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| RTP | 96.5% |
|---|---|
| Free Spins | No |
| Wheels | 5 |
| Paylines | 0 |
| Effort | - |
| Bonus features | - |
My verdict is that it’s a solid, football-themed slot game with a really nice interactive edge, especially when it comes to choosing your team and stepping into the ‘Penalty Shots’. I enjoyed the match-day feel it brings, from the floodlit pitch visuals to the ‘Momentum’ system that tries to mimic rising pressure during a game.
That said, it's more of a steady league game than a Cup final drama, with limited features and some patience needed for them to land. Overall, though, it’s an easy one to settle into, and it keeps the football theme running throughout the 90 minutes.
Play for Free
Here, you can play The Champions slot from Pragmatic Play in demo mode.
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Play The Champions Slot for Real Money
The bonus and initial free spins will be added to your account immediately once you have made your first deposit. Free Spins will be issued in sets of 20 free spins per day for 5 days. Day 1 will be the day you claim the offer. If Pragmatic Game Provider is not available in your country, you will have an alternative game available by BGaming. Minimum deposit is 20 €/$ or currency equivalent. Maximum bonus amount is 500 €/$ or currency equivalent. Wagering requirements of 40x apply to all bonus amounts and any winnings from free spins. In order to get the free spin part of the bonus, you will need to activate them from the promo section of your account. In order to claim the subsequent Free Spins per day, you must have wagered your deposit at least x1. Bonuses are active for 7 days. Max cashout from the First Deposit Bonus is 5,000 €/$ or currency equivalent. Maximum win resulting from welcome package free spins is 300 €/$ or currency equivalent. General Bonus Terms and Conditions apply.
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Here Are Some Screenshots I Took of the Game
The Champions has a really clean stadium-style presentation, with the reels set against a floodlit pitch backdrop that instantly gives it a live football broadcast feel. It is polished and straightforward, exactly what you would expect from Pragmatic Play, without trying to overcomplicate the visuals.
The football-themed symbols like boots, balls and trophies are bold and on-theme, though the more traditional letter symbols take away from the football frenzy. One of my favourite features is that you can choose your football team when the game loads up, which tailors your experience and makes it feel like a different game depending on who you play as. Keep an eye out for different coloured themes for each team.
That said, it does feel quite familiar visually. It sticks closely to the standard sports slot formula and does not really push anything creatively. Overall though, it is consistent and well put together, and the whole design fits the football theme nicely without distracting from the gameplay.
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Should You Play The Champions Slot?
Yes, The Champions is worth a kick about if you enjoy football-themed slots that keep things simple but still have a bit of structure behind them. It is not packed with features, but what is there feels focused and easy to follow, with a steady balance between base gameplay and bonus rounds.
From my experience, the team selection is a nice touch that makes each session feel more personal, almost like picking your side before kick-off. The ‘Penalty Shots’ bonus is the standout feature, adding a fun, interactive twist that breaks up the spins and brings a bit of real match tension into the game.
On the downside, there are only a few bonus features and they don’t trigger all that often, so patience is definitely needed. I discovered that the ‘Momentum’ system will reset you back to level one if you lose your streak, which was very frustrating after building it up.
Still, with a balanced RTP of 96.51% and medium volatility, it keeps things ticking along nicely, offering steady play with the occasional chance to land a big match-defining moment while staying firmly rooted in its football theme.
- 💸 ‘Penalty Shots’ is a fun, interactive bonus feature
- 🥳 Team selection is a nice personalised touch
- ⚙️ Balanced RTP of 96.51% with medium volatility
- 😥 Only three bonus features
- 😔 Bonus features don’t trigger very frequently
How to Place Your First Bet on The Champions?
Before you can kick off on The Champions, you will need to find an online casino that has the game in its lobby. Thankfully, you don’t need to spend loads of time searching for one, as there are plenty of online casinos in Ireland that feature the game.
Once you have picked a site, getting started is usually quick and fairly straightforward:
Head to the casino website and click the ‘Sign Up’, ‘Register’, or ‘Join’ button, usually found at the top of the homepage.
Enter your details, including your name, email address, phone number and home address. Some casinos may also ask for ID verification before withdrawals.
Make your first deposit using your preferred payment method. Many casinos support debit cards, bank transfers, e-wallets and sometimes crypto payments too.
Open the games lobby and search for The Champions using the search bar.
Launch the game and choose your football team before the reels load up.
Take a quick look at the paytable so you can familiarise yourself with the symbols, bonus features and how wins are triggered.
Adjust your bet size using the plus (+) and minus (-) buttons at the bottom of the screen, then press spin and away you go!
My First Moments Playing The Champions
My first moments playing The Champions were fast-paced and energetic. The football stadium setting instantly gives it that big match atmosphere, while the gameplay is simple enough to jump straight into.
The feature that stood out immediately was the ability to choose your football team before the reels begin spinning. It is a small detail, but it helps personalise the experience. The ‘Penalty Shots’ feature is a real crowd pleaser, further increasing the player interaction rather than just watching the reels spin.
