The X Factor Slingo Review


The X Factor may be going through a bumpy ride at the moment, but it still ticks along in the gambling community. Having leant itself to a version of bingo and a slots site, the Simon Cowell vehicle is also available as a version of Slingo. Can this TV show inspired game offer a better experience than similar offerings for Britain's Got Talent and Love Island?

The X Factor Slingo

The answer to that question is probably not. The X Factor Slingo is essentially a branded version of the standard game. Set on a stage bathed in blue lights, The X Factor Slingo is played on a 5x5 grid of numbers. The numbers range from 1 to 75. When you play the game - five numbers are shown on reels located at the base of the game card. Any numbers that match are marked off. You receive an initial 11 turns to complete the game card.

How To Play The X Factor Slingo

The aim of any Slingo game is to get a line - horizontal, vertical or diagonal - of five numbers. Each line represents a win and the more lines you get the bigger the prize. A completed card represents a full house. During game play you may get wilds or super wilds that allow you to select numbers on the game card. Additionally free play balls can be won - it's possible to get up to four free plays per turn.

Wagering on this version of Slingo starts at £2. This can be increased up to a maximum of £200 (Slingo.com). The minimum and maximum wager may vary from site to site. There is no Autoplay but The X Factor Slingo does allow you to wager on. Basically once your turn has finished you'll be invited to play on for a given price and potential win. We advise against this option as wins are rare!

Progressive Jackpot

As well as being much more expensive to play, The X Factor Slingo differs by offering players the chance to win a progressive jackpot. Get three scatter symbols (jokers) on a spin to win an 'X'. Four scatters will result in 2 'X' symbols whilst you get 3 for five. Get 7 to win the Live Show Jackpot, 8 bags you the Semi Final Progressive whilst 9 'X' symbols lands you the Gold Progressive Jackpot. At time of writing this was just over £50,000!

Single 'X' symbols can also appear during the spins. Each time one occurs you're told that you've progressed to another stage of the competition. This does give the game a bit of an X Factor feel, and actually gives the themed game something additional that we found lacking on Love Island. The downside to these X symbols is that they're (a) rare and (b) you don't win anything until you get 7 of them. This means your chances of winning are as likely as winning the show itself.

The Verdict

There are a number of Slingo versions that have been inspired by TV game shows. To be fair we've not warmed to any of them, but The X Factor version does offer something more. It does feel like there's some attempt to combine the game plus programme rather than just change the logo. The downside is that at £2 a spin it does make it a bit pricey. A high initial wager also means much higher "play on" wagers thereby making the feature less desirable.

We suspect that the high wager is to accommodate the progressive element of the game. Therefore in many respects The X Factor Slingo may well appeal to high roller players rather than those on tighter budgets. We quite like the progressive element - it does add another dimension - but do feel players should be rewarded for achieving 3, 4, 5 and 6 'X' symbols.

Best Sites To Play Slingo


New UK Customers Only. New members only, must opt in. Min £10 deposit & wager. 30 day expiry from deposit. Free Spins: on Double Bubble. 1p coin size, max lines. Bingo: Advertised ticket value based on £1 tickets. Game availability & restrictions apply. BeGambleAware.org. 18+. #AD


New UK Customers Only. New customers only. Deposit and stake £10 on bingo to qualify within 7 days of initial deposit. Some prizes have wagering requirements and expiry dates. Country Restrictions Apply. See full T&Cs for more detail 18+. Terms Apply #AD


New UK Customers Only. Min deposit & spend £10 to get £20 bonus (40x wagering, selected games). 30 Free Spins (value £0.10 each, selected games). Bonus & Free Spins valid for 7 days. Payment restrictions & T&Cs apply. 18+. Terms Apply #AD


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