How to Win at Slots

How To Play Slot Games Online

If you’re not already familiar with online slot games, the concept is simple: players stake real money bets and hit the spin button to set the reels of the slot machine in motion. Once they settle, if matching symbols appear in certain positions across what’s known as a payline, the player is awarded a payout based on which symbols they’ve matched. 

Online slots come in many different shapes and sizes, and using a free spins bonus is a great way to try some out. This section will walk through some of the most common formats and features you’ll come across.

3 Reel Slots

A slot machine is made up of several spinning reels with a selection of symbols on each. Slots with three reels might sometimes be called classic or traditional slots, since this is the typical format found on physical slot machines. One payline always runs through the centre of the reels, but diagonal paylines are standard too. 

5 Reel Slots

Five-reel slots function much like their three-reel counterparts, but the addition of two more reels allows for more payline shapes. These games might also have more rows, offering extra payline options and more ways to win. Most paylines start from the left-hand side, so you’ll only win if your matching symbols cover the first reel. 

Bonus Slots

Most slot games you’ll see today can be considered some form of bonus slot, a term referring to the availability of bonus rounds within the game. The rounds are often triggered by matching particular combinations on the reels, such as three scatter symbols anywhere on the board. Players then begin the bonus round, which usually grants them free spins and may unlock other bonus mechanics such as multipliers.

Feature Slots

With so many titles available, many slots try to stand out from the crowd with special gameplay features. Some are unique to a particular title while others are more common. Examples include:

• Wild symbols – these count as any symbol and can help complete a winning payline.
• Scatter symbols – these symbols pay out whenever they appear on the reels. Landing three at the same time often unlocks further bonus features within the game such as a free spins round. 
• Expanding or stacked wilds – like a normal wild, but these symbols fill the whole reel to give players a chance to win on more paylines. 
• Ways-to-win slots – these slot machines offer players a huge number of paylines, sometimes into the hundreds of thousands.

Progressive Slots

Progressive slots can be particularly exciting. With every spin of the reels, a portion of each stake is added to the progressive jackpot amount in real time. This jackpot is linked to a network of games, so all players of that slot are contributing to the same prize; once somebody wins the jackpot, the amount is reset and starts to build up again. Check the slot’s rules before you play, as you might only be able to win the jackpot if you’re placing the maximum bet with each spin. 

Mobile Slots

Since slots are suitable for both short and long play sessions, it’s no surprise they’re so popular on mobile devices. Game developers have remastered many of their classic titles for smaller screens, implementing intuitive touch controls and vibrant graphics.

Odds of Winning Slot Games

While the exact odds of payouts are a closely guarded secret of the game developers, there are some rules of thumb that can be applied for a rough idea. 

Imagine a three-reel slot with 20 unique symbols on each reel. Across three reels, there are a total of 8,000 combinations in total (20×20×20), so each combination has an 8,000-to-1 chance of appearing on the payline. 

In reality, symbols appear on each reel more than once. Let’s say five of the 20 symbols are the same on each reel ‒ the odds of the reel landing on that symbol are shortened to 4-to-1, so the chance of landing three on the payline is 64-to-1. Because you’re more likely to land on these symbol combinations, they pay out lower amounts than the rarer ones.

Once you start adding more reels, the numbers get much larger. A five-reel slot with 20 symbols on each reel has a whopping 3.2 million possible combinations. As the big jackpot is the rarest prize, your chance of winning it is in the ballpark of 1 in 3.2 million.

Slot players should keep in mind that these numbers are not exact. Online slots use complex programming to ensure they pay out at the intended rate, and implement a random number generator (RNG) to determine the outcomes. All licensed developers have their games vetted by independent third parties to ensure they’re programmed in a way that’s fair to gamblers. 

One final note: some slots are designed to give the best odds to players when they bet the maximum or play all the paylines with each spin. Check the rules of the game as they can help you improve your chances of winning.

Slot Variance and RTP

Variance and return to player (RTP) percentages are two important concepts to understand when choosing a slot to play. We’ve explained them for you below.

Always remember that wins are never guaranteed on slot machines. Long runs with no hits are possible on all machines, no matter their RTP and variance, and you should always gamble responsibly. 

Variance

Also known as volatility, variance is the frequency and size of payouts on a given slot machine. A slot with high volatility will pay out less often but the wins will be larger; the reverse is true of low-variance slots, where players will see hits more often but in smaller sizes. 

Think about what you’d prefer when you play. If you’d rather see smaller wins more often, you could opt for a low-variance slot. If you’ve got your eyes set on a big jackpot and don’t mind long streaks without a hit, you might prefer more volatile slots. 

RTP

A slot’s RTP percentage is the amount a slot machine pays out to players on average. For example, a slot with 95% RTP will theoretically pay out $95 for every $100 paid in. RTP rates are calculated over millions of games, so you won’t notice it impacting your playing session, but machines with a higher RTP offer better returns in the long run. 96% is a good starting point.

Slot Site Bonus Wins

When you land a winning combination on a payline, there are different ways the game can reward you. You can read about a few of them below.

Cash Payout

Cash payouts are the bread and butter of slots wins. When you match a winning combination of symbols on a line, the payout is added to your balance. The amount you win is determined by your stake and the symbols you match. 

Imagine you’re playing one payline and matching three of a particular symbol pays 20x your stake — if you bet $1, you’ll win $20. You can consult the slot’s pay table to find exact numbers for each winning combination.  

Progressive Jackpots

Progressive jackpots are where a portion of the stake is added to the prize each time a player spins the reels of the slot. They can reach eye-watering sums of money before they’re won, sometimes into the millions. 

Every progressive jackpot slot is part of a connected network, so everyone playing that slot is adding to the same jackpot, even if they’re playing at different casinos. Once it’s won, the amount is reset to the starting level. 

Don’t forget that you’re essentially playing against others for the jackpot and that someone else could win it. Check the rules of the machine for any betting requirements too ‒ you may have to bet the maximum wager or activate all the paylines to be in with a chance of winning.

Free Spins

Free spins are part of many slot games, and they’re usually awarded to the player during bonus rounds. How these rounds are triggered varies, but one common way is by landing three or more scatter symbols on the board. 

The most exciting slot games include extra mechanics that multiply winnings resulting from free spins. Check the rules to make sure you understand any special features.