When Mahjong Ways awards free spins through Scatter symbols

01 · Free spins

Mahjong Ways free spins: trigger rules

Both PG Soft games use the Scatter symbol to start their free spins feature. The Scatters can land anywhere on the reels; they do not have to appear on a particular payline or in a particular position. Three Scatters trigger the feature, while each additional Scatter adds two spins to the initial award.

A retrigger means that Scatters landing during a free spins round can award more free spins under the game rules. The feature can therefore extend beyond its initial allocation, but the rules do not promise a particular number of retriggers or a particular result. Each spin remains an independent outcome generated by the game’s random number generator.

The Scatter is distinct from a Wild. In the official game information, the Mahjong Ways Scatter is shown with the red character 胡 (hu). The Wild is depicted as a gold ingot marked WILD and substitutes for symbols other than the Scatter. See the demo page for information about the public demo, or read the how to play guide for the controls and basic game mechanics.

02 · Free spins

Scatter Mahjong Ways: what happens on the reels

In both games, winning symbols are removed and new symbols cascade into the gaps. The game checks the new layout for another win. This means one spin can contain several win rounds, with the multiplier changing as the cascade continues. The free spins feature adds its own multiplier ladder, which is different from the base-game ladder.

In Mahjong Ways, some non-Wild, non-Scatter symbols on reels 2, 3 and/or 4 may appear gold-plated during a spin. When a gold symbol is part of a win, it changes into a Wild after new symbols cascade down. This gold-symbol mechanic also applies to Mahjong Ways 2, with an additional feature during free spins: all eligible symbols on the middle reel appear in gold.

A Scatter starts the feature; it does not itself act as a Wild or become a Wild through the gold-symbol process. The official rules describe the Scatter, Wild, cascades and gold symbols as separate parts of the game. If a symbol or feature name on a third-party page differs from those rules, it should not be treated as an official Mahjong Ways mechanic without confirmation from PG Soft.

03 · Free spins

Mahjong Ways and Mahjong Ways 2 compared

The main differences for players comparing the free spins features are the initial spin award and the way gold symbols are presented in Mahjong Ways 2. Their free-spin multipliers are the same, and both games allow retriggers.

Mahjong Ways 2 has an extra row on reels 2, 3 and 4, while Mahjong Ways has four rows on each reel. The number of ways shown above the reels is 1,024 in Mahjong Ways and 2,000 in Mahjong Ways 2. These are game-format details, not a measure of how often a player will trigger free spins.

In Mahjong Ways 2, all symbols on the middle reel appear gold during free spins except Wild and Scatter symbols. If an eligible gold symbol is involved in a win, it turns into a Wild after the cascade. In Mahjong Ways, the gold-plated symbols may appear on reels 2, 3 and/or 4, and the gold symbols involved in a win turn into Wilds as the next symbols drop. The middle-reel effect is therefore a specific part of the Mahjong Ways 2 free spins feature, not a separate Scatter type.

04 · Free spins

Free spin multipliers and gold symbols

The multiplier ladder for free spins is x2, x4, x6 and x10 in both games. The ladder applies during the feature; it should not be confused with the base-game cascade multiplier, which starts at x1 and advances to x2, x3 and then x5 as winning cascade rounds continue. The base-game multiplier resets on a new spin.

Gold symbols and multipliers are separate mechanics that can combine in a feature round. The gold effect can turn eligible winning symbols into Wilds after a cascade, while the multiplier ladder changes the value applied during the feature. The rules describe these mechanics, but they do not guarantee that a gold symbol will form a win or that a cascade will continue.

For Mahjong Ways 2, the middle reel’s eligible symbols are gold throughout the free spins feature. Wild and Scatter are exceptions. In Mahjong Ways, the general gold-plated-symbol rule applies to reels 2, 3 and/or 4; it is not stated that every symbol on the middle reel is gold for the entire feature. This distinction helps explain why the two games can look different during free spins despite sharing the same multiplier values.

05 · Free spins

How often does the Mahjong Ways bonus feature appear?

The official game data lists the free spins feature hit rate as 0.49% for Mahjong Ways and 0.46% for Mahjong Ways 2. These low figures indicate that the feature is a rare event in the stated game statistics. They are not a schedule, a guarantee for a session, or a prediction of when Scatters will land.

