Last updated: May 2026. Specs verified against the official Hacksaw Gaming product page and in-game info panel on all four featured AU casinos.
If you want to understand a pokie before you spin a real cent, you read the spec sheet. Wanted Dead or a Wild's spec sheet is short but every line on it matters — there's no fluff, and several lines hide trapdoors you should know about (the RTP variants chief among them). This article is the no-marketing, just-the-numbers reference.
Quick links▶ Play Real Money · 🆓 Free Demo · 🎁 Welcome Bonus
18+ · BetStop · gamblinghelponline.org.au
The headline numbers
| Spec | Value |
|---|---|
| Game name | Wanted Dead or a Wild |
| Provider | Hacksaw Gaming (Stockholm, Sweden) |
| Release date | 15 December 2022 |
| Game ID | 100 |
| Theme | Spaghetti western |
| Grid | 5 reels × 5 rows |
| Paylines | 20 fixed (left-to-right) |
| RTP (default) | 96.38% |
| RTP variants | 94.55% / 92.33% / 88.42% |
| Volatility | 4/5 (base game) |
| Bet range (AUD) | A$0.10 – A$100 per spin |
| Max win | 12,500× stake |
| Hit frequency | ~24% |
| Bonus trigger frequency | ~1 in 195 spins |
| Bonus rounds | 3 (player choice) |
| Signature mechanic | DuelReels (VS symbols) |
| Bonus Buy | Yes (3 cost tiers) |
| Demo mode | Yes |
| Mobile | iOS, Android, browser (HTML5) |
| RNG cert | GLI |
| Languages | 30+ |
| Currencies supported | 100+ including AUD |
Grid and paylines
The reels form a 5×5 grid — five columns, five rows. Twenty fixed paylines run left-to-right across the grid (you can see the line diagram in the game's info panel). Unlike pays-anywhere or cluster-pays games like Gates of Olympus, Wanted Dead or a Wild uses traditional left-to-right paylines — winning combinations have to start on reel one.
You can't disable or reconfigure paylines. They're fixed at 20 and your bet is divided across them automatically.
RTP — the headline trap
The certified default RTP is 96.38%, which sits right at the modern slot average and slightly above many of Hacksaw's contemporaries.
However, Hacksaw makes the game available to operators in multiple RTP configurations:
| Variant | RTP | Difference from default | Margin to house |
|---|---|---|---|
| Default | 96.38% | — | 3.62% |
| Reduced 1 | 94.55% | −1.83% | 5.45% |
| Reduced 2 | 92.33% | −4.05% | 7.67% |
| Reduced 3 | 88.42% | −7.96% | 11.58% |
The bottom variant has a house edge more than triple the default. Over 10,000 spins at A$1 each, the difference between 96.38% and 88.42% is roughly A$800 in expected loss.
The variant being deployed is a casino-side decision, not a game-side one. Always check the in-game info panel before you spin real money. All four casinos featured on this site run the 96.38% default at the time of last verification (May 2026).
Volatility
The base game carries a Hacksaw-published volatility rating of 4 out of 5 — high. In plain English: streaks of 20-40 dry spins between meaningful wins are normal. The hit frequency is around 24%, meaning roughly one spin in four returns something — but most of those somethings are small, sub-1× returns.
The bonus rounds have their own individual volatilities:
| Bonus | Volatility |
|---|---|
| Great Train Robbery | Medium |
| Dead Man's Hand | High |
| Duel at Dawn | Very High |
This per-round volatility tuning is one of the things that separates Wanted Dead or a Wild from typical slots — you're not just betting on one volatility profile, you're picking it each time the bonus triggers.
Symbols and paytable
The paytable has 8 paying symbols plus two specials.
Low-pay symbols (card ranks):
- 10
- J
- Q
- K
- A
High-pay symbols (themed):
- Sheriff's star
- Gunslinger (the "wanted man")
- Horse
- Six-shooter
Special symbols:
- VS symbol — when two land on the same row, the row's reels expand into wild reels (DuelReels) with a multiplier.
- Scatter — three or more anywhere on the grid trigger the bonus picker.
Specific payout values vary by symbol; consult the in-game paytable for the full table at your stake.
Mechanics
DuelReels (base game). When two VS symbols land on the same row, those reels expand into wild reels carrying a multiplier (typically 2× to 10× initial, sometimes more). All paylines passing through that row benefit from the multiplier. Multiple DuelReels in the same spin compound their multipliers on shared lines.
