The Definitive Guide to Money Train Slots

Everybody loves a good slot series. The opportunity to play one of your favourite slots in various ways, explore new features and improved versions of mechanics, and benefit from snappier graphics never gets old. One of our personal favourites is the Money Train series. Developed by Relax Gaming, it offers the perfect blend of Wild West and steampunk imagery, encapsulated by a Money Cart Bonus that throws together heaps of added mechanics.

Ranging from additional reels, added symbols and multipliers to collection mechanics, and resetting free spin counters, there’s much to explore, and that’s just in the first release. On this page, We’ll walk you through how each of the five games (thus far) in the series differs from the others. We’ll touch on varying volatility, RTP rates, wagering ranges and, of course, prizes, and features.

Unlike some slot series, such as Pragmatic Play’s Big Bass slots, where features remain relatively the same across two dozen entries, Relax Gaming’s Money Train dares to be different with each new release. Find out what this means for you, and discover which game may be best suited to your needs as we reveal everything you need to know in this definitive guide to Money Train slots.

Introducing the Money Train Slot Series

Wild West and mining-themed slots have always been popular. However, they hit their zenith around 2018. Inspired by successful Wild West-themed slots such as Dead or Alive and Tombstone, as well as Steampunk-inspired games, too, Relax Gaming bundled all those elements into its first release in 2019, which was simply titled Money Train.

At heart, Money Train is a journey into a highly fictionalised Wild West town with a Steampunk twist, where trains laden with riches can be exploited, hijacked and pilfered to line your pockets. It’s not a game that takes itself too seriously thematically. While that helps Money Train stand out, it isn’t the only way in which the series does that. An ever-increasing number of modifiers and gameplay based over forty lines instead of the usual thirty also play their part.

Relax Gaming hasn’t been shy about introducing new aspects and features to its gameplay as the slot series has gone on. Every new release brings with it an enlarged palette of features to the table, retaining old classics but mixing in new, ever more complicated mechanics.

Because of the rapidly evolving bonus rounds and the influx of new modifiers in each new release, Money Train really is a slot series that you need to play from the beginning. Its learning curve can be brutal for the uninitiated. We wholeheartedly recommend starting with the first game and familiarising yourself with those mechanics so you aren’t overwhelmed when playing later releases in the slot series

At present, there are five mainstream games in the slot series, along with four shorter spin-offs loosely themed on the bonus rounds from the original slots. There are also two more far-fetched spin-offs, one of which is loosely themed on Slingo and aimed at UK fans. The second is a simple Christmas and festive edition of the third Money Cart slot, as it is becoming increasingly common these days. We’ll touch on those shortly. First, though, let’s explore the main titles in the slot series.

Meet the Money Train Slots You Can Play Online

Five titles don’t seem like too many to choose from, given that many other slot series are in double digits. However, there are spin-offs and special flavours and editions to consider. One thing to note is that (at least with the main slots, excluding Origins) the maximum stake is reduced in each release, while the volatility level and prizes get higher each time.

Below, you’ll find a table highlighting and detailing the key features from the five main Money Train slot releases. As you’ll see, each new release cranks up the level of risk involved with playing Money Train:

As shown in the table above, beginners and those with lower bankrolls should clearly focus on getting involved with the first game in the series. Diving into the newer games is risky unless you have a bankroll suitable for sustaining losing streaks, as is common with high-rolling players. Each game can fairly be described as catering to a very specific audience, and we’ll explain what we mean in the next section.

How to Pick the Best Money Train Games

There are all sorts of ways to pick the best Money Train games. The three most common ways of doing so are to choose titles based on volatility, RTP and prizes. If that sounds ideal, here are the ideal Money Train games for you:

• Lowest Volatility: Medium-high variance is the lowest you’ll get in Relax’s Money Train series, and only two games offer that. They are the original game and the spin-off, Money Train Origins: Dream Drop.
• Highest RTP: The highest RTP rate in the series is found in Money Train 2, but it’s only marginally higher (0.20%) than the original release. Of course, the prize is over twice as high in Money Train 2, but the first game has lower volatility and a higher wagering range.
• Biggest Wins: The more volatile Money Trains slots get, the higher the non-progressive jackpots they carry become. That’s exactly the way it should be with slots, and at 150,000x, Money Train 4 has a truly epic cash prize up for grabs if you’re brave enough to face its insane volatility level.

