Last updated: 05-07-2026
Sweet Bonanza is the most played Pragmatic Play pokie in the Australian market, and 28Mars carries at least the original version with Pragmatic confirmed in its provider list. It's also the game with more active versions running simultaneously than almost any other title on the market — original, Sweet Bonanza 1000, Sweet Bonanza 2500, Super Scatter, and the Evolution live show Candyland all share the name but differ meaningfully on RTP, max win and how the free spins round actually works. This page covers which version you're likely playing, how the bomb multiplier actually builds during free spins, and what RTP version to check before you punt real money.
That version proliferation is the main complication — and one unique to Pragmatic's biggest titles. Pragmatic Play has released multiple Sweet Bonanza editions over the game's lifespan, each with a different ceiling and, in some deployments, a different base RTP set at the operator level. Playing Sweet Bonanza and assuming you are on the 96.48% version because that is what all the reviews quote is the most common way to play at a lower return than the game's reputation suggests.
That version proliferation is the main complication. Pragmatic Play has released multiple variants of Sweet Bonanza over its lifespan — the original, the 1000 upgrade, the 2500 and Super Scatter editions — each with different max wins, different multiplier caps and, in some cases, different base RTPs set at the operator level. Playing "Sweet Bonanza" and assuming you're on the 96.48% version because that's the one all the reviews cover is the most common way to play at a lower return than the game's reputation suggests.
Which Sweet Bonanza version is at 28Mars?
Pragmatic Play confirmed in 28Mars's provider list means the original Sweet Bonanza is the most reliable bet for availability, with Sweet Bonanza 1000 (25,000x max win, up to 1,000x bomb multipliers) likely alongside it given how common it's become across the Curaçao-licensed AU market. The Candyland live game show — hosted by Evolution, not Pragmatic — sits separately in the live casino section and contributes 0% to any active bonus wagering requirement, the same trap as Deal or No Deal's live version.
The version check that matters most before a real-money session: open the paytable inside the game and look for the published RTP. Pragmatic's highest variant is 96.48% (original) and 96.53% (1000 version). If the paytable shows 95.45%, you're on a lower RTP deployment — functionally the same game, different long-run returns. It's easy to miss and nobody flags it on the loading screen.
| Version | Max win | Bomb cap | RTP (highest variant) | Demo |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sweet Bonanza (original) | 21,175x | 100x per bomb | 96.48% | Yes |
| Sweet Bonanza 1000 | 25,000x | 1,000x per bomb | 96.53% | Yes |
| Sweet Bonanza Candyland (live) | No fixed cap | Wheel-based multipliers | ~95.xx% | No |
Author's tip from Lachlan Reid, Casino Content Editor & Player Safety Analyst: "
- 96.48% or 96.53% in the paytable = highest available variant; proceed normally
- 95.45% in the paytable = lower RTP operator deployment; still worth playing, but worth knowing
- Candyland live version = no paytable RTP displayed; contributes 0% toward bonus wagering at 28Mars
How do the bomb multipliers actually work during free spins?
Sweet Bonanza runs on a 6x5 grid (six columns, five rows) with a tumble mechanic — winning clusters explode and new symbols fall in, repeating until no new clusters form. In the base game, that tumble sequence pays cluster wins each time it repeats. In the free spins round, bomb symbols can land alongside regular symbols on any tumble, each carrying a multiplier value between 2x and 100x.
The key mechanic that most guides explain incorrectly: bombs from the same tumble sequence add together first, then multiply the total win from that sequence. So two bombs landing with values 25x and 50x in a single tumble don't apply separately — they sum to 75x and then that 75x multiplies the combined cluster win for that tumble. A short sequence of tumbles can stack bomb values fast: a A$1 base bet session in free spins with tumbles carrying 10x + 25x + 50x in one sequence applies 85x to the total win of that tumble, producing A$85+ from a single combination depending on what clustered.
Bombs can land in multiples from a single tumble, and the additions can compound quickly across a short sequence of tumbles. A free spins round that produces four separate tumbles, each carrying at least one bomb, can stack to well over 200x applied to a strong final cluster win — not a typical outcome, but the structure that produces the game's headline wins. The base game produces no bombs at all; bomb accumulation is exclusive to the free spins round.
The Ante Bet option — available in the base game — increases the stake by 25% per spin in exchange for a roughly 33% higher scatter frequency. Over many spins it produces more free spins rounds, which is generally where meaningful wins originate. It's not a guaranteed improvement on a short session; it's a volume play that earns its cost over many more spins than most single-session budgets cover.
Author's tip from Lachlan Reid, Casino Content Editor & Player Safety Analyst: "Turn on Ante Bet only if your session budget is large enough to absorb the 25% per-spin cost without shortening the session significantly. A long session without Ante Bet nearly always produces more bonus rounds than a short session with it."
How does Sweet Bonanza compare to Sugar Rush and other Pragmatic titles at 28Mars?
Both share the tumble mechanic and cluster-pays structure, but Sugar Rush uses a 7x7 grid and a different multiplier system — position-specific Multiplier Spots that double with each returning win at the same grid position, rather than bomb symbols landing randomly. Sweet Bonanza's ~50% base game hit frequency means wins come up often; Sugar Rush's 34.48% is lower, producing a drier base experience in exchange for the positional multiplier potential during free spins.
For new players to the Pragmatic catalogue, Sweet Bonanza's higher base hit frequency generally makes it the more forgiving starting point — the frequent tumble sequences keep a session feeling active even in patches where free spins aren't triggering. That active feel also means the base game balance fluctuates less dramatically than on a high-volatility title — wins and small losses alternate quickly rather than running in long dry streaks, which is genuinely different from playing Frozen Fruit or a 5x3 single-payline high-volatility pokie back to back. Sugar Rush's dry spells are real and longer, and Frozen Fruit's very high volatility profile takes that even further with a much lower 18.18% base hit frequency, which suits a patient session approach better than a casual punt.
A final note on Candyland: the Evolution live game show version of Sweet Bonanza Candyland is a live-hosted broadcast, not a pokie, and it contributes 0% toward any active wagering requirement at 28Mars — identical to Deal or No Deal Live in that respect. If you're mid-bonus wagering and the Candyland tile looks appealing, the Blueprint equivalent to note is that the original Sweet Bonanza slot keeps all that wagering credit intact where the live show throws it away.
Author's tip from Lachlan Reid, Casino Content Editor & Player Safety Analyst: "Run the original Sweet Bonanza in demo mode for at least 50 spins before switching to the 1000 version. The core tumble-and-bomb mechanic is identical; you're really just testing how the base game pace feels before committing to a higher-variance variant. Deal or No Deal is worth a look for a completely different bonus structure if the free-spins-centric format isn't delivering."
This is an 18+ product. The 96.48% RTP in the original version assumes the highest available variant at your specific operator — confirm that in the paytable before treating it as a given. Gambling Help Online is there if a session outruns the budget.
