About the Show
Sons of Anarchy boasted a talented ensemble cast during its
seven-season run, including Katey Sagal as Jax’s mother Gemma
Teller Morrow, Ron Perelman as former SAMCRO President Clarence
“Clay” Morrow, and Kim Coates as Sergeant-at-Arms Alexander
“Tig” Trager.
During the show’s third season average weekly viewership
reached 4.9 million, making Sons of Anarchy the highest-rated
show in FX history, topping acclaimed dramas like Rescue Me, The
Shield, and Nip/Tuck. Both the fourth and fifth season premieres
still stand today as the two highest-rated episodes ever aired
by FX.
Background to the Game
Following the success of Aristocrat’s other slot machine
based on a hit TV drama, The Walking Dead, producers for Sons of
Anarchy approached Aristocrat’s development team to discuss the
possibility of adapting their show in similar fashion.
Aristocrat’s revolutionary The Walking Dead video slot had
captivated casino goers throughout 2014, and head honchos for
Sons of Anarchy believed their own show could create similar
buzz.
According to said Dallas Orchard, vice president of gaming
operations for Aristocrat, the decision to take on another TV
title came naturally:
“They not only wanted us to come up with a slot machine based
on their show, they wanted the same team that produced ‘The
Walking Dead’ game to work on their slot machine. At Aristocrat,
we have been very aggressive and deliberate in seeking out and
securing popular, high-profile licensed titles for our customers
and their players, and ‘Sons of Anarchy’ fits perfectly within
that strategy.
Our designers have been working closely with the FX team at
‘Sons of Anarchy’ and the creative result is a game that
perfectly captures the essence of the show and combines that
with Aristocrat’s proven math.”
The links between Sons of Anarchy’s design and that of The
Walking Dead are clear from the moment players first see the
machine. Housed in Aristocrat’s cutting edge 31.5-inch Verve HD
cabinet display, the game features high-resolution video clips
straight from the show, crystal clear audio, familiar songs from
the show’s soundtrack, and seamless graphic animations.
Completing the sensory immersion, Sons of Anarchy also utilizes
Aristocrat’s famous iChair technology, which rocks, tilts, and
moves the players seat along with the in-game action.
While the show features an expansive ensemble cast, and
several main characters meet untimely demises during the
seven-season run, five key figures form the foundation of the
Sons of Anarchy slot experience: Jax, Gemma, and Clay, along
with Opie Winston (Ryan Douglas Hurst), and Tara Knowles (Maggie
Siff).
Interesting Fact
Upon the game’s release, the Sons of
Anarchy slot was named by the 15th Annual Goldman Sachs Slot
Survey as the Most Anticipated Game of 2015, as well as one of
the Top 10 performing titles of the year.
The title screen for the game is simple yet striking, as Jax
stands on a deserted highway along with his bike. His back is
facing the player, showing off his jacket and SAMCRO patches,
while the sky is replaced by a waving American flag. Above the
words “Sons of Anarchy” you’ll also see a number representing
the game’s largest progressive jackpot total (more on this
below).
Like Aristocrat’s other premier games, Sons of Anarchy
machines will typically be found in clusters, or banks of
multiple machines. Above these banks you’ll find the skull
symbol, the “SOA,” and other signifiers that fans of the show
will immediately recognize.
During the actual game, the background screen is simply a
recreation of the title screen. The reels and on-screen action
are set against the highway’s black pavement, while Jax stands
near his steed on the vertically oriented main game screen.
Reel Symbols
Once upon a time any review of an Aristocrat slot’s reel
symbols would begin with the ubiquitous card ranks, but
increasingly, the company is transitioning away from
standardized design schemes. That means each and every one of
the reel symbols in this game represent some aspect of the show
and its mythology.