Our Top Three Standout Money Train Slots

As huge fans of the slot series, we have our own favourites and recommendations. If you want an insider's perspective on which games to play, we’re happy to oblige. Instead of choosing a Money Train slot based on its features, here are our recommendations:

• Ideal for New Players: Do yourself a favour – take the scenic route. Even though the original Money Train slot is easier, more of an introductory game in the series, it still has plenty of features for you to learn. It’s not as rough on your bankroll and still offers decent returns. Again, we can’t stress enough how smart it is to play this game before tackling its successors.
• Brutal Gameplay: If you’re a glutton for punishment and really dig the high-risk versus high-reward mantra, then Money Train 4 is the way to go. Its volatility is off the charts, but its prizes will have you seeing dollar signs everywhere. Its extreme gameplay is most favourable for those with a bankroll to sustain heavy losing streaks until that next big win comes along. It isn’t for the fainthearted, that’s for sure.
• The Biggest Divergence: It’s a toss-up between Money Train Origins: Dream Drop and Money Train 4. Both games go in wholly different directions from their sister slots. Origins has higher wagering options, low RTP, and modest volatility, but it comes with the Dream Drop progressive jackpot in tow. Money Train 4 ditches the 5-reel, 40-line stalwart features for a 6-reel, 6-row, Scatter Pays engine, along with its soul-crushing volatility. Both are major deviations from their predecessors.

Every Money Train Slot Explained Simply

We’ve talked about the slot series as a whole and introduced you to some of the standout elements in each game. What we haven’t talked about are features and each specific game’s array of them. Allow us to provide you with a run-down of each of the slots in the Money Train series, as well as our professional take on what they have to offer. We’ll get into the spin-offs later, but first, here are the main games in order of release:

#1 Money Train

Launched in 2019, the first game in the series is also the most basic. Played over 5 reels and 40 lines, it offers a top prize worth 20,000x, and the wagering range is at its highest, stemming from 0.10 up to 50.00 a spin. Money Train has a more relaxed volatility (medium-high) than its counterparts and an RTP rate of 96.20%, the second-best in the series.

Look out for double-crossed shotguns, which act as stacked wilds. The reel treat is the introduction of the Money Cart Bonus, triggered by landing bonus icons on the first, third and fifth reels. You’ll get three free spins in this runaway mine cart-themed feature. Every time a new bonus symbol appears, the counter will reset, too.

There are a few bonus symbols here. Safe icons offer cash prizes; Payer symbols add cash to other symbols, while the Persistent Payer does the same for subsequent spins too. The Widener can open up an additional reel, while the Collector (as its name suggests) collects all visible Payer symbols on the reels. The Persistent Collector does the same to all subsequent spins, and the Tumbleweed is a red herring in that it doesn’t reset the free spins counter. Most of these features reappear in other Money Train games, so it pays to become familiar with them now.

Rating: 5/5

#2 Money Train 2

Launched a year after the first game, Money Train 2 has the highest RTP rate (96.40%), is more volatile than its predecessor, has a higher jackpot (50,000x) and a narrower wagering range of 0.10 up to 20.00. Money Train 2 adopts the same payline structure as its predecessor, but it brings new mechanics into play.

First up, there is now a re-spin round when just two scatters appear. Here, a multiplier is added during a re-spin. You’ll keep bagging re-spins (and +1 multipliers) until a winning spin occurs, after which the payout lands. Back in the Money Cart Bonus, a win multiplier pops up (1x to 10x), alongside a Golden Symbol offering multipliers of 20x up to 200x. Also new to this game are the Sniper (doubles the value of between three to eight symbols), Persistent Sniper, Necromancer (brings back already used symbols), and a Reset Plus symbol, which resets the free spins counter and adds one more. Payer, Collector and their Persistent symbols also reappear in this game.

Rating: 4/5

#3 Money Train 3

Launched in September 2022, Money Train 3 is a rougher ride, with the game now very volatile. The RTP drops to 96.10% here, the lowest of the three initial games. However, it compensates for its high volatility with a lower maximum bet of just a tenner and a much more extravagant non-progressive jackpot prize worth 100,000x a bet. This more futuristic take on the game departs from the Wild West theme, but again, it uses the same payline structure as its predecessors.

This time, the re-spins feature can trigger randomly on non-winning spins. It selects a symbol to appear sticky. As long as sticky symbols remain, re-spins keep coming, possibly with 1x to 3x multipliers to boot. Over in the Money Cart Bonus, Persistent Gold symbols make the triggering symbols sticky. It’s also possible to add extra columns (no more than twice). Alongside recurring symbols are new additions such as Absorber (removes normal bonus symbols from the reels), Tommy Gun Sniper and Payer symbols, which double prizes and add multipliers of up to 100x to random symbols. Lastly, there is a Persistent Shapeshifter symbol that transforms into another special symbol on each spin.

Rating: 4/5

#4 Money Train Origins: Dream Drop

Played over the same basic structure as the other games, this slot is devious in that it has a lower non-progressive jackpot (10,000x), RTP rate, and its wagering range can rise to 100.00. However, there’s a good reason for that – it supports the Dream Drop progressive jackpot. For the most part, the game features largely the same base game as Money Train.

In the Money Cart round, it’s possible to fill reels with special symbols to add up to two extra reels into the mix. You can also reset the free spin counter. Bonus symbols include Collectors, Payers, Bankers (adds values to the reels on subsequent spins), Healers (brings back one to three Collector or Payer symbols), and Persistent Collector and Payer icons. The real magic happens in the second bonus round, though.

