Quick Stats
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| Provider | Felix Gaming (founded 2016; Bulgarian studio; Curaçao licensed) |
| Game Type | Video Slot — Classic Format |
| RTP | 96.98% |
| Volatility | Medium-High |
| Reels / Rows | 3 × 3 (main grid) + 2 single flanking bonus reels |
| Paylines | 5 Fixed |
| Min Bet | $0.25 per spin |
| Max Bet | $7.50 per spin |
| Max Win | 400× stake |
| Release | 1 October 2018 |
| Features | Joker Wild (random centre-reel appearance; substitutes all symbols), Left Bonus Reel (free spins up to 5, active on every spin), Right Bonus Reel (multiplier up to 25×, active on every spin), combined free spins + multiplier events |
| Theme | Halloween / Horror / IT-inspired Clown |
| Platform | Desktop & Mobile (HTML5) |
What Is It’s a Joker?
It’s a Joker is Felix Gaming’s most popular slot, and it’s easy to understand why. The concept is elegantly simple: take a classic 3×3 fruit machine, dress it in horror-movie aesthetic (the villainous clown, the drain backdrop, a floating paper boat that’s clearly a nod to Stephen King’s IT), and add two perpetually-spinning bonus reels on either side of the main grid that can deliver free spins and a multiplier on literally every single spin.
That last part is the game’s genuine innovation. Most slots hide their free spins and multipliers behind specific scatter counts or bonus triggers. Here, both run as background mechanics on every spin — you’re not waiting to trigger the feature, you’re living with the possibility of it on every round. A left reel showing 3 free spins next to a right reel showing a 15× multiplier doesn’t require you to collect anything — it activates immediately, playing your next 3 spins with wins multiplied by 15×.
The 3×3 grid itself is a classic fruit machine — bells, oranges, plums, lemons, cherries, grapes, sevens, boxes, and the Joker Wild at the top. The Joker Wild can appear randomly in the centre position, substituting for any symbol and helping complete paylines across all 5 active lines.
At 96.98% RTP — nearly 97% — this is one of the most player-friendly RTPs on the Blackspins platform and one of the highest in Felix Gaming’s own catalogue. SlotsFan’s platform review specifically highlights It’s a Joker as Felix Gaming’s all-time best-performing slot.
Who this is for: NZ players who enjoy compact, fast-playing 3×3 pokies with genuine bonus action on every spin, want a near-97% RTP, and appreciate a distinctive horror aesthetic on a classic fruit machine template.
Who this is not for: High rollers — the $7.50 maximum bet is a hard ceiling. Players who want large max win ceilings (400× is modest) or deep multi-stage bonus mechanics.
RTP and Volatility
It’s a Joker carries an RTP of 96.98%, confirmed across all independent sources. The house edge is 3.02% — well above the 96% industry average and one of the top RTPs in the Blackspins lobby alongside Hit Saber (97.50%) and Hit the Diamond (96.5%). For comparison, Felix Gaming’s other Blackspins-listed title Hit Saber sits at 97.50%.
Volatility is medium-high. Felix Gaming’s own rating places it at 4/5 for volatility (per GoodLuckMate). The 5-payline 3×3 format means base-game wins from payline combinations are less frequent than wider-grid games, but the flanking bonus reels deliver free spins and multiplier values on every spin — creating a rhythm where the bonus reels contribute meaningfully even when the main grid doesn’t produce a payline win.
At $0.25 minimum, a $25 session covers 100 spins. The 3×3 grid resolves instantly, making session pace fast.
Betting Range
It’s a Joker accepts bets from $0.25 to $7.50 per spin. All 5 paylines are fixed. The compact max bet is the game’s primary limitation for players wanting large absolute payouts — 400× at $7.50 = $3,000 maximum session win.
The bet range makes this a genuine casual player’s slot. At $0.25, a $25 budget covers 100 spins. At $1.00, $100 covers 100 spins. The multiplier up to 25× means even small stakes can produce 25× the bet on a Joker Wild payline combination.
Autoplay is available.
How to Play It’s a Joker — Step by Step
The 3×3 main grid is straightforward. The flanking bonus reels add the interesting layer — pay attention to both sides before each spin resolves.
- Set your bet. Choose between $0.25 and $7.50. All 5 paylines are always active.
- Observe the full screen layout. Three reels to your left: the main 3×3 grid and two single-symbol bonus reels flanking it on each side. All five areas spin simultaneously on every round.
- Press spin. The main 3×3 grid resolves left-to-right combinations on 5 paylines. The two flanking reels simultaneously show a free spins value (one reel) and a multiplier value (other reel).
- If the main grid produces a payline win: The right-side multiplier reel value is applied to that win. A Joker Wild three-of-a-kind worth 16× your bet multiplied by 25× = 400× your bet — the game’s maximum.
- If the left-side reel shows a free spins value (1–5): Those free spins play out immediately, with the multiplier from the right-side reel locked in for all of them. Free spins + multiplier work in tandem.
- Random Joker Wild (centre position). At any point during a base-game spin, the Joker symbol can appear in the centre position of the 3×3 grid, substituting for any symbol. This fires randomly without any trigger requirement.
- Free spins behaviour. During free spins, the multiplier from the right-side reel remains active. The flanking reels continue to spin during free spins, potentially adding more free spins or refreshing the multiplier mid-feature.
Try this: Watch the right-side multiplier reel specifically on your first 10 spins. Note whether high multiplier values (10×, 15×, 25×) appear often or rarely — this gives you a calibrated sense of how frequently the large multiplier events occur in your session before the base-game payline combinations interact with them.
Symbols and Paytable
It’s a Joker uses 10 symbols — 9 regular payline symbols plus the Joker Wild.
