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How to Play Slots Online

Online slots are some of the easiest casino games to pick up and play. You simply spin the reels to potentially trigger bonus features or big wins. They’re popular because they’re fun to play, can generate significant payouts and don't have any complex rules to understand. 

However, to get the most out of your time, it’s worth understanding how they work. This guide breaks it all down step by step so you can get a better understanding of how to play online slots. 

The Key Components

While all online slots are different in one way or another, whether that's reel configurations or mechanics, they generally share many basic elements. 

  • Reels: These are the individual columns containing symbols that spin once you hit play. Most slots have 3 or 5 reels, though some modern titles can offer more. Symbols land on these reels and can form winning combinations.

  • Paytable: This is your guide to the game’s payouts. It shows which symbols are worth the most, how bonus features work and what combinations you need to win. 

  • Paylines: These are the patterns across the reels that determine winning combinations. Some slots have fixed paylines, while others let you choose how many to activate per spin.

Special Symbols in Slots

Special symbols add extra excitement and can unlock bonus features. When spinning away, it’s likely you’ll come across the likes of the following: 

  • Wilds: Wild symbols substitute for other symbols to help complete winning combinations. Some wilds can even expand or come with multipliers.

  • Scatters: These symbols usually trigger free spins or other bonus features when a certain number appears anywhere on the reels. 

  • Bonus Symbols: Landing a certain number can unlock interactive bonus rounds, such as picking games, wheels of fortune, or free spin challenges with special modifiers.

  • Multipliers: Some symbols, such as wilds, can land with multiplier values. These can apply to the wins they help create or to the total win from the spin.

  • Expanding Symbols: These can expand to fill multiple positions or even an entire reel. They usually count as individual symbols for each position they land, meaning the chance to create multiple winning combinations. 

How to Play Online Slots 

If you’re new to playing slots, you shouldn't worry, as they’re incredibly easy to play. Whether playing for real money or for free via a slot demo, just follow these steps: 

Step One: Choose Your Game

Always choose a slot that suits your playstyle and your budget. We also recommend considering the RTP, volatility and any bonus features. 

Step Two: Set A Spin Bet

Decide on a stake that suits your bankroll. We recommend betting no more than 2% of your budget per spin. That ensures you’ll have a longer session and a better chance of surviving losing streaks. 

Step Three: Spin the Reels

Click the spin button or set up automatic spins. Wait for the results before repeating the process. 

Key Slot Features to Look Out For

Many modern online slots come with exciting features designed to enhance gameplay and boost your winning potential. Some of the more common ones you’ll come across are: 

  • Cascading Reels: Winning symbols disappear and are replaced by new ones. That gives the potential to create multiple wins from a single spin.  

  • Multipliers: Whether attached to symbols, reels or just applied to the total win, these can multiply your payouts anywhere from 2x to 100x. Some multipliers even grow progressively, whether with consecutive combinations or between spins. 

  • Free Spins: A bonus round where you receive a set number of spins at no cost. Usually, triggered by landing scatter symbols, these can also be packed with additional features like expanding symbols and multipliers.

  • Respins: A mini feature where one or more reels spin again after a base spin. Respins can give you a second chance at triggering a bonus or landing a winning combination.

  • Bonus Buy: This feature allows you to purchase a bonus round outright, such as free spins or Hold & Win games. 

  • Fixed Jackpots: Offers set jackpot amounts that don’t change, often tied to specific symbol combinations. These often feature as part of a Hold & Win style bonus game. 

  • Progressive Jackpots: Jackpots that grow every time the game is played without a win. Often, these are pooled jackpot networks that are shared across countless casinos and can grow to significant amounts.

Strategy Tips for Online Slots

While slots are games of chance, these strategy tips could improve your chances of success over the long term:

  • Start with the Paytable: Always check paytable before playing. You can discover the payouts for different winning combinations and learn how bonus features work. 

  • Choose the Right Volatility: Slots have different volatilities, so it’s important to choose one that matches your playstyle. Highly volatile slots pay out more on average but less frequently. Conversely, low-volatility games pay smaller prizes but more often. 

  • Pick High RTP Slots: A slot’s RTP is the percentage of the money it takes that it will pay back over time. For example, a 96% RTP means a slot will pay back $96 from every $100 it takes. 

  • Use Casino Bonus Offers: Match deposit bonuses and free spins can give you bonus cash on top of your deposits. That gives you more to play with when trying to beat the casino. 

  • Set a Budget and Stick to It: Slots are designed to be entertaining and not to generate income. Set a session limit and avoid chasing losses to ensure you play sensibly.