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Where’s the Gold Play it

Where’s the Gold Symbols Guide for Australian Players

Learn all Where’s the Gold symbols, payouts, wilds and scatters. See how the paytable works and what triggers the Gold Feature.

18+ only. New players only. Wagering requirements apply. Play within your means.

Where’s the Gold gameplay: five reels and three rows of card symbols, wagons and mining tools with the 25 paylines numbered down both sides
100% up to AU$500+ 100 free spins

Made by

Aristocrat

RTP

95%–96%

Volatility

Medium to high

Best payout

1,000x

Style

Classic 5-reel

Bet range

AU$0.01–AU$100

Where’s the Gold symbols are a big part of what makes this classic Aristocrat pokie so easy to recognise. Set on a gold rush backdrop with outback mining visuals, the game uses a familiar 5-reel, 3-row layout and mixes premium themed icons with standard card royals, plus a feature-triggering scatter and bonus wild mechanic.

If you want to understand exactly what each symbol does, this page breaks down the full Where’s the Gold paytable, regular symbol values, the dynamite scatter, and the Wild Gold feature that appears during free spins. It’s designed for Australian players who want a clearer idea of where the wins come from before heading back to the main game.

At a glance, the key Where’s the Gold symbols are:

  • High-paying Where’s the Gold symbols: Prospector, mine shaft, wagon, pickaxe & shovel
  • Low-paying symbols: A, K, Q, J
  • Special symbols: Dynamite scatter and Wild Gold bonus wild

How the Where’s the Gold Paytable Calculates Wins

Where’s the Gold is played on a 5x3 reel setup with 25 fixed paylines, so every line is active on every spin. Standard winning combinations usually pay from left to right across adjacent reels, while scatter wins work differently and can land anywhere on the screen.

The Where’s the Gold paytable is split into two main parts: regular pay symbols and special symbols. Regular symbols include the prospector, mine shaft, wagon, pickaxe & shovel, and the lower-paying card royals. These usually pay for 3, 4 or 5 of a kind, although the top premium symbols can often also pay from 2 of a kind. Special symbols include the dynamite scatter, which triggers the bonus, and the Wild Gold symbol used during free spins.

Like most Aristocrat pokies, the total value of a line win depends on the line bet multiplied by the symbol payout shown in the paytable. That means the same symbol combination can pay more or less depending on your stake level.

Key points to remember:

  • Line wins are based on your line bet and the symbol’s payout value
  • Scatter wins usually pay as a multiplier of the total bet
  • Multiple wins can land on the same spin and stack together
  • Premium icons pay more, but appear less often than royals

Complete List of Where’s the Gold Pay Symbols

Here’s a quick breakdown of all Where’s the Gold symbols you’ll see on the reels. While some online versions can show minor artwork or paytable differences, the core symbol set stays largely the same.

  • Premium symbols: Prospector, mine shaft, wagon, pickaxe & shovel
  • Lower-paying symbols: Ace, King, Queen, Jack
  • Scatter symbol: Dynamite
  • Wild symbol in the feature: Wild Gold

This mix gives the game its familiar rhythm: smaller base-game hits from royals and mid symbols, with the biggest potential tied to premium combinations and the free spins feature.

Top-Paying Where’s the Gold Symbols and Their Values

The highest-paying Where’s the Gold symbols are all tied to the game’s mining theme. These are the icons most players want to line up in the base game, especially across 4 or 5 reels. They don’t appear as often as the card royals, but when they do connect, they deliver the strongest regular line wins on the paytable.

The Prospector is the standout symbol and typically ranks as the most valuable regular icon in the game. Behind it comes the mine shaft, followed by the wagon and pickaxe & shovel. Depending on the version, the top two symbols may also pay from just 2 matching symbols, which is less common among lower-value icons.

SymbolTheme description2 of a kind3 of a kind4 of a kind5 of a kind
ProspectorGold miner character5251001000
Mine ShaftMine entrance icon52080500
WagonMining wagon/cart–1540300
Pickaxe & ShovelMining tools–1030200

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These figures are commonly associated with public versions of the Where’s the Gold paytable and give a solid guide to the symbol hierarchy. The exact credit values shown in-game will still depend on your selected bet.

The reason these premium symbols matter so much is simple: they carry most of the line-win potential in the base game. A 5-of-a-kind Prospector combination can be one of the best regular hits available outside the feature, while the mine shaft is another strong symbol to watch for. The wagon and pickaxe & shovel land more often, so they tend to support more frequent mid-range wins.

In practical terms, this creates a familiar pokie pattern. The top-paying symbols are rarer, but their multipliers are much stronger than the lower-value royals. That balance helps give Where’s the Gold its medium-to-high volatility feel, especially when you’re waiting for either a premium line-up or a bonus trigger.