Paylines pay left-to-right when 3 matching symbols appear on any of the 5 lines:
| Symbol | Payout (× total bet) |
|---|---|
| Joker Wild (3 of a kind) | 16× |
| Box + Joker (any combo) | 10× |
| 3 Boxes | 5× |
| Sevens | 4× |
| Grapes | 3× |
| Cherries | 1.4× |
| Lemons | 1.2× |
| Plums | 1× |
| Oranges | 0.8× |
| Bells | 0.4× |
Joker Wild: The game’s top symbol and its wild. Appears in the centre position of the 3×3 grid when the random wild mechanic fires. Substitutes for any other symbol. Three Joker Wilds on a payline pay 16× your bet. Before multiplier — 16× × $7.50 = $120. After maximum 25× multiplier — 400× × $7.50 = $3,000.
Watch for: A high multiplier value on the right-side bonus reel (15× or 25×) appearing on the same spin where the Joker Wild fires in the centre position. Centre Joker Wild + three-of-a-kind completion + 25× multiplier = 400× bet maximum. This requires the random Joker Wild event and the maximum multiplier reel outcome on the same spin — the game’s rarest and highest-value single event.
Bonus Features
Dual Flanking Bonus Reels (Active Every Spin)
The defining mechanic of It’s a Joker. Two single-symbol reels are positioned on either side of the main 3×3 grid and spin on every single round — they are not triggered, they are always running.
Free Spins Reel (one side): Displays a value between 0 and 5. When it shows 1–5, that many free spins activate immediately after the current spin. The free spins number is locked before the feature begins.
Multiplier Reel (other side): Displays a multiplier value. When a payline win occurs, the multiplier is applied. Maximum multiplier: 25×. During free spins, the multiplier reel value from the triggering spin remains active for the duration of the free spins feature.
Key interaction: Free spins and multiplier values work simultaneously. If the free spins reel shows 3 and the multiplier reel shows 15×, you receive 3 free spins with a 15× multiplier on all wins during those spins. The combination of both — especially at high multiplier values — drives the game’s headline win events.
Random Joker Wild (Centre Grid)
At random points during base-game spins, the Joker symbol appears in the centre position (reel 2, row 2) of the 3×3 grid. This fires independently of any symbol combination — it’s a random overlay event, not triggered by scatter counts or specific reel positions.
The Joker Wild in the centre position intersects every payline on the 3×3 grid — the centre is the most payline-dense position on a 3×3 layout. Its appearance immediately completes partial combinations across multiple simultaneous paylines.
Design and Theme
It’s a Joker draws explicit visual inspiration from Stephen King’s IT — a malevolent clown, drain/sewer backdrop, and a small paper boat visible floating in the scene. PlaySlots.net calls the aesthetic a “steampunk-horror mashup” — Victorian-era cog elements, deep blue shadows, and the Joker character drawn with cartoon horror flair that’s unsettling without being graphic.
The fruit symbols pop in vivid colour against the dark background. The Joker’s face uses exaggerated features that land between playful and genuinely creepy. Sound effects include metal clinks and faint laughter — reinforcing the atmosphere without becoming oppressive.
The compact 3×3 grid is immediately navigable on mobile screens. HTML5 — confirmed as mobile compatible on iOS and Android.
Felix Gaming’s visual execution here is one of the strongest in their catalogue — SlotsFan notes It’s a Joker as the studio’s all-time best-performing game for a reason, and the visual identity is part of why it’s memorable in a crowded field.
Is It’s a Joker Worth Playing?
Pros:
- 96.98% RTP is genuinely outstanding for a 3×3 slot — nearly 97%, among the highest on the Blackspins platform
- Dual flanking bonus reels deliver free spins and multiplier values on every single spin — you’re always in bonus-adjacent territory
- Up to 25× multiplier combined with Joker Wild three-of-a-kind = 400× bet maximum in a single event
- Random Joker Wild fires centre-position, the most payline-dense grid position — unexpected but frequently valuable
- Compact 3×3 format resolves quickly, making high spin counts efficient
- Visually memorable and distinctive — the IT-inspired Joker aesthetic stands out in the Blackspins lobby
- Felix Gaming’s most popular title for a reason — the mechanic works
Cons:
- Maximum bet of $7.50 limits absolute payout ceilings — 400× × $7.50 = $3,000 theoretical maximum. Not suitable for high-roller sessions
- Maximum win of 400× is modest — competitive 3×3 titles can exceed this significantly
- 5 fixed paylines on a 3×3 grid means the base-game payline hit frequency is limited; the bonus reels carry most of the session’s win events
- No scatter, no progressive jackpot, no pick-me bonus — the feature set is deliberately minimal
- Free spins can run dry for stretches per GoodLuckMate’s reviewer experience (“many of them led nowhere”)
- Volatility at medium-high on 5 paylines means dry stretches are noticeable even with the perpetual bonus reels
It’s a Joker is one of the best pure-value 3×3 slot propositions in the Blackspins lobby. The 96.98% RTP is exceptional, the dual-reel mechanic delivers bonus action on every spin, and the IT-inspired horror aesthetic is genuinely distinctive. The $7.50 maximum bet is the main limitation — this is a casual player’s pokie with a near-97% RTP and a perpetual multiplier/free spins engine that makes each spin feel meaningful. If you want a compact, fair, atmospheric 3×3 experience, It’s a Joker delivers it cleanly.
Responsible Gambling
It’s a Joker uses a certified random number generator (RNG). All reel outcomes, Joker Wild appearances, and flanking bonus reel values are fully random and independent between spins. The 96.98% RTP applies across millions of spins — individual sessions will deviate. Set a session budget before playing, and contact your local responsible gambling support service if gambling causes concern.