RTP is a long-term theoretical return figure for the game version. The feature’s RTP share is the portion attributed to free spins in the published breakdown; it does not mean that a player receives that share during a single session. The hit rate and RTP answer different questions: hit rate describes how often the feature is listed as occurring in the game data, while RTP describes theoretical returns over a very large number of plays.

A third-party page may advertise an hourly changing RTP or a live percentage. Such figures are not official PG Soft RTP values. The official data gives fixed theoretical RTP figures for these versions. For a fuller explanation of the published figures and advertised maximum-win values, see RTP and max win.

06 · Free spins

Mahjong Ways bonus: retriggers and bonus buy

The free spins feature is the in-game Mahjong Ways bonus described in the official rules. It starts through Scatter symbols, awards the stated initial number of spins, adds two spins for each additional Scatter and can retrigger. The game information PDFs for Mahjong Ways and Mahjong Ways 2 do not describe a Feature Buy or bonus-buy option. Claims that the official versions include a way to purchase the feature are therefore not supported by those rules.

This in-game feature is separate from promotions offered by third-party gaming platforms. A platform may set its own bonus conditions, including wagering requirements and an expiry period. Those terms are not part of PG Soft’s free spins rules, can vary between platforms and should be read directly before relying on a promotion. No particular promotion or platform condition is confirmed by this guide.

The games do not have their own accounts. Login and registration, where offered, belong to a gaming platform, not to Mahjong Ways itself. A platform’s button or promotion does not change how Scatters, multipliers or retriggers work in the game. This page does not promise a win, bonus, legality or safety from using a third-party service.

07 · Free spins

Black Scatter and super Scatter claims

Black Scatter, or scatter hitam, is not listed as a Mahjong Ways or Mahjong Ways 2 symbol in the official game rules. The official Scatter is the red-character symbol. A claim about a black version should not be confused with the documented feature just because it uses similar search terms.

Mahjong Ways super Scatter is also a misleading label when used to describe these PG Soft games. Mahjong Wins Super Scatter is a different mahjong-themed slot by Pragmatic Play, not a member of the PG Soft Mahjong Ways series. The official PG Soft catalogue lists Mahjong Ways and Mahjong Ways 2; it does not confirm a PG Soft Mahjong Ways 3. Games with a similar name on gaming platforms may come from other studios and should not be presented as PG Soft releases.

Predictors, tricks, patterns and hacks do not control the free spins feature. Outcomes come from a random number generator, and each spin is independent. Past Scatters, a sequence of non-winning spins or a particular time of play do not establish that the next spin is due to trigger the feature. For further clarification of these claims, see Mahjong Ways 3, Super Scatter and myths.

08 · Free spins

Bangladesh context and official information

Readers in Bangladesh should consider the local legal position before engaging with online gambling. Section 20 of the Cyber Security Ordinance, 2025 makes creating or operating a portal, app or device for gambling in cyberspace, taking part in such gambling, assisting or encouraging it, or advertising or promoting it an offence. Sections 21 and 22 prohibit gambling-related financial transactions and fraud. This is a neutral summary, not legal advice; consult the Bangladesh legal status page for this site’s further context.

The CID of Bangladesh Police has run a nationwide campaign against online gambling and identified mobile financial service agents used for gambling payments. This page does not direct readers to a payment agent or gaming platform. Gambling is for adults aged 18 and over, but meeting the age requirement does not remove the legal restrictions described above.

The game facts on this page are based on PG Soft’s official information for Mahjong Ways and Mahjong Ways 2, including their game information PDFs and public demo. The public demo is available in several interface languages; the English interface is used for this Bangladesh section. The games are HTML5 titles that can run in a browser or within a gaming platform. PG Soft has not confirmed an official standalone Mahjong Ways APK.

For emotional support in Bangladesh, Kaan Pete Roi can be reached at +880 9612-119911 every day from 3 PM to 3 AM. Visit Kaan Pete Roi for information. For emergencies, call 999. The game information is not a recommendation to gamble. See the responsible gaming page for support information.