Demo Unavailable
Play it for real at the casino below
Evolution is a top provider in the iGaming industry, offering many exciting slot titles and popular live casino games like Crazy Time. The software developer has launched a refreshingly unique live game, Balloon Race, and I knew I just had to check it out.
You might be expecting a classic live slot variant when you first launch the game, but I was in for a pleasant surprise. The game features three exciting levels, but the last level is where the live game begins. With an impressive 96.09% RTP and medium volatility, Balloon Race is fun and rewarding to play. Read on to learn about my experience playing the game.
Balloon Race is a unique three-stage game that blends slot mechanics with live-hosted gameplay in a colorful, cloud-themed setting. The goal? Qualify, top up, and race to win.
You’ll start with a 5x3 slot game featuring 10 paylines and seven symbols, including a Scatter (hot air balloon) and an Expanding Wild. To qualify for the race, you need to land three Scatters or three Wilds. You can spin manually – there’s no auto-spin – or use Xxxtreme (5x your bet) or Super Xxxtreme (50x your bet) modes to speed things up by guaranteeing Wilds and Scatters.
Scatters can come with multipliers, which carry forward. Wins during this round are modest (up to 15x), but the excitement builds as you move closer to the live event.
Once qualified, you can optionally top up your multipliers. Four balloons (red, purple, green, yellow) begin ascending toward their respective multiplier lines. If any balloon reaches the line before popping, its multiplier activates for the upcoming race. It’s risky, but potentially rewarding.
In the final stage, hosted live from a balloon among the clouds, the host draws from a bingo-style machine containing 80 colored balls. Before the race begins, an airplane drops surprise multipliers onto the board. Each ball drawn advances a matching-colored balloon upward. The first to reach the multiplier line wins, and all players who backed that balloon win based on the total multiplier they accumulated.
From start to finish, Balloon Race offers a fresh twist on live gaming – with bright visuals, escalating stakes, and a dynamic blend of slots and chance.
Evolution's Balloon Race comes with a decent 96.09% RTP, which is within the acceptable rate for live casino game shows online. I consider it a game for both casual players and high rollers since I started with an initial bet of $0.10. Please bear in mind that whatever amount you bet in the qualifying stage is the same amount that'll be applied to your top-up for that round.
The highest payout for every round is $500,000. Balloon Race is a medium volatility game, so you can get fairly big wins if your initial stake is a reasonable sum and you've landed sizable multipliers in the qualifying and top-up stages. This only applies to the final level, though. The qualifying level makes provisions for only small wins.
Balloon Race doesn't have any distinct bonus features that I can focus on, except the last level of the game, which is sometimes referred to as the bonus rounds. Nevertheless, it's a fairly new invention in the iGaming scene, so I'll go over its top three distinguishing features with you.
This spin in the qualifying stage is Evolution's option to shorten the qualification time by giving yourself a chance to land the required Scatters or Wilds more quickly. Wagering on Xxxtreme Spin mode ensures that one Wild and one Scatter appear each time you spin.
I started Balloon Race with a $10 wager at the best live casino online and quickly realized this isn’t your typical fast-paced live game. It took me over 10 minutes just to qualify for the race, and even with Xxxtreme Spin mode, it still took around six minutes. The base slot can be slow and a bit costly if you’re not landing Scatters or Wilds consistently.
Once I qualified, though, the energy picked up. I landed a 5x multiplier during qualification and chose to top up for the extra edge. The race itself was short but intense – red and purple balloons got boosted, but yellow came from behind and won. Thanks to my earlier multipliers, I still walked away with a decent payout.
The game can be frustrating at first, especially with how long the qualification takes and how quickly the race ends. Still, when everything aligns – qualifiers, top-ups, and a lucky balloon – it delivers a thrilling payoff. I’d recommend Xxxtreme Spins and top-ups only if you’ve got the bankroll to handle the swings.
There's no need to spend hours scouring the internet for a trusted casino online where you can play Balloon Race for real money. I've included some of the best casino sites from my personal experience below. Simply choose one and kick-start gameplay.
Balloon Race by Evolution is an exciting combination of slot and live gaming. This game keeps you on the edge of your seat, anticipating the next outcome.
What I love most about playing Balloon Race is that a win is guaranteed once you qualify for the game. Note that it can take a long time and many losses to qualify. However, the multipliers and exhilarating balloon races make it an enjoyable game to play at the best Evolution casinos.
Karolis Matulis is an SEO Content Editor at Casinos.com with more than 6 years of experience in the online gambling industry. Karolis has written and edited dozens of slot and casino reviews and has played and tested thousands of online slot games. So if there's a new slot title coming out soon, you better know it – Karolis has already tried it.
Read Full BioNeed expert help? Ask a question and one of our in-house experts will get back to you...