
  • End balance: £27.89
  • Biggest Win: 33.33x
  • Free Spins: 0
  • Session Time: 18 minutes 25 seconds

It’s important to go into these games with your eyes open because they can be brutal and frustrating in equal measure. I actually extended this test session to 250 spins and it felt like I could play all day and still not unlock that free spins round.

Sticky Bandits 3 Most Wanted - 4 Wilds
A win with 4 wilds in the base game

On 6 occasions I got close with 2 scatters but no third. I did at least trigger a 33.33x win in the base game with 4 Wilds on the grid which you can see in this screenshot. So, it is possible to score some good wins in the base game, but every indication is that Most Wanted is saving back its best stuff for that free spins round. Just don’t count on getting their quickly.

What We Liked

  • Fun, upbeat Wild West theme
  • Super high variance
  • Exciting free spin round - lots of wilds
  • Bigger top win than others in series
  • Pocket-friendly 9p minimum bet

What We Didn't like

  • Below average RTP at under 96%

Sticky Bandits 3 Most Wanted Review Scores

  • Theme and Design 9
  • RTP and Variance 7
  • Maximum Win 9
  • Symbols and Paytable 8
  • Features and Gameplay 9

What Our Reviewer Says ...

"Another super high variance adventure with those Sticky Bandits. This time breaking into the bank vault with a much bigger max win to shoot for!"

Overall Score: 8.4

Theme & Design

Our Score 9

Classic Quickspin-Style Production With Clean Illustrations 

If you Quickspin productions, then you will enjoy Most Wanted. They have one of the most distinctive artistic styles of any game studio, recognisable from a distance thanks to their clean, illustrative artwork and orange-yellow dominant colors.

Sticky Bandits 3 Most Wanted by Quickspin
Sticky Bandits 3 Most Wanted – a classic Quickspin production

This time we are on the Western plains, Rocky Mountains in the distance and the steps to the giant ‘Bull Bank’ leading up to the reel set which sits at its front. If you ever make it that far – and many, including myself, don’t – then the bonus round switches to the bank’s vault where our bandit heroines are pulling off a great heist. In the background the standard twanging county guitar soundtrack accompanies the story. It’s not totally original, but its fun nonetheless.

RTP and Variance

Our Score 7

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.

Sticky Bandits 3 Most Wanted has an RTP of 95.82%. That is the lowest of the four Sticky Bandits games – the original was 96.58%, Trail of Blood at 96.23% and Wild Return at 96.22%. There is not much between them, but it always feels a bit tight when the RTP comes in at under 96%. Unforutately, in the UK there is no buy-in option for free spins. If there were, the RTP would increase in that case to 96.25%.

Like all the others in the series, Most Wanted runs at a very high variance, with much of that RTP saved back for the awesome free spins experience where wilds are sticky and a guaranteed 2x multiplier is in play.

Maximum Win

Our Score 9

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.  

The maximum payout in Most Wanted is 22,468x, which comfortably puts this at the top of the pile in terms of potential. The nearest is Trail of Blood which comes in at 17,000x, itself much greater than Wild Return (1,145x) or the original (739x).

Explore Games With Similar RTP, Variance and Maximum Win

Like the numbers? Here are some more games you might want to try.

Slot SiteSupplierRTPVarianceTop Payout
Sticky Bandits Trail of BloodQuickspin96.23%High17,000xPlay Here
BeastwoodQuickspin96.11%High29,541xPlay Here
True Grit RedemptionNolimit City96.11%High20,200xPlay Here
Western Gold 2 Double BarrelJust For The Win96.15%High25,000xPlay Here
The Bandit and the BaronJust For The Win96.09%High25,000xPlay Here
Tombstone RIPNolimit City96.08%High300,000xPlay Here
Deadly 5Push Gaming96.39%Medium5,000xPlay Here
Wanted WildzRed Tiger96.05%High15,000xPlay Here

Symbols and Paytable

Our Score 8

Most Wanted is a superbly simple game. It plays on a 5 reel and 3 row reel set with just 9 paylines. Stakes are multiples of 9p, starting at 9p and maxing out at £9 per spin.

