Money Vault Slot Machine
Money Vault is a 5 reel, 40 pay line slot machine that was developed by Bally for land based casinos.
This game is themed around cash, diamonds, and gold, but Money Vault also has a Wheel of Fortune element as well. This helps Money Vault avoid being too generic, given that so many slots arebased on money and precious gems / metals.
Another thing that makes this game unique is its large screen at the top of the cabinet, which displays a wheel bonus.
We’ll discuss this cabinet design and bonus below, along with Money Vault’s, betting options, graphics, sound effects, and bonuses. We’ll also offer comparisons to similar Bally slot machines tosee where Money Vault ranks.
Money Vault Slot Machine Overview
Cabinet Design
For the most part, Money Vault features a standard cabinet design, with a game screen and artwork above it. The artwork is nothing special since it displays the title with cash surrounding it.
Where this cabinet sticks out is the aforementioned video screen at the top. This displays a wheel that you spin with Bally’s patented U Spin technology along with a progressive jackpot counter.
We’ll discuss all of this later, but the key takeaway is that this unique cabinet is easily recognized in the casino.
Betting Options
The minimum bet is $0.40, and this makes you eligible for all of the bonuses. You can also make bets of $0.80, $1.20, $1.60, and $2.00 per spin.
You’re only eligible for the progressive jackpot – seeded at $1 million – when you bet the $2.00 max.
If you’re a low roller, the $0.40 minimum bet isn’t bad because you can still trigger all of the bonuses. If you love chasing big jackpots, then $2 isn’t an unreasonable wager when over $1million is on the line.
But we don’t recommend betting the other amounts because they won’t make you eligible for the jackpot and will only drain your bankroll faster.
Graphics and Symbols
Symbols include: casino chips, gold coins, a diamond ring, money bag, money clip, money vault, U Spin bonus symbol, and generic letters.
You’ll also see a directional wild symbol, which is a safe knob that only appears in reel 3. When you land the directional wild in the middle reel, it spins around and points to one of eightdirections, turning all symbols in that direction into wilds.
Landing 3 scattered U Spin symbols on reels 1, 3, and 5 triggers the bonus round.
Money Vault’s symbols are illustrations that look average when compared to other slot machines. But we do like how the money vault has cash stuffed in the door, and how the casino chips haveMoney Vault written on them.
Animations
Animations include: the directional wild spinning around, the symbol that the directional wild points to shooting out cash, the U Spin wheel spinning around, and a 5 popping up whenever you get a5 of a kind.
With only a handful of animations, this isn’t a key reason to play Money Vault. But the animations that are offered provide entertainment during your big wins.
Music and Sound Effects
Money Vault doesn’t feature any music, and most of the sound effects are the generic variety that you’ll find in many games.
The few original sounds include the directional wild making a clicking sound, the U Spin wheel making a Wheel of Fortune type sound as it spins, and symbols making an explosion sound when theyturn into wilds.
Money Vault Slot Bonus Features
When you land 3 U Spin bonus symbols on the reels, the game screen turns into a vault door, which opens to reveal the U spin wheel. You’ll see the exact same wheel in the top screen, only on alarger scale.
You’ll be prompted to spin the 3D wheel on the game screen with your fingers. Any time that you move the wheel, the action is mirrored in the top screen.
Once you move the wheel and let go, it’ll begin spinning to determine your bonus. You can win credit prizes ranging from 400 to 10,000, the progressive jackpot, or 10 free games.
Once again, the progressive jackpot can only be won on a max 200 credit bet.
If you trigger free games, the reels become transparent, allowing you to see piles of money in the background. You’ll also find a More Free Games symbol on the reels, which can award you up to 40extra free spins during the bonus round.
Unlike other Bally slot machines, such as Betty Boop, Duck Dynasty, and Grease, this game isn’t overloaded with bonus features. But the wheel bonus certainly makes up for the lack of quantity.
Comparison to Other Bally Slot Machines
Money Vault is just one of many Bally slot machines that use the cash theme and / or U Spin technology. Below you can see how Money Vault compares to some of the other Bally games that fit thesecategories.
Cash Spin
Released in 2010, Cash Spin has become legendary because it was the first Bally slot machine to use U Spin technology. Voters at the 2010 Gaming & Technology Awards were so impressed with thisgame that they voted it the Best Slot Product.
What makes Cash Spin so special is the interactive wheel bonus that takes up two thirds of the game screen. This wheel offers a Minor progressive jackpot that starts at $100, and a Majorprogressive jackpot that’s seeded at $5,000.
One big change that you’ll notice from Money Vault to Cash Spin is how the latter only features 3 reels. But this isn’t any 3 reel game because the graphics are really good, and the large wheelgives Cash Spin character.
Another feature of this game is the iDECK, which you use during a bonus to reveal a multiplier worth 3x to 50x your triggering bet. Cash Spin also features a bonus where you choose one of threemoney bags using the touchscreen.
