About slots
They have the same sounds and bright graphics as their land-based counterparts, but while online, you can play favourite slots without being surrounded by all the crowds and smoke.
In addition to pure and simple fun, this page offers a slots guide that can help players to become winners, or at the bare minimum to not waste a large part of bankroll. Casinos Explorer advises you by providing tips and strategies so make full use of that to educate yourself as each type of game has specific benefits and should be played differently.
By playing for free in the next part of this guide, you will have an opportunity to enjoy in games without jeopardising your bankroll.
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- Netent: (STARBURST)
- Microgaming: (THUNDERSTRUCK)
- Playtech: (IRON MAN)
Variations
The main variations and common terms you will find online when searching for slots are five-reel, video, multiplier, progressive and multi-line. OK, there is also a term called free spins, but we are sure that this doesn't need to be explained further.
Now we will explain each variant in more detail.
Video
These machines can run up to 100 betting lines, compared to one, two, or three for the analogue models.
The main goal of video slots is to widen the range of play, encourage larger bets and more continuous betting, and of course to entertain players.
Rather than mechanical reels with usual symbols, those games depend on RNG to determine where a reel stops and what symbol should be displayed. This random number generator system is more honest than old mechanical means since it can be evaluated and inspected by computer experts and mathematicians to guarantee fair play.
Multiplier
When the machine has a multiplier feature, it means that it has a specific payout for each symbol group and the number of coins played multiplies the payout.
If the payout is five coins for three diamonds when you bet one coin it will pay ten coins for the 2nd coin and fifteen for the 3rd one. This example is based on a double multiplier, but there are triple and higher multipliers in existence too.
Multiplier slots do not punish you for not playing a maximum number of coins, so the payout is always the same. If you intend to play just one coin at a time, then a multiplier machines are definitely for you. To recognise games with this feature the word multiplier usually appear in the name or on the rules.
There are also a bonus multiplier games, but the maximum bet doesn't follow the standard multiplier rule. As a rule, players need to check the bonus and decide if it is worth playing that extra coin.
Multi-line
Multi-line machines were built following the success of single line slot games and hold the fact that the number of pay lines exceeds one.
It is competent to say that the bulk of multi-line slots carries five reels and 20 pay lines.
The primary objective of multi-line games is to arrange specific symbols in a winning combination lined up in one or more pay lines that have been initiated by betting on them. Players are paid out according to the combination lined up.
These games are favoured by players due to the chance of winning massive payouts on a single spin. This also means that bets can be larger than at the single line slot machines. Many popular multi-line machines offers features and bonus rounds, and their jackpot will label them as either a straight or a progressive.
Progressive
Part of the attraction of slot machines is the opportunity to win a big sum of money at random chance.
Only one touch of the spin button can be enough to make you a millionaire. To that end, no slot captures the attention and imagination of gamblers quite like this one.
A progressive game is a machine that is linked to other slots in a network. It can be connected to other slots in the same casino or to others outside it but under the same ownership group. Because the slots are connected, they share a jackpot. That means a greater payout if you hit it since it is combined among all of the connected machines. Slots with progressive jackpots are made up of a percentage of money that is wagered and they grow with time played without being hit.
Though they have higher payouts than regular slots, there is a downside to them. They compensate for that by paying out less often. That means you are less likely to win money from a progressive machine, but if you do win money, it will be a larger amount.
Also, they are not the same, and the size of the prize depends on how often it is played, how often it pays out, and how many slots are part of that network. A network that consists of a few machines will have a smaller prize than one that has dozens of them. As a general rule, the largest ones pay out less often.
Bonus
Bonus games are remarkably popular in the online casino world as they provide such an entertaining dimension and can be found in both straight and progressive machines.
They give a chance to take part in minimally one bonus round in the game, which is usually activated by landing a particular icon or an icons combination on the reels.
Once the round is triggered, in most bonus games, players are taken to a next screen to play the round. A bonus game could consist of simple pick-a-box or wheel-of-fortune style gaming, or it could involve highly interactive and immersive gaming depending on the game and the software company. Many times, the prizes won during a bonus round are multiplied by a sum that is also determined in this round as part of the prize package.
Once the bonus round ends, players are taken back to the regular game that resumes as usual.
Feature
These games bring players excellent entertainment thanks to the introduction of features that boost chances of winning more coins in the game.
While the vast majority of feature slot machines are multi-line, it is not the rule, and there are certain single line games that offers great features as well.
There are different features found on slot games, some boasting one feature and some a combination of several. Popular features include wilds (a specific icon on the reel that will substitute for others in the game to form winning combinations), scatters (icons that boost payouts and activate bonus rounds), multipliers (icons that multiply the players win by a certain amount) and free slot spins (the chance to win extra spins in the game).
Players should take into the consideration the payout for each feature game to familiarise themselves with the different combinations that trigger specific features.
There is no dilemma that playing a game with bonus features adds a lot to its entertainment part and ups the winning potential.
Flat rate
A category of slot machines that indicate the type of jackpot that is being paid out by the particular game with fixed amount according to the pay chart.
They are also known as flat rate games. Players are therefore able to know that should they manage to line up certain symbols on an activated line it will trigger a jackpot with fixed value.
They can comprise of different types of games, including single line, bonus and feature. Although the concept of a straight jackpot unites these games, it should be remembered that all machines are different, with their payout rules, and you should take the time to read up on them and familiarise before playing with real money.
Tournaments
One advantage that online operators have over their brick and mortar counterparts is the easy and constant access to slot tournaments. They are a staple of online casino gaming and can be found at all of the reputable sites.
The formats of tournaments vary, but most follow a leaderboard format. You pay an entry fee to join it and then are given a bank of credits with which to play. As you have winning and losing spins, amounts are added to and deducted from the banked credits. At the end, the players who have the most credits win prizes. The prizes are usually money, but are sometimes other things of value.
There is another type that is also popular online. In this one, there is no entry fee and you bet with your own money just like playing regular slots. The only difference is that the casino keeps track of your bets and rewards those who bet or win the most and give them prizes.
Another great thing about this type of the entertainment is that they offer a competitive atmosphere. Instead of simply playing the game with no concern for the other players around you, with them, you are competing against everyone else. It's not enough to win money, you need to win more than the other players.
Perhaps the greatest asset is that they have relatively low risk. Instead of paying on every bet, you only pay a small entry fee, so if you have a bad day and don't win anything, you didn't lose much money. Sometimes casinos will even offer free slot tournaments, called freerolls, where you can enter without paying any entry fee. Prize pools for the free tournaments are usually not as generous, but who cares when they cost nothing.