Card Royal Symbols and Smaller Payouts

The low-paying Where’s the Gold symbols are the card royals, styled to match the game’s gold rush look. These icons appear more frequently on the reels and are responsible for many of the smaller, more regular payouts during standard play.

Among the royals, Ace is usually the highest-paying, followed by King, Queen, and Jack.

Symbol3 of a kind4 of a kind5 of a kind
A1025100
K102575
Q52050
J51525

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These symbols are important even though they don’t offer the headline payouts of the themed icons. In long sessions, royals help keep the reel action moving and often make up the bulk of ordinary line wins.

A few things to know about them:

  • They pay less than the mining-themed symbols
  • They appear more often, so they support regular smaller hits
  • They have no special function and do not trigger features
  • They can still become more useful in free spins when combined with Wild Gold substitutions

The Where’s the Gold Wild Symbol in Free Spins

If you’re specifically searching for the Where’s the Gold wild symbol, the important detail is that this game does not usually use a standard wild in the base game. Instead, its wild mechanic is tied to the bonus round, where the special Wild Gold symbol comes into play.

That means during normal spins, your main focus is on landing the dynamite scatter to unlock the feature. Once free spins begin, the game assigns certain symbols to become Wild Gold symbols for the duration of the bonus. This is where much of the game’s biggest win potential comes from.

Game phaseWild symbol presentHow it works
Base gameUsually no standard wildRegular spins focus on line wins and scatter triggers
Free spinsWild GoldChosen symbols transform and substitute for regular pays

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During the Gold Feature, Wild Gold can dramatically improve the strength of the reels because it helps complete combinations that might otherwise miss by one symbol. It can also create multiple winning lines from the same spin, especially when premium icons are involved.

Wild Gold behaviour usually works like this:

  • Substitutes for all regular pay symbols
  • Typically does not replace the scatter symbol
  • Helps complete or extend winning combinations on active paylines
  • Can produce stronger multi-line wins during free spins
  • Plays a major role in the game’s top bonus payouts

For many players, this is the real heart of Where’s the Gold. The base game sets up the action, but the Wild Gold mechanic is what gives the feature round its extra punch. If you hit free spins with a strong wild setup and enough premium symbols on the reels, the win potential rises quickly.

The Dynamite Scatter Symbol and Bonus Trigger

The official Where’s the Gold scatter symbol is the dynamite icon. Unlike standard pay symbols, the dynamite scatter does not need to land on a payline to count. As long as enough scatters appear anywhere on the reels in the same spin, they can award a payout and trigger the bonus feature.

This is a key detail in the Where’s the Gold paytable because the scatter symbol serves two roles at once: it can pay on its own, and it also unlocks the game’s most important feature. That makes it one of the most valuable symbols in practical terms, even though it doesn’t behave like a normal line-pay icon.

A typical scatter payout table looks like this:

Dynamite scattersPayout
32x total bet
410x total bet
550x total bet

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Landing 3 or more dynamite scatters usually triggers the Gold Feature, which is the free spins round where Wild Gold symbols are introduced. Because scatters pay anywhere, their exact reel positions do not matter.

The dynamite scatter is important because it:

  • Triggers the Gold Feature when 3 or more land
  • Pays as a total bet multiplier rather than a line win
  • Can add value even before the free spins begin
  • Is central to the game’s higher-potential bonus play

In most versions, the scatter symbol is not substituted by wilds. So while Wild Gold can help with regular pay symbols during the feature, the dynamite icon keeps its own separate role.

How the Gold Feature Uses Character Picks and Wild Gold Symbols

The Gold Feature is the most distinctive part of Where’s the Gold, and it’s where the game’s special symbols really come together. After landing 3 or more dynamite scatters, you enter a free spins bonus round built around a character selection mechanic.

At this point, the game presents a group of characters, each linked to a different balance of free spins and Wild Gold potential. The characters commonly shown in the feature include:

  • Professor Gold
  • Peter Panner
  • Mary Money
  • Winnie Fortune
  • Happy Lucky
  • Find-doh

Once you choose a character, they “pan” or “dig” for gold and reveal two things: the number of free spins awarded and the number of symbols that will become Wild Gold during the feature. This creates a simple but effective risk-reward choice. Some picks lean toward more spins with fewer wild symbols, while others offer fewer spins but a stronger wild setup.

CharacterFeature styleFree spins rangeWild Gold potential
Professor GoldSafer bonus styleHigherLower
Peter PannerBalanced setupMediumMedium
Mary MoneyHigher-risk optionLowerHigher
Winnie FortuneBalanced/high varianceMediumMedium-high
Happy LuckyVolatile optionLower-mediumHigh
Find-dohAggressive setupLowerHigh

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The exact reveal is part of the feature’s appeal. You’re not only hoping for more spins, but also for a strong spread of wild transformations that can open up bigger combinations across the reels. During the free spins, the selected symbols convert to Wild Gold, and those wilds then substitute for regular pay symbols to help create winning lines.

