Relax Gaming · 2019 · Independent review
Money Train Slot Review: RTP, Money Cart Bonus and Free Demo
Our score: 8.1/10
Quick verdict: the Money Train slot has a quiet base game, and the Money Cart respin bonus is the reason a whole franchise exists. It's high volatility with a 96.2% RTP and a 20,000x cap. It suits a patient, fixed budget and frustrates without one.
By Ava Wilson
Updated
How we review
- RTP
- 96.2%98.0% when you buy the bonus
- Volatility
- HighLong dry spells, big bonus swings
- Max win
- 20,000x$2,000 at the $0.10 minimum bet
- Bet range
- $0.10–$50Per spin, 40 fixed lines
What's in this review
Where to play the Money Train slot
Before you pick a Money Train casino, check that it is licensed in your country. Then open the game's rules screen and confirm the RTP version: our RTP versions guide shows where it is. UK-licensed casinos don't offer the bonus buy.
Not paid placements: we have no commercial partners. How we are funded. 18+.
Unibet
License Malta Gaming Authority, plus local licenses in markets such as the UK Money Train games Money Train 1 to 4 Operator Kindred Group (part of FDJ United) One of the largest regulated brands in Europe. The game lobby depends on your country.
Betsson
License Malta Gaming Authority, plus local licenses in several European and Latin American markets Money Train games Money Train 1 to 4, Origins Dream Drop Operator Betsson AB Lists the series under slots, bonus-buy games and jackpots, where buys are allowed.
LeoVegas
License Malta Gaming Authority and UK Gambling Commission, plus local licenses Money Train games Money Train, Money Train 2 Operator LeoVegas Group (MGM Resorts) Mobile-first casino. We found Money Train pages on its international and Canadian sites.
All seven casinos on our list and how to check each one: where to play Money Train.
What is Money Train?
The Money Train slot is a Wild West game from Relax Gaming, released on . It plays on a 5x4 grid with 40 fixed paylines. Its character comes from one feature: the Money Cart respin bonus.
The story is simple. A gang of four outlaws rides out to rob a train full of cash. Relax describes the crew as a leader, a debt collector, a TNT expert and a gunslinger. On the reels you meet them as three men and one woman, painted against a dusky desert with the train rolling past.
The base game is quiet. Wins come from 3 or more matching symbols left to right, and most of the game's return sits in the bonus. In practice that means long, quiet stretches and a feature capped at 20,000x your bet.
The format stuck. Money Train led to six sequels and spin-offs, an arcade game and the bonus-only Money Cart series. A former Relax product chief called it "arguably the iGaming industry's most successful slot franchise of all time". See how the newer games compare in our series comparison.
Money Train on mobile
The game is built in HTML5, so it runs in mobile browsers on iOS and Android. No separate app is needed. Our Money Train app page explains why unofficial downloads are best avoided.
In August 2026, seven years after launch, Relax's Oscar Persson told BigWinBoard that all four earlier Money Train games were “still performing really, really well”.
Money Train at a glance
| Provider | Relax Gaming |
|---|---|
| Release date | |
| Grid | 5 reels × 4 rows |
| Paylines | 40 fixed, left to right |
| RTP | 96.2% (98.0% bonus buy) |
| Volatility | High |
| Hit frequency | 18.73% |
| Bonus frequency | About 1 in 298 spins |
| Max win | 20,000x the bet |
| Bet range | $0.10–$50 |
| Bonus buy | 80x the bet |
| Devices | Desktop and mobile (HTML5) |
Official Relax Gaming data, cross-checked against 10+ reviews. Bet limits can be narrower at individual casinos.
How to play Money Train
There's no strategy to learn here: every spin is decided by the RNG, a random number generator certified by testing labs. What you control is the bet size and how long you play.
Choose your bet
Set a stake between $0.10 and $50 per spin. All 40 lines are always active, so the bet you choose is the total cost of a spin.
Match 3 or more
Wins pay for 3, 4 or 5 matching symbols on a line, starting from the leftmost reel. Every symbol can land as a full stack, which is how full-screen wins happen.
Let the Wild help
The crossed rifles are the Wild. They substitute for every symbol except the purple Bonus safe.
