Big Bamboo slot review

Big Bamboo slot overview

Big Bamboo is built around one idea: tall stacks of bamboo that hide symbols until they open. Push Gaming, the London studio behind it, lists it among its best-known games alongside Jammin’ Jars and Razor Shark.

Push Gaming was founded in 2010, holds a Gambling Commission licence (account 054984, Push Gaming Holding Limited) and has been majority-owned by LeoVegas Group, part of MGM Resorts, since a deal announced in May 2023. Our Push Gaming page covers the rest of its catalogue.

Which Big Bamboo RTP is your app running?

Studios often supply a game at more than one RTP and let each casino choose. With Big Bamboo the gap is two percentage points, which sounds small but adds up. The game plays the same either way; only the long-run return differs.

So the lower version takes roughly half as much again from every pound you stake. The UK’s RTP information rules mean the game description should tell you which figure applies, and the Commission’s standard on rules and game descriptions (RTS 3) (opens in a new tab) is where that duty comes from.

1. Open Big Bamboo in your casino app, in demo or real-money mode once you are verified.
2. Tap the information, help or “i” icon in the game window.
3. Scroll to the section on return to player or theoretical payout.
4. Note whether it says 96.13% or 94.13% (or another figure).
5. If you cannot find it, ask the casino’s support team which version they run.

How the features work

Big Bamboo has two kinds of special bamboo and a free spins round that gets stronger as it goes. Here is each piece in order.

Mystery Bamboo

Stacked Mystery Bamboo symbols land on the reels and then all open to show the same random symbol. Because they arrive in stacks, one reveal can fill large parts of the 5×6 grid with a single symbol, which is how the 50 lines connect.

Golden Bamboo

Sometimes the reveal is Golden Bamboo instead. In that case each Golden Bamboo position spins on its own and can land an instant prize, a collector, a multiplier or a scatter. Collectors and multipliers work on the instant prizes, so this is where the larger base-game results come from.

Getting to free spins

Free spins are reached by landing scatters. One of the scatters is a gamble scatter, which decides two things for the round: how many spins you start with and how many low-paying symbols become Mystery Bamboo.

Inside free spins

During the round, every four scatters you collect turns another low symbol into Mystery Bamboo, adds more spins and raises the Golden Bamboo multiplier. A round that collects plenty of scatters therefore ends very differently from one that collects few.

Big Bamboo on a £20 budget at 10p, 50p and £1

Expected cost is stake × house edge. It describes the average over a huge number of spins, not what happens in your session. With a high-volatility game like this, most £20 sessions will finish well away from the average.

Two things stand out. First, the RTP version matters more over many spins than any choice you make inside the game. Second, at £1 a spin, 20 non-paying spins end your session, and a game where much of the value sits in Golden Bamboo and free spins can easily go that long without paying.

Slots are entertainment that costs money. The house edge means you should expect to lose over time. Setting a deposit limit before you start keeps a session within the amount you planned.

Big Bamboo max win: what 50,000× really means

A 50,000× cap is among the higher ceilings in our slot reviews. At a 10p stake it equals £5,000; at the £2 limit for 18–24-year-olds it is £100,000; and at the £5 limit for players aged 25 and over it would be £250,000.

Figures like these are why the game is high volatility: some of its total return is reserved for very rare outcomes, which leaves less for ordinary spins. For almost every player, the maximum will never come into play. It is a reason to keep stakes modest, not to raise them.

Playing the Big Bamboo slot on iPhone and Android

Big Bamboo is a browser-based HTML5 game, so it loads inside a casino app or a mobile browser without a separate install. Push Gaming does not publish whether it is built for portrait or landscape, so how it fits your screen depends on the casino’s app and your device.

The 5×6 grid with tall bamboo stacks has a lot to show on a phone. Golden Bamboo values can be small at phone size, so it helps to turn up screen brightness or use a larger device if you struggle to read them. Our page on slots on mobile covers general screen and battery points.

• Download casino apps only from the App Store or Google Play. Our Android install guide explains how to spot the genuine listing.
• Slot results are decided on the server, so a lost connection should not erase a result. See how casino apps handle disconnections.
• Demo play still needs age verification in the UK, as our free-to-play rules page explains.

UK rules for Big Bamboo: gamble scatter, stake caps and no bonus buy

Players sometimes ask whether the gamble scatter is allowed in the UK. The Gambling Commission has not banned gamble features. Its online slots stake limit guidance (opens in a new tab) even gives an example of a player choosing between prize options within one game cycle without staking more. Whether a particular version includes a given feature is up to the studio and casino.

Since a Gambling Commission warning in January 2020, feature buy-ins are not offered to British players. The Commission’s games warning for online operators (opens in a new tab) explains why, so in a UK app you reach free spins only through the scatters.

You can read the detail on our game design rules and slot stake limits pages.

Push Gaming slots similar to Big Bamboo

If Big Bamboo appeals, the same studio’s other high-volatility titles are the obvious next step:

• Fat Banker: 6×6 grid, 50 paylines, 96.43% RTP (a 94.45% version exists) and a 25,000× ceiling.
• Fat Rabbit: 5×5 grid and 50 paylines at 96.45% (94.15% version also exists).
• Jammin’ Jars 2: an 8×8 cluster-pays sequel with the same 50,000× maximum.
• Fat Santa: the festive member of the “Fat” series, rated medium to high volatility.

Big Bamboo review verdict: pros and cons

Big Bamboo suits players who accept long quiet spells for the chance of a stronger free spins round. It does not suit anyone who wants steady small returns or plans to play at high stakes on a small budget.

Where to play Big Bamboo with a casino app welcome offer

None of our partners’ offers is tied to Big Bamboo, and we cannot confirm which of them carries it, so check each app’s game lobby. The offers are for new customers aged 18+, and terms apply.

• PlayOJO app: a first deposit of £10 or more gets 80 free spins on Big Bass Bonanza at 10p each, with winnings paid as cash and no wagering. Not available in Northern Ireland.
• Coral Casino app: bet £10 on slots after a qualifying deposit for 100 free spins at 10p on selected games, accepted within 48 hours and used within 7 days, no wagering.
• Ladbrokes Casino app: spend £10 on slots for 50 free spins a day over 10 days (500 maximum), 10p each, claimed before 23:59 each day, valid 7 days, no wagering.

PayPal, Skrill, Neteller, Paysafe and prepaid card deposits do not qualify at Coral or Ladbrokes. See our no wagering casino apps list for a side-by-side view.

18+. Every casino game has a built-in house edge, so over time you should expect to lose what you stake. Set a budget before you play and stop when it’s gone: safer gambling tools and support. Free, confidential help: National Gambling Helpline 0808 8020 133.