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Written by: Filip Gromovic Reviewed by: Nashon Khamala
Updated: Jun 2025
Explosive does sound like the right term for a slot that keeps players on the edge of their seats until the very end. Light and Wonder’s Dancing Drums Explosion slot game has all the right ingredients of a proper money splash game, offering double of everything. There are two wilds, two scatters and a win-doubling feature. The only offer that isn’t 2x as good is the jackpot, and that is because it is 5x better. Yes! There are 5 distinct jackpots, each capable of explosive payouts.
Read our review of this 2021 release and discover all the important details you need to perform excellently and even earn profits. Also, play the game at FreeSlots99, one of the best online platforms for no games download fun.
Dancing Drums slot machine is a 5×3 video game with a 96% RTP and a bet range of $0.18 to $88. It has a Pay Anywhere combination system, a medium variance and a $250,000 peak payout. Activating the free spins bonus game changes the game mechanics to a 5-reel x 8-row grid format and 32,768 betways. Check out our table to know more about this Light and Wonder design.
| Software Provider | Light and Wonder |
| Release Date | 2021 |
| RTP | 96% |
| Volatility | Medium |
| Max Win | 2840x |
| Reels x Rows | 5×3 on standard game |
| Minimum – Maximum Bet | $0.18 to $88.0 |
| Features | Wilds, scatters, free spins game, jackpots |
| Payout Format | Pay Anywhere (243 to 37,268 betways) |
| Themes | Chinese, Asian, wealth, gold, coins |
Light and Wonder is one of the most dominant slot providers in the Asian/oriental market, and this time, the studio explores a very popular Chinese culture – Wealth and Happiness. Dancing Drums online slot takes the player on a journey of fortune-gathering and joy-finding as they seek to change their life forever. The symbols tell the story, comprising different gold currencies, money trees, a golden lion and a ferry ship.
We advise that you pay attention to the FU Bat symbols. They are the wilds, guiding you to fortunes and jackpot rewards. Mystical drums do appear occasionally on the reels, and you must try to beat them as hard as possible to enter the magical realm of endless possibilities.
Discover the beauty of China in the eyes of a sailor searching for Gold and fortunes in Dancing Drums Explosion.
Dancing Drums slot machine design is simplistic and minimal. The game opens with an intro screen that highlights some of its biggest features. Clicking any part of this screen takes you directly to the reels page, enveloped in a catchy orange-colored background. Above the 5×3 grid are 5 distinct jackpot menus with varying fixed prizes determined by your stake amount. Below the grid is your real money/demo balance.
You will find several icons on the right side of the screen, each with unique roles.
The provider keeps this game design basic. There are no dancing animations in the base grid. However, things do start to get busy in the bonus game, with colorful lines and symbols dancing all over the reels. The music is quite great and sounds like something straight out of a Chinese blockbuster movie. It is a blend of subtle piano, drumming and guitar, creating the perfect aura for endless spins.
We can confidently state that Dancing Drums online slot has one of the most straightforward gameplay. It is all simple, right from when you launch the title. Firstly, you need to view the paytable to know how each symbol performs. Once you have an idea of the sequence, you can progress to place your bet value and spin for wins.
There are 14 distinct symbols in the game, and 4 are bonus characters. These 4 symbols are the Drum scatter, Golden Drum scatter, FU Bat Wild and Golden FU Bat Wild. The other 10 symbols are regular characters that pay anywhere (Any Way Pays mechanic). You just have to land 3 to 5 matching symbols on adjacent reels, starting from the leftmost one.
The two scatters can also trigger combinations following the same pattern as the regular symbols on the base and bonus grid. Both scatters offer the highest payout, making them really important.
See how each Dancing Drums online slot symbol pays when 3 to 5 of them land on the reels adjacently.
| Symbols | 5 of a kind | 4 of a kind | 3 of a kind |
| Drum/Golden Drum | 50x | 10x | 5x |
| Lion | 9.09x | 2.27x | 1.14x |
| Ship | 4.55x | 1.14x | 0.57x |
| Money Tree | 2.27x | 0.85x | 0.34x |
| Golden Sycee | 1.71x | 0.57x | 0.28x |
| Golden Coins | 1.14x | 0.28x | 0.17x |
| A | 0.23x | 0.11x | 0.06x |
| K | 0.23x | 0.11x | 0.06x |
| Q | 0.23x | 0.11x | 0.06x |
| J | 0.17x | 0.11x | 0.06x |
| 10 | 0.17x | 0.11x | 0.06x |
| 9 | 0.17x | 0.11x | 0.06x |
Note that the decimal multipliers were rounded up two places. Payouts may slightly differ in cents during real play.
Light and Wonder is not one to disappoint with in-game bonuses and the provider maintains that reputation in Dancing Drums slot machine. The slot’s special features are the real money makers and should be your primary target for the best returns.