Land 3 safes
Bonus safes appear only on reels 1, 3 and 5. One on each of those reels in the same spin triggers the Money Cart bonus.
Play the respins
You start with 3 respins. Each new symbol that lands locks in place and resets the counter to 3. Special symbols boost, collect or widen.
Collect the total
When the respins run out or the grid fills, every value on the grid is added up and paid as a multiple of your bet, up to 20,000x.
Symbols and paytable
The four outlaws are the premium symbols, and the top one pays 20x the bet for five on a line. The four wooden card suits fill out the low end, paying between 3x and 5x for five.
Small line wins add up because of stacks. A full screen of the top outlaw covers all 40 lines and pays 800x. That's the biggest result the base game can produce: everything beyond it comes from the bonus.
Wild and Bonus
Wild
Bonus (Money Safe)
Wild (crossed rifles) substitutes for all paying symbols. Bonus (the purple Money Safe) appears on reels 1, 3 and 5 only and doesn't pay in the base game: three of them start the Money Cart.
Published paytables disagree on the suits. The values here come from the paytable inside the demo (a $2 bet, divided by the stake): spades 5x, hearts 4x, clubs 3.5x, diamonds 3x. The Wild has no payout of its own.
| Symbol | 3 | 4 | 5 |
|---|---|---|---|
 Older outlaw with moustache | 0.8x | 4x | 20x |
 Outlaw in a feathered hat | 0.6x | 3x | 10x |
 Bandit in a green sombrero | 0.5x | 2.5x | 9x |
 Cowgirl in a blue hat | 0.5x | 2x | 8x |
 Spades | 0.2x | 1x | 5x |
 Hearts | 0.2x | 1x | 4x |
 Clubs | 0.2x | 0.7x | 3.5x |
 Diamonds | 0.2x | 0.7x | 3x |
At a $0.20 bet, five top outlaws on a line pay $4 and a full screen pays $160. At $1, the same results pay $20 and $800.
The Money Cart bonus, explained
Money Cart is a hold-and-win respin feature. The game moves to a separate 5x4 grid, the three safes that triggered it stay put, and you get 3 respins. Anything new that lands sticks and resets the counter to 3. When it hits zero or the grid is full, you're paid the sum of everything on it.
Plain safes only add their own value. The six special symbols are what turn a 15x bonus into a 1,500x one.
Base Bonus (Money Safe)
Shows a value as a multiple of your bet. It's the basic coin of the feature: other symbols add to it or collect it.Payer Payer
Has its own value and adds it to every other symbol on the grid when it lands.Persistent Persistent Payer
Works like a Payer, but fires again on every remaining respin until the bonus ends. It doesn't pay itself.Collector Collector
Has its own value, then collects the values of every symbol on the grid and adds them to itself.Persistent Persistent Collector
Collects on the respin it lands and again on every respin after that. Pair it with a Persistent Payer and values snowball.Widener Widener
Has a value and opens an extra reel. It can happen twice, once on each side, growing the grid from 20 to 28 positions.Blank Tumbleweed
Fills the empty positions on each respin. It has no value and doesn't reset the respin counter, so a grid full of tumbleweed means the round is running out.
A worked example
The bonus starts with three safes worth 2x, 5x and 1x. On the next respin a Payer 1x lands and adds 1x to each of them: 3x, 6x and 2x. Then a Collector 4x arrives and collects everything visible: 4 + 3 + 6 + 2 + 1 = 16x.
If nothing else lands, the grid pays 3 + 6 + 2 + 1 + 16 = 28x. That's $5.60 at a $0.20 bet or $28 at a $1 bet.
This is a simplified example. The exact order in which Payers and Collectors fire on the same respin is set out in the game's rules screen. What matters is the principle: one-off specials add a little, persistent specials keep adding every respin, and that's where 20,000x comes from. Every special symbol across the series is listed in our special symbols guide.
It also explains the volatility. According to FruitySlots, around 60% of the game's total return comes from the bonus. Most bonuses land somewhere modest, and the rare persistent-heavy rounds carry the average.
