iGaming Glossary / Cascading Reels
What is Cascading Reels?
A mechanic where winning symbols disappear and new symbols fall into their place, enabling chain wins from one spin. Also called tumble or avalanche.
Cascading reels change how a slot pays out. Instead of the reels simply stopping, any symbols that form a win are removed, and the symbols above drop down to fill the empty spaces while new ones arrive from the top.
This is important because it can create a chain of wins from a single bet, with each cascade giving another chance to land a combination. Many games attach a multiplier that climbs with every successive drop, so a hot run of cascades can build into a sizeable result.
You will see the same idea labelled tumble, avalanche, rolling reels or similar. The wording differs by studio, but the underlying mechanic and the way to read its paytable stay the same.
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