Wilds: The game has two distinct wilds with similar and unique qualities – FU Bat and Golden FU Bat, both of which appear only on the 2nd, 3rd and 4th reels. These symbols look like Chinese notes with bat imprints. They can substitute all symbols except the two scatters to complete combinations.
The Golden FU Bat only appears on the base grid, unlike the standard wild that is active in both the standard and bonus rounds. Also, the Golden FU Bat doubles the wins and jackpots it triggers, except the Grand jackpot. We provide more insight on how the Wilds trigger jackpots later in this guide.
Scatters: Like the Wilds, there are two scatters – Drum and Golden Drum.
Let’s talk about the standard drum. Whenever 3 or more drums land on adjacent reels, starting from the leftmost reel, the Free Spins mode instantly becomes active. In this mode, you may choose one of five distinct options.
Mystery Choice – Randomly choose your row, spin and betway combination
Now the Golden Drums work very similarly to the standard types but deliver even better free spins modes. To enjoy this offer, you must have at least one Golden Drum in the mix when you land three drums on adjacent reels. Here are the possible Golden Drums FS modes:
Mystery Choice – Randomly pick a row, spin and betway combination
Free Spins Bonus: The Dancing Drums online slot free spins bonus game starts as soon as you choose your preferred mode. The standard FU Bat maintains its characteristic, substituting regular symbols to complete wins. You can also increase your free spins count during an active bonus game. Just land 2 or more Drums on consecutive reels from left to right. There is no limit to the number of spins you may activate this way. It simply depends on your luck.
For some reason, Light and Wonder decided to forsake round figure bet values, settling for decimals and unconventional numbers. The minimum wager value is $0.18, while the maximum is $88. Since it is a pay anywhere mechanic, you cannot place line bets, and wins are usually easier to trigger. Also, there are specific payout terms that you must fulfill to earn combinations, and we list them below:
Light and Wonder chose to play to the gallery with this release, announcing its RTP as 96%. This number is the general industry average and is a great offer for players who love the long-term game. This percentage also means that the house only keeps 4% of profits while paying out the others as winnings.
Dancing Drums online slot has a medium volatility. It offers payouts at an impressive rate. Generally, you are likely to get 1.5 wins out of 4 spins, which isn’t a bad proposition. Also, it is very easy to maximize the title’s bonus characters and activate its unique features.
There are five fixed jackpots that you may set off in Dancing Drums online slot. The size of each jackpot depends on your bet value. Mini is the smallest, while Minor, Major, Grand and Explosion follow are the bigger pots in ascending order.
Activating the jackpot simply depends on the wilds and a touch of random luck. Anytime, the FU Bat or Golden FU Bat appears on the grid, you stand the chance of triggering a jackpot. That is all it takes and luck may shine on you during the base or bonus game. No exceptions.
If you activate the jackpot mode, a new screen with 12 gold coins will come up, each representing a jackpot symbol. You have to pick and unveil one coin at a time. Once you unveil at least three coins with the same jackpot FU Baby symbol, the prize for the relevant pot gets paid to your balance instantly.
If you activate the jackpot mode with the Golden FU Bat, then your jackpot prize gets doubled. However, if it is the Grand pot that gets picked after unveiling the coins, it will automatically turn to the Explosion jackpot. The Explosion pot pays a whopping $250,000 on a max bet of $88. That is a sweet 2,840x in wins and the peak limit for this online slot. We love how that sounds to be fair.
The highest payouts possible for Major and Grand jackpots are $50,000 when activated with the standard wild and $100,000 when triggered by the Golden wild.
Dancing Drums Explosion slot plays the beat of Wealth, happiness and luck. Four special characters guide you to major payouts while the jackpots offer the ever-present possibilities of hitting fortunes. The betting commitment is very affordable even for those on a budget. There is also the chance to explore the Dancing Drums Explosion free demo mode if registered with FreeSlots99. So the odds are basically in your favor.
Apart from Dancing Drums Explosion slot, there are thousands of casino games from top providers to play at FreeSlots99. We have a detailed game reviews section where you can learn about these titles before going all out for the win. If you like online machines with Stacked wilds, megaways and awesome payout sequences, then FreeSlots99 is the perfect destination.
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Rating by: Nashon Khamala
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Filip Gromovic is a senior slots reviewer here at FreeSlots99 with over five years of experience evaluating the latest drops in the world of iGaming.
Being a slot fan himself, Filip approaches slot ratings just the way we like it – professionally, but also from a player’s standpoint.
That enables him to give his unbiased take on the slot’s features, gameplay and design, while only recommending top-tier releases to our readers.
More info on Filip Gromovic
Having served FreeSlots99 for more than 5 years as a senior content editor and reviewer, Nashon Khamala has extensive knowledge in game slots and iGaming.
His membership in the Editorial Freelancers Association helps him deliver content that reaches both editorial excellence standards and an engaging information level.
By using his expertise in slots games combined with player-focused analysis, Nashon delivers a professional evaluation of slot features and player experiences in his reviews.
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