See the bonus in action
The quickest way to understand the feature is to watch it run. Try the free-play mode first. 18+
Money Train bonus buy: 80x for a 98% RTP
Where it's allowed, you can skip the wait and buy the Money Cart for 80x your bet. That's $16 per bonus at a $0.20 bet and $80 at $1. The theoretical return on bought bonuses is 98.0%, higher than the 96.2% of regular play.
That higher figure is tempting, but it describes the average over a huge number of buys. In a high-volatility bonus, the average is propped up by rare big rounds, so many single buys return less than their cost. Treat 80x as the price of one ticket, not an investment.
Some sources quote 100x for the original Money Train. That's the Money Train 2 price. The in-game buy menu of the 2019 game shows 80x: 160.00 at a 2.00 bet. Prices across the whole series are compared in our bonus buy guide.
Money Train RTP, volatility and max win
RTP: 96.2%
RTP (return to player) is the share of all money bet that a slot pays back over millions of spins. For Money Train, every $100 wagered returns $96.20 in theory. Your own session can land far above or below that, because RTP is a long-run average, not a forecast.
96.2% sits right at the average for modern online slots. Check the game's info screen at your casino: in Germany the regulated version runs at 90%. Our RTP versions guide shows where to find it.
Volatility: high
Hit frequency is 18.73%, so roughly one spin in five pays anything, and many of those wins are smaller than the bet. The bonus lands about once every 298 spins on average. That's around $59.60 wagered between bonuses at a $0.20 bet, or $298 at $1. Gaps well beyond that are normal.
Max win: 20,000x
The Money Train max win is 20,000x your bet, possible only in the Money Cart. That's $4,000 at a $0.20 bet and $20,000 at $1. In the base game the best possible result is a full screen of the top outlaw, worth 800x. We found no dated, sourced report of a 20,000x result in this game. See max wins across the series.
| Metric | Value | In practice |
|---|---|---|
| RTP | 96.2% | $96.20 back per $100 over the long run |
| Hit frequency | 18.73% | About 1 paying spin in 5 |
| Money Cart | 1 in ~298 | ~$59.60 at $0.20 or ~$298 at $1 wagered between bonuses |
| Big Win | 1 in ~85 | A Big Win about every 85 spins |
| Mega Win | 1 in ~191 | A Mega Win about every 191 spins |
| Super Mega Win | 1 in ~519 | A Super Mega Win about every 519 spins |
| Base game max | 800x | $160 at $0.20 or $800 at $1 for a full screen of the top outlaw |
| Max win | 20,000x | $4,000 at $0.20 or $20,000 at $1, bonus only |
RTP and volatility are official Relax Gaming data. Hit, bonus and Big Win frequencies come from simulations published by SlotCatalog and AboutSlots.
Play the Money Train demo
The Money Train demo is the full game with play money. We don't embed it here: the button takes you to our casino list, where you can open it in free-play mode. It shows how rare the bonus is before you spend anything. Demos of the other games are on our free demos page.
With a bonus about once in 298 spins, a short demo session can show two bonuses or none. Both are normal.
Money Train vs the sequels
Each sequel kept the 40-line, respin-bonus formula and raised the stakes: more special symbols, more ways to grow the grid, and a higher ceiling. Money Train 4 broke the pattern with a 6x6 scatter-pays grid, and Money Train 5 returned to 5x4 in 2026.