Sticky Bandits 3 Most Wanted Paytable
Paytable with Sticky Wild Bandits worth 166.66x for 5

There are 3 sets of symbols – low, medium and high (the wilds). The lows are the cards, 10 through to Ace. These are valued at from 0.22x for 3 10s up to 11.11x for 5 Aces. Medium symbols are the neck scarf, whisky bottle, dynamite, horseshoe and bag of coins. These are valued at from 1.11x for 3 neck scarves up to 111.11x for 5 bags of coins.

Premium symbols are the 5 bandits, each of which doubles up as a wild and has the same value. These are valued at from 2.77x for 3 up to 166.66x for 5. However, these ONLY come into play in the free spins round. In the base game you have just ONE wild, which carries the same values and substitutes for other symbols to complete paylines.

Features and Gameplay

Our Score 9

It’s All About The Bonus Round Where Sticky Wilds Are Everywhere!

Make no mistake, this is a bad ass Western slot with one goal and one goal only. That is to unlock the free spins round and accumulate massive wins! But experience shows it can take a long time to do that! In the base game your only friends are the wilds which can help build the odd good win.

Sticky Bandits 3 Most Wanted - 2 Scatters
This is how 2 scatters looks waiting for that 3rd that never comes!

But forget that, because what you are really looking to do is land 3 or more Bank Safe Scatters. These symbols, emblazoned with the word BONUS in case you needed reminding, will bring up 12 free spins as well as a payout related to the number of scatters. That is 4x, 25x or 2,500x for 3, 4 or 5 scatters.

Now you are into the bank’s vault for the Old Saloon Free Spins round. EVERY win has a 2x multiplier attached to it.

In free spins each reel has a Sticky Bandit Wild associated with it. The bandit appears in a Wanted poster above their respective reel. Whenever one of the Wild Bandit symbols lands, it becomes Sticky and stays on the reels for the duration of the round. This is where the game comes into its own as you can build up Wilds across the reels for more chances of completing paylines.

And, if you land a Wild Bandit on all 5 reels, you trigger 5 additional Free Spins.

The Final Verdict

Sticky Bandits 3 Most Wanted is a great high variance western slot in the same vein as the others in its own series as well as slots like Dead or Alive from NetEnt. It’s very light on features but to criticise on that level would be to miss the point. You need to take games like this for what they are. You may pick up the occasional good win in the base game, as I did, but basically you are here to hunt down that free spins round where things get exciting. Once there, the configuration of the game, and in particular the 22,468x top win, show that Quickspin have recognised the need to bring this series into the modern age and match up with rival studios whose biggest games now easily surpass the 20,000x potential on a regular basis. And they’ve done a great job of that.

So to conclude, what you have here is a slick, high risk slot with a well-realised game mechanic and blockbuster top win. And all encased in a classic Quickpin production style. What more could you want?

Useful Tips When Playing Sticky Bandits 3 Most Wanted

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. Patience Is Key Here

Only a very, very lucky person would unlock that free spins round in 10 or 20 spins. Chances are, its going to take you a while. So be patient. You can’t force it!

2. Choose A Low Stake

As I always say, pick a low stake for games like this one. You can start as low as 9p per spin which means your bankroll can take you much further as you wait to unleash the bonus round.

3. Wilds Can Be Very Useful In The Base Game

Whilst Most Wanted is all about the bonus round, a 33.33x win in testing in the base game thanks to 4 wilds shows that you can still pick up modest wins when these special symbols land without free spins.

4. Play At Our Recommended UK Slot Sites

All the sites listed on this page are licensed by the UK Gambling Commission which means the games are tested for fairness and the websites are safe and secure. I recommend you pick from here.

Who Made Sticky Bandits 3 Most Wanted?

  • Name: Quickspin
  • Established: 2011
  • UK License: 38516 (under Playtech)
  • Total Games: 100 +
  • Known For: Great artwork, fairytale slots, slots with wilds and sticky wilds, high variance
  • Popular Slots: Sticky Bandits Wild Return, Big Bad Wolf, Golden Glyph 2, Wild Luchador
Find More Quickspin slots

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Red Tiger

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Variance: High | RTP: 96.05

Max Win: 15,000x

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Push Gaming

Deadly 5

Variance: Medium | RTP: 96.39

Max Win: 5,000x

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Quickspin

Sticky Bandits Trail of Blood

Variance: High | RTP: 96.23

Max Win: 17,000x

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Nolimit City

Tombstone RIP

Variance: High | RTP: 96.08

Max Win: 300,000x

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