Last updated: 05-07-2026
Sugar Rush is Pragmatic Play's cluster-pays follow-up to Sweet Bonanza — same candy theme, different mechanic. Where Sweet Bonanza relies on scatter bomb multipliers applied to cluster wins, Sugar Rush uses a cell multiplier system: individual grid positions accumulate multipliers the more times they contribute to a winning cluster. A position that wins twice gets a 2x marker. Wins again — 4x. Again — 8x. The doubling continues up to 128x in the standard version. During free spins these multipliers persist across every tumble, which is where the 5,000x max win lives. Verify the RTP in the game paytable before playing — Pragmatic Play configures three different RTP versions (96.5%, 95.5%, 94.5%) and operators choose which to run.
How the cell multiplier works
The 7×7 grid runs cluster pays: 5 or more identical symbols touching horizontally or vertically form a winning combination. After a win, those symbols disappear and new ones fall from above (tumbling reels). The cell multiplier is position-specific: if the same grid position contributes to a winning cluster on a second consecutive win, the game stamps a 2x marker on that cell. Each additional win on the same position doubles the marker — 2x, 4x, 8x, 16x, 32x, 64x, up to 128x in the base version. The multiplier applies to the winning value of any cluster that includes that position. During free spins, multipliers carry over between tumbles rather than resetting, allowing chains of doubling to stack across an entire free spins session.
This is the mechanic that separates Sugar Rush sessions — a free spins round where cell multipliers build to 32x or 64x across multiple grid positions produces the large wins. Without multiplier accumulation, free spins payouts are modest. The presence of 128x cell markers across multiple positions simultaneously, combined with large clusters, is what reaches toward the 5,000x max win ceiling.
| Parameter | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Provider | Pragmatic Play | Released 2022; follow-up to Sweet Bonanza |
| RTP | 96.50% / 95.50% / 94.50% (operator-set) | Check in-game paytable — confirm 96.5% at Waboom77 |
| Volatility | High | Hit frequency 34.48% — more frequent small wins than Sweet Bonanza |
| Grid | 7×7, cluster pays (5+ symbols) | Tumbling reels; no paylines |
| Min / max bet | A$0.20 / A$100 | No Ante Bet option (unlike Sweet Bonanza) |
| Max win | 5,000x stake | Sugar Rush 1000 version raises this to 25,000x |
| Cell multiplier cap | 128x (original); 1,024x (Sugar Rush 1000) | Doubles per win: 2x → 4x → 8x … → 128x |
| Bonus Buy | Yes — 100x stake | Available to AU players; skips to free spins trigger |
| Free spins | 10 base + up to 30 retrigger spins | 4+ lollipop scatters trigger; cell multipliers persist throughout |
| Demo | Yes | Cell multiplier mechanic fully visible in demo |
Sugar Rush vs Sweet Bonanza — which should you play?
The two games share a provider, a theme, and a trigger mechanic (lollipop scatters for free spins) but differ in everything that happens during the feature. Sweet Bonanza uses additive scatter bomb multipliers on a 6×5 scatter pays grid — one large multiplier event can produce a massive single win. Sugar Rush uses accumulating cell multipliers on a 7×7 cluster pays grid — the big wins come from multiple grid positions building multipliers across many tumbles in sequence. Sweet Bonanza has a higher max win ceiling at 21,175x versus Sugar Rush's 5,000x. Sugar Rush has a higher base-game hit frequency (34.48% versus 50% in Sweet Bonanza — though Sweet Bonanza's 50% hit rate includes small returns). For players who prefer a mechanic that rewards patience across a free spins session over a single explosive multiplier event, Sugar Rush fits better. For pure max-win potential, Sweet Bonanza or its sequel versions go higher.
Author's tip from Lachlan Reid, Casino Content Editor & Player Safety Analyst: "Sugar Rush is a better bonus-clearing pokie than Sweet Bonanza if you're working through a wagering requirement. Its 34.48% hit frequency versus Sweet Bonanza's 50% might sound worse, but Sugar Rush cluster wins are more consistent in size — you're less likely to run 100 spins getting near-nothing. Run it on the minimum stake you can while still making meaningful progress on the play-through. Check the game contribution rate on the Waboom77 bonus terms first."
Gambling should stay within what you can afford to lose. Set a session budget before you start — Sugar Rush high volatility means a losing run is normal and can run long. 18+ only.
For the scatter-bomb version of this mechanic, see Sweet Bonanza. For a unique multi-screen bonus experience, see Frozen Fruit. The full pokies list with RTP and max win is on the pokies page.