This has a direct impact on the type of bonus round you get. More wild symbols generally mean more explosive win potential, especially if they line up with the Prospector, mine shaft, or other premium icons. More free spins, on the other hand, can produce a steadier feature with a better chance of repeated smaller-to-medium wins.

For Australian players, the main thing to understand is the overall sequence:

  • Dynamite scatters land in the base game
  • You enter the Gold Feature
  • You pick a character
  • The game reveals free spins + Wild Gold symbol count
  • During the feature, selected symbols become wilds
  • The bonus may sometimes re-trigger with additional scatters, depending on the version

Even if there are slight presentation differences between casino platforms, the core mechanic remains the same. That’s why so many players look up Where’s the Gold special symbols before playing: understanding the feature helps explain where the real winning potential sits.

What Symbol Behaviour Says About Volatility

Where’s the Gold has a symbol setup that clearly points to medium-to-high volatility. The lower-paying royals land more often and provide many of the smaller base-game wins, while the premium themed symbols appear less frequently but carry much larger payout potential.

That split matters because the game can go through stretches where regular hits are modest, especially if premium combinations or scatters don’t arrive for a while. In the base game, most players will notice that royals and mid-tier icons do much of the routine work, while the bigger moments tend to come from either a strong premium line hit or a bonus feature.

Wild Gold shifts that balance during free spins. Once active, it can improve both hit frequency and average payout size by helping more lines connect at once. That’s why the feature often feels far more rewarding than the base game when it lands well.

Practical takeaways:

  • Expect many base-game wins to come from royals and mid-value symbols
  • Premium icons offer bigger but less frequent payouts
  • The best wins often need Wild Gold plus premium symbols in free spins
  • Dynamite scatters may take time to land, so dry spells can happen
  • Bonus rounds can make up for quieter base-game periods

How Where’s the Gold Symbols Look on Mobile

On mobile, Where’s the Gold symbols keep the same bright, cartoon-style mining theme seen on desktop. The Prospector, mine shaft, wagon, tools and dynamite remain easy to recognise, while the card royals are stylised to match the game’s gold rush setting.

The symbols are scaled to suit smaller screens, so the reels still feel clear on modern phones and tablets. That matters in a game like this, where quickly spotting scatters and premium icons can make the experience much smoother.

If you want to double-check values while playing, the paytable is available in-game through the menu on mobile as well. That lets you review symbol payouts, scatter rules and feature details without leaving the session.

Where’s the Gold Symbols FAQ

Which symbols matter most in Where’s the Gold?

The main Where’s the Gold symbols are the Prospector, mine shaft, wagon, pickaxe & shovel, the A, K, Q, J royals, the dynamite scatter, and the Wild Gold bonus wild. The premium mining icons carry the best regular payouts, while the scatter and wild drive the feature play.

What is the wild symbol in Where’s the Gold?

The Where’s the Gold wild symbol is usually the Wild Gold symbol that appears during the free spins feature. It substitutes for regular pay symbols to help complete winning lines, but it is generally not a standard symbol in the base game.

What is the scatter symbol in Where’s the Gold?

The scatter symbol is the dynamite icon. It pays anywhere on the reels and usually triggers the Gold Feature when 3 or more scatters land in the same spin.

How much does the Prospector symbol pay?

The Prospector is typically the highest-paying regular symbol in the Where’s the Gold paytable. In many versions, it can pay around 5 for 2 of a kind, 25 for 3, 100 for 4, and 1000 for 5, based on the line bet.

Do symbol values change between casinos?

The core symbol structure is usually consistent across standard versions of the game, especially when supplied by Aristocrat. However, some online casinos or platform versions may show small differences in presentation, paytable layout, or configuration, so it’s always worth checking the in-game paytable.

Can I view the paytable on mobile?

Yes. Most mobile versions let you open the paytable directly from the game menu. That means you can check Where’s the Gold symbol values, the wild symbol behaviour and the scatter symbol rules while playing on your phone or tablet.

Final Recap of Where’s the Gold Symbols

Where’s the Gold symbols combine classic mining-themed premium icons with lower-paying card royals and two important special symbols. For most players, the Where’s the Gold paytable is easy to follow: the Prospector sits at the top, the mine shaft, wagon, and pickaxe & shovel fill out the high-to-mid range, the royals handle smaller regular hits, and the game’s biggest feature moments are built around the dynamite scatter symbol and Wild Gold wild symbol.

Quick recap:

  • Prospector – top regular symbol
  • Mine shaft, wagon, pickaxe & shovel – premium and mid-paying symbols
  • A, K, Q, J – lower-paying card royals
  • Dynamite scatter – pays anywhere and triggers the Gold Feature
  • Wild Gold – appears in free spins and substitutes for regular symbols

If you want a solid understanding of the full Where’s the Gold symbols lineup before spinning, these are the key details to know.