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UK5 Awesome Golden Nugget Slots You Have to Try – Wheel of Fortune and More
The Golden Nugget—from the original casino in downtown Las Vegas to newer locations in New Jersey, Mississippi, and Louisiana—offers top-flight gaming for all sorts of gamblers. A brisk walk across their casino floor will prove that Golden Nugget slots are selected from the best the gaming world has to offer.
But however convenient the Golden Nugget is making its casino floor to more and more slot aficionados, they still aren’t delivering Buffalo or Lightning Link to your home or office. Online slot developers have worked hard to create games virtually identical to those found on the gaming floors of any Golden Nugget Casino. I looked at these online slots and found those equal (maybe even a bit better) than the best Golden Nugget slot machines.
5. Pinball
- Software: IGT
- RTP: N/A
- Release Date: 1990
- Pay Lines: 1
A stalwart among Golden Nugget slots, Pinball from IGT has been since at least the ‘90s, and three decades later, the electromechanical three-reeler still draws in the fans. Pinball Magic is a retro slot with a 5×6 screen filled with bumpers, flippers, and pinballs. One of the first slots to add a secondary video screen for a bonus round, the slot requires max coins to access that bonus feature. Symbols on the reels are well-known and widely recognizable, from the cherries and double diamond medallions to the big red 7s and single, double, and triple bars.
Pinball is about as standard a slot as they come. The single special feature of this slot is whenever the “Pinball” logo appears on the pay line. This triggers the simplified video slot game above the reels to shoot a pinball into the spiral of bouncers, landing eventually in one of the cups marked with various denominations.
Whatever value is on the cup, the player is awarded that amount. Playing slots doesn’t have to be strictly a Vegas or Cripple Creek occasion. These days, you can play online slots for real money. And the prizes on offer aren’t exactly peanuts, either. With the fading of pinball’s stars, it will get increasingly difficult to find pinball-themed slots, but you may be able to find games like Pinball Magic at Sloto Cash Casino.
4. Lightning Link Heart Throb
- Software: Aristocrat
- RTP: 95% (est.)
- Release Date: 2018
- Pay Lines: 50
Lightning Link is one of the most popular slot machines to play, and you’ll find Lightning Link Heart Throb prominent among Golden Nugget slots. Naturally, any slot with a special feature that allows you to win all progressive jackpots associated with that game will be popular. I’ve been a fan of Lightning Link slots for years. The feature triggers are often enough to keep me interested and anticipating, and the wins are juicy enough to make me feel like I’m getting my money’s worth. While winning big is my goal, I’m happy if I’ve had a good and exciting round at the slots—and Lightning Link does that for me regularly.
You’ll find similar slots online, such as Medusa’s Millions at DuckyLuck Casino. One of the many slots with a “Hold & Win” feature very similar to Lightning Link, Medusa’s Millions also boasts three progressive jackpots. Consider signing up at this online casino after reading our in-depth DuckyLuck Casino review.
3. Top Dollar
- Software: IGT
- RTP: N/A
- Release Date: early Pleistocene era
- Pay Lines: 1
Even if you’ve never played Top Dollar, you’ll no doubt recognize its bonus screen. The game first appeared on casino floors when coins were still in style. Top Dollar predates the video screen, so the bonus display above the mechanical reels is a sheet of glass with lights behind it. Printed on the glass are stacks of cash valued at different amounts.
The idea is to get three Top Dollar symbols on a pay line. This triggers a pick bonus and lights up the stacks of cash displayed above the reels. After shuffling the lights behind the various cash stacks, several remain lighted, and this becomes the player’s “first offer.” The choice is simple. Accept the total amount being offered or “Try Again.”
Despite its seriously retro take on the slot machine, you’ll find Top Dollar on every Golden Nugget slot machine list. The player is offered up to three “Try Again” opportunities before the “Final Offer” is made. The opportunity to choose is a minor novelty that should quickly become boring but somehow doesn’t—probably why Top Dollar remains among the most popular of all Golden Nugget slots. If you like picking bonuses that can result in some serious wins, try Count Spectacular at Las Vegas USA Casino. The pick bonus here offers anything from re-spins and free spins to pay line multipliers.
2. Wheel of Fortune
- Software: IGT
- RTP: 96% (est.)
- Release Date: 1997
- Pay Lines: 1
This slot has been around since your grandma wore spit curls. It’s based on the popular game show of the same name, which made Pat Sajak and Vanna White multimillionaires—but the same can be said for some lucky slot players. That’s because it features some truly life-changing progressive jackpots that regularly pile up into the millions.
Naturally, the whole buying vowels and guessing phrases part of the television show can’t be part of a game of chance like a slot machine, but somehow, none of the people I’ve ever seen playing the game seem concerned with the missing pieces.
In fact, wherever you find slot players, you’ll find people who swear that Wheel of Fortune is one of the best Golden Nugget slot games.If you’re a fan of progressive slot games, you can find ample opportunities to try your luck online. And if you’re looking for the life-changer sort of progressive jackpot, you can’t go wrong following your dream with Aztec’s Millions at Cherry Gold Casino. The game has about as much to do with the Aztecs as the Wheel of Fortune has to do with buying a vowel, but who cares? It’s fun, it’s exciting, and sometimes, it’s very profitable.
1. Buffalo
- Software: Aristocrat
- RTP: 95% (est.)
- Release Date: 2008
- Pay Lines: 1024 (all ways)
Buffalo is easily one of the best slots to play at Golden Nugget. Surprisingly, this series of slot machines has only been around since 2008, when the first Buffalo slot was installed on a casino floor. Surprisingly, the slot has a timeless quality that makes it feel like it’s always been there. The main feature that makes Buffalo the most popular of all Golden Nugget slots is the multiplying buffalo symbols that can trigger huge wins.
Similar in function to the Lightning Link features, those stampeding buffalo bring excitement to every player’s face.
The whole buffalo concept is so powerful that many other game developers have created similar games. One of the best is Buffalo Power, which you can try out at 888Casino.
Final Thoughts on the Best Golden Nugget Slots
Golden Nugget delivers one of the strongest slot lineups in the country, mixing iconic classics like Pinball and Top Dollar with modern favorites such as Buffalo and Lightning Link. These games are popular for a reason—they’re simple, exciting, and capable of producing huge wins.
While you can’t bring every Golden Nugget slot home with you, online casinos offer close alternatives with similar features and jackpots. Whether on the casino floor or online, these slots capture the same high-energy experience players love.
