The Hand of Midas vs Hand of Midas 2: What Changed in the 2024 Sequel
Pragmatic Play released Hand of Midas 2 in 2024, three years after the original. The art looks nearly identical and the bonus structure follows the same template, but four mechanical changes shift the math. The original keeps a tighter mathematical model; the sequel trades consistency for explosive upside.
RTP, max win and core specs side by side
The Hand of Midas (2021): 96.54% default RTP, 5,000× max win cap, 1×/2×/3× wild multipliers, 5×3 grid, 20 fixed paylines, 1 in 214 free spins hit rate. Hand of Midas 2 (2024): 96.5% RTP, 10,000× max win cap, 2×/3×/5×/10× wild multipliers, same grid and payline structure, slightly tighter free spins frequency. The sequel doubles the max win ceiling and triples the top multiplier range, but the math compensates by making wilds less impactful per spin on average.
The wild multiplier change is the biggest shift
In the original, every wild that lands during free spins is guaranteed to add to the global multiplier. In Hand of Midas 2, some wilds add a multiplier and some don't — it's randomised per wild. The result is choppier bonus rounds. A session with five wilds in the original always builds the multiplier; in the sequel you might get five wilds and only three multiplier additions. Sessions that do compound the multiplier hit harder thanks to the 2×–10× range, but average bonus payouts skew lower.
Bonus Buy and Ante Bet costs
Both games carry the same three Buy tiers (100×, 200×, 300× of stake) and the same 25% Ante Bet premium. The sequel's higher max win and bigger multipliers make the 5-scatter buy slightly more attractive on paper — the 10,000× ceiling is reachable on a stronger sticky-wild path. In practice, the randomised wild multiplier in the sequel offsets that advantage and average returns on the 5-scatter buy are roughly equivalent across both games.
Which one to play
Play the original if you want predictable bonus variance with a guaranteed multiplier build path. Every wild matters, the math is transparent, and the 5,000× cap is realistically reachable on a clean five-scatter trigger. Play the sequel if you want the higher ceiling and accept that bonus rounds will feel more random — some pay nothing above the floor, some hit harder than anything the original can produce. The original is more consistent; the sequel is more volatile.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the RTP of The Hand of Midas?
Default RTP is 96.54%. Pragmatic Play also ships 95.50% and 94.51% versions that operators can select. The version is shown in the in-game info panel — always check before depositing. The gap between top and bottom version costs roughly $20 per 1,000 spins at $1 stake.
How often does the bonus trigger?
Free spins hit rate is 1 in 214 spins at default RTP. A 300-spin session has about a 24.5% chance of ending without any bonus. Plan your bankroll for a worst-case dry run of 300+ spins.
Is Bonus Buy worth it?
Long-run expected return on all three buy tiers lands close to the 96.54% RTP, so no tier has a mathematical edge over the others. The 4-scatter tier (200× stake) offers the best balance between cost and the spin range that gives sticky wilds time to stack the multiplier. Budget $1,000–$2,000 minimum at $1 stake before buying.
What's the difference between The Hand of Midas and Hand of Midas 2?
The 2024 sequel doubles the max win cap to 10,000× and pushes wild multipliers to 2×/3×/5×/10×, but makes the multiplier addition per wild random instead of guaranteed. The original has more consistent bonus rounds; the sequel hits harder when it hits but pays the floor more often.
Can I play The Hand of Midas free without registration?
Yes — the demo on this page runs Pragmatic Play's official game with virtual credits. No signup, no deposit, no download. Reloading resets the balance.
What's the maximum win in The Hand of Midas?
5,000× the stake, capped. At $0.20 stake that's $1,000; at $1 it's $5,000; at the $100 max bet it's $500,000. Hit rate for the cap is 1 in 998,191 spins. The bonus round ends immediately if the cap is reached during free spins.
Why does the base game feel so dead?
Because the math model puts most of the RTP weight on the free spins round. Base game wilds give a 1×, 2× or 3× multiplier per wild but only on the spin they land. The slot is built around the bonus — base spins are essentially the wait between bonuses, not the main event.