Santa's Workshop Casino Game

There’s no two ways about it: everyone loves Christmas. And while we can all wax on about how we cherish the time with family and friends or the spirit of goodwill towards all mankind, most of us are a little more selfish about what makes us happy this time of year: the presents, big and small, that we receive for the holiday.

Maybe that’s why PariPlay created Santa’s Workshop, a simple little game that’s perfect for the holiday season. The game is all about opening presents that come straight from Saint Nick, and hoping that we’ve found something valuable inside. Of course, this game also often shows us what happens when we get too greedy or end up on the list of kids who have been naughty, as players will often find themselves left with nothing more than a worthless lump of coal.

A North Pole Assembly Line

Santa’s Workshop is a specialty game that can be played at casinos featuring software from PariPlay. As the name would suggest, this is a game with a heavy Christmas theme: in fact, the entire game takes place on a screen that appears to be right in the North Pole. Not only is Santa present in the center of the screen, but he is flanked by his elves and none other than Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. Throw in some lovely Christmas music (Jingle Bells on a continuous loop) and other seasonal sound effects, and this is a game that was made for the holidays.

Each game starts with the player choosing the size of their bet. In the version we tested, a wide variety of bet amounts were offered, ranging from €0.10 to €10. Once you’ve decided how much you want to play for, you can hit the “buy ticket” button and start the action.

At this point, three packages will head on down the assembly line to the center of the screen. At the same time, a prize value will appear just below these wrapped gifts. This could range anywhere from 1x your bet to 10,000x, with smaller values naturally being more common. This is the amount you’ll be playing for on this round.

However, you’ll still need to win in order to receive this prize. You can do so my picking one of the three gifts on the screen. There are two possibilities at this point. You might open a package that has a lump of coal, in which case you will earn nothing, with the round ending immediately. On the other hand, if you find gold coins, you’ll win the prize amount shown on screen. It’s that easy!

There are a few options worth knowing about before you play. If you don’t trust your own luck when picking presents, you can use the “auto pick” button in order to make a random choice. There is also an autobet feature that will allow you to quickly play any number of rounds you like. You’ll have the option of setting a loss limit as well to ensure that you don’t go beyond your budget.

Decent Odds for a Casual Game

Santa’s Workshop is obviously a game that involves no actual strategy on the part of the player. Sure, you can get lucky and pick the right presents, but there’s no way to predict which package holds the prize in each round, so in the long run, you’ll basically win as often as you’d expect to by chance.

Many games that are this straightforward feature very low return to player percentages, but this game doesn’t fare too poorly in this regard. According to the developer’s own information, players can expect an RTP of about 89%.

If you’re wondering about your chances of hitting the jackpot in this game, we can also tell you that there is a 1 in a million chance of walking away with 10,000 times your bet every time you buy a ticket. The vast majority of wins will be for 4x your wager or less, while only about one in every 15,385 tickets will win 100x or more.

Winning in a Winter Wonderland

Santa’s Workshop isn’t likely to be a game you want to play all year long, or even one that will keep your attention for more than a few minutes at a time. There’s so little happening here that it is hard to imagine even the most casual players finding much to keep their interest.

But that doesn’t mean there isn’t a place for this game in the lineup of a solid casino. We’re always suckers for a good seasonal theme, and on top of that, this title makes for good filler between more intense games. That means that this could easily become a holiday favorite for many players who want something to wind down with at the end of their sessions.