| Quick Stats | |
|---|---|
| Provider | NetEnt |
| Game Type | Video Slot |
| RTP | 97.99% (commonly rounded to 98%) |
| Volatility | Low |
| Reels / Rows | 5 × 3 |
| Paylines | 25 Fixed |
| Min Bet | $0.25 |
| Max Bet | $50.00 |
| Max Win | 1,014.6x stake |
| Features | Wild, Scatter, Free Spins (10, 3x multiplier, retriggerable), Vampire Slaying Bonus Game |
| Theme | Gothic, Vampire, Horror |
| Release Date | 10 November 2013 |
| Platform | Desktop & Mobile |
What Is Bloodsuckers
Bloodsuckers is a NetEnt classic from 2013 set in a dark gothic world of vampire hunters and their prey. The 5×3 grid sits against a shadowy stone backdrop with flickering candlelight, and the atmosphere is genuinely well-executed for its era — wind sounds, creaking coffins, and occasional screams. High-paying symbols are four distinct vampires; low-paying symbols are vampire-hunting tools: garlic, a crossbow, a holy bible, and an elixir bottle. Special symbols are the Wild (vampire biting a woman’s neck), the Scatter (screaming vampire bride), and the Bonus symbol (bloody stake and hammer).
The reason this game still gets played a decade after release isn’t the design — the graphics are dated by modern standards. It’s the 97.99% RTP. That figure means long-run theoretical returns of $97.99 per $100 wagered, which is genuinely unusual in a market where most pokies sit at 95–96%. Combined with low volatility and a hit frequency of around 44%, Bloodsuckers delivers consistent small-to-mid wins that keep your balance ticking longer than most games at the same bet size.
One caveat worth knowing upfront: that RTP is a player-facing figure, but the casino operator sets the actual version. Bloodsuckers runs on multiple RTP configurations, including lower ones. The 97.99% applies at casinos running the default highest-return setting. Check the game’s info panel or the casino’s game details page to confirm which version you’re playing.
RTP and Volatility
The 97.99% RTP is the headline number, and it genuinely matters. Over millions of spins, the game theoretically returns $97.99 per $100 wagered — compare that to a typical 96% pokie, and you’re retaining roughly an extra $2 per $100 in the long run. For a $0.25 bet, the difference is tiny on any single session. For players grinding a casino bonus wagering requirement over hundreds of spins, it’s meaningful.
Low volatility means the game wins frequently but in modest amounts. In practice, expect a win on roughly 44 in every 100 spins — which is higher than most pokies. In a $20 session at $0.25 per spin (80 spins), you’re statistically likely to see several small returns along the way rather than a long cold stretch followed by one big hit. The real money in this game comes from the free spins with the 3x multiplier and the Vampire Slaying bonus game, not from base-game payline hits. Plan your session around getting the bonus features to fire.
The high RTP and low volatility combination is exactly why Bloodsuckers is routinely restricted from bonus wagering at most online casinos. Check the terms before using any bonus here.
Betting Range
Bets run from $0.25 to $50 per spin. The $0.25 minimum is accessible and practical — 100 spins at minimum bet costs $25, giving you a solid run at the bonus features without burning through a budget quickly. The $50 maximum is modest compared to high-volatility titles, which suits the game’s low-variance profile. Bet size is set via coin value ($0.01–$0.50) and bet level (1–4), giving you granular control across 25 fixed paylines.
How to Play Bloodsuckers
- Set your coin value and bet level using the controls below the reels. The minimum combination is $0.01 coin value at bet level 1 ($0.25 total); maximum is $0.50 coin value at bet level 4 ($50.00 total).
- Check the paytable before starting — it’s worth knowing that the Wild pays its own wins (2–5 on a payline), and that the Bonus symbol needs to land on consecutive reels from reel 1, not just anywhere.
- Hit spin. All 25 paylines run simultaneously; wins pay left to right from reel 1. Only the highest win per payline is paid.
- Watch for the Scatter (vampire bride) anywhere on the reels — 3+ triggers free spins and also pays a scatter win on top of your line wins.
- Watch for the Bonus symbol (stake and hammer) on consecutive reels from reel 1 — 3+ opens the Vampire Slaying bonus game.
- In free spins, all wins are automatically tripled. Land 3+ more scatters during the round to retrigger 10 additional spins.
- In the Vampire Slaying bonus, pick coffins to slay vampires and collect cash prizes until bats fly out and end the feature.
