Retro Tapes slot review

Retro Tapes slot: the essentials

Retro Tapes comes from Push Gaming, the London-headquartered studio behind Jammin' Jars, Razor Shark and Big Bamboo. Push was founded in 2010, holds a Gambling Commission licence (account 054984) and has been majority-owned by LeoVegas Group, part of MGM Resorts, since a deal announced in May 2023.

The game swaps reels and lines for a large grid of 54 positions, where clusters pay. Here is the verified specification; our slot reviews cover more cluster games.

Retro Tapes RTP: three versions and what each costs

Push Gaming supplies Retro Tapes in three return settings, and each casino chooses one. Your phone has nothing to do with it; an app and a website from the same operator normally load the same version. The difference is real money over time, as the table shows.

Playing the 94.46% version costs about 57% more on average than the 96.47% one (5.54 against 3.53). Since you can't tell which you've got from the reels, check before you play:

1. Open Retro Tapes in the casino app.
2. Tap the game's menu or information icon.
3. Find the rules or paytable page and look for the RTP or theoretical return figure.
4. If it shows 95.47% or 94.46%, decide whether to play there or look for an app running the higher version.

Our guide to how to find a game's RTP in an app gives plain instructions that work in most apps, and our answer to is RTP lower on casino apps explains why the device isn't the cause.

Cluster pays on the Retro Tapes grid

In a cluster pays game, symbols pay when five or more of the same kind form a group on the grid, rather than lining up across reels. Retro Tapes uses 54 positions, which gives clusters plenty of room to form and grow.

Wins cascade: the winning cluster is removed and new symbols fall into the gaps, so one spin can produce several wins in sequence. That cascade chain is what powers the Wild Tapes, because each extra win is a chance for them to grow.

How the features work in Retro Tapes

Wild Tapes

Wild Tapes are wilds that gain 1x every time they help form a winning cluster, and they stay in place on the grid. A Wild Tape that contributes to three wins in a cascade chain will have grown by 3x along the way.

Wild Multipliers and Instant Prizes

A Wild Multiplier symbol boosts every Wild Tape in view and turns them into Instant Prize symbols. So the more Wild Tapes are on screen, and the bigger their values, the more a Wild Multiplier landing can be worth.

Magnets

Magnet symbols pull matching symbols together into clusters, helping groups form that wouldn't otherwise connect.

Top Charts free spins

Three or more Wild Tapes trigger Top Charts, the free spins feature. Wild Tapes and Instant Prizes carry over from the base game into the round, and empty positions spin for new special symbols. That carry-over means the state of the grid when the feature triggers shapes how the round starts.

There is no option to buy Top Charts in a UK app. Since a Gambling Commission warning in January 2020, feature buy-ins are not offered to British players.

Retro Tapes on £20: stakes and volatility

High volatility means Retro Tapes tends to return a lot of its value through a few big results, often involving grown Wild Tapes or Top Charts. The table uses the top 96.47% version; on a lower version every cost figure is higher.

At £1 a spin your £20 may last 20 spins, which on a game like this is often not enough to see Top Charts. A 10p stake gives you ten times as many spins for the same money. Either way, the house edge means losses are likely over time; set a deposit limit before you start.

Retro Tapes max win

The maximum win is 10,000x your stake. At 10p that's £1,000; at 50p, £5,000; at £1, £10,000; and at the £2 cap for players aged 18–24, £20,000. Very few sessions get anywhere close. The figure is a cap on a single outcome, not an expected result, and the house edge applies to every spin along the way.

Playing the Retro Tapes slot on your phone

Fifty-four positions is a lot of symbols for a phone screen. The game is HTML5, so it runs in casino apps and mobile browsers on iPhone and Android, and the casino's game window determines whether portrait or landscape fits best.

• Install apps only from the App Store or Google Play; our iPhone download guide covers the steps.
• UK casinos must check your age and identity before you deposit or play, including in demo mode.
• Search the lobby for Retro Tapes; if it doesn't appear, the app doesn't carry it.
• Check the RTP version before your first spin, as above.
• Each spin needs its own tap, because UK slots have no autoplay.

On a smaller phone, the casino app accessibility features guide covers zoom and display settings that can help with dense grids.

UK rules for Retro Tapes in casino apps

The Gambling Commission's online slots stake limit guidance (opens in a new tab) caps stakes at £5 a spin for players aged 25 and over (since 9 April 2025) and £2 for ages 18–24 (since 21 May 2025). Since 31 October 2021, slots can't autoplay, must take at least 2.5 seconds per spin, can't offer turbo or slam-stop, and can't celebrate a return equal to or lower than your stake.

The Commission's game rules standard (opens in a new tab) requires the rules and payout information to be available to you, which is where the RTP version is shown. See our page on slot stake limits on mobile for how apps apply the caps.

Slots like Retro Tapes from Push Gaming

Push Gaming has built several high-volatility games, including other cluster-pays titles. These figures come from verified specifications.

Jammin' Jars is the closest match in format, with a higher published RTP and ceiling. For apps with broad slot lobbies, see our best slot apps and our high RTP slot apps.

Retro Tapes review: pros and cons

Where to play Retro Tapes with a welcome offer

None of our partner offers is for Retro Tapes, and you should check each app's lobby (and RTP version) yourself. These offers are for new customers aged 18+, and terms apply:

• PlayOJO: 80 free spins on Big Bass Bonanza at 10p each for a first deposit of £10 or more. No wagering; winnings are paid in cash. Not for Northern Ireland customers, and only through the designated offer link.
• Coral Casino: bet £10 or more on slots after a qualifying deposit for 100 free spins at 10p each on selected games; accept within 48 hours, valid for 7 days, no wagering on winnings. Running until 1 February 2027; Neteller, PayPal, Paysafe, Skrill, prepaid and certain debit cards don't qualify.
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LC International Limited runs Coral and Ladbrokes, so you may not be able to open new accounts at both. Bonus spins are for entertainment and come with conditions; they aren't a way to make money.

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.