CSI Slot Review

Ever fancied yourself as a crime scene investigator? Well, now you can unify your passion for playing casino slots with your zeal for determining how a victim of crime met their untimely (and doubtless bloody) demise. Inspired by the hit TV show, which has itself spawned no end of spin-offs, the thrilling casino game has been exclusively developed by software firm International Gaming Technology (IGT), the company behind other TV serial inspired slots such as Family Guy and Judge Judy.

The five-reel CSI slot is spread over 20 paylines, and includes a number of attractive special features. What’s more, the title features character symbols fans of the show will instantly recognise. Gamers are also able to choose which version of CSI they wish to play: CSI, CSI: New York or CSI: Miami. Naturally, the reels are different depending on which iteration of the show you select.

Arriving on the Scene

Officially unveiled at the Global Gaming Expo in 2012, CSI has already proven a hit with both online gamers and their real-world equivalents. The game is known for its sophisticated look and sharply rendered symbols. The action takes place against a dark green backdrop, with the icons lining up on a 5×3 grid. Along the bottom of the screen are the controls. This is where you can regulate your bet-per-line, pay-lines (you can play on all 20, or else 15, ten, five or one) and total bet. You can also check out the pay-table and tweak the autoplay settings. If you so desire, you can set the machine to spin automatically five, ten, 25, 50, 75 or 100 times. You can bet between 0.01 and 5 per line.

Hotshot Investigators

One thing we love about CSI is that there are no playing card symbols: all symbols are devoted to the overarching theme of the game. Thus, we have squares showing solutions in a laboratory, a DNA strand, a thumbprint, a flashlight, a crime scene (complete with yellow tape), a shoe print, a fibre, a bullet and a splash of blood. There’s also a CSI badge and five separate character icons: Stokes, Captain Brass, DB Russell, Willows and Sanders. Naturally, these characters are replaced by others if you choose to play, for example, CSI: Miami.

There are several symbols that possess special properties. Stokes, for example, is wild, meaning he can stand in for all others in order to help you form pay-line wins. However, Stokes cannot replace three icons: the crime scene, the CSI badge or the Lock ’n’ Re-Spin logo.

The CSI badge provides free spins. All you need to do is land three or more on any of the reels. Three symbols equals five free spins, four buys ten and five wins you 30. What’s more, all prizes won during free spins are doubled if evidence collection has begun.

In order to begin ‘collecting evidence’, you must land three or more crime scene icons. The four evidence symbols are the fibre, the shoe print, the bullet and the blood. Collect all four to win a reward of 2,000 credits. But that’s not all: finding the crime scene also leads to pay-outs. At maximum bet, we’re talking 100 for three, 500 for four and 2,500 for five.

As if that wasn’t enough, there’s also a Lock ’n’ Re-Spin logo. If you find this elusive symbol, you’ll trigger the bonus feature, in which winning symbols lock in place while others re-spin to form new combinations.

Cracking the Case

The main man DB Russell (played by Cheers legend Ted Danson) is the best-paying symbol on the board. At maximum bet (i.e. 100 per spin), he pays a whopping 25,000 for five in a line. If you land four, the pay drops to 2,500 and if you find three, it’s 250. Each of the five character symbols pays handsomely, with Willows paying 12,500 for five and Sanders supplying 7,500 for the same number.

A Crime Scene You’ll be Happy to See

The CSI slot is marvellous. If you’re a fan of the show, or even if you aren’t, you should seek it out in an attempt to win its ginormous jackpot. Hey, even if you don’t claim the top prize, there are many attractive wins to shoot for. We were particularly keen on the Lock ’n’ Re-Spin bonus, as well as the generous free spins bonus. It’d be a crime to miss this slot.