RTP
95.13%
Minimum bet
0.10
Game format
Live
Volatility
Low
Reels
-
Progressive jackpot
No
Popularity
Maximum bet
10,000
Provider
Evolution Gaming
Bonus features
Yes
Paylines
-
Theme
Live Casino Game Show
Lightning Storm
Lightning Storm Live is an Evolution live casino gameshow built around a Wheel of Fortune and a Lightning Storm round with wins of up to 20,000x. Four additional bonus games can award up to 10,000 times the bet. Another notable feature is the stated 51% chance of reaching a bonus game on each spin. In the review by Evan Carrington, the game is discussed following an attributed test of 1,000+ spins; this is not a new Casino Ideal test.
Lightning Storm Live: Key Facts
- The host spins a physical wheel; the result isn't determined by a random number generator.
- Lightning Storm Live has five multiplier-based bonus games.
- The wheel has 39 segments: 19 award multiplier wins and 20 trigger a bonus.
- That gives every spin a 51% chance of landing on a bonus segment.
- The Lightning Storm bonus round offers a top win of 20,000x the bet, while cash wins are capped at €/$ 500,000.
Theme, Graphics and Sound
Lightning Storm Live is played from a dedicated studio and streamed to players via HD webcams. Its presentation draws on several ideas, including Frankenstein, lightning storms, electricity generated by lightning strikes and other symbols.
The supplied review reports playing on mobile and desktop, and says the desktop experience on a larger screen felt more personal. It also describes the mobile version as entertaining for gaming on the move. These are reported observations, not new Casino Ideal testing.
The studio soundtrack includes entertaining background music, including Bobby Boris Pickett and the Crypt-Kickers 1960s Monster Mash song. Sound effects are also said to sync with wheel spins and bonus rounds.
Evolution's high-tech microphones are designed to make the presenter easy to hear throughout the game.
Top Casinos for Lightning Storm:
How to Play Lightning Storm Live
Place chips on the betting spots that match the segments where you think the wheel might stop. A ticker above the wheel shows the winning segment.
There are several betting spots to choose from in each betting round. The version described in the review allowed 12 seconds for betting before wagers closed, and a round could last over a minute and a half if the wheel landed on a bonus symbol.
Leaf Symbol Instant Win
A leaf lies between each numbered segment and awards an instant cash win at even-money odds. There are 19 leaf segments in total, giving Roulette-style outside-bet odds and a 49% chance of winning.
When the wheel lands on a leaf, the next betting phase can begin sooner because there is no bonus game to interrupt the sequence.
Odd or Even Instant Win
The side of the betting panel lets you choose odd or even numbers, with either option paying instantly. The Martingale strategy isn't strictly recommended, though it could be used for an odd-or-even side bet; no staking system can guarantee a profit.
Bonus Numbers
Alternatively, you can bet on numbers 1 to 20, which correspond to the positions containing symbols for the five bonus rounds.
Storm Chaser Bet
The Storm Chaser Bet is an advanced option that wagers on the number containing the Lightning Storm Bonus segment. It costs 2.7x your original stake, however, so the extra coverage also increases your total wager.
X Chaser Bet
X Chaser Bets cover every number with a bonus symbol. The X Chaser Bet costs 7.8x your stake, making it a higher-risk option with the potential for higher rewards.
Lightning Storm Live Bonus Games & Features
When the betting timer runs out, the game randomly assigns bonus symbols to the numbered wheel segments.
Random Multipliers
Once bets are in, the RNG selects some bonus segments and assigns each a random multiplier from 2x to 50x. If the wheel lands on a bonus segment showing 50x, the stated maximum wins of 10,000x or 20,000x may be possible, depending on the feature.
Bonus Round Symbols
The numbered bonus segments show a selection of symbols. Landing on one triggers its corresponding bonus round:
- Lightning Storm Bonus Symbol: Red triangular lightning bolt
- Hot Spot Bonus Symbol: Purple target
- Battery Charger Bonus Symbol: Green battery
- Monster Mash Bonus Symbol: Blue Frankenstein
- FireBall Bonus Symbol: Red fireball
Lightning Storm Bonus Round
Lightning Storm is covered first because it has the game's highest stated multiplier, worth 20,000x the bet. When it activates, the view shifts to a rooftop overlooking a city, with a numbered billboard and three lightning strikes.
Choose one of the three Lightning Storm bonus segment options to enter the lightning phase. The billboard swivels as lightning strikes, then starts selecting the initial multipliers.
An RNG determines the multipliers in this round, an important caveat. The final result combines standard multipliers and boosted multipliers.
Hot Spot Bonus Game
Hot Spot features a 9x12 grid containing guaranteed multipliers. At the start, the game displays a group of multipliers together.
Lightning-strike symbols then cover and shuffle the multipliers. You have 10 seconds to pick one symbol, hoping it conceals a large multiplier.
When the 10 seconds are up, every position reveals its multiplier. A 3x3 Hot Spot grid covering nine numbers then stops randomly on the board; if your selection falls within it, your win is doubled.
A Hot Spot 2x multiplier combined with a 50x multiplier from the main wheel spin could result in a win of 10,000x the bet. The feature may remind players of Cash Hunt in Crazy Time.
