On this page 9
In short
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3 phases
Evolution's live slots run a qualifying slot, a top-up slot that adds multipliers, and only then a live bonus with the host.
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Shared spins
In Playtech's Live Slots and Extra Chilli Epic Spins every player gets the same spin result, scaled to their own bet.
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No RTP published
Evolution's game pages and launch news for its three live slots show no RTP, so check the game's help screen at the casino before you play.
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XXXtreme 5x / 50x
In Crazy Coin Flip a 5x spin guarantees one scatter and a 50x spin two: a faster route to the bonus at a much higher cost per spin.
What makes a live casino game hybrid
A hybrid game splits one round between a slot and a live studio. The term covers two formats that play quite differently.
Live slots with a live bonus
You play a normal-looking slot on your own screen. Its reels are random number generator spins, and their only job is to qualify you for a bonus. Once you qualify, you join a live bonus round where a host runs a physical device: Crazy Time's coin, its Pachinko wall, or a ball draw. Evolution's Crazy Coin Flip, Crazy Pachinko and Balloon Race all work this way.
Shared-spin slot shows
Here the slot itself is the live part. A host in a studio runs one set of spins, every player sees the same reels, and each win is paid at the player's own stake. Playtech launched this format as Live Slots with Buffalo Blitz, and Evolution's Extra Chilli Epic Spins plays Big Time Gaming's Extra Chilli Megaways reels the same way.
Slot-branded game shows sit next to these. Gonzo's Treasure Hunt uses NetEnt's Gonzo character on a wall of 70 stones, and Pragmatic Play's Sweet Bonanza CandyLand turns the Sweet Bonanza slot into a 54-segment money wheel. They borrow a slot's theme, but there is no slot phase: you bet on the live outcome directly, as in other live game shows.
Hybrid live games compared
7 hybrid and slot-themed live games
Only the three Evolution live slots split the round into a slot phase and a live bonus. The others are either shared spins run by a host or game shows that borrow a slot's theme.
| Game | Format | What the live part does | Launched | Default bets |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crazy Coin Flip (Evolution) | Live slot | Host flips the Crazy Time coin; red and blue multipliers build up | US debut 4 Dec 2023 | $1–$500 |
| Crazy Pachinko (Evolution) | Live slot | Host drops the puck on Crazy Time's Pachinko wall | 29 Nov 2023 | $0.10–$1,000 |
| Balloon Race (Evolution) | Live slot | A ball machine moves coloured balloons in a race | 3 Jul 2024 | $0.50–$2,000 |
| Extra Chilli Epic Spins (Evolution) | Shared spins | Host runs shared Megaways spins and smashes a piñata for multipliers up to 20x | 26 Apr 2023 | $0.20–$100 |
| Buffalo Blitz Live (Playtech) | Shared spins | Host runs community spins every few seconds, with free spins | Announced Dec 2019 | $0.20–$1,000 |
| Gonzo's Treasure Hunt (Evolution) | Slot-themed game show | Players pick stones on a wall of 70; VR mode | 9 Jun 2021 | $0.10–$1,000 |
| Sweet Bonanza CandyLand (Pragmatic Play) | Slot-themed game show | Host spins a 54-segment wheel with number bets and bonus games | – | $0.20–$3,000 |
Formats and dates: Evolution's game pages and launch news (Crazy Coin Flip US debut, 4 Dec 2023; Crazy Pachinko, 29 Nov 2023; Balloon Race, 3 Jul 2024; Extra Chilli Epic Spins, 26 Apr 2023; Gonzo's Treasure Hunt, 9 Jun 2021); Playtech's Live Slots announcement as reported by Intergame (20 Dec 2019); Pragmatic Play's CandyLand page. Default bets: the figures we list on LiveCasinoRank; each casino sets its own limits. – means no launch date we could verify.
How a live slot round works
Crazy Coin Flip, Crazy Pachinko and Balloon Race
- Qualify in the slot Spin the qualifying slot until three scatters land. Crazy Pachinko's scatters are sticky and Balloon Race adds Expanding Wilds. In Crazy Coin Flip an XXXtreme spin costs 5x your base bet and guarantees one scatter; a Super XXXtreme spin costs 50x and guarantees two.
- Top up the multipliers A second slot phase adds multipliers to what you will play for. In Crazy Coin Flip red and blue coin symbols on 3x3 reels feed the two sides of the coin; in Balloon Race you pop balloons.
- Play the live bonus You join the studio. The host flips the coin, drops the Pachinko puck or starts the balloon draw, and the result is applied to the multipliers you built up.
Shared-spin games (Playtech Live Slots, Extra Chilli Epic Spins)
- Set your session In Playtech's Live Slots you choose an overall limit, the number of spins and the bet per spin before the session starts.
- Watch the community spins The host runs the reels for everyone at once, spins every few seconds, and every player gets the same symbols. In Extra Chilli Epic Spins, spelling HOT triggers 8 free spins, up to 16.
- Bonus rounds Free spins are played live as well. In Extra Chilli Epic Spins two gamble wheels can add free spins, and the host's piñata gives multipliers up to 20x.
