Jingle Balls Slot (Nolimit City)

The Spin Test criteria can be found at the bottom of the page

Test Comments

This is NoLimit City at it's best and be prepared to expect the unexpected as always. Loved the game, enjoyed the session, but as is often the case with this studio, there is a lot more going on that actually getting winning spins - The action was thick and fast producing a decent 27/100 winning spins which falls into the High rating, but at an average value of just 1.69x including a best base game win of 10.2x, the session ended with an RTP of just 45.85%, Way below par. Thats NLC games for you though and if you've played them before you know what to expect, if you are new to the studio then tread carefully.

Loved it!

This game opens with an interesting question - 'has anyone stopped to think whether Santa himself has been behaving this year?' It's a good point and I think the game manages to answer that burning question.  After playing the game I'd say it's a resounding no. He hasn't behaved himself this year or any other year by the look of it. He's definitely a naughty Santa. 

As well as the Free Spins rounds mentioned in the summary also look out for NLC's trademarked xSplits Wilds which can fill up an entire reel. When landing, the xSplit Wilds split all symbols to the left and right and double that symbol.

Right, let’s get started with my in-depth Jingle Balls slot review. I’ve got lots to share with you, let's gooo!

Graphics, Music, and Sound Effects

The graphics are first-rate and create the festive story perfectly. When playing the base game you see a fantastic mix of black and white comic book-style creatives mixed with pops of colours on the reels. During the 'Spirit Spins' bonus round, the grid is surrounded unexpectedly by barbed wire with a half-eaten gingerbread man attached to the flex. The vibe here is certainly more prison than toymaking paradise. During the other two free spins rounds, there are baubles, tinsel, a bra and an empty champagne bottle underneath the barbed wire so it looks like someone has been enjoying themselves.

There are a variety of sound effects including techno beats, the sounds of a prison alarm and Santa saying 'Have you been naughty or naughty,' laughing hysterically and shouting 'No more Christmas for you.'

The music is, let's just say, diverse. During the base game, you'll hear a tinkly version of Jingle Bells, then there's strange patriotic music in the bonus games. And there's a techno version of Deck the Halls for the win messaging so go figure.

Now that I've told you about the summary, intro, graphics, music, and sound effects, the key game features are up next.

Here at OLBG we create slot game reviews that include up-to-date info about essential features such as themes, paylines, reels, bet range, and bonuses. I’ll round off the review by discussing my play experience, first impressions and expert verdict.

Theme – Christmas

With a creepy-looking Santa, a saucy-looking Mrs Clause, a cigar-smoking Grinch and a shifty-looking elf. These don't look like your usual array of cuddly Christmas characters. The designer has done a superb job with the creatives. The black and white imagery in the background on the reels is a strong contrast to the colourful graphics on the reels. This matches the theme of 'Christmas with a dark twist.'

In the background image, you see a black-and-white film roll filled with photos of all of the game's characters. The reel characters have been created in an illustration style which gives the game a vintage feel. The special symbols have been designed in the traditional colours of green, red and white and look very bright against the contrast of the monochrome.

On the reels, starting from the highest value first, there is big man AKA Santa Claus, Mrs Claus, an elf, the Grinch, and Rudolph the reindeer. These are followed by the standard symbols which are depicted by various wrapped up presents.

Reels

For the Jingle Bells slot game there are 6 reels and the rows vary. During the base game there is a 3-3-4-4-5-5 row set and during the bous game there's a 5-5-4-4-3-3 setup row setup.

Paylines

When the full amount of reels and rows are open up there are a mega 614,656 paylines available.

RTP

Max Win

NLC always has a name for the max payout feature of the game and Jingle Balls is no exception. This one is called 'Time for Vacation in...' Here the payout is 12,250x your stake.

Wild Shape

There are several Wild features for the Jingle Balls game - xSplit Wilds, the standard Wild Symbol and xNudge Wilds. First up are the xSplit Wilds and the regular Wild Symbol. Regular Wild symbols can land on all reels. But an xSplit Wild symbol can land on reels 5-6 during the base game, and reels 1-2 during the Spirit Spins bonus game. xSplit Wild symbols split all symbols to the left and right and double that symbol. If a symbol is split more than once, it will be displayed with a multiplier. The xSplit Symbol has a nifty animation that literally cuts across the rows.

Next up is the xNudge Wild symbols which can land on reels 3-4 during the main game and the Spirit Spins bonus mode. This is a stacked Wild Symbol that will always nudge to be fully visible. Each nudge increases the Wild multiplier by 1. When a part of the xNudge Wild symbol lands on the reels, it will begin to nudge up or down until it is fully visible on the entire reel. Several Wild multipliers add to each other for a total Wild multiplier. 

