Sanctuary Slot Review

Sanctuary Slot RTP, Details & Wager Limits

The Sanctuary slot is played with 6 reels, 4 rows and 4,096 ways to win in the base game. Winning combinations are formed when 3, 4, 5 or 6 matching symbols appear on consecutive reels. They need to begin from the leftmost reel (i.e. reel 1) and in any position on the reels). As you’ll discover in the free spins, you can play with up to 4 reel sets, each with 6 reels and 4,096 ways to win.

Bets-wise, you can play Sanctuary from 10p to £20 a spin. Changing your bet/stake is simple: press/click the green arrows in the Stake box to do this. Above the main ‘Spin’ button, there is an Auto Play option where up to 100 auto spins with loss and single-win limits can be chosen. This is available outside the UK. The interface/layout is the same as with all Big Time Gaming slots.

The Sanctuary RTP is 96.38% which is above the 96% online slots average but lower than the RTP average of BTG games (White Rabbit Megaways has a 97.24% RTP rate). Very high volatility, there isn’t any hit frequency rate information at the time of writing.

When it comes to payouts, the Sanctuary slot offers you 44,070 x bet max wins. Bigger wins will come from the free spins where up to 4 reel sets are in play. On base game spins, the max payout is 20,480 x bet.

Theme: unlock a world of limitless possibilities + unimaginable riches

With an ancient Egyptian theme, the Sanctuary slot follows on from other Big Time Gaming titles that have soundtracks provided by the legendary British rock band The Cult. The ‘She Sells Sanctuary’ song is the music behind the game.

With an ancient pyramid and sunset evening forming the game’s backdrop, the same graphical style is found in other BTG slots such as Wild Flower. The symbols are bold and have a tattoo style which makes them stand out.

On the reels, you’ll see A, K, Q, J and 10 royals. Higher value symbols include the Eye of Ra and Scarab Beetle. You’ll also see a rather demonic-looking Anubis and Pharaoh. The Pharaoh symbol is the best paying with 6 in combination awarding a 15 x bet payout.

Additionally, there is an Ankh Cross Wild symbol that substitutes for paying symbols above. Then you have a Purple Reel Wild which appears on reels 2 through 5 and carries an 8x multiplier. There is also a Gold Reel Wild. Lastly, there is a Pyramid Scatter symbol which is key to triggering the free spins.

Sanctuary Mobile

Released in October 2023, the Sanctuary slot is available to play on mobile, tablet and desktop devices. Compatible with iOS and Android smartphones, the potential for 4 reel sets in the free spins makes a laptop or PC the best option in my opinion.

Sanctuary Bonus Features

The Sanctuary slot has 5 bonus features. With Purple Full Reel Wilds with an 8x multiplier in the base game, it’s all about the Sticky Wild Free Spins feature. You can gamble to play with up to 4 reel sets. All come with sticky Ankh Cross Wilds that duplicate onto all reel sets. Fill reels with sticky wilds for a 4x Wild Reel and more free spins. You also have the Win Exchange element to help you trigger the free spins.

Full Reel Wilds feature

Randomly on reels 2, 3, 4 and/or 5, the Full Reel Wilds feature can trigger. Purple Full Reel Wilds will grace the reels and contain an 8x multiplier. If you were to get a Purple Full Reel Wild on the 4 middle reels, the multiplier values would multiply by each other.

This can lead to a 4,096x multiplier. It works similarly to the Angel Wilds feature in the Lil’ Devil slot where Angel Wild reels can lead to a 144x multiplier.

Sticky Wild Free Spins feature

The Sticky Wild Free Spins feature is triggered when you land 3 or more Pyramid Scatter symbols anywhere on the reels. You’ll receive 7 free spins with up to 4 reel sets in play. Each of them has 6 reels, 4 rows and 4,096 ways to win.

Then you have a choice to make: the Free Spins Gamble feature is optional but you can gamble to play with up to 4 reel sets. You can play it safe or go for it and spin the reel. This can be done 3 times for 4 reel sets. However, if you lose the gamble, you’ll head back to the base game.

Once in, the Ankh Cross Wild symbol is a sticky wild. This means it remains in position when appearing on reels 2, 3, 4 and/or 5. It also duplicates across all available reel sets. You will then experience true sanctuary when 4 sticky wilds appear on a single reel. It transforms into a 4x Wild Reel.

Also, 3 extra free spins are added to your tally. This means up to 12 additional free spins can be won (up to 19 in total). A 4x Wild Reel on the 4 middle reels will lead to a 256x multiplier on each reel set.

For non-UK players, there is a Bonus Buy feature which allows you to head straight into the free spins for 80 x your total bet. It’s enabled by pressing/clicking the Bonus Buy icon (the gold envelope).

Win Exchange feature

Like in other BTG games like Wild Unicorns, the Sanctuary slot comes with a Win Exchange feature. When you win between 25 and 80 x your total bet, you can exchange your entire win for the chance to trigger the Sticky Wild Free Spins feature.

You spin the gamble wheel and landing in the green segment takes you to the free spins. Land in the red segment and you’ll lose your initial win and revert back to the base game. Winning over 80 x your total bet will see you exchange your win for guaranteed entry to the free spins.

Sanctuary Summary: up to 4 reel sets with duplicating, sticky wilds in free spins

4/5

Based on our expert’s review. Reviewed by Chris Taylor

Chris Taylor

Play Sanctuary

Sanctuary Slot

Similar to other Big Time Gaming slots, Sanctuary offers big win potential, up to 4 reel sets and multipliers up to 256x during the free spins.

Pros

• 44,070 x bet max wins
• Potential 256x multiplier on each reel set during free spins

Cons

• Similar gameplay to other BTG slots
• Very high volatility

The Sanctuary slot is the fourth game to use music from The Cult as its soundtrack following on from Wild Flower, Lil’ Devil and Outlaw Megaways. Visually, the tattoo style of the symbols is evident in all 4 slots.

When it comes to the gameplay, full reel wilds with multipliers have been used by Big Time Gaming before (in the other slots using The Cult’s music in particular). With an 8x multiplier on each of the 4 middle reels possible, a 4,096x multiplier will apply if you have 4 full reel wilds.

The focus is the Sticky Wild Free Spins feature where triggering with 3, 4, 5 or 6 scatters will see you play with 1, 2, 3 or 4 reel sets respectively. Not to worry though as you can gamble to win more reel sets. More importantly, the Ankh Cross Wild appears and duplicates on all reel sets. It also remains in position until the end of the feature. If 4 sticky wilds land on a reel, a 4x Wild Reel will replace it and award additional free spins.

With an above-average 96.38% RTP rate and 44,070 x bet max wins, the key to bigger wins will come from the free spins due to the possibility of playing on up to 4 reel sets. However, the real potential comes from the 4x Wild Reels which will appear on all reel sets.

Despite being a decent game, the Sanctuary slot is a middle-of-the-road release from Big Time Gaming. Wild Flower for example looks quite similar but comes with multipliers up to 800x, a 96.59% RTP rate and huge 114,000 x bet top payouts.