Bars is one of the oldest icons on a reel, a single, double or triple bar borrowed from the fruit machines of old. It turns up on 22 slots, usually as a low-to-mid paying symbol.
Bars trace back to the very first mechanical machines, where a stack of bars replaced older imagery on the drums. Most modern slots keep them as a plain paying icon, no special function attached. I found the single, double and triple variants stacked in value, with the triple bar sitting at the top of that little trio. It is a retro marker, plain and simple, and a wee bit doubtful of the specs I was, but they hold up.
How Bars pays on the reels
Payouts for Bars land in the lower half of the paytable on most games, above the card royals but below the sevens and any premium fruit. The triple bar usually returns the most of the three, though the exact figure shifts from slot to slot. In my view it works best as a filler that keeps small wins ticking rather than a jackpot maker.
Rarely does Bars carry a Wild, Scatter or Multiplier tag, since designers tend to reserve those roles for sevens or themed icons. On the games I tested, the hit rate is steady, I'll no complain, but you should not expect a single line of bars to change your session. The maths are sound, even to a doubter, once you stop expecting miracles from a symbol this humble.
Slots where Bars shines
You will spot Bars most clearly on retro-styled releases from the big studios. Pragmatic Play leans on them in Sweet Bonanza spin-offs and classic builds, while Endorphina keeps the fruit-machine look alive in titles like Twerk and 2027 ISS. Microgaming put them front and centre in Break da Bank Again, a genuine old-timer.
For a modern twist, Mega Joker from NetEnt uses bars alongside its high-RTP setup, and Blazing Sevens keeps them as steady low payers beside the headline icon. Across these 22 slots the average RTP sits at 96.11%, which is fair, sceptic that I am. The ceiling's a canny number too, with an average max win around 5,028x, though I'd measure each game on its own before chasing it.
FAQ
What is a Bars symbol in a slot?
Bars are a classic reel icon carried over from early fruit machines, shown as single, double or triple bars. They usually act as low-to-mid paying symbols with no special function, marking a slot as retro or fruit-themed.
On how many slots does the Bars symbol appear?
Bars turn up on 22 slots in this collection. Most are classic or fruit-machine styled titles from studios like Pragmatic Play, Endorphina and Microgaming.
Does the Bars symbol have a special function?
In the vast majority of games it does not; Bars simply pay when enough land on a line or cluster. Wild, Scatter and Multiplier roles are almost always given to sevens or themed icons instead.
Can you play Bars slots for free?
Most Bars slots run free demo modes with play money, letting you test the paytable before staking. Titles like Mega Joker and Break da Bank Again are easy to find in demo form.
Which Bars slots have the best RTP?
Classic builds such as Mega Joker from NetEnt often sit above the 96.11% average for this group. Always check the game's paytable, since the same symbol appears across very different RTP setups.
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