Free Spins

There are 3 bonus rounds available - Spirit Spins, Spirit Spins: All Aboard and Spirit Spins: Double Joy. Before each bonus round a setup spin is shown which looks like a panel of people from a tv quiz show. You'll see the 4 top paying symbols - Santa Claus, Mrs Claus, the Elf and the Grinch. This setup screen will decide the number of spins awarded and what win multiplier each of the four top paying character symbols will get. Before the Spirit Spins starts, one of the character symbols will be randomly chosen and active during the bonus mode.

Here, if you land 4 or more Scatters, all characters will be active during the bonus mode. Landing 5 Scatters will award double the win multiplier value during the setup spins and during the bonus mode. During the bonus round, the top reel may award an increase win multiplier value to the active characters.

Firstly there is the Spirit Spins round which is activated when landing 3 or more Scatters. During this bonus round, you will be randomly awarded +1x, +2x or double the current collected win multiplier value. Secondly, there is the 'Spirit Spins: All Aboard round which you access by triggering 4 Scatters. Thirdly is the 'Spirit Spins: Double Joy' round which is accessed by 5 Scatters. Here you are randomly awarded +2x, +4x or double the current collected win multiplier value. The win multiplier value is updated for the current spin and remains for the rest of the bonus round.

Play Experience & First Impressions

This game uses the classic NLC features of xWays, xNudge Wilds, xSplit Wilds which are all fantastic trademarked features. Personally, I enjoy nudging Wilds so I got plenty of entertainment from the xNudge Wilds. Plus they looked top-notch when they landed with the huge red baubles.  The xSplits also looked striking on the reels the way they literally cut through the reels.

xWays was another highlight of play. Here, the xWays symbols can land on reels 1-2 during the base game, and reels 5-6 during the bonus games. The xWays symbol can reveal a random regular symbol and if more than one xWays symbol lands, all xWays symbols will reveal the same symbol.  Having 3 free spins bonus options is always a decent incentive and these did not disappoint.

I'm always excited to review a new Nolimit City game as you know you're going to experience something completely different. Like all of its games, this one was immersive with a strong storyline and superb imagery. This was never going to be a traditional Christmas slot so it wasn't a total surprise to discover a saucy Mrs Claus and a Santa Claus with a paunch and a dodgy pair of Y-fronts. Plus of course, that nemesis of Christmas - the Grinch - puffing on a cigar. This is most definitely a cheese-free zone so if traditional Christmas slots are not your cup of tea you're in for a treat. The grid itself looked fantastic with the adjustable rows and the contrast of the monochrome and the Christmas imagery. There was plenty of action, especially in the bonus rounds.

With a max win of 12,250 x bet, NLC is continuing its trend of reducing these amounts although it still compares favourably to others on the market. If you're a bit bah humbug about Christmas or even if you are not you should definitely give this one a whirl. Want more festive cheer? Check out the best Christmas slot games: 

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The Jingle Balls slot review was written by our slot game experts on the OLBG Expert team. Beginning with Jenny Mason our prime Slot reviewer who has 17+ years in online gambling, top UK brands. Expert in sports betting, slots, and bingo. Then Andrej Trajkovski, who has worked in the online gambling industry since 2013, playing and reviewing online slots and casinos daily for the past four years. 

The review is Fact Checked by William Westerlund, an online casino expert reviewing casinos and slots for over five years.  Steve Madgwick is our Editor-In-Chief with over 18 years of experience creating and managing high-quality sports betting and Casino content for OLBG, a self-confessed online slots fans who has played at 100's of the best slot sites online and completes the 100 Spin tests to keep his hand in.

Steve Madgwick

Editor-In-Chief

Steve is our Editor-In-Chief with over 20 years of experience creating and managing high-quality sports betting content for OLBG & multiple other publications. An avid traveller, Steve has lived and worked in Gozo, Malta, and more recently Spain before moving back to the UK in 2022. Today Steve manages all content on OLBG and oversees our SEO. He was brought up with horse racing, attending tracks in the South East, most frequently, Goodwood, Fontwell and Brighton, and his knowledge of online slot games is unrivalled.

Jenny Mason

Queen of Bingo

Jenny Mason has more than 17 years of experience in the online gambling industry and has worked for some of the UK’s top betting brands. She started at OLBG in 2014, and her role involved creating great content and looking after marketing activities. Jenny is knowledgeable in all areas with specialisation in Bingo and Online Slots.

100 Spin Test Criteria

The 100 Spins test is undertaken on a demo slot, staking 100 spins at £1 per spin

Session RTP - Return to the player after 100 spins - Eg, A return of £45 from 100 spins is 45%, or a return of £107 is 107%

Win Frequency - A winning spins to spins frequency, higher frequency regardless of prize, is often more entertaining.

• 0-10 Very Low
• 11-15 Low
• 16-30 Medium
• 21-35 High
• 36+ Very High

Biggest Base Game Win  - Highest single base game spin winning value

Spins to Bonus - How many spins were completed before the main bonus round was achieved

Bonus Paid - Value of bonus once complete

Time Taken  - How long did the 100 spins take to complete?