While most reviews of Stack ‘Em mention only one return rate, the developer confirms that the game is released with three RTP levels. This guide clarifies the slot rules and RTP options for players in Australia. It differentiates between the official word from Hacksaw Gaming and the reports from review sites, and it identifies portions of the rulebook that were omitted by every source we examined.
The basics everyone agrees on
Hacksaw Gaming developed the slot Stack ‘Em. According to a release roundup from Hacksaw, it came out on 25 May 2021.
- A 5×6 grid is used for play.
- High volatility is present.
- At least five matching symbols must connect in clusters to create wins.
- The top payout is 10,000× the bet.
- The game includes a Free Spins feature and a Bonus Buy option for direct access.
Three RTP versions, one headline number
Review pages commonly list the RTP as 96.2% (some write 96.20%, which is the same figure). Hacksaw's release roundup says the game comes in three RTP levels. That roundup does not state what the three values are.
A third-party page reports them as 96.20%, 94.28% and 92.20%. That breakdown fits the provider's statement that three levels exist. The individual values, though, come from that page, not from the provider's release note.
The practical point is that 96.2% is the top version, not a guarantee. A site running Stack ‘Em can choose any of the three settings. The game looks the same whichever one is loaded. The only way to know which version you are on is the figure shown in that copy of the game's information screen.
The small print, rule by rule
The following guidelines are the provider's game rules, based on descriptions from Hacksaw and third-party rule summaries. Details may vary across versions, but the help screen within the game is the final word.
Cascades in the base game
The winning symbols remain in place rather than just paying out and vanishing, based on third-party rule descriptions. New symbols fall into the empty spaces created when losing symbols are cleared.
In practice, a single paid spin can keep going. The round persists if a new cluster is created or an existing one is expanded by the incoming symbols. Once a drop fails to produce another win, it concludes.
Reel multipliers
The Hacksaw roundup indicates that stacking boosts reel multipliers. Other sources clarify that these multipliers are generated by the stacks of winning symbols. They are cleared before the next paid spin.
Consequently, a reel's multiplier is only beneficial during the specific round in which it was created. No matter the total reached, it will not persist into the following spin.
Free Spins and lives
Reviews indicate that three Scatter symbols initiate Free Spins. Fruity Slots identifies this as five Free Spins. According to third-party rule summaries, the feature starts with five lives.
Winning clusters boost a global multiplier during the feature. Two symbols are then significant:
- The X symbol. This symbol needs to be part of a win for the global multiplier to take effect. Hacksaw's own roundup verifies this. Should a high multiplier be reached without an X symbol appearing in a winning cluster, that specific win will not pay out the multiplier.
- The question-mark symbol. Third-party descriptions claim it can grant more lives or adjust the multiplier. The provider source we examined does not verify these results or specify their frequency.
The Bonus Buy
Hacksaw mentions only that the Bonus Buy provides immediate entry to Free Spins. Fruity Slots notes a cost of 129× the stake. It further states that the RTP is unaffected by purchasing the feature.
Neither value is mentioned in the provider's release notes. At 129 times the base stake, one purchase equals the cost of 129 standard spins.
What no source we reviewed spells out
The following Stack ‘Em rules couldn't be confirmed by us:
- the way bonus retriggers function
- the outcome of an incomplete bonus
- occurrences of simultaneous wins
- what occurs if a connection is dropped or a malfunction happens during a round
- the result when the 10,000× maximum win is hit in a round
Rather than guessing, we've omitted these. Review the help screen within the game before you play if any of these are important to you.
Stakes: why the quoted ranges don't apply here
Figures of £0.20–£100, or £/€0.20–£/€100, per spin are often cited by review sites. These amounts refer to euros and UK pounds. No Australian stake cap exists to use for conversion, and these aren't limits in Australian dollars.
Australia lacks a stake cap or RTP minimum for online slots since it is impossible for an online casino to be licensed within the country.
Stack ‘Em and Australian law
People physically in Australia cannot lawfully be offered online casino games under the Interactive Gambling Act 2001 (Cth). Whether the provider is offshore or Australian, that includes slots and pokies such as Stack ‘Em. Advertising these services here is also forbidden.
Players are not the target of the Act's offences; providers are. Websites belonging to illegal offshore providers are blocked by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA). Operating outside the law is what any real-money site does when offering Stack ‘Em to someone in Australia. This also implies that none of its stake settings or RTP are regulated here.
Other areas are seeing changes in the law. On 19 August 2026, Parliament passed the Interactive Gambling Amendment (Gambling Reform) Bill 2026, according to ACMA reports. 1 January 2027 is when most of its reforms commence. No exception for online casino slots is created by any of the changes ACMA summarises.
Casino games aren't covered by BetStop, which is the national self-exclusion register for phone and licensed online wagering.
A "Try it" option is listed for Stack ‘Em on Hacksaw's games page. Without spending anything, that free demo allows you to see the X-symbol rule, the lives system and the cascades.
It's for adults if you do gamble on anything: establish your boundaries before beginning and stick to them.