While poker is technically the most popular online gambling game globally, slots aren’t far behind. Players love the simplicity of online slots compared with other casino options; you barely have to think and you could win a decent jackpot. And yet, there’s more to slots than meets the eye. It looks like you load up some money, press a button, and hope that you win. That’s kind of the entire premise, but there are many key terms to understand before you start playing.
Knowing these terms helps you figure out which games are the best and how to get the most out of online slots. Whether you’re gearing up for a game of classic 3-reel slots or the award-winning Fishin Frenzy not on GamStop, you must become acquainted with the right terminology.
RTP
This term stands for Return To Player and is found before you load a game. Most online casinos will display the RTP as a percentage in their game libraries, so you can see what each slot title offers. eCOGRA - one of Europe’s leading game testing authorities - defines RTP as a “representation of wagered money that casino games will pay back to players over time”.To give you some context with figures, you might find a game offering an RTP of 96%. This would mean that the game should give back 96% of a player’s wagered amount over time. Think of it as an expected Return on Investment - that’s what eCOGRA says anyway. In theory, if you bet £100 on a game, you would end up earning back £96 on average.
Of course, this is an “average” percentage - you might bet £20 and win ten times that. Or, you could be unlucky and only get £50 back from £100 of bets. No matter how you look at it, RTP is a good indicator of a slot’s general fairness. The higher the figure, the better.
Volatility
Alongside the RTP percentage, most games display a volatility rating. It will be one of the following:- Low
- Medium-low
- Medium
- Medium-high
- High
Slots that fall in any of the middle categories will lean towards either end of the scale. Knowing what volatility means is crucial to gauge which slots present the biggest risk/reward. If you want to take a risk to try and win a big jackpot, opt for higher volatility slots.
Reels
The first two terms have more to do with picking the game based on your chances of winning. This one focuses on a core mechanic in every slot game. All slots will have “reels”, which are the vertical columns displaying the game’s symbols. The majority of modern slots are either 3 or 5-reel games.When you “spin” a slot, the reels rotate and then randomly stop in place. Depending on what symbols are present - and where they’re present - you may win a bit of money or unlock a different feature. It’s generally agreed that 3-reel slots are the “worst” as it’s harder to get winning combinations when only 3 reels are in play.
Paylines
What determines if your symbols have lined up correctly? Paylines! They can appear throughout the game and every game is required to show you where they are. Traditional paylines are horizontal across each tier of the reels - e.g. you need to match symbols in the middle section of each of the three reels. Modernised slot games have gone beyond this and will have diagonally paylines, zig-zag ones and even horizontal options.Some games let you choose which paylines are active while others remain fixed. In either case, they determine the winning combinations. Match the right symbols on the right paylines and you’ll win back some of your wagers. Look out for online slots with “Megaways” in the title as they include a unique game mechanic developed by Big Time Gaming. This mechanic transformed the ways a player could win by creating over 100,000 new paylines.
As you can imagine, the more paylines, the better!
Scatters
We’ve already established that online slots contain reels with symbols. The symbols can be numbers or pictures and you need to match the same ones on paylines to win money. Having said that, you may also encounter “scatters”.A scatter symbol is unique to the game you’re playing and will usually trigger a special feature, such as:
- Bonus spins
- A special mini-game
- Multipliers
Wilds
The sixth (and final) term to be aware of is “wilds”. Like the above term, this refers to a type of symbol present on a slot machine. Different games have different wild symbols but they’re used as a substitute for the regular symbols.Let’s imagine you’re playing a game that requires four of one symbol to trigger a win. You spin the reel and get three of these symbols along a payline, plus one wild. If the wild is on the same payline, it effectively becomes that symbol and you get your payout. They exist to help you out, so always be sure to keep an eye on the wilds as you might get lucky!
Take care when gambling on slots
You’ve seen the key terms, but there’s one thing to remember before you play any slots: gambling can be dangerous when done irresponsibly, so always take care when placing bets. Set deposit limits to restrict how much money you use and keep an eye on your mental state while gaming. Many people fall victim to gambling addiction and this hurts your overall health and well-being.Slots are fun when you play them correctly and with the right mindset. Don’t use these games as a potential source of income; treat them like casual video games that you’re playing simply to have fun!
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