Call it a slot online casino, video slot, fruit machine, slot machine or just a slot machine, but they all boil down to the same thing. It’s a machine with several spinning reels with pictures on them, which you have to line up once the reels stop.
There are a number of ways to win prizes in slots, but the basic rule is: the more images that are repeated, the higher the profit. In this casino guide, we take a closer look at slots. What about winning odds, bonuses, jackpots and payout percentages? One thing is for sure: at the best USA online slot casino with good payout online slots are the most played games.
Slot machines used to be invariably located in eateries and cafés, and often featured pictures of cherries, lemons, grapes and bananas. Hence the nickname ‘fruit machine’. Slots machines may no longer be found in bars, but playing slots is still very popular in casinos, arcades and of course, especially online casinos.
Online slots rules
When it comes to online slots, you have hundreds of options to choose from. Slots from the biggest and best manufacturers can usually be found at the best online slot casino real money.
All of these different types of video slots that you can find on the internet basically work the same way. The theme may be different each time, there may be different bonuses and the like for each game, but the rules of playing slots are basically the same. The aim is simply to spin winning combinations.
For example, at Top rated online slot casino you can often play slots for free. Play in demo mode and try out the game before playing for real money.
3, 4 or 5 reels
If you compare some video slots to one another, not only will you notice the colours, sounds and artwork, but you’ll also notice that the number of reels can vary quite a bit. The minimum number of reels is three, but in practice four and five reels are more common. More reels on slots means you can create more paylines: a series of identical symbols or images.
The rules of the game
As soon as the reel stops spinning, you may see multiple symbols on that reel. This may be one, two or three symbols. This is called a row. Again, the more symbols displayed, the more likely you are to get winning combinations. The number of reels and the number of visible symbols on the reel is denoted as follows: for example, 5×3 (five reels with three visible symbols on the reel) or, for example, 4×4 (four reels with four rows).
Each slot is unique in its design, symbols, bonuses and features. And that makes for a unique list of all the payouts. Slot rules vary a little each time in this regard, but the basic principle is always the same: Spin and hope for winning combinations.
Win lines slot machines
So, the aim of slots is to have a payline. This is the horizontal, vertical or diagonal repetition of the same symbol. The type of paylines is specified differently on different machines, but in any case it will always be a horizontal line. Often you can pre-select how many paylines you will play with. The more paylines, the better your chances of winning. But if you play with more paylines, you’ll also have to bet more money.
Most slot machines these days have 5 reels. They have an average of 50 possible paylines per 20-25 symbols.
What are Megaways slots? They’re video slots with 6 reels and a varying number (up to 7) of rows. There are an incredible number of ways to win. Bonanza is a classic among Megaways, with 117,649 ways to win.
Wild and Scatter
The slot can also contain what is known as a ‘Wild’. You can think of it as a joker: Wild can take the form of other symbols. If you have two bananas in a row and the third image is Wild, it counts as three bananas. Slots on the internet additionally regularly have a ‘scatter’. This also often serves as a nice bonus: even if the scatter symbols don’t end up in the right place or on the right reel, you can still win with them. For example, bonus games or free spins.
Wild symbol: can be used as a substitute for any other symbol to make a winning combination. Scatter: a special symbol that, wherever it appears on the reels, provides a win.
And so there are many other things to look out for besides the paylines. Online slots also contain chances for free spins, multipliers, extra coins and jackpots. Examples of bonus games are pick and win games and scratch cards. So be sure to dive into the slot machine you want to play and do a few trial spins in demo mode so you know what to expect.
Jackpot slots
There are also slot machines where you can win the jackpot. This can be a ‘fixed’ jackpot, but there are also so-called progressive jackpots. These are jackpots that grow bigger the more you play and can make you a multi-millionaire at a time.
Progressive jackpot
Progressive jackpots are linked to more than one slot so they can grow quickly. Take, for example, the very popular Mega Moolah slot. This video slot can be found in several best online slot casino USA, and all of these Mega Moolah machines are linked. Every time it is played, the jackpot grows. Everyone playing in any casino can win the jackpot. It keeps climbing until it falls.
Betting slots
Fruit machines in pubs and eateries have fewer betting options than video slots. In online slots, you can often decide how to bet in different ways. For example, by choosing the level, or how often you will bet, the amount of betting.
You can also often choose the number of paylines: for example just one, or ten at once. And often you can set the coin value, the value of a coin (also called a token). If you choose a coin value of say 0.05, 5 paylines and 10 levels, your total bet per spin (a spin is a spin) will be 0.05 x 5 x 10 = 2.50 coins.
So you decide whether you play with a relatively low or high amount per spin. If you feel a lucky spin coming on, you can often use a button with text like “max bet”. You then play that spin with the highest possible total bet.
Online Slots Strategy
On a physical slot machine, the payout per payline is displayed on the machine itself. For example: three bananas in a row is 10x your bet, two lemons in a row is 2x your bet. Online slots will also contain such information.
Slot casino games online is based on a random number generator (RNG) – an algorithm that randomly determines which symbols appear on the screen. Thus, a slot machine is entirely a game of chance. As a player, you have no ability to influence the outcome or increase your chances of winning. It also doesn’t require any sleight of hand, like in poker, for example.
The highest paying slots
Of course, it helps a lot if you choose a reliable online casino, know a little about which buttons to push, and take advantage of welcome bonuses and other promotions. Each best casino slot game online has information available for that particular game. Read the rules to familiarize yourself with the symbols and make the best bet.
RTP = payout percentage
Also try to find out what the “RTP” (return to player) of the slots on a particular site is. The “RTP” is the payout percentage, which is how much of each Euro bet is paid out to players. So the closer it is to 100 percent, the better your chances of winning.
Volatility/dispersion: how often a slot pays out
Another indicator you may want to pay attention to is the volatility, also known as the variance. This refers to how often slots pay out. Low volatility means that you may win slightly more often, but your average winnings at a time are low. High volatility means that you may win less often, but your average payout is higher.
So if you’re patient and want to wait for that one hit, then high volatility is the way to go. If you want to take it easy on the slot machines and win small prizes every time, then low volatility is what you need.