- 2019Money Train20,000x · RTP 96.2% · the original Money Cart
- 2020Money Train 250,000x · RTP 96.4% · steampunk, Sniper, Necromancer
- 2022Money Train 3100,000x · RTP 96.1% · sci-fi, four bonus buys
- 2023Slingo Money Train10,000x · RTP 94.42% · Slingo with a Money Cart
- 2023Money Train Origins Dream Drop10,000x + jackpot · RTP 94% · prequel
- 2023Money Train 4150,000x · RTP 96.1% · 6x6 scatter pays
- 2026Money Plane10,000x · RTP 97% · arcade game
- 2026Money Train 5100,000x Ultra · RTP 96.1% · train stations
| Game | Released | Grid | RTP (base / buy) | Max win | What's new |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Money Train | 5x4, 40 lines | 96.2% / 98% | 20,000x | Money Cart: Payer, Collector, Widener, Persistent | |
| Money Train 2 | 5x4, 40 lines | 96.4% / 98% | 50,000x | Base-game respins, Sniper, Necromancer, Golden Bonus | |
| Money Train 3 | 5x4, 40 lines | 96.1% / 96.5% | 100,000x | Absorber, Shapeshifter, four buy options | |
| Origins Dream Drop | 5x4, 40 lines | 94% (with jackpot) | 10,000x | Prequel, Dream Drop jackpot, Healer, Banker | |
| Money Train 4 | 6x6, scatter pays | 96.1% / 96.5% | 150,000x | No Wild, Arms Dealer, Unlocker, Upgrader | |
| Money Train 5 | 5x4, 40 lines | 96.1% | 50,000x / 100,000x | Nuclear Wild, train stations, Bomber, Pyromancer |
Main numbered games and the Origins prequel. Slingo Money Train (Gaming Realms) and Money Plane (arcade) use different formats, so they're on the cards above.
Is the original still worth it next to the sequels? If you want the purest version of the Money Cart, yes: fewer symbol types make every respin easy to read. If you're chasing the biggest ceiling, the later games simply offer more.
Series timeline
Thirteen releases in seven years, counting the bonus-only Money Cart games and the arcade spin-off. Dates are the official launch days; the full story is on our Money Train history page.
-
2019
- Money Train
The original: a 5x4 Wild West slot whose Money Cart respin bonus pays up to 20,000x.
- Money Train
-
2020
- Money Train 2
Base-game respins, the Sniper and the Necromancer, and a 50,000x cap.
- Money Train 2
-
2021
- Money Cart 2
The first bonus-only spin-off: every spin is a shot at the respin round.
- Money Cart
The same bonus-only idea built on the original game.
- Money Cart 2
-
2022
- Money Train 3
Sci-fi theme, Tommy Gun symbols, four bonus buys and a 100,000x cap.
- Money Train 3
-
2023
- Money Cart 3
Bonus-only version of Money Train 3.
- Slingo Money Train
Gaming Realms mixes a 5x5 Slingo card with the Money Train Bonus.
- Money Train Origins Dream Drop
A prequel with the Healer, the Banker and Dream Drop jackpots.
- Money Train 4
A 6x6 scatter-pays grid and the series record cap of 150,000x.
- Money Cart 3
-
2024
- Money Cart 4
Bonus-only version of Money Train 4 on a tall grid.
- Money Sleigh
A Christmas reskin of Money Cart 3 without the Money Train name.
- Money Cart 4
-
2026
- Money Plane
An arcade game set in the same universe, with five volatility levels.
- Money Train 5
Back to 5x4 with stations, Nuclear Wilds and an Ultra mode up to 100,000x.
- Money Plane
- Myth
"A 98% bonus buy pays for itself."
Fact98% is an average over countless buys, with huge variance. Many single buys return less than the 80x they cost, and the average still means a 2% expected loss.
- Myth
"The bonus is due after a long dry spell."
FactEvery spin is independent. "1 in 298" is an average: the game doesn't remember your last 500 spins and doesn't owe you a bonus.
- Myth
"20,000x is a realistic target."
Fact20,000x is the ceiling, not the expected result. Most Money Cart rounds finish far below it. Play for the entertainment, not the cap.
Pros and cons
What we like
- The Money Cart is one of the most influential bonus designs of the last decade, and it's easy to follow
- Persistent Payers and Collectors keep working on every remaining respin, so the bonus is easy to follow
- A 96.2% RTP in the standard version, in line with modern online slots
- Bonus buy at 80x with a 98% RTP where it's allowed
- Simple rules: 40 fixed lines and only one Wild and one Bonus symbol
What we don't
- The base game is quiet; the bonus lands only about once in 298 spins
- High volatility means long losing stretches, so it needs a patient budget
- Visuals and sound feel dated next to Money Train 2 and later
- Lower win potential than every numbered sequel
- No bonus buy in the UK, and a 90% RTP version in Germany
Similar games
These games use the same Money Cart respin idea in different ways. Each line says what carries over and what changes.
