One of the most popular slots in the world, both online and in land-based casinos, 50 Lions has built up an incredible reputation for itself in the years it's been around.

But it's hardly the newest slot on the market – many other titles have come along since 50 Lions was released – so can it still hold its own in 2024 and beyond? We set out to find out.

Sometimes it can feel like there must have been a time when lions/African safaris were the only theme pokies producers could think of! Between 50 Lions, Lion's Pride, Safari Heat and Mega Moolah, there's no shortage of big cat themed slots on the web.

But, to be fair to 50 Lions, it was one of the first slots to employ the king of the jungle's services and spawned a hundred copycats (if you'll excuse the pun). Today, its graphics look a bit dated but they still get the job done.

The ambient casino noise is rather spoiled by a shouting patron whose boorish cries have unfortunately been immortalised in the game. Luckily, this can be disabled in the settings menu. It's always great to hear the distinctive roar when you land a win thanks to stacked lion reel icons.

There's nothing fancy about the gameplay of 50 Lions. With 50 paylines, it has more ways to win than most classic video pokies you'll find in offline venues, but otherwise it's exactly the same.

You can bet anything between a few cents and over 100 AUD per spin, so players needn't worry about the size of their bankroll restricting them from playing.

The base jackpot is just 1,000 coins, which is very low by today's standards, but that also means that this is a low variance slot i.e. you can still come away with some extra padding for your bankroll even if you don't hit the jackpot.

In practice, how you do from a session playing 50 Lions can vary massively. Sometimes we've won several hundred coins on our second or third spin, but other times we've demolished a sizeable bankroll with very few wins.

The bonus round, which holds 10 free spins with extra wilds on every consecutive spin, can result in some pretty nice wins but it's not too astonishing either.

50 Lions is an exciting retro slot that has, against the odds, managed to remain popular for many years despite having a relatively low jackpot and a style of play that's not particularly unique.

We think this might be partially down to the fact that the lion reel icon is stacked. This means that, more often than not, a win that involves lions tends to be a big one. Plus, its presence in so many land-based venues means that it's a welcoming familiar face to those who are new to gambling on the web.

While it's true that there are flashier pokies out there with bigger jackpots, it's worth trying 50 Lions for yourself even if only to see what all the fuss is about!

As popular in land-based venues as it is on the web, 50 Lions is starting to show its age but 50 paylines and a genuine feeling of excitement when you rack up lion symbols means that the game retains a lot of its charm. It feels a bit retro certainly, but this is still a fun game to play. Although the game's jackpot is pretty low, its low variance nature means that you'll experience plenty of smaller wins when you play. You might even come out on top without making it to a bonus round! Make no mistake: there are flashier games out there, but this is a classic for good reason.