Gemhalla Pokie Review

By Maddison Dwyer

Updated October 29, 2024

Noble Vikings who die honourably in battle get to go to Valhalla. Noble online pokie players who play at Australian online casinos get to go to Gemhalla. Gemhalla is a fun scatter pays pokie from BGaming with a Viking theme. The base game features Viking shield multipliers and a free spins game with accumulating multipliers. Continue reading to learn all about this exciting scatter pays game.

Jackpot Amount $250,000

Rating:

4.3/5

PLAY FOR REAL MONEY

Features

Reels/Rows

6/5

Payline

Scatter Pays

Payout Ratio (RYP)

97.17%

Stake (Min/Max)

$0.20/$200

Game Developer

BGaming

Bonus Feature

Free spins with accumulating multipliers

Table of Contents

All About Gemhalla

Gemhalla is a 6×5 grid gem pokie from BGaming. It has a Viking theme featuring Thor, the Norse god of Thunder. The game is a scatter pays pokie with cascading reels and multiplier shields. This game appeals to players who love scatter pays pokies, gem-themed pokies, and games with high multipliers.

Gemhalla - A Pokie by BGaming

Gemhalla was released by BGaming in June 2023 and, since then, has been a popular pokie at many online casinos in Australia. BGaming is famous for creating engaging and potentially lucrative online pokies, all of which offer the Provably Fair algorithm. Its pokies are the cornerstone of many online casinos and can be found at over 1,600 online casinos worldwide.

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How to Play Gemhalla Pokie

BGaming makes their games accessible to all players by providing simple menu options for gameplay. Once you launch the game, the menu options are across the bottom of the screen. Here are the options you can use to play Gemhalla.

Paytable and Rules – The “i” icon will launch the information screen containing the paytable and rules for playing the game.
Game Settings – The gear icon will launch the settings menu. Here, you can set options like quick spin, setting the spacebar to spin, and controlling sound.
Total Bet – The total bet box will allow you to set the bet by either clicking the up and down arrows or clicking the bet amount for a list of betting options.
Autospin – This will let you set automatic spins starting at 10 spins.
Playing the Game – The spin button is to the right of the menu. Click this to spin the reels.

The Mechanics of Gemhalla Pokie

Gemhalla has two popular modern pokie mechanics in scatter pays and cascading reels. For those unfamiliar with scatter pays, instead of a payline, you receive a payout when eight or more of a symbol appear on the board. These symbols can be anywhere on the board.

Cascading reels are an exciting feature where winning symbols disappear, and remaining symbols drop down to allow new ones to fall. This can create new combinations and continue the cascade effect. The cascade continues until there are no new winning combinations.

This game does not have a wild symbol, but there are multipliers and a free spins game available. Continue reading to learn more about these features and other options in the game.

AVAILABLE BETS IN GEMHALLA VIDEO POKIE

Gemhalla offers a wide betting range, perfect for small bankrolls and middle-stakes players. You can bet from .20 up to $20 per spin.

GEMHALLA SYMBOLS AND PAYTABLE

There are nine paying symbols in this game. With this being a scatter pays game, you must have at least eight of a symbol on the board to earn a payday. Symbols pay for combinations of 8-9, 10-11, and 12+.

In most cases, you will need a cascade win to turn a profit on a spin. Let’s take a look at the paying symbols in this game.

Low Paying Symbols

The gem runes are the low-paying symbols in this game. Here’s how they pay:

Purple – 1x, 1.5x, and 10x
Yellow – .8x, 1.2x, and 8x
Green – .5x, 1x, and 5x
Blue – .4x, .9x, and 4x
Red – .25x, .75x, and 2x

Medium and High Paying Symbols

The axe and horn are the medium-paying symbols, while the beer mug and Viking helmet are high-paying symbols. Here’s how they pay:

Helmet – 10x, 25x, and 50x
Mug – 2.5x, 10x, and 25x
Horn – 2x, 5x, and 15x
Axe – 1.5x, 2x, and 12x

The Viking ship scatter symbol is also a paying symbol, paying on four or more. It is also the highest-paying symbol, paying 100x your bet on six scatters.

Features in Gemhalla Pokie

Outside of the scatter pay and cascading symbols mechanics, there are a pair of primary features. Let’s take a look at them.

Multiplier Shields

In the base game, the only additional feature is multiplier shields. Thor will shoot lightning from his hammer and a shield will appear on the screen. Shields can hold the following values:

Wooden – 2x – 5x
Green – 6x – 30x
Violet – 31x – 100x
Striped – 101x – 500x

Shields can be summoned in the main spin or during a cascade. If more than one shield is summoned, the multipliers are combined and added to the total win for that spin.