Money Train 2
The natural next step: same structure, more symbols (Sniper, Necromancer), base-game respins and a 50,000x cap. It won BigWinBoard Game of the Year 2020.
Money Train Origins Dream Drop
Same Wild West setting and 40 lines, plus a progressive Dream Drop jackpot. Lower RTP (94%) because part of every bet funds the jackpot, and that version has no bonus buy.
Money Cart series
Four Relax games that are only the bonus: no paylines, every spin aims to trigger the respins. 96–98% RTP, frequent bonuses, much smaller wins.
Money Sleigh
A Christmas version of Money Cart 3, released in November 2024. Bonus-only, with Santa as the Necromancer.
Our verdict: is it worth playing?
Money Train: a classic that still holds up, as long as you know what you're signing up for.
Money Train doesn't try to entertain you on every spin. Most of its return sits in the Money Cart. The bonus rules are short, and the Persistent symbols make it clear why some rounds grow and others stop early.
The flip side is obvious: a quiet base game, a bonus about once in 298 spins and visuals that show their age. It suits players who enjoy high volatility and set a firm budget. If you want frequent action or the biggest possible ceiling, go straight to Money Train 2 or later.
| Bonus feature | 9/10 |
|---|---|
| Win potential | 8.5/10 |
| Gameplay | 8/10 |
| Design and sound | 7/10 |
Ready to play Money Train?
Pick a licensed casino, check the RTP in the game rules and set a budget before you start. 18+
Frequently asked questions
Is the Money Train slot worth playing?
Yes, if you enjoy high-volatility slots and a bonus that can build up over several respins. It's less suited to players who want frequent wins: the base game is quiet and the bonus lands about once in 298 spins.
What is the Money Train RTP?
It's 96.2% in regular play and 98.0% when you buy the bonus. In Germany the regulated version runs at 90%, so check the game's info screen at your casino.
What is the max win?
It's 20,000x your bet, possible only in the Money Cart bonus. That's $4,000 at a $0.20 bet and $20,000 at $1. The base game tops out at 800x.
Can you buy the bonus?
Yes, for 80x your bet, where local rules allow it. UK- and German-licensed casinos don't offer bonus buys.
How do you trigger the Money Cart bonus?
Land a purple Bonus safe on reels 1, 3 and 5 in the same spin. You get 3 respins, and every new symbol resets the counter to 3.
Which Money Train game is the best?
It depends on what you want. The original is the simplest version of the Money Cart. Money Train 2 is the most decorated: it won BigWinBoard Game of the Year 2020 and CasinoBeats Slot of the Year 2021. Money Train 4 has the highest max win in the series at 150,000x.
Can I play Money Train for free?
Yes. Many casinos let you open Money Train in free-play mode with play money. It's the same game and the same math, so it shows the volatility before you bet real money.
Does it work on mobile?
Yes. The game is built in HTML5 and runs in mobile browsers on iOS and Android. You don't need a separate app: see our Money Train app page.
How we checked the numbers
Money Train's numbers come from three places: Relax Gaming's data, independent reviews, and our own screenshots of the demo's paytable and rules screens. This Money Train review is written by Ava Wilson. We start from the official Relax Gaming game page, then cross-check every figure against more than ten independent reviews, including SlotCatalog, BigWinBoard, AboutSlots and FruitySlots.
Where sources disagree, we say so. Some list the release as July 2019 or quote a $0.20–$25 bet range and a 100x bonus buy. Those are either other casinos' limits or figures from Money Train 2; we use the official data. The suit values were checked against the in-game paytable. Ava reviews and edits each AI-assisted draft before it goes live: see our editorial policy and review method.
Play responsibly
Money Train's bonus arrives about once in 298 spins on average, so a whole session can pass without one. Gambling is entertainment that costs money, not a way to earn it.
- Decide on a budget before you start and stop when it's gone.
- Use deposit limits, time reminders and self-exclusion tools at your casino.
- Never chase losses or play to solve money problems.
BeGambleAware (UK) · GamCare (UK) · Gambling Therapy (worldwide) · 1-800-MY-RESET (US).
More tools and advice on our responsible gambling page. 18+ only.