Matt Brown
- Release Date: May 26, 2025
- Developer: Pragmatic Play (Reel Kingdom)
- RTP: Up to 96.50%
- Volatility: Very High
Majestic Express – Gold Run is a line-based slot that trades the reels for rails and throws you into a wild ride through gold mines, cash carts, and, of course, explosive bonus rounds. This isn’t your typical western-themed slot that is all the rave at sweepstakes casinos. Instead, it combines simple collect-style gameplay with high-stakes mechanics and one of the most rewarding payout features you’ll see in this category — the golden train with multipliers. You read that right.
Set deep in the canyons, where dynamite clears the path and gold carts roll across the cliffs, this sweepstakes game brings together smooth design, big volatility, and a jackpot of up to 20,000x your stake. Whether you’re here for a steady spin or chasing those cart-busting massive wins, this one has some serious potential and we’re pretty sure you’re going to love it.
Core Layout and Mechanics
Majestic Express – Gold Run plays out on a 5-reel, 4-row grid with 25 fixed paylines. It’s somewhat of a traditional slot layout that feels familiar and it’s undoubtedly easy to follow, which helps when the game starts layering in its money symbols and feature combinations. Any slot that’s easy to get into has our attention and this one is it.
The symbols include standard playing card icons, miner tools, gold carts, donkeys, and the old bearded prospector who looks like he’s sat on more gold than a dragon — because he has. It’s a tight visual setup with enough thematic polish to keep it immersive without overwhelming the gameplay.
There are no cascading reels or cluster mechanics here which, again, makes it easy to grasp. This is a pure payline game at its core, but it’s what rides along the rails — quite literally — that turns it into something more.
Money Symbols and Train Pays
The key gameplay mechanic centers around money symbols. That’s fitting considering the theme of the game.
These appear on reels 1 through 4 and carry a prize value of typically up to 15x your bet. But they don’t pay on their own, however. You’ll need a Collect or Super Collect symbol to land on reel 5 to scoop up those money values. Sounds challenging, but when it hits, it gathers up the values from all the money symbols on the grid and pays them out in one go.
But then there’s the upgrade that will surely get you riding high — Train Money symbols. These are special versions that can carry values of up to a staggering 5,000x. Again, they need to be activated by a Collect or Super Collect on reel 5 just like the normal money symbols. When that happens, things can already get pretty wild like the West — but it’s the Super Collect mechanic that sends this slot into high gear and where everything changes.
The Golden Train Feature
When a Super Collect hits at the same time as 1+ Train Money symbols, it triggers the Golden Train. This is where the slot flexes its muscles and its true win potential. A shimmering locomotive barrels across the top of the reels, pulling with it a random number of carts. Each one of these tacks on a 1x+ multiplier to your win. You could end up with 2 carts, or you could get 10, 15, or more — all of which boost your collected prize way beyond its original value.
This mechanic is unpredictable and exciting which ultimately keeps you on the edge of your seat. The anticipation when you trigger it is legit because the train reveal feels like a second bonus layered on top of your regular win. It can turn a solid payout into a bank-breaking result of GC or SC in just a few seconds.
Free Spins Bonus Round
Now, a Pragmatic Play game wouldn’t be complete without a free spin round. The game’s bonus round is triggered by landing 3+ dynamite scatter symbols, which awards 10 free spins. While the free spins round don’t completely overhaul the base game, it does turn up the odds in your favor to make things a little spicier—
- Collect and Super Collect symbols show up more often
- Money and Train Money symbols hit with better frequency
- Higher-value symbols and more feature combinations appear
This means the golden train feature is far more likely to appear during free spins. And since the game has high volatility, it’s this bonus round where you’ll see most of the truly big wins happen.
What really makes it rewarding is that the mechanic is already simple to understand. So, the higher hit rate in free spins just ramps up the pace and excitement. Simply big wins.
While the free spins can’t be retriggered directly in this version, they don’t need to be. With the train system in full effect and payouts flying when the carts line up, 10 spins are more than enough to deliver something serious and load you up with the coins.
Bonus Buy and Feature Access
Some people don’t want to wait around for the dynamite to land, and we get that. However, you can use the Bonus Buy feature and jump straight into the free spins round for 100x your stake. Of course, that seems like a tall order, but for a game with a max win of 20,000x, that’s a reasonable trade-off, especially for high-risk players who want to target the golden train wins right away.
There’s no Super Train Buy option or other advanced modifiers, which surprisingly enough actually works in the game’s favor. It keeps the interface clean and puts all the focus on the one thing that matters — triggering the Collect symbols at the right time with the right money on the board.
Volatility and RTP
This is one of the highest volatility games we’ve played in a while, but that doesn’t mean you can’t walk away a winner.
- Hit frequency in the base game: 1 in 4.15
- Free spins hit frequency: 1 in 561.58
- Odds of winning more than 1,000x: 1 in 79,278
- Max win hit odds: 1 in 24,271,845
That’s high volatility in its purest form. The game isn’t designed to pay often and that’s okay because it’s built to create monster moments. The payout ceiling is 20,000x, and at the highest stakes, you’re looking at multi-million range wins if lightning strikes. When it does, we sure hope you’re playing with SC.
The RTP on this game is at 96.50% which is at the higher end of the spectrum. Between this and the high volatility, that just means when it hits, it really hits.
Visuals and Atmosphere
Visually, the game is a winner. We’ve come to expect this from Pragmatic Play.
Set against a copper canyon backdrop, the reels are flanked by rail lines and wooden scaffolds. The top of the screen has animated gold carts rolling across the tracks, but these aren’t just for aesthetics. These carts spring to life when you trigger the golden train.
The symbols are well-drawn, bright, and on-theme. The sound design is snappy and Western-inspired, with twangs, hammers, and the unmistakable rattle of old mining gear. They’ve done a good job of getting you immersed in the game. Trigger a feature, and the soundtrack shifts to something heavier—upping the drama as the win unfolds.
Striking Gold!
Majestic Express – Gold Run is a polished, high-volatility slot that thrives on timing. It’s all about setting up the right board, then hitting that reel 5 Collect just when the train symbols show up.
We feel that the golden train multiplier is clever, rewarding, and genuinely fun to watch unfold. Even without a dozen side mechanics like in some of the other games, the game stays engaging because the core loop is tight and impactful. Between the base mechanics and the visuals, it definitely reels you in.
This one’s for players who like their wins big and their spins bold. Sure, you won’t hit every time, but when the gold carts line up and the train starts rolling, Majestic Express – Gold Run can deliver some truly unforgettable payouts that you’ll want to snap a screenshot of.