Free Spins Game

The Viking ship is the scatter for this game, and the free spins game is triggered when four or more appear on the board. You’ll get 15 free spins at the start of the round. If three or more scatters land on the board during a free spin, you’ll get 5 additional spins.

During the free spins game, Thor will summon multiplier shields more frequently. Also, multipliers accumulate during free spins games. For example, if you get a 5x multiplier on the first spin, it will be added to the total. The next multiplier shield is added to the next winning spin, and that new multiplier is applied to the spins total.

Please note that the total multiplier is only added to a winning spin if a multiplier shield adds to the total. The total multiplier is not added if there are no shields on the board. The total multiplier can offer massive win potential.

Buy Bonus

This game offers a Buy Bonus for 100x your bet. We do not recommend using this option as it is highly volatile. In our testing, we bought the feature five times and never turned a profit.

gemhalla bonus

Graphics and Sound of Gemhalla Game

In our opinion, Gemhalla falls a bit short in the presentation. The game graphics are more cartoonish than we’d like to see, making the game seem more like a mobile gem game than a pokie. Also, the soundtrack doesn’t want to make up its mind. Sometimes, it seems like a Viking-themed game and other times, it has music that seems to be more appropriate for an Irish-themed game.

While the game is vibrant and colourful, it is too cartoonish for our tastes. Improving the graphics and sounds would really help enhance this game.

Strategies for Playing Gemhalla

Contrary to popular belief, there are some strategies you can employ to improve your odds when playing pokies. Let’s look at some strategies for playing Gemhalla.

Tips for Playing Gemhalla

First, you need to properly manage your bankroll when playing online pokies. We recommend setting session or game limits to control your losses. Look at your bankroll, decide how much you’re ok with losing in the game, and stick to that limit.

Next, set limits on how long you’ll play the game. This can be a set number of spins or a specific amount of time, such as 20 minutes. Once you reach these limits, you stop playing.

Lastly, control your bet sizing in the game. The lower your bets, the more spins you’ll get. As this game is high volatility, you can reduce your bankroll swings by lowering your bet sizing.
Also, don’t play the Bonus Buy. As mentioned earlier, it will cost you 100x your bet. In our testing, it will not be a profitable play. At most, we got back 75% of our investment. Save your money and play normally.

Gemhalla – RTP and Volatility

Gamhalla has an RTP of 97.17%, higher than many pokies at Australian online casinos. However, the game does have high volatility. That means you will experience higher fluctuations in your bankroll when playing this game. With high-volatility games, you will have many spins where you don’t win a dime, so if you don’t like high-variance games, this isn’t one for you.

Play Gemhalla Using Your Mobile

BGaming takes a mobile-first approach in its game design. Gemhalla is fully mobile-optimized and operates well on most mobile web browsers. Chrome will be your best browser option if you plan to play this game. We also tested the game on Safari, Opera, Edge, and Brave, and all browsers performed well for this game.

However, I caution those with older or low-memory phones when playing this game. The animations in the game may bog down your browser. That will be more of a phone issue than an issue with the game.

Our Thoughts on the Gemhalla Game

Gemhalla is a cute, Norse-inspired pokie with a lot of profit potential. The game’s scatter pays with cascading wins features can create excitement, and the multiplier shields can make some big wins. However, the game has high volatility and may not be suitable for some smaller bankrolls. If you’re lucky enough to get to the free spins game, the multipliers give you a fantastic shot at a big win. Overall, we recommend this game to people who love big multipliers and don’t mind high volatility.

Gemhalla FAQs

Can I play Gemhalla for free?

Yes, most Australian online casinos offer demo versions of pokies, including Gemhalla. Some casinos may require you to log out before playing demo games.

How many free spins can I win in Gemhalla?

Gemhalla awards 15 free spins at the start of the free spins game. You can get five additional spins for every three scatters that land on the board during the free spins game.

What is Gemhalla’s RTP and volatility?

Gemhalla has an RTP of 97.17%, higher than what you’ll find at many online casinos. The game has high volatility, meaning you will experience large swings in your bankroll.

Does Gemhalla offer any jackpots?

Gemhalla does not offer any jackpot prizes. However, the free spins game does have accumulating multipliers, which have the potential to give you big wins of 50x, 100x, or more.

How many paylines does Gemhalla have?

Gemhalla does not use paylines. Instead, it offers scatter pays, which means you’ll get a payout anytime eight or more of a symbol appears on the board.

Maddison Dwyer

Senior Writer & Queen of Cards

Maddison, a graduate from the University of Queensland with a degree in journalism, has turned her sharp analytical skills towards the casino world. Specializing in blackjack and roulette and more, she guides enthusiasts through the complexities of gambling strategies.

Her background in ethical storytelling enriches her approach, making her insights into casino gaming both trustworthy and engaging.