Bonus trigger. Three or more scatters trigger the bonus picker. You choose one of the three rounds.
Great Train Robbery. Sticky symbols on a free-spins backdrop. Symbols that land remain on the reels for the duration of the round, gradually filling them.
Duel at Dawn. Free spins with expanding wild reels. Wilds carry multipliers that stack across the grid as the round progresses.
Dead Man's Hand. Free spins with combined wild and multiplier mechanics. Mid-range payouts more common than the other two rounds.
Bonus Buy. Direct purchase into a chosen bonus round. Costs:
- Great Train Robbery: ~58× stake
- Dead Man's Hand: ~88× stake
- Duel at Dawn: ~250× stake
Bet structure
| Setting | Value |
|---|---|
| Min bet | A$0.10 per spin |
| Max bet | A$100 per spin |
| Bet steps | Granular (depends on casino) |
| Auto-spin | Yes, up to 100 spins on most casinos |
| Auto-spin stop conditions | Single win > X, Balance ± X, Bonus trigger |
| Quick spin | Yes |
| Turbo spin | Yes |
Visuals and audio
| Element | Detail |
|---|---|
| Art style | Hand-painted spaghetti-western (Sergio Leone influenced) |
| Resolution | 1920×1080 native; scales to any screen |
| Frame rate | 60fps on flagship devices |
| Soundtrack | Original western score (Ennio Morricone influenced) |
| Voice acting | Minimal (sound effects only) |
| Mute toggle | Yes |
| Spacebar to spin | Yes (desktop) |
Mobile
| Spec | Value |
|---|---|
| Operating systems | iOS 14+, Android 9+ |
| Browsers | Safari, Chrome, Firefox, Edge |
| Native app required | No (HTML5 in browser) |
| Portrait mode | Yes (default) |
| Landscape mode | Yes (preferred on tablets) |
| Data per hour | ~150-200 MB |
| Battery per hour | ~10% on a modern flagship |
Certifications and fairness
- RNG certified by GLI (Gaming Laboratories International).
- RTP audited monthly under Hacksaw's regulatory licences.
- Licensed for offer in: Malta, UK (lapsed for new sign-ups), Curaçao, Spain, Sweden, plus several other regulated markets.
The certified default 96.38% RTP is the one referenced in regulatory filings. The reduced variants are still RNG-certified (the math works correctly) — they're just configured to pay back less.
Spec sheet vs other Hacksaw pokies
| Pokie | RTP | Volatility | Max win |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wanted Dead or a Wild | 96.38% | 4/5 | 12,500× |
| Hand of Anubis | 96.30% | 5/5 | 20,000× |
| Stack 'em | 96.30% | 5/5 | 10,000× |
| Le Bandit | 96.38% | 5/5 | 25,000× |
| Cash Patrol | 96.21% | 5/5 | 100,000× |
The 12,500× ceiling is mid-pack for Hacksaw — they have higher-ceiling games (Le Bandit, Cash Patrol) but those carry 5/5 volatility ratings. Wanted Dead or a Wild's 4/5 base-game volatility makes it more accessible than the studio's max-ceiling titles while still keeping max-win streaks reachable.
Spin the reels yourself▶ Play Wanted Dead or a Wild · 🎁 Welcome Bonus
18+ · Always verify the RTP variant before depositing · T&Cs apply
Quick FAQ
What's the certified default RTP? 96.38%.
Is the 12,500× max realistic? It's the theoretical ceiling. In practice, max-win clips are rare — perhaps 1 in 100,000+ spins.
Why does the RTP vary so much by casino? Hacksaw ships multiple math configurations and casinos choose which to deploy. Stick to the four featured casinos to avoid the reduced variants.
Does the volatility actually feel like 4/5? Yes — 20-40 dry spin streaks are normal. Bring enough bankroll.
What's the certified test lab? GLI.
Can I play in AUD? Yes — all four featured casinos accept AUD deposits.
About this spec sheet
Specs cross-referenced against the Hacksaw Gaming product page (https://www.hacksawgaming.com/games/wanted-dead-or-a-wild) and the in-game info panel on each of the four featured casinos. Tested April-May 2026.
Gambling responsibly. Specs don't change odds — they describe them. Your job as a player is to set limits and stick to them. AU support: gamblinghelponline.org.au · BetStop · 18+ only.
Further Reading
Related reading in this guide: