Peaky Blinders Pros & Cons
Peaky Blinders delivers classic Aristocrat action with a proven track record. The choice-based free spins and stacked symbols create a good variety, but the RTP and max win won't impress everyone.
- Officially licensed — authentic characters, music, and Birmingham atmosphere
- Two free spins modes with different mechanics — Shelby Betting Shop or Locked Reels
- 96.5% RTP — excellent for a branded Pragmatic Play slot
- Locked character symbols during "By Order" bonus create stacking potential
- Tommy Shelby wild pays 20x bet for five of a kind
- Medium-High volatility suits extended sessions
- 2,022x max win is low compared to modern high-volatility titles
- Bonus triggers can feel infrequent during base game
- Black and white aesthetic, while authentic, is visually austere
- No Bonus Buy feature
What Players Are Saying About Peaky Blinders
Peaky Blinders is Pragmatic Play's first officially licensed slot based on a television property, released in August 2020. It puts Tommy Shelby, Arthur, Polly Grey, and Michael Gray directly on the reels against a black-and-white Birmingham backdrop with the actual show's atmospheric soundtrack. Most branded slots use a license as a marketing hook while building a generic game underneath. Peaky Blinders breaks that pattern: the "By Order of the Peaky Blinders" respin feature — where character symbols lock in place and wilds spawn to complete matching combinations — is one of the more engaging respin mechanics in Pragmatic's 2020 catalogue.
The 2,022x max win is deliberately thematic (referencing the show's era) but does cap the ceiling lower than players accustomed to Pragmatic's higher-volatility titles. What Peaky Blinders offers instead is consistency: 96.5% RTP, medium-high volatility, and two different bonus paths that keep sessions varied. This is a slot that rewards patience and show familiarity.
| DEVELOPER | Pragmatic Play |
|---|---|
| THEME | TV Branded / 1920s Birmingham Crime Drama |
| GRID SIZE | 5 Reels, 3 Rows |
| PAYLINES | 20 Fixed Paylines |
| RTP | 96.5% |
| MAX WIN | 2,022x your total bet |
| VOLATILITY | Medium-High |
| MIN/MAX BET | £0.20 / £100 per spin |
| BONUS BUY | NO |
| RELEASE DATE | August 27, 2020 |
Symbol Values and Paytable
| SYMBOL | 3 ON A PAYLINE | 4 ON A PAYLINE | 5 ON A PAYLINE |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Tommy Shelby (Wild)
|
5x bet | 20x bet | |
|
Arthur Shelby (Premium 1)
|
4x bet | 15x bet | |
|
Polly Grey (Premium 2)
|
3x bet | 12x bet | |
|
Michael Gray (Premium 3)
|
2.5x bet | 10x bet | |
|
Ace / King
|
1x bet | 4x bet | |
|
Queen / Jack / 10
|
0.6x bet | 2x bet | |
|
Scatter (Peaky Blinders Badge)
|
choose bonus mode |
The Two Bonus Modes
Shelby Betting Shop (8 Free Spins)
- Eight free spins where the scatter on reel 5 triggers random money prizes attached to character symbols on the reels. Character symbols that appear become prize-bearing versions with coin values attached.
- At the end of the feature, all prize values are collected. This mode is the lower-volatility choice — more frequent, smaller wins that sustain your session.
By Order of the Peaky Blinders (10 Free Spins)
- Ten free spins where character symbols and wilds lock in place when they appear, remaining sticky for all remaining spins.
- When a locked character symbol fills a payline, all other symbols on that payline transform to match — creating a "completing" mechanic that can produce multiple simultaneous high-value paylines. This is the higher-volatility mode where the 2,022x max win lives. A full reel set of locked Tommy Shelby wilds would theoretically complete every payline at maximum value.
My 200 Spins Test Run
Spins 1–70
Base game produced solid medium hits. Character symbols appeared frequently enough to maintain interest. Tommy wild at spin 34 completed a 4-of-a-kind Arthur for $6.80 from $0.50. Small consistent wins — down only $4 after 70 spins.
Spin 83
Three badges on reels 1, 3, 5 — chose "By Order." Tommy wild locked on reel 2 on spin 3, then Arthur locked on reels 1 and 4 by spin 7. Arthur symbols completing across 8 paylines on the final spins: $78. Strong feature.
Spins 84–150
Two Shelby Betting Shop triggers at spins 102 and 137. Collected $18 and $12 respectively from character prize symbols. Steady positive territory.
Spin 174
"By Order" again. This time Tommy wilds locked on reels 1, 3, and 5 by spin 6. Near-full board of Tommy completions: $134 from $0.50. Best hit of the session.
Final balance
Started $100, ended $287. Up $187. Both "By Order" features drove the session.
Play Responsibly - 18+ Only
Gambling should be entertaining and fun. Remember that slots are games of chance, and there's no guaranteed way to win. Never gamble more than you can afford to lose, and always set limits for yourself. If you feel gambling is becoming a problem, please seek help immediately.
FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions
How does the "By Order of the Peaky Blinders" bonus work?
When you trigger the feature and choose "By Order," you receive 10 free spins. During these spins, any character symbol (Tommy, Arthur, Polly, Michael) or wild that lands on the reels locks in place and remains sticky for the duration of the feature. Crucially, when a locked character symbol forms part of a payline, all other symbols on that payline transform to match — meaning a locked Tommy Shelby wild on reel 3 can complete premium paylines in both directions.
What's the difference between the two free spins modes?
The Shelby Betting Shop mode (8 spins) is the conservative choice — scatter symbols on reel 5 attach random money prizes to character symbols, and you collect those prizes when the feature ends. It's lower volatility with more predictable returns. The "By Order of the Peaky Blinders" mode (10 spins) is the high-variance choice where locked character symbols and wilds build potential across the feature. If you're chasing the session's biggest wins, always take "By Order."
Is the 2,022x max win the actual ceiling?
Yes — 2,022x is the hard maximum, deliberately referencing the year in the show's era. This is lower than most modern Pragmatic Play titles (which typically reach 5,000x–25,000x). The cap is a design choice, not a technical limitation. Pragmatic intentionally kept the ceiling lower to support the medium-high volatility profile and strong hit frequency that makes Peaky Blinders suitable for longer sessions.
Can I buy the bonus in Peaky Blinders?
No. Peaky Blinders does not include a Bonus Buy feature, which is unusual for a Pragmatic Play slot of this profile. The absence means you must organically trigger the scatter combination — three Peaky Blinders badges on reels 1, 3, and 5 simultaneously.
Does the slot use actual Peaky Blinders music?
Yes. The in-game soundtrack incorporates the show's distinctive atmospheric music — the brooding, industrial blues tracks associated with the BBC series. Character symbols use authentic likenesses of the actors, and the visual treatment (black-and-white Birmingham streets, the Garrison pub aesthetic, period-accurate typography) is officially licensed and approved.
How does Peaky Blinders compare to other TV-branded slots?
Most TV-licensed slots — Game of Thrones, Walking Dead, Narcos — use generic mechanics with a themed skin. Peaky Blinders stands apart because the "By Order" locked-symbol respin was designed specifically around the character symbols, creating a feature that wouldn't work without the show's cast structure.