The Oil Barons Slot Review – Demo, RTP & Features

The Oil Barons is a Wild West-inspired slot from Betsoft that swaps gold mines and outlaw shootouts for another valuable frontier commodity: oil.

Set across a dusty landscape filled with derricks, drilling equipment and ambitious oil tycoons, the game follows the hunt for black gold through a collection of Wild-based mechanics and three very different bonus rounds.

The action takes place on a 5-reel, 5-row grid with 15 pay-lines. The Oil Barons has a 96.29% RTP, high volatility and a maximum win of 12,500x the bet, while stakes range from €0.20 to €32.

The base game is relatively straightforward, but the VS Symbols provide bursts of action through expanding Wilds and multiplier duels.

Most of the depth is reserved for Struck Oil, Contract Duel and Gusher, with the latter offering the most elaborate feature by letting players build a collection of Wilds and multipliers before entering Free Spins.

Game Features

Regular Wilds can appear across the reels and substitute for standard paying symbols, helping complete winning combinations.

They become particularly important during the Struck Oil feature, where landed Wilds remain locked on the grid rather than disappearing after a single spin.

VS Symbols & Multiplier Duels

The VS Symbol also functions as a Wild when contributing to a winning combination, but it has an additional ability. When activated, the VS Symbol expands to cover its entire reel and reveals two multiplier values, which can reach as high as 100x.

The two values then enter a duel, with one randomly selected as the winner. The victorious multiplier remains attached to the expanded VS Wild, potentially adding considerably more value to subsequent wins involving it.

Struck Oil Free Spins

Landing 3 or more Struck Oil Symbols triggers the Struck Oil bonus. The major change during this feature is that Wild Symbols become sticky. Any Wild landing during the round remains in its position, allowing the number of Wilds on the grid to build as the feature progresses.

It’s the simplest of the three bonus modes, but a favourable sequence can gradually create a much stronger playing area.

Contract Duel Free Spins

Landing 3 or more Contract Duel Symbols triggers the Contract Duel feature. Here, the emphasis moves from regular Wilds to the more powerful VS Symbols, which appear with increased frequency.

More VS Symbols means additional opportunities to produce expanding Wild reels and trigger multiplier duels, making Contract Duel the feature most heavily focused on this mechanic.

Gusher Feature

Gusher is the most elaborate bonus in The Oil Barons and is triggered by landing 3 or more Gusher Symbols.

The feature begins with 3 Respins on a special grid where only Wilds and Multiplier Symbols can appear. Landing either type resets the respin counter, allowing the collection phase to continue.

Players can accumulate as many as 20 Wilds and build a multiplier of up to 31x during this stage. Once the respins finish, the feature moves into 3 Free Spins. The collected Wilds are distributed around the grid and move between spins, while the multiplier accumulated during the first stage becomes the Total Win Multiplier.

This two-stage structure makes Gusher considerably different from the other bonuses: the first part builds the resources, while the second puts the accumulated Wilds and multiplier to work.

Feature Buy

Where Bonus Buys are available, each of the three main features can be triggered directly:

• Struck Oil – 80x the bet
• Contract Duel – 200x the bet
• Gusher – 400x the bet

The considerable difference in price reflects the increasing complexity and potential of the three bonus modes, with Gusher sitting firmly at the top.