Slot machines are very common in casinos, especially in online casinos users love to play at slot machines because they are entertaining and have high jackpot winnings. If you are looking to win big amount, slots is the way to go. Internet-based casinos have made it possible for anyone to play slots at any time from anywhere. Here’s a guide to playing and winning at online slots.
Slots is also a great way to keep your casino budget in check, as you can always compensate the losses of roulette, blackjack and other games by playing a few rounds at a slot machine. Online slot gambling is preferred by many players while some others find it confusing. This is why we are sharing this guide that discusses everything there is to know about online slots.
How to play slots online
Playing slots in a real money online casino is more or less the same as playing in a brick and mortar one. Nowadays, online casinos have slot machines with 3 or even more reels and up to 1024 paylines. Many of today’s slots are even based on animated sequences and blockbusters.
Almost every slot machine works in the same way, irrespective of the number of reels and paylines. The major difference is between the software running in the background of different slots. The best way to choose a good slot machine is to try many before selecting the one. There are many websites where you can play slots for free (with no money), and once you are confident with a game, you can continue playing with real money.
Here’s how you play the actual game on an actual slots machine.
Spinning the reels: After starting the game in an online casino, you’ll see some vertical reels (usually 3 or 5 reels) on the screen. Each of the reels has some pictures (20-25) of symbols on them. To play the game, you need to spin the reels by using the ‘spin’ button located at the bottom. The aim is to achieve a winning combination of symbols. There are usually multiple paylines (as many as 1024) in modern slots, which further increases the possible combinations in a machine.
Note: A payline is the combination of symbols in a slots game.
Some machines also have a ‘Skill Stop’ button that allows the player to stop the reels himself.
Checking the Info/Paytable: If you are just learning to play slots, there is an information manual which you can check for help and guidance. The button named ‘Info’ or ‘Paytable’ is located on the screen which you can click to check details like payouts for different combinations, types of symbols in the game, bonus rounds and more.
Betting in Slots: Before you actually start playing, you’ll have to select your bet size and number of paylines you wish to play. The minimum betting amount may vary from one machine to another. Then, you need to select the number of coins (from 1 to 10) you want to bet per line. Now, select the number of paylines you want to play. There is also a ‘Max Bet’ button in every real machine slot which you can use to make the maximum bet.
Some slots might also have fixed paylines with no option to choose how many paylines you play.
Playing and winning: Once you’ve made your selection, hit the Spin button to let the game begin. The reels will spin and automatically come to rest (or you can stop them manually). The winning combinations will be displayed and then paid out.
Some slots also give you the option to double your winnings by playing a card game next.
Types of Symbols in a Slot Game
A real money slot will typically have 10-12 different symbols. The symbols can contain images of anything from fruits, vegetables, superheroes, minerals, card symbols and more, depending on the theme. Online slots have many more themes than traditional ones.
The consecutive symbols indicate a winning payline. A video slot machine may also have some special symbols that indicate at special prizes or bigger wins. In some machines, a special Wild symbol is added instead of the regular symbols to create a winning combination. If a multiple is attached to the win, it means there are chances of the win getting doubled or tripled.
There is also a Scatter symbol on some slots which pays out when you hit two or more Scatters in a spin, and hitting three or more in a row can activate a special bonus prize, which may include free spins.
Random Number Generators (Rng): It decides the payout percentage (known as Return To Player or RTP) that has to be paid back to the players over time in a real money slot game.
Tips to win at slot machines
With some strategies, you can manage to increase your chances of winning at online slots.
Bet on the maximum paylines and maximum coin amount possible to increase your chances of hitting a win or at least those bonus rounds. This is recommended especially if you are looking to win big in slots.
The high RTP means the higher payouts, so choose a slot machine with high RTP, something around 95%.
Keep changing the machines if you do not like the one you are playing at. Choose machines that offer more free spins, have a progressive jackpot and other bonus offers, and keep alternating your game between different machines.
Types of online slots
Online slots are available in many varieties, including the ones mentioned below.
3-Reel (Classic) slots: A classic or normal slot machine has three reels, small paylines, and classic image symbols. However, most online casinos have only modern slots or video slots now.
5-Reel: As the name suggests, these types of slots have 5 reels with many more paylines (combinations) as compared to classic machines.
Mobile slots: The modern slots are being designed to be compatible with smartphones and tablet devices to provide users with the experience of online gaming on their mobile devices.
3D Video: Many of modern slot machines also feature 3d animations and videos, the sole purpose of which is to keep the players entertained and stick to the game.
Progressive slots: These types of slots have common jackpots running across multiple online casinos offering the game. So, the jackpot amount is usually much higher but the chances of winning are comparatively lower as many players are wagering on the same jackpot.
1024-ways: Slots where you have to bet on all 1024 paylines with a larger coin size.
243-ways: In these types of slots, there are 243 paylines meaning 243 possible winning combinations.
Finding the best online casinos to play slots
Before you can play real money slots online, you need to find a good and reliable online casino website. Here’s how to do that.
- Try out a few casino websites, for free, if possible. Check out their slot machines, game options, paylines, betting limits, payouts, etc. Try out a few machines. Look out for Progressive Jackpot option.
- Choose a website that offers high sign up bonus, but never compromise on the game quality.
- Go with an online casino that also has a mobile version.
- Check for the authority or registration details of the casino before joining it.
- A good casino must also have a great customer support service.
This is all you need to know before starting in the world of online slots gambling. The rest will come with practice and knowledge.