The Dream Drop Bonus can be triggered before any spin if the reels fill with DD symbols. It’s a long shot, but it can happen. If that occurs, you’ll get to turn over symbols to reveal jackpot prizes. Match three Rapid, Midi, Maxi, Major or Mega symbols to win prizes that seed at 1.00, 5.00, 100.00, 25,000.00 and 500,000.00, respectively. Of course, those are just seed values, so the real prizes will be higher.

Rating: 3/5

#5 Money Train 4

Technically, the fifth entry in the series, Money Train 3, was unveiled in September 2023 and is brutal in its volatility. The RTP is fixed at 96.10%. A high-risk, high-reward, non-progressive prize worth 150,000x makes it worth a gamble for some, and at just 6.00, its maximum stake is considerably more affordable. That’s expected given how long you could end up waiting between wins, all of which do tend to be considerable, to be fair. The theme combines both the futuristic elements of the third game with the traditional Wild West themes of its predecessors.

This major departure from the franchise’s roots sees a 6-reel, 6-row, Scatter Pays engine come into play. At least eight symbols are needed to land wins, and there is no wild. Both the re-spins and Money Cart rounds return, though. The re-spin mode in this game is a Hold and Win style game, played with multipliers, blanks and pay symbols. There are around twenty-five features in the Money Cart round this time.

Alongside the returning symbols, you now have Adjacent Collectors (collects values from adjacent positions and adds them), and a Persistent version of that symbol, Adjacent Payer (adds values to adjacent symbols), Arms Dealer (converts one to four bonus symbols into a feature), a Persistent version of that, an Unlocker that reveals new rows, the Reset Plus mode from the third game, and an Upgrader that upgrades symbols to Persistent versions.

Rating: 3/5

What Are Money Cart Slots?

If you aren’t based in the United Kingdom, you’ll find that each of the Money Train slots allows you to directly access the Money Cart bonuses by buying them outright. Of course, this isn’t permitted under UKGC regulations. There is a workaround, though.

To combat this, Relax Gaming developed the Money Cart slot series. They are basically the same games as the bonus rounds in Money Train, although with the Money Cart acting as “the game”, so to speak.

This adjusted form of gameplay means the RTP rates, volatility, and betting ranges are notably different from the Money Train slots, and because you’ll get to play with so many special features, the amount you can win is greatly reduced. You can see this in the below, which showcases each game and its key stats:

Money Train Spin-offs Explained

The Money Cart games aren’t the only spin-offs. Relax Gaming has also produced two sideshows if you will, as you’ll see below:

Slingo (a portmanteau of slots and bingo) is popular in the United Kingdom. Money Train isn’t the first game to get a Slingo version – other options exist. In Slingo Money Train, you’ve got a 5×5 screen with twelve win lines. The objective is to use ten spins to win four or more Slingos, triggering a spin of the Bronze, Silver or Gold wheel (for cash prizes), or land the Money Train Bonus, played with twenty reels. Think bingo with slot symbols, and you’ll have a reasonable idea of what to expect from Slingo Money Train if you haven’t played Slingo games before.

The Money Sleigh slot is a seasonal, festive version of Money Cart 3. Of course, Santa’s sleigh replaces the train, you’ve got reindeer instead of bandits, and other Christmas-themed imagery. In terms of gameplay, it doesn’t offer anything new. However, if it’s that special time of the year, you may get a kick out of this version of the game.

5 Top Tips for Playing Money Train Slots from Fans

Having played all the games (and their spin-offs), we’ve learned a few things about Money Train slots that are worth sharing. Before tackling any of the slots, we recommend considering the following things:

• Always start with the first Money Train slot. If you don’t, you’re likely to become rapidly overwhelmed with the sheer number of features available in the bonus rounds.
• If you do want to jump the game and play the newer games, or even if you’re testing the waters with the first slot, we recommend playing the demos. Each Money Train slot is available to play for free as a demo at reputable casinos. These allow you to test drive the Money Train slots and see how they work before you invest your cash playing them.
• Given the huge changes in volatility from game to game, we recommend learning about RTP and volatility and familiarising yourself with how they work and how they affect everything from payouts to bankroll management and overall gameplay.
• The Money Cart games are not part of the main series. These are heavily inspired by the bonus round of the same name and effectively allow you to dive straight into the bonus features. Of course, prizes are reduced as a result, although in the earlier games, the RTP rates are higher.
• The Slingo game doesn’t play like other titles. It is a combination of bingo and slot gameplay. It is particularly popular with UK players. Don’t expect to dive straight into this one without knowing how Slingo works. Again, this is where the free demo gameplay options come in handy.

Play Money Train Slots Online Today

There you have it – our definitive guide to Money Train slots is at an end. Hopefully, you’ll now know exactly what each game offers and how it is different, and you will have picked up some advice on how to pick a game and proceed.

Given the popularity of this slot franchise, we wouldn’t be surprised to see Relax Gaming churn out additional titles. We’re looking forward to seeing where they’ll take the slot series next, but for now, we’re more than content to keep riding this train and seeing where it goes. Now that you know what’s available, it may be time to strap on your pistols, saddle up and join us on the Money Train.