Gems Bonanza

About Gems Bonanza

He told iGB earlier this year he’d “certainly be interested” in a full four-year term after the current one expires. With a background in suppliers and testing labs, Dreitzer is acutely aware of the technical challenges facing the state.

“When I started here, I had multiple conversations with various licensees who operate across multiple jurisdictions, and the consistent commentary I heard was that they would go to Nevada last, if not never at all, because there was concern about the time it would take, the lack of regulatory consistency, the lack of clarity,” he told iGB in January. “So when I came in, in view of the mandate from the governor and the work began by Chair Hendrick, I felt I needed to do something.”

Jess has covered the global gaming industry since 2022. A native of Reno, Nevada, he’d like to note that it’s Ne-va-da, not Ne-VAH-da.

What is Gems Bonanza?

On Monday, the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) announced that Ruth Evans has succeeded Charles Counsell to take on the full time role of Gambling Commission chair.

Counsell took the helm in February 2025 following Marcus Boyle’s departure in January last year.

Evans, who chairs Stop Scams UK, an initiative she founded in 2019 to unite banks, technology companies and telecom providers to combat payment fraud, will assume the position on 30 September, commencing a five-year term.

How to play Gems Bonanza

The new title steps outside the series’ usual framework, though. Where the earlier Oktoberfest entries leaned on the studio’s Hold and Win engine, this slot brings together ice-cold Märzen, sizzling bratwurst, salted pretzels, Tyrolean hats, and friendly locals ready to say “Prost!” Winning combinations can reach up to x2000 of the bet.

The mechanical shift is the clearest editorial detail here. The Bonus Spins game begins when three or more Coins land on the grid, awarding five Bonus Spins. A Plus Coin mechanic can extend that round, positioning the title around bonus-spin play rather than the coin-collection format of its predecessors.

That distinction is worth flagging because the prior Oktoberfest titles were explicitly Hold and Win games chasing Mini and Mega prize tiers. Lucky Fest Hold and Win is set on a 3×3 reel with 27 pay lines that offer plenty of opportunities to win. It runs an RTP of 97.1% and high volatility.