Oxen are one of the most prominent animals in the Chinese culture. They are life helpers, they represent development, prosperity. However, I bet you never thought an ox could make your wishes come true when you’re gambling in an online casino. “Happy Golden Ox of Happiness” is the funny name of a slot which represents the Chinese culture in a whole different way.

This cartoonish video slot is played on 5 reels and as many as 50 paylines, and it offers the possibility of winning a progressive jackpot. Its symbols indeed show the true nature of China – there are Chinese signs, Chinese decoration, vases, fans, crackers, and many others, and all winnings are related to the lucky number 8. Apart from the ordinary symbols, there are also features and symbols that bring special wins – a wild symbol, a year of the ox scatter, a multiplier, and free spins which can really make your day.

However, there’s a small downside to the slot, in terms of betting amounts. The choice offered by this slot is reduced to $0.02 per line, on all 50 lines. So, whether you like it or not, you need to play with $1 per spin. And even though this is a medium-sized bet amount, it’s still a pity for those who like to play with higher or lower bets.

Wild Symbol:

A happy Golden Ox of Happiness is a symbol which smiles at you from the reels and replaces all other symbols (apart from scatters) in order to make a combination that’ll bring you a prize. Apart from that, if you get really lucky and get 5 oxen at a time, you’ll win a progressive jackpot. Also, when the Happy Ox shows itself on reels 1 and 5, you’ll trigger a special feature, in which reels 1 and 5 are stayed, and the remaining three are spinning up to 8 times. All prizes won during this feature will be multiplied by 1-8 times, increasing by one for each re-spin (1x multiplier for the first re-spin, 2x for the second, and so on). If you strike five oxen during the re-spin feature, you’ll win a maximum sum of 8888 times the line bet, times the multiplier.

Scatter Symbol:

Year of the Ox symbol is something to hope for if you like free spins. And who doesn’t? So, keep an eye for three or more Year of the Ox symbols on the reels, as they will get you, guess how many – eight free spins, which will triple anything you win while they last. Also, during the free spins, you can also trigger a re-spin feature, in which case the prize multiplier will increase by three (3x for the first re-spin, 4x for the second, etc.)

When considering whether to play the game or not, I advise you to put the remarks about fixed bet aside. This is a highly rewarding slot that introduces you to a well-known culture in a somewhat different, cartoonish light, which I guarantee you’ll love. And the happy ox should actually be called a lucky ox, as it definitely brings luck to those who play this slot.

- reviewed by Latest Casino Bonuses, last updated 2011-04-03