Try this: Start at $0.25 per spin and run 80–100 spins — the high hit frequency means you’ll see plenty of base-game activity, and the bonus rounds trigger often enough that a session of this length should land at least one feature.
Symbols and Paytable
Four vampire characters make up the high-value symbol set. The top-paying base symbol is the vampire lord — five on a payline pays 20x your stake. Four lower-value symbols are vampire-hunting items: garlic, crossbow, bible, and elixir. These pay 3x–4x your stake for five of a kind. The Wild (vampire bite) pays its own line wins of up to 300x your stake for five on a payline, and substitutes for all symbols except the Scatter and Bonus. The Scatter (vampire bride) pays multiplied wins on 2+ anywhere on the reels, independently of paylines.
Bonus Features
Free Spins
Land three or more Scatter symbols anywhere on the reels to trigger 10 free spins. The scatter landing count also determines an instant payout: 3 scatters pay 4x your stake, 4 scatters pay 25x your stake, and 5 scatters pay 100x your stake — on top of the free spins award. During the free spins, every win is tripled by the 3x multiplier. That applies to all payline wins and Wild wins throughout the entire 10-spin run. The feature is retriggerable — land 3+ scatters during free spins and you receive 10 more spins. The retrigger spins play at the same bet level, but the extra spins do not carry the 3x multiplier. Free spins play at the same coin value and bet level as the triggering spin, so set your stake deliberately before entering the feature.
Vampire Slaying Bonus Game
Land three or more Bonus symbols (bloody stake and hammer) on consecutive reels starting from reel 1 to enter the Vampire Slaying bonus game. You’re taken to a dimly lit burial chamber filled with coffins. Click each coffin to open it — if a vampire is inside, it gets staked through the heart and you collect a cash prize. Keep picking coffins and collecting prizes for as long as vampires appear. The moment you open a coffin and bats fly out instead, the feature ends and your total bonus winnings are added to the main game balance. The maximum win in the bonus game is 812.8x your bet. There’s no fixed number of coffins or rounds — the feature ends purely when bats appear, so a lucky run can string together several prizes before the feature closes out.
About NetEnt
NetEnt (Net Entertainment) was founded in 1996 and released Bloodsuckers on 10 November 2013. It became one of their landmark titles — the combination of 98% RTP and low volatility made it a go-to for bonus wagering and extended sessions, which is also why it quickly ended up on restricted lists at most casinos. NetEnt was acquired by Evolution Gaming in 2020. The Bloodsuckers franchise has since expanded with Blood Suckers II (2017) and Blood Suckers Megaways, both building on the original’s formula with updated mechanics and visuals.
Is Bloodsuckers Worth Playing
Pros:
- 97.99% RTP is one of the highest in online pokies — genuinely rare to find this figure anywhere in a real-money game
- ~44% hit frequency means wins land on almost half of all spins in the base game, making sessions feel active even between bonus rounds
- Free spins with a 3x multiplier on all wins, retriggerable, deliver the best payout potential in the game
- Vampire Slaying bonus is satisfying and interactive, with a max win of 812.8x in the feature alone
- $0.25 minimum bet suits long budget sessions
- Atmosphere and soundtrack are genuinely effective — sparse, creepy, and well-matched to the theme
Cons:
- 1,014.6x max win is low by modern standards — current-generation vampire pokies offer 5,000x–12,000x+
- Graphics are dated; the 2013 design shows its age clearly compared to any recent NetEnt release
- $50 maximum bet limits ceiling wins for higher-stakes players
- Almost universally restricted from casino bonus wagering requirements — check terms before using bonus funds
- RTP varies by casino operator — lower-RTP versions of this game exist; the 97.99% is not guaranteed at every site
- Retrigger spins don’t carry the 3x multiplier, which limits upside on extended free spin runs
Bloodsuckers is worth playing if you want a high-RTP, frequent-paying pokie with a well-designed atmosphere and two solid bonus rounds. It’s not the game for chasing big multipliers or modern visual production. It’s the game for sessions where you want steady returns, a fair shot at the features, and a game that gives back more per spin than almost anything else available. At $0.25 a spin, the low entry cost and near-44% hit frequency make it one of the better value plays in any NetEnt catalogue.
Responsible Gambling
Bloodsuckers uses a certified Random Number Generator (RNG). Every spin outcome is independently determined and cannot be predicted, influenced, or affected by previous results or bet size. The 97.99% RTP is a long-run theoretical figure — short sessions will regularly diverge from it in both directions. Set a fixed budget before you start and treat any session as entertainment spend. If gambling stops being enjoyable, reach out to a local responsible gambling service for support.