Big Bass Bonanza saves its best for rounds that keep going. Every fourth fisherman you collect in free spins buys ten more spins and a bigger multiplier, topping out at 10× after the third retrigger, and that climb is the only realistic route to the 2,100× cap. Offshore you can buy the bonus. You still start that round at the bottom of the ladder.
What Big Bass Bonanza Is
Reel Kingdom's 2020 fishing slot, released through Pragmatic Play. Money fish land, the fisherman collects them, and every fourth fisherman caught in free spins adds ten spins and lifts the multiplier to 2×, 3× and finally 10×.
The UK Build Against The Offshore One
UK sites cannot sell the bonus buy and must cap your stake. Offshore operators often list the buy, and they choose between Pragmatic's builds (top setting 96.71%, others at 95.67% or 94.67%) without having to say which one is live.
Pragmatic Play offers this game with a top setting of 96.71% plus lower versions at 95.67% or 94.67%, and the casino chooses which to run. Some of these settings reach us through operators and slot databases rather than a studio sheet, so treat the lower two as indicative. Two points sounds trivial, yet over 2,000 spins at £1 it adds roughly £41 to your average cost. The paytable states the live figure: here is where to look.
The free spins round, step by step
Three or more scatters on the 5×3 grid start the free spins, with more scatters awarding more spins. Fish symbols with cash values attached land as normal, and the fisherman wild collects every one of those values on screen whenever he appears.
The round keeps a running count of fishermen collected. The ladder works like this:
- Fishermen 1 to 3: collections pay at face value (1×).
- Fourth fisherman: ten more spins are added and collections now pay 2×.
- Eighth fisherman: another ten spins, multiplier rises to 3×.
- Twelfth fisherman: a final ten spins at 10×, which is the top step.
Most rounds never reach the fourth fisherman, which is why a typical bonus pays a modest sum and ends. Treat that as the normal result.
Why the top prize lives so deep in the round
A quick sum shows how much the ladder matters. Say the fish on screen add up to 20× your stake when a fisherman lands. At the 1× level that collection pays 20×. The identical screen at the 10× level pays 200×.
The 2,100× maximum therefore needs two things together: a round long enough to reach twelve fishermen, and big fish values showing once it gets there. Neither is common, and getting both is rare. The large results you see clipped and shared online almost all come from rounds that cleared the third retrigger.
The practical takeaway is to judge the game by its ordinary rounds, because those make up nearly all of your play. A session where no bonus got past 2× is what the game usually looks like.
If you want to see that spread for yourself, the bankroll simulator shows how often long sessions finish up, down or broadly level at a chosen stake.
What the three RTP settings cost you
There is no visual difference between the three builds (96.71%, 95.67%, 94.67%), so the rules screen is your only guide. The table puts each setting against 2,000 spins at £1, or £2,000 of turnover:
| Build | Average cost of 2,000 spins at £1 | Gap to the top build |
|---|---|---|
| 96.71% | £65.80 | None |
| 95.67% | £86.60 | £20.80 |
| 94.67% | £106.60 | £40.80 |
Those are long-run averages and real sessions scatter widely around them, especially on a game this volatile. The RTP cost calculator reworks the table for your own stake.
Telling the Big Bass titles apart
Reel Kingdom has spun this game into one of the largest series in online slots. The fisherman and the collect idea stay, but grid size, ceilings and even the core feature change from title to title. A few of the best known:
| Title | Grid | Max win | Key difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Big Bass Bonanza (2020) | 5×3, 10 paylines | 2,100× | This page. Multiplier ladder of 2×, 3× and 10× inside free spins. |
| Bigger Bass Bonanza | 5×4, 12 paylines | Not listed | Extra row and two extra lines, so the bonus arrives on a different rhythm. |
| Big Bass Splash | 5×3, 10 paylines | 5,000× | Higher ceiling, with leaner ordinary rounds to fund it. |
| Big Bass Bonanza Megaways | 6 reels, variable ways | Not listed | Ways replace paylines. See Megaways slots not on GamStop. |
| Big Bass Hold & Spinner | 5×3 with hold-and-win | Not listed | Swaps the free spins for a hold-and-win bonus. |
Seasonal and themed releases (Christmas, Halloween and racing editions among them) look like reskins but are certified as separate games. Where a cell reads “Not listed”, this site has not confirmed the figure, so check the rules screen of the title you open.
Buying the bonus at casinos not on GamStop
Feature buys have been banned on UK-licensed sites since 2021, so the option only exists offshore. On this game it is usually priced at around 100× your stake. Because the studio sets that price to preserve its margin, the buy changes when you meet the volatility, not how much you keep on average. Our bonus buy explainer covers the arithmetic.
Bear in mind what the purchase includes. You enter at 1× with the fisherman count at zero, exactly as if three scatters had landed naturally. The ladder still has to be climbed, so a bought round ends early just as often as an earned one.
Stake caps also differ offshore, and you will still be asked to verify your identity at some stage (see KYC at offshore casinos). A quick word if you are on GamStop because gambling had started to cause you harm: it is better left active, and GamCare's free helpline is 0808 8020 133. Other titles available offshore are listed under slots not on GamStop.
What A Lower RTP On Big Bass Bonanza Costs You
Big Bass Bonanza is advertised at 96.71%. Casinos can load a lower configuration of the same game. Set the stake and session length to match how you play and the difference comes out in pounds.
These version figures are reported by operators and databases; we have not read them off a studio document, so treat them as orientation.
Worked example. Big Bass Bonanza at £1 a spin, 500 spins an hour for 10 hours is 5,000 spins and £5,000 staked.
| RTP version | Expected loss |
|---|---|
| 96.71% | −£165 |
| 96.50% | −£175 |
The lower version costs £10 more over the same play.
What A Session On Big Bass Bonanza Looks Like
Most Big Bass Bonanza bonuses end without a single retrigger, so typical sessions sit in a narrow, modest band and the large outcomes come from the rare rounds that keep climbing.
Worked example. £200 played at £1 a spin for 1,000 spins is £1,000 of turnover, more than the bankroll, because winnings are staked again.
| Starting bankroll | £200 |
| Turnover if the money lasts | £1,000 |
| Expected cost of that turnover | −£33 |
Enable JavaScript to run ten thousand sessions and see the spread of outcomes rather than this single average.
Where To Play Big Bass Bonanza Not On GamStop
- Welcome packs with no wagering
- 15+ provably fair Originals
- Rakeback and weekly cashback via loyalty
- Sportsbook on the same balance
- Originals with seed verification
- Large sportsbook
- Daily races and weekly raffles
- Very wide coin support
- Originals and lottery games
- Sportsbook
How this list is ranked: licence and transparency, UK access, bonus terms, cashier, games and track record. The full method.
Big Bass Bonanza: Questions Players Ask
How many fishermen do I need for the 10× multiplier?
What does the bonus buy cost on Big Bass Bonanza?
Should I play Big Bass Bonanza or Big Bass Splash?
Does a casino not on GamStop run a different RTP?
Play with money you can afford to lose. Casino games are built to return less than is staked over time. Set a budget and use your account's deposit limits. Free, confidential support is available from GamCare on 0808 8020 133. More on staying in control.