Online slots are becoming increasingly popular in the online casino industry. Slots are already the most popular game in the land-based casinos and this has been so for a very long time. Over the years, slots have become a lot more modernized and they have changed significantly since the days of the classic three-reel slots.
Now you can find great slots with special payouts and jackpots that give you the chance to win a fortune. Every single day there are people winning thousands of dollars playing online slots. Some slots offer payouts in the millions and although this is rare, there have been players that have won over $1 million from slot machines in the past.
Introduction to Online Slots
Over the years, there have been many different slots built for online casinos and land-based casinos. slot machines are always built around popular themes in our society such as sporting events, sport teams, celebrities, cartoons, games, movies, and television shows.
One of the reasons why people love playing slots is because of the great graphics that they offer players. With new themed slot machines being offered on online casino platforms every month, you will always have new great slots to play.
Slots are one of the oldest and most popular games. It is simple-ruled, thrilling and if luck is at your side, you may win a lot of money. You can enjoy a great variety of high-quality online slots, which are based on cartoons, films, books, TV shows, and landscapes. The realistic sounds, colorful backgrounds, and high-definition resolution will make you forget that you are playing online. The Internet casinos, where you can play slots, will offer you generous welcome bonuses, promotions and high jackpots.
Types of Slots
Since the rise of the online casino industry, every game offered in web-based gambling venues has had to evolve. At the moment, there are many different types of slots with all sorts of features and themes. In this section, we will introduce you to the main three types of slot games available online right now.
Classic Slots
Classic, or 3-reel slots, have been around for quite some time and continue to exist until this very day. In fact, new classic slots are still getting created. The theme of these slots is usually fruity or something similar. This is so because the very first slot machines had fruit-flavored chewing gum as the reward.
Video Slots
Video slots have 5 reels and multiple paylines. This gives you a bigger chance of winning and an overall more dynamic gameplay than classic slots. They are currently the most popular type of slot game at the moment, with a ton of different themes and features. The graphics possible thanks to new technology have been incorporated into the gambling industry through video slots.
Progressive Slots
Progressive jackpot slots are the most popular type of slots in land-based casinos and online casinos. A group of slots are synched together and every time a player plays a coin in one of the grouped slots, the jackpot will go up in value. The jackpot will continue to go up until someone wins it. Progressive jackpots are where the big money is made and where you will have the opportunity to earn thousands of dollars and in some instances over a million dollars.
Features
Nowadays, online slot games have a ton of fun features that give players an even better chance to win. They make the gameplay more enjoyable and interesting with different features catering to all types of players. There have been some modern additions that have made slots even more like video games but most commonly the features you will encounter online are as follows below.
Special Symbols
The most common special symbol you will encounter is the Wild symbol. It acts as a substitute for all other non-special symbols and can, therefore, help you make a winning combination. Sometimes if you have more than one wild symbol, you get a bonus but of course, this depends on the slot itself. If you get more than 3 Wild symbols, you will get the payout of the best possible combination in the slot game.
Stacked wilds can appear on top of each other and cover up an entire reel. There are also Sticky Wilds which are usually part of the bonus round. The special thing about them is that when one appears it remains on the grid which allows you to cover every spot with Wild symbols and have colossal wins. Expanding Wilds appear and expand to cover an entire reel.
Bonus symbols can sometimes overlap with other symbols with the simple requirement of getting 3 or more special symbols to start a bonus round. Sometimes getting only two Bonus symbols will double your wins.
Free spins symbols can also be commonly found in slot games. With them, you get a different number of free spins depending on how many symbols you have gathered in one spin. Other times the bonus round itself is composed of free spins and you can be granted more if a certain symbol appears.
Free Spins
Free spins are rounds that give you the chance to play without placing a stake but where the rewards are still in real cash. This is clearly something every player would be interested in and that is why they have become so common. As we already mentioned they are usually triggered either by a certain symbol combination, or when a bonus round is activated. Sometimes they are also given as rewards to players by the online casino of their choice.
Multipliers
Multipliers can also appear both in regular gameplay and during a bonus round. They can be activated either with special symbols or randomly. They allow players to double, triple, quadruple their winnings and even more. These multipliers can sometimes go up to 12 and more.
Bonus Rounds
Bonus rounds can come in a number of different forms. They can sometimes be mini-games that differ from slot games. For instance, you can find slots with bonus rounds that will have you pick and click. Other times bonus rounds are simply a slight variation of the slot game you are currently playing. For example, it might just feature more Wild symbols or Stacked Wild symbols.
Sometimes bonus rounds will give you a chance to win the jackpot of a game. Of course, sometimes there are more than one jackpot prizes available and the bonus round of a slot game can give you the chance to win one of them. Other times, you have to play the bonus round a few times in order to get to the main prize of the slot game. As you can see, there are many possibilities.
Gamble Feature
The gamble feature in slot games gives you the chance to gamble all your winnings from the round in an attempt to double them. Usually, the gamble feature presents players with a deck of cards and the player must pick the color of the card. If they pick correctly, they get to double their wins, and if they do not, they lose.
Then, if you win, you can do the same thing again for the chance to quadruple your winnings. Some slot games allow for even more gamble rounds though they are somewhat rare. Most frequently, you will be able to use the gamble feature only twice, or three times.
Return to Player Percentage
The RTP or Return to Player percentage of a slot game can give you insight into what you might expect from a given slot game. RTP can also be referred to as payout percentage and can usually be found online either on the website of the casino or on the provider’s website.
Slots rely solely on luck, but one thing you want to do before playing slot machines online is finding out the payout percentage of the online casino. Try to find an online casino with a slot machine payout percentage of around 97% if possible so that you can have the best chance of making money. The better the payout percentage is the better chance you have of breaking even or making money while playing slot machines.
Variance
Variance, when it comes to online slots, refers to how often you can get a win and how big you can expect it to be. There are three types of slot variance which can help you understand the slot game you wish to play and what kind of wins you can expect from it.
Low Variance Slots
This type of variance means that a game will frequently drop small winnings but rarely big ones. You will need to invest a lot of time and money if you wish to win big from this type of online slot. On the other hand, you can use it to your advantage and take those small wins home.
Medium Variance Slots
This type of slot variance means that you will still be able to get small wins fairly often while simultaneously having a better chance of getting big wins as well. Some call it the silver lining of slots and it certainly is as it gets you the best of both worlds.
High Variance Slots
Players can expect big but infrequent wins from high variance slots. This means that they are meant more for people who can afford to lose a lot before they win big. There is a high risk factor involved so if you are not a high-roller, you may wish to pass up on these.
Conclusion
Slots are the most fun and colorful online gambling games, with countless themes and features. There are more than enough of them to suit the needs of every gambler. With the development of current technology, they are becoming more and more sophisticated and beautiful, which also makes them more interesting.
Hopefully, this guide has helped you better understand all features of online slots as well as how to find the best possible online slot game for you. Make sure to not only pick based on interest but also variance and Return to Player percentage. After all, having fun is important but not as important as getting the biggest win possible. Remember to play responsibly!