El Cartel ™ – Review, Bonuses, Free Spins, Free Play in Demo Mode

Game Theme & Storyline

El Cartel allows you to act out your fantasy of becoming a member of an illegal drug gang. The basic game shows a nondescript man with a suitcase full of money. Upstairs, his female companion waits for her debtor.

Graphics & Soundtrack

The game is designed after traditional fruit machines featuring symbols such as lemons, plums, bells and diamonds. The controls are also a throwback to physical slot machines; they even light up when not in use!

For these graphics, they contain simple animations with no fancy animations or 3D special effects that would distract from the story. Despite being crime lords, the characters seem very friendly, and the reels contain thematic symbols that include escape jeeps, stacks of money, as well as the normal signs.

The only sounds that I could hear were buttons being pushed and the reels spinning in El Cartel.

How to Play

This is because the layout of the buttons in this game is very similar to other MGA slots and especially Asalto al Banco. One spins the reels by clicking on a green “Play” button found at the far right end of the control line. On the left side of this button there is an opportunity for adjusting bets while “Change Game” button allows switching from primary to secondary game once enough credits have been won.

Nudges are usually represented by three orange buttons labeled “nudge” and arranged between the control panels. Each button corresponds to one of the reels and can only be used once you have activated the nudge feature. If these are available, an automated voice will alert you and there will be lit bullet-like icons running across the bottom of your screen.

You can use the ‘Auto’ button that is white in color to choose any number of spins automatically, while the blue button with three lines gives you access to game information, settings and other features. On the far left end is a red ‘Collect’ button which eliminates your need for gambling.

Bet Sizes & Maximum Win

It is possible to place bets of 5 up to the maximum of 75 credits per spin. For example, if you are playing at the highest betting level, then it can mean that three blue diamonds will give you a win amounting to 15000 coins.

Bonus Features

Four mini games are there in total in El Cartel. Just three of them can be found in the second game only.

One’s landing on a single payline of three jeep symbols will, in turn, summon the first bonus game. The mini game requires you to select your character’s getaway car from a pile of junk. Note that each vehicle is not merely about getting away but also contains different hidden amounts of money!

The second bonus game can be played in upper game and is activated when you see three Light Aircraft symbols on any of the eight pay lines. You are going to be prompted, more precisely commanded to select the way of an airplane flying. The size of your bet – this is what the payouts will depend on.

If three women lined up along a payline and they are in cahoots with our criminals, the third bonus game will also be activated in the upper game. Discover the rewards these women hide by going to their working room.

Equally, the fourth bonus game is also amongst top games and is activated by three briefcases. This is a game that resembles Deal-or-No-Deal where you have the choice of accepting what is on offer or instead opening one of the briefcases in an attempt to get a better deal.

RTP & Volatility

El Cartel has an RTP of 95%, which is about the minimum we would be happy with in an online slot. Although variance is given as medium, caution on your bankroll is our advice to players because they are attracted by these bonus ‘Plata’ points due to opening the upper game that have more paylines and thereby increase a player’s chances of winning better prizes.

Other Games You Might Like

Asalto al Banco is a game you will definitely love if you loved El Cartel. This game is also set within a criminal underworld and plays almost identically to El Cartel but places a greater emphasis on bank heists than drug trafficking.

If you loved the popular series on television, Narcos by NetEnt is another nice slot that offers 243 ways of winning. The bet can be as low as $0.20 or as much as $400 depending on the number of lines selected and the coin value used.

The two games Break Da Bank and Break Da Bank Again are both traditional fruit machines which have been very successful from Mircrogaming.

At Slots Temple you can play Narcos, the popular slot game with a classic look like El Cartel or a more modern feel. We have never asked for any of your registration details and we offer some of the best MGA slots free of charge!

Our Verdict

On the whole, we really enjoyed El Cartel, albeit one where we took our eye off the ball and ruined our bankroll in a hurry! Sadly though, it took quite a while before we were able to get into this upper game and even when playing the mini games properly they just wouldn’t show up. The general appearance of the game was also good with a nudge feature present on fruit machine style slots which is no longer available in more modern ones.

Disclaimer: El Cartel trademark / license is owned by MGA. This site is not endorsed by MGA.