How-To Guide

Gates of Hades Free Spins: How the Meters Stick

In short: Three or more scatters open the Gates of Hades feature: 3, 4, 5 or 6 of them pay 10, 12, 15 or 20 free spins. From there the multiplier meters above each reel stop clearing for the rest of the round.

You get the same grid in the feature, with one rule switched off: the meters above the reels stop resetting. We bought a round on , then wrote the counters down after every spin to watch it happen.

By ✓ Fact-checkedWhy trust us: how we test

Published

A feature round in progress with meters reading 8x, 2x, 8x
Meters holding their totals two spins from the end of a bought round, . Source: our own screenshot.
Game:
Gates of Hades (a Pragmatic Play 6x6 cluster-pays video slot)
Type:
Slot game
RTP as published:
96.52% theoretical, stated verbatim on the game's own rules screen
Max win:
10,000x the bet, a hard cap that applies in both the base game and the free spins round.

Note: Scatters do the work. Land three and the round awards ten free spins. Land six or more and that same round switches to the Super rule, where every wild carries at least 10x. The part that changes the maths, though, is stickiness: in base play a meter is wiped at the end of each spin, whereas here it survives to the final spin, so the totals compound across the whole round instead of starting again from zero.

Table of contents

What You Need Before You Start

Before you start, check these prerequisites; each one takes a minute and saves a wasted round.

Three scatter symbols on reels one, four and six of Gates
The moment the feature triggers and the buy panels switch off, . Source: our own screenshot.

How a Round Plays, Step by Step

Follow these steps in order; the index below jumps to any step, and each step names the control it uses.

Ten free spins awarded on screen, with FREE SPINS LEFT 10
Three scatters paying the bottom rung of the ladder in our logged session. Source: our own screenshot.
  1. Step 1: Count the scatters
  2. Step 2: Check which rule applies
  3. Step 3: Or buy the entry
  4. Step 4: Read the counters above the reels
  5. Step 5: Expect them to hold
  6. Step 6: Look for a retrigger
  7. Step 7: Know where it stops

Getting into the Free Spins

Step 1: Count the Scatters

Three scatters pay ten spins, four pay twelve, five pay fifteen, six or more pay twenty.

Step 2: Check Which Rule Applies

Six or more scatters flip the round to the Super version, where the lowest value a wild can carry becomes 10x.

Step 3: Or Buy the Entry

The left-hand panel charges a fixed multiplier of the total bet: 100x for the ordinary feature, 500x for the Super configuration. Both prices recalculate automatically whenever the stake selection changes.

Watching the Free Spins Meters

Total win of $78.70 over ten free spins, with CREDIT
The close of our first bought round, worth 39.35x the $2.00 stake. Source: our own screenshot.

Step 4: Read the Counters Above the Reels

Each wild drops its value into the meter over its own reel. Those values are summed rather than multiplied.

Step 5: Expect Them to Hold

Totals stay put until the round ends. That is the whole difference from base play.

How the Free Spins Round Ends

Step 6: Look for a Retrigger

Scatters landing inside the round are worth 5, 7, 10 or 12 further spins, on the same three-to-six scale.

Step 7: Know Where It Stops

A round touching 10,000x your bet closes on the spot, pays the capped amount, cancels whatever spins were still owed.

Tip: Special reels run during the feature, so the symbol mix in front of you differs from the base-game mix.

Only the meters standing over the reels your cluster actually touched are counted. A huge number sitting on an untouched reel pays you zero, which is the single most common misreading of this feature, because the counters are visually identical whether they are in play or idle.

The value set widens in the feature to take in 200x plus 500x, both of them exclusive to the round.

Key Terms Used on This Page

Scatter
The Hades symbol present on every reel; three open a ten-spin round, six or more open the Super version.
Sticky meter
A multiplier counter keeping its total for a whole feature instead of clearing after each spin, as it does in base play.
Super Free Spins
The rule applied from six scatters or a 500x purchase, setting 10x as the lowest value any wild may carry.
Retrigger
Three or more scatters landing inside the round, worth 5, 7, 10 or 12 extra spins.
Win cap
The 10,000x ceiling that closes a round on contact and forfeits the spins still outstanding.

Not sure yet? Try the free demo first and learn the round with play money before any deposit.

Try the free demo first →

Deposits and identity checks stay on the operator's own secure site.

More on this game, from the same section first:

What Else Do Readers Ask?

Our own bought round raised these: what the counters do between spins, what a retrigger is worth, and where the ceiling actually falls.

Can scatters be retriggered inside the round?

Yes, three or more scatters during the feature add five, seven, ten or twelve spins depending on how many land.

Do the meters carry into the next round?

No, the counters clear once the feature finishes, so nothing built during free spins survives into ordinary play.

What happens when the win cap is hit?

The round stops immediately, the capped amount is paid, and any spins still owed are forfeited, which the rules state twice.

How many spins did our bought round give?

Our bought round landed three scatters and paid ten spins, matching the bottom rung of the ladder on rules page three.

Why do some wilds show tiny values?

Ordinary feature rounds allow multipliers from 1x upward; only the Super version sets a floor, and that floor is 10x.

How do we test a bonus round?

We buy the round, write down every meter after each spin, then compare those totals against the values the rules screen publishes.