Choose Your Player
One thing I genuinely enjoyed was being able to choose which football team you represent before the game starts. It is a surprisingly interactive feature for a slot game and helps make the experience feel more personal from the very beginning.
Depending on the team you choose, the colours and presentation change, which almost gives the impression that you are playing a slightly different version of the game each time. It is not a mechanic that changes the gameplay itself, but it does make the slot feel more engaging and tailored to the player.
Penalty Shots Create Nail-Biting Moments
The ‘Penalty Shots’ bonus feature is what gives the slot most of its personality. In my experience, I didn’t see this feature trigger often, but when it did, it was a show stopper. It’s a great addition for a bonus round, as one minute you’re spinning slots and the next you’re stepping into a penalty shootout trying to score the winning goal.
I liked how the goal multiplier feature ties into the football theme naturally rather than feeling randomly added in, but more on that later. Instead of generic bonus mechanics, everything feels built around the idea of building momentum during a match. It gives the slot a stronger identity compared to other football-themed games that rely on visuals to carry the experience.
Let's Talk About the Bonus Games You'll Find
Now for the part of The Champions that actually changes the tempo of the game: the bonus features. What’s on offer is fairly limited in number, but each feature that does turn up feels like it’s there to make an impact rather than just fill space. Let’s get into it.
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Champion Wild Symbol
The ‘Champion’ symbol is the wild in the game and it substitutes for all regular symbols except the bonus icon. It appears across all reels, which helps keep wins flowing and prevents the base game from feeling too flat. During my play, this feature appeared the most and didn’t take too much spinning to land. For me, this was a welcome bonus feature.
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Momentum Progressive Game
The ‘Momentum Progressive Game’ is the main long-term feature. Instead of just relying on random wins, you build momentum by scoring goals directly on the reels. Each goal increases your level and boosts a multiplier that applies to all wins, starting at 1x and scaling up as you progress.
The system works in cycles, where each goal refreshes a 10-spin window. Keep scoring and your level increases, pushing the multiplier all the way up to 20x at the top levels. If you fail to score within the spin window, everything resets back to level one, which adds pressure to keep the momentum going. This was a really exciting feature, though it is disappointing when you drop down to level one again.
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Penalty Shots Bonus Game
The ‘Penalty Shots’ bonus game is the more immediate and high-energy feature, a personal favourite of mine. It triggers when you land three bonus symbols, which are only found on reels two, three and four. Once activated, you are given five penalty shots where you pick targets and try to score.
The more goals you hit, the better the reward, ranging from smaller multipliers up to a maximum 100x total bet for a perfect five from five. It breaks up the base game nicely and adds a more interactive, almost mini-game style that feels very different from the standard spinning gameplay.
Some Technical Considerations About The Champions
Looking under the hood, The Champions offers a fairly solid technical setup. It has an RTP of 96.51%, which sits slightly above the standard benchmark and suggests a fair return balance over time. For reference, the minimum RTP we would expect to see at Irishluck is around 95%-96%, so The Champions sits just above that.
This online casino game runs on medium volatility, so wins theoretically tend to come at a steady but unpredictable pace. You won’t see constant small hits, but the bonus features and ‘Momentum’ system can create stronger bursts of payout when they land.
Why Do I Think The Champions Stands Out?
The Champions has been a hit since it was released in 2022, and it stands out to me as more of a steady matchday slot than a feature-packed thriller. It doesn’t try to overplay its hand, instead sticking to a simple game plan with a few key features that carry the experience.
The team selection is a nice touch and I liked how picking your side before kick-off adds a bit of identity to each session. It doesn’t change the gameplay, but it makes each spin feel a bit more personal. The ‘Penalty Shots’ is the real highlight when it lands, turning the game into a tense make-or-break moment that breaks up the reels nicely. The ‘Momentum’ system is another nice touch, though it can feel harsh when it drops you back to level one just as you’ve built things up.
Overall, it’s a bit light on features and you do notice the gaps between bonus rounds. Still, with a 96.51% RTP and medium volatility, this online slot game keeps a steady rhythm and delivers the occasional big match moment, rather than league-final wins.
Some Q&As That Might Interest You
Even the biggest football fans might have questions about The Champions slot game, so here are some of our most commonly asked questions. Consider this your final warm-up before it’s game time.
How Do You Trigger The Penalty Shots Bonus Game?
You trigger the ‘Penalty Shots’ bonus round by landing three bonus symbols on reels two, three and four, which activates a five-shot mini game where you aim to score as many goals as possible.
What Happens If You Lose Momentum In The Progressive Game?
If you don’t score a goal within the 10-spin window, your progress resets back to level one, which can feel pretty punishing after building up momentum.
How Many Bonus Features Does The Champions Have?
There are three main bonus features in The Champions, including the wilds feature, the ‘Momentum Progressive Game’ and the ‘Penalty Shots’ bonus game.
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Having been in the industry for the past 7 years, Kolade specialises in online slots and now spends most of his time playing and writing slot reviews.
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