RTP and limits in hybrid games
RTP works the same way as in any slot: a 96% RTP returns $96 for every $100 staked over a very long run, and any single session can land far from it. The live host does not change it. The qualifying and top-up phases are random number generator spins, and the bonus device pays by rules fixed before you bet.
What differs is how much is published. We found no RTP for Crazy Coin Flip, Crazy Pachinko, Balloon Race, Extra Chilli Epic Spins or Gonzo's Treasure Hunt on Evolution's game pages or in its launch news, so this page quotes none for them. For Sweet Bonanza CandyLand, LiveCasinoComparer lists 91.59% to 96.95% depending on the bet. Before you play any of them, open the game's help screen at your casino: it shows the RTP of the version that casino runs. Our guide to RTP in live casino games explains how to read it.
Where to play hybrid live games
Hybrid games come from the big live studios, so any casino with Evolution, Playtech or Pragmatic Play's live lobby can carry them. Each casino picks its own titles, though. Search the live lobby for the game before you deposit, and check that online casino play is legal where you live.
Ranked live casinos with these studios
Ranked live casinos with the studios behind these games. The order and offers are live; check that the lobby carries the game you want before you deposit.
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Metelitsa Casino Metelitsa Casino review
- Bonus
- 200,000 RUB + 100 FS
- Wagering
- –
- You must wager
- –
- Expected value
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18+ · T&Cs Apply · Play Responsibly -
Luckiest Luckiest review
- Bonus
- 2,000 USD + 100 FS
- Wagering
- –
- You must wager
- –
- Expected value
- –
18+ · T&Cs Apply · Play Responsibly -
Maltcasino Maltcasino review
- Bonus
- –
- Wagering
- –
- You must wager
- –
- Expected value
- –
18+ · T&Cs Apply · Play Responsibly -
Ohcasino Ohcasino review
- Bonus
- 500 EUR
- Wagering
- –
- You must wager
- –
- Expected value
- –
18+ · T&Cs Apply · Play Responsibly -
Hercules casino Hercules casino review
- Bonus
- €1,000 + 150 FS
- Wagering
- –
- You must wager
- –
- Expected value
- –
18+ · T&Cs Apply · Play Responsibly
Ranked live casinos with these studios
Ranked live casinos with the studios behind these games. The order and offers are live; check that the lobby carries the game you want before you deposit.
-
Metelitsa Casino Metelitsa Casino review
- Bonus
- 200,000 RUB + 100 FS
- Wagering
- –
- You must wager
- –
- Expected value
- –
18+ · T&Cs Apply · Play Responsibly -
Luckiest Luckiest review
- Bonus
- 2,000 USD + 100 FS
- Wagering
- –
- You must wager
- –
- Expected value
- –
18+ · T&Cs Apply · Play Responsibly -
Maltcasino Maltcasino review
- Bonus
- –
- Wagering
- –
- You must wager
- –
- Expected value
- –
18+ · T&Cs Apply · Play Responsibly -
Ohcasino Ohcasino review
- Bonus
- 500 EUR
- Wagering
- –
- You must wager
- –
- Expected value
- –
18+ · T&Cs Apply · Play Responsibly -
Hercules casino Hercules casino review
- Bonus
- €1,000 + 150 FS
- Wagering
- –
- You must wager
- –
- Expected value
- –
18+ · T&Cs Apply · Play Responsibly
Hybrid game terms
- Live slot
- A slot whose bonus round is played live in a studio after you qualify on random reels. So what: Most of your stake is spent in the slot phase, not with the host.
- Community spins
- Playtech's name for spins a host runs for every player at once, with the same result for all. So what: You choose the stake and the number of spins, not the timing.
- Qualification phase
- The first slot phase of an Evolution live slot, where three scatters take you towards the live bonus. So what: Paid shortcuts such as XXXtreme spins raise the cost per spin.
- Top-up phase
- The second slot phase, which adds multipliers before the live bonus starts. So what: The size of the live bonus depends on what you build here.
Questions and answers
What is a hybrid live casino game?
A game that mixes slot play with a live studio. Either a slot phase decides whether you reach a bonus round played by a live host (Crazy Coin Flip, Crazy Pachinko, Balloon Race), or a host runs one set of slot spins that every player shares (Playtech's Live Slots, Extra Chilli Epic Spins).
Does the live host change the RTP?
No. The return is fixed by the game's maths. The host presents the round and, in the bonus, runs the physical device, but the qualifying slot phases are random number generator spins and the payout rules are set before you bet.
What is the RTP of Crazy Coin Flip, Crazy Pachinko and Balloon Race?
We found no RTP for these three live slots on Evolution's game pages or in its launch news, so this page quotes none. The game's help screen at the casino shows the figure for the version you play.
How do Playtech's Live Slots work?
You choose your overall limit, the number of spins and the bet per spin. A host then runs one set of community spins in a studio, a few seconds apart, and everyone in the game gets the same result at their own stake. Buffalo Blitz was the first title.
Are hybrid games the same as live game shows?
They overlap. Wheel shows such as Crazy Time are live from the first bet. In a hybrid, part of the round is a slot: you qualify on random reels before the live part starts, or the live part is itself a set of slot spins. Compare the wheel shows on our live game shows page.