The five primary reel symbols in Sons of Anarchy are
portraits of five crucial characters: Jax, Gemma, Clay, Tara,
and Opie. Each of these symbols is known as a “Big Symbol,”
which means they will always occupy two spaces at a time on a
reel. Big Symbols – which are also known as stacked symbols to
slot fans – can also randomly stretch to cover three spaces on a
reel, giving them a much higher chance of generating winning
combinations.
Other reel symbols to watch for in Sons of Anarchy include
the blue and silver pin, the yellow TM Automotive logo, the
SAMBEL three-leaf clover, the judge’s gavel, the SO-NS gold
knuckle rings, the Redwood Original American flag, the red “A”
anarchy mark, and the Grim Reaper.
Both the red “A” anarchy mark symbol and the Grim Reaper
bonus symbol are Big Symbols, so they’ll occupy either two or
three reel spaces at one time. The red “A” anarchy mark symbol
also acts a wild symbol, so it will match any other symbol in a
cluster to form winning combinations.
Gameplay Features and Mechanics
Aristocrat made its name within the slot machine
manufacturing industry by churning out dozens of reliable, if
not all that innovative, machines featuring the standard five
reel, 20-payline structure. But following in the footsteps of
the hit The Walking Dead machine, the company updated the Sons
of Anarchy gameplay with a new reel scheme.
The base game begins with an arrangement of six reels holding
five symbol spaces each. A total of 30 reel symbols are in play
during each base game spin.
Another break from the norm concerns the concept of paylines,
which Aristocrat has abandoned in favor of a much more
entertaining model. Similar to the company’s “Reel Power” payout
system – which replaces paylines with a predetermined number of
winning combinations that can be made anywhere on the screen –
the Sons of Anarchy slot is based on the “Cluster Power” pay
scheme.
What is Cluster Power?
In a Cluster Power game, matching symbols can appear anywhere
on three reels (not just on certain paylines connecting adjacent
reels) in groups, or clusters, to create winning combinations.
Unlike payline winners, which must be formed beginning with the
left-most reel, Cluster Power winners can be created by a group
of the same symbols appearing on the second, third, and fourth
reels, for example.
As a 5×6 Cluster Power game, Sons of Anarchy offers a
staggering total of 15,625 possible winning combinations.
However, because of the increased likelihood that any individual
spin will produce a winner, base game payouts are generally
quite low, simply sustaining players’ bankrolls while they shoot
free spins, bonus games, and multipliers.
The minimum coin denomination for Sons of Anarchy is $0.01,
making a penny slot in the minds of most players, but the
minimum cost per spin stands at $0.60. Of course, players can
always elect to increase their cost to cover incrementally,
betting 120, 180, 240, or the maximum of 300 credits per spin.
While most players utilizing a limited bankroll will opt for
the minimum of $0.60 per spin, upping the ante to $3.00 per spin
entitles players to a chance at the game’s massive $500,000 main
progressive jackpot. Whenever possible, given bankroll
constraints, players should be employing a max-bet strategy on
Sons of Anarchy, simply due to the sheer enormity of the largest
progressive jackpot.
Just ask Donald Stanley of Portland, Oregon. An avid Sons of
Anarchy fan, Stanley played the game based on his favorite show,
parlaying just $25 and a few max-bet spins into a life-changing
$934,185 progressive jackpot score at the Spirit Mountain Casino
in September of 2015.
For those who simply prefer a less volatile game based on
smaller bets per spin, Sons of Anarchy also includes three
smaller progressive jackpots available to players betting any
amount. The name of these progressive jackpots, and the starting
seed amount for each, has been listed below:
- Grand – Starts at $500,000
- Only available when betting maximum of $3.00 per
spin
- Major – Starts at $500
- Minor – Starts at $50
- Mini – Starts at $10
Sons of Anarchy also features several classic Aristocrat slot
gameplay elements, including a wild symbol, multipliers, free
spins, and bonus games. A basic list of game specifications for
Sons of Anarchy can be found below:
- Wilds: Yes
- Free Spins: Yes
- Multiplier: Yes, between 2x and 10x
- Bonus Game: Yes, several
- Progressive: Yes, the Grand for $500,000, along with
Major, Minor, and Mini progressives
- Return to Player: 97.05%
Regrettably, full pay table information for Sons of Anarchy
has not been made available, as more than 15,000 possible
winning combinations and the Cluster Power setup makes
publishing these numbers impractical.