In terms of symbols, these two games are similar because Cash Spin features dollar signs, money bags, and cash. The only difference is that this 3 reel slot also makes use of generic symbols like7s and BARs.
Overall, we like Cash Spin’s wheel display and graphics better than Money Vault. But the latter has advantages in the form of a $1 million plus progressive jackpot, directional wild, and 40 paylines.
These games are close, but Money Vault has a small edge.
Cash Wave
Cash Wave is a slot machine that Bally developed for brick and mortar casinos, but it eventually became available online too.
This is an older slot machine, so you won’t get the added entertainment from U Spin or iDECK technology.
But one positive aspect of Cash Wave is the theme since it revolves around both the beach and money. You’ll see sand, waves, and luxurious homes in the background, which creates an ocean feelingwhile you’re playing.
The symbols also help with this effect because you’ll see a blonde woman with a wave behind her, sunscreen, a beach towel, sandals, and surfboards.
The music and sound effects are ripped from other Bally slot machines, making this one of the worst parts of the game. You also won’t be playing for any huge progressive jackpots or excitingbonuses in Cash Wave.
This game does have a couple of interesting features, though, including free games and an expanding wild. Free games are triggered when you get the bonus icon on reels 2, 3, and 4.
You’ll be awarded 5 free spins, and expanding wilds are awarded as follows: reel 5 is wild for the first spin, reel 4 and 5 are wild for the second spin, reels 3 and 4 are wild for the thirdspin, reels 2 and 3 are wild for the second spin, and reels 1 and 2 are wild for the last spin.
As for betting options, you must play all 40 pay lines, but you can change the coin denomination from one cent to $10.00. This makes for a minimum bet of $0.40 and a max wager of $400.00 perspin.
We like the detailed free spins and dual ocean / money theme in cash spin. But it doesn’t compare to Money Vault and Cash Spin in terms of bonuses, graphics, or the jackpot.
Betty Boop Fortune Teller
Based on a short animated film in the Betty Boop series called Is My Palm Read, Betty Boop Fortune Teller is a 5 reel, 100 pay line slot machine that’s found in land based casinos.
In the 1933 film, Betty has her fortune read by Bimbo the dog, who’s disguised so that he can impress her. Bimbo foretells that Betty will be shipwrecked on a deserted island, which comes truewhen ghosts appear and start chasing Bimbo and Betty. The pair save themselves by tricking the ghosts into falling over a cliff.
The fact that Betty Boop Fortune Teller has a story behind it provides an advantage over Money Vault’s generic theme. This slot also has more bonuses than Money Vault, one of which includes USpin and iDECK technology.
The iDECK is used during a unique palm reading bonus, where you earn a higher credit prize and multiplier based on the outcome of your fortune.
U Spin comes into play when you trigger the bonus, which has you spin the wheel to see what feature you’ll play. Besides the palm reading bonus, others include Betty’s Healing Crystals, U ChooseFree Games, and Tarot Card Reading.
Out of these three, we like Tarot Card Reading because you pick cards to earn credits and multipliers. You’ll also move up in levels as you continue playing, which leads to more prizes.
Another thing to like about Betty Boop Fortune Teller is that it has good graphics and sound bites from Betty herself. When you trigger a bonus or hit big winning combinations, Betty will say oneof her signature lines.
Another fun part to this game is that you see Betty and her dog, Pudgy, dancing in the upper screen. This screen also shows payouts and multipliers, but the entertainment value comes from Bettyand Pudgy dancing.
Based on everything that Betty Boop Fortune Teller offers, we like this game better than Money Vault. But Money Vault also has its advantages, including the wheel bonus, directional wild, andhuge progressive jackpot.
Conclusion
Most slot machines that deal with cash and diamonds are outdated 3 reel games that people ignore in casinos. Money Vault is an exception, though, based on how it has some unique aspects.
The cabinet will impress you right away due to its large rectangular screen on top. This is where the progressive jackpot is displayed along with the bonus wheel.
The directional wild symbol is another nice touch because it spins around and turns nearby symbols into wilds. Few games are this inventive when it comes to their wild symbol.
Another positive to playing this game is the progressive jackpot, which is seeded at $1 million. Obviously your chances of winning this jackpot aren’t very good, but it’s always thrilling tochase such a big payout.
The downside is that you must wager the 200 credit max to be eligible for the jackpot. Many players don’t have this kind of bankroll to spend on a single spin.
Other negatives include the graphics, symbols, and sound effects.
Aside from casino chips and the U Spin bonus icon, the symbols include lots of clichés from dated slot machines. The sound effects also fit into this cliché because sounds from winningcombinations and bonuses are the generic variety heard in most other games.
Despite these downsides, Money Vault remains an entertaining game due to the bonus wheel.
Incorporating Bally’s U Spin technology, the wheel allows you to interact with the screen while spinning for credits, free spins, and the progressive jackpot.
The bonus wheel and interesting cabinet design keep Money Vault from being just another cliché 5 reel slot machine. And the $1 million progressive jackpot adds even more excitement if you canafford the $2 max bet.