Battery Charger Bonus Game
This feature can award one or more multipliers, depending on what happens to the batteries on the conveyor belt.
In the Battery Charger bonus round, a conveyor belt holds ten batteries. One of them has a global multiplier, while the others have set multipliers.
Each battery moving along the conveyor is connected to the charger, which turns it red or green.
A red battery awards no multiplier and drops off the conveyor. A green battery adds its multiplier to your running total.
If the global multiplier lands, it is applied to the current multiplier total before dropping off the conveyor. The round ends when only one battery remains or when the charger turns green.
Monster Mash Bonus Game
Monster Mash starts with a tank spinning three segments. The goal is to build a Frankenstein-style monster by joining body parts carrying multipliers across the horizontal reels.
Different-coloured body parts are assigned multipliers:
- Blue: 1x to 50x random multiplier
- Gold: 4x to 6x global multiplier
Once the monster is assembled, the multipliers on its body parts are added together, and the tank displays the resulting total multiplier.
FireBall Bonus Game
FireBall is the only Lightning Storm Live bonus round in which the presenter physically takes part, and the only one with its own dedicated studio.
The game board has 149 pockets, some containing multipliers and others marked as doubles. The presenter drops the ball onto the board; landing in a multiplier pocket awards the displayed value.
If the ball lands in a double, any powered-up multiplier shown is doubled. The round ends when the ball settles in a pocket, and all players' bets are multiplied by that pocket's value.
Expert Tips for Evolution Lightning Storm
Compared with many other Wheel of Fortune games, Lightning Storm offers additional betting options, particularly the X Chaser Bet and Storm Chaser Bet. Using them can make a betting round considerably more expensive.
- Bet Sizing: Watch a game before placing a wager, so you can estimate how much you intend to stake each round.
- Roulette Strategies: Leaf bets offer a 49% chance of winning with even-money payouts. By comparison, Roulette's odd/even, red/black and high/low bets have a 48.60% chance. Systems such as the Martingale, Paroli or D’Alembert may therefore seem better suited to a Lightning Storm leaf bet, but none can guarantee a profit.
Technical Details
Hot Spot, Monster Mash, Battery Charger and FireBall each pay a maximum of 10,000x times the bet. Lightning Storm has a higher stated maximum, at 20,000x times the stake.
The minimum bet is 0.10. Depending on the online casino, the maximum wager per betting round may be from 2,500 to 10,000.
RTP Explained
The theoretical RTP ranges from 95.13% to 97.44%, depending on factors such as which bonus round the ticker selects, whether extra betting options are used, and the size of the game's regular multipliers.
- 97.44% - Leaf Bet
- 95.13% - RTP X Chaser
- 95.12% - Storm Chaser
- 95.13%- All bonus rounds via numbered spots
Best Alternatives to Evolution Lightning Storm
Live dealer Wheel of Fortune-style games have become popular since Evolution's Dreamcatcher and Pragmatic Play's Mega Wheel arrived. With more than 15 options now available, the review highlights two alternatives to Lightning Storm Live.
It also offers a look at other titles in the Evolution Gaming range.
Crazy Time
Crazy Time, another Evolution Gaming title, stands out with a potential top win of 50,000x the bet, capped at €/$ 500,000. It has 54 segments rather than 39, and four bonus rounds instead of five.
A bonus can be triggered by only nine segments, giving the game a 16.67% chance of reaching one. When a bonus appears, its multipliers are generally higher.
Funky Time
Funky Time is another Evolution Gaming live casino Wheel of Fortune game, released after Crazy Time and before Lightning Storm. It has a theoretical RTP of 95.99%, four bonus rounds with wins up to 10,000x the bet, and a cash-win cap of €/$ 500,000.
Unlike Lightning Storm, it has an upbeat disco theme. It also features 64 segments, 12 of which are bonus segments, giving it an 18.75% chance of triggering a bonus round.
Other Evolution Gaming Lightning Games
Evolution Gaming's lightning titles all focus on multiplier wins applied to different kinds of bets.
- Lightning Roulette: Straight bets can receive regular multipliers. If the ball lands on a number with a multiplier and you bet on that number, your wager is multiplied.
- Lightning Dice: This game also adds regular multipliers each round and, like Lightning Storm, features lightning strikes. Bet on the outcome of three dice; after betting closes, a random lightning strike assigns multipliers to board numbers, and a matching roll pays the relevant multiplier.
Verdict and Summary
Opinions on Lightning Storm Live vary. The Casino Ideal review still favours games such as Crazy Time and Monopoly Live, while recognizing this title's appeal. Its many bonus rounds can lengthen the gap between betting phases, though that pace won't suit every player.
Players who prefer a slower pace may appreciate having fewer betting opportunities than in other Wheel of Fortune games. Those who want plenty of bonus rounds with regular random and global multipliers may find Lightning Storm Live better suited to their style.
Evan Carrington brings more than 12 years of experience in the iGaming industry, with a focus on reviewing online casinos, assessing slot games and examining player safety. Their work covers casino licensing, RTP, volatility, bonus terms and withdrawal policies. Drawing on practical testing and independent research, Evan provides clear, evidence-based reviews to help players understand gambling platforms, their features and possible risks.