Triggering the Bonus Round
During the Sons of Anarchy base game, the Grim Reaper bonus
symbol, which also acts as a Big Symbol like the main character
symbols, serves to activate the primary bonus features.
First, by landing three or more of the Grim Reaper bonus
symbols anywhere on the reels, you’ll be awarded with escalating
payouts. For example, three of these symbols on the screen is
good for 200 credits when min-betting, and five of them will
return a huge payout of 50,000 credits when max-betting.
Even better, landing three or more of the Grim Reaper bonus
symbols triggers the game’s Wheel Bonus round. During this
exciting feature, players are presented with a prize wheel
comprised of 12 spaces, each one alternating between red and
blue (along with a single gold space).
Landing on the bonus wheel’s blue spaces will reward you with
a set number of free base game spins, with players eligible to
receive 8, 10, 12, 15, 20, and 50 free spins. You’ll have two
chances to spin the bonus wheel, so with a little luck, you can
manage to score 100 free base game spins.
Additionally, after each free base game spin awarded by the
bonus wheel, a random multiplier between 2x and 10x will be
applied to any winnings. Between the generous number of free
spins you can claim, and these random multipliers, every free
spin on Sons of Anarchy is a valuable commodity.
Landing on the bonus wheel’s red spaces entitles players to
one of the game’s progressive jackpots. Two red spaces are for
the Mini jackpot, two more represent the Minor jackpot, while a
single red space signifies the Major jackpot, and the coveted
gold space pays out the Grand jackpot. Only players with a
max-bet of 300 credits per spin applied when the Wheel Bonus was
triggered can land on the Grand jackpot space, otherwise, this
space will be guarded by a chain link fence graphic.
Another extremely entertaining and potentially lucrative
bonus feature found in Sons of Anarchy concerns the main
character Big Symbols. At random points during any spin, these
Big Symbols (which normally appear as vertical strips covering
multiple spaces on a single reel) can become even bigger,
appearing as squares with cover multiple spaces on adjacent
reels, or extending vertically to cover an entire reel at once.
Whenever you see a main character Big Symbol show up as a
square crossing adjacent reels, or as a vertical strip that
covers an entire reel, the game will announce that a NO LIMITS
Re-Spin Bonus has been awarded. At that point, you’ll receive a
free spin, with the Big Symbol now acting as a sticky symbol,
remaining in place throughout the duration of the bonus.
The reels will also expand on the screen, creating additional
chances to form winning cluster combinations. The reels can
become a 7×7 alignment, or grow even bigger, all the up to the
rare 10×10 grid, which is capable of generating several large
winning clusters simultaneously to award tremendous payouts.
Landing any more of the same character symbols that
originally triggered your NO LIMITS Re-Spin Bonus will result in
another free spin, while also expanding the reel grid. During
the NO LIMITS Re-Spin Bonus, the goal is keep landing the same
character symbol that triggered the round, thereby expanding the
reel to a 10×10 grid, while filling it with sticky Big Symbols.
Summary
Fans of the Sons of Anarchy television series will instantly
claim Aristocrat’s stunning new machine as their new stomping
grounds. And even if you’ve never watched an episode of the
show, a combination of exciting new features like Cluster Power
and Big Symbols makes the game a treat for slot players of all
stripes. Combined with top-flight visual and audio displays, the
iChair sensory movement experience, and a highly prized
progressive jackpot payout worth at least $500,000, the Sons of
Anarchy slot is a welcome addition to Aristocrat’s expanding
lineup of media-integrated licensed titles.
