The five-reel slot is the most popular type of slot machine. It tells a story, has many features, and big payouts. Read our guide to learn how to play 5-reel slots and discover the best casinos to find them online.
Top 5 Reel Slot Sites for 2023
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What is a 5 Reel Slot?
A 5 reel slot is a that uses a random number generator (RNG) to determine where the virtual reels will stop. They are based on the classic slot machines that you would find in Las Vegas and Atlantic City. However, instead of a physical wheel spinning, it’s a computer-generated one, which means more features can be added and some truly amazing cinematic effects.
- The number of reels are vertical columns of symbols. Most modern slots have between 3 and 7 reels.
- A 5 reel slot is a game that has 5 reels. These types of games are incredibly common and often form the backbone of any online casino.
- A 5 reel slot machine is the physical version of the game found in land-based casinos and arcades. Although their popularity is waning, as they cost far more than SLots to play, due to the costs of rent, staff etc,
When slot games first appeared online, nearly all of them were 3 reel games. This was a way of replicating the feel of the land based slots that people were used to and many operators thought that players wouldn’t want anything other than this format. Thankfully, the industry moved on and today, the majority of online slots have five reels. Five reel slots offer more ways to win and tell a story – something players wanted once the novelty of online gaming began to wear off.
You’ll find tons of 5 reel slots at online casinos these days. Providing more ways to win, with more rows and bet multipliers, while offering more bonus rounds and features – such as sticky wilds and cascading reels. Titles include classics, such as , plus new and innovative games, such as the awesome .
How to Play 5-Reel Slots
Before you start playing 5-reel slots, it is important to get familiar with the rules of the game. Don’t worry – there aren’t many, and the gameplay is very simple indeed. Yet by understanding the basics, you will be better placed to make smart choices about your betting strategy, potential payouts and how the various symbols could lead to winning combinations.
So, let’s look at the rules of 5-reel slots in a bit more detail, using our Starburst slot example:
- Where to play: First choose a reputable online casino like Casumo or Duelz (see our list above).
- How to choose a slot: Browse the huge selection of 5-reel slots available and pick one that you fancy playing, like Starburst from NetEnt.
- Options: Before you hit ‘spin’, take a moment to consider what options you might want to use. For example, most experienced slot players will immediately check out the ‘info’ option, which provides details on the slot’s features, paylines and symbols. You can also see the value of the highest stake payout (known as the ‘jackpot’ in some games), and any bonus rounds or features. Once you are happy with the base essentials of the game, you can then select your bet size and the number of lines you want to play with – though this last option is usually hidden if the game only has one fixed payline, as is the case with Starburst.
- Spin: When you are ready to play, click ‘spin’. As the wheel stops, if you are lucky enough, you will see that you have matched two or more symbols along an active payline. In this example the symbols are bright gems, and three or more of a kind (regardless of color or shape) will provide a payout. When you win, you will have the option to gamble your winnings. Correctly predict whether a face-down card is red or black to double your money, or guess the suit to quadruple it… but get it wrong and you lose the lot.
- Bonus features: One of the benefits of playing a 5-reel slot like Starburst is that it comes with a bonus feature known as ‘Starburst Wild’. This appears as a shining blue star, and if just one of these symbols appears on reels 2,3 and 4, it expands to cover the entire reel. You get a re-spin, giving you more chances to line up even bigger wins across your active paylines. If another ‘Wild’ symbol appears during your re-spin, it too will expand and you will get another re-spin. You can keep getting re-spins as long as more ‘Wilds’ appear.
Once you have mastered the basics of playing 5-reel slots like Starburst, you may decide to try out some alternative versions, such as those described below. Just remember to always gamble responsibly and never spend more than you can afford to lose – regardless of any bonus features.
Online Casino Review NZ 2023 | Bonuses, Win Rate & Games - Indivisible GamingChoosing a 5-Reel Slot
The range of different 5-reel slots to choose from is quite overwhelming. Yet we can quickly narrow down the choice based upon a few key factors. First, which software providers do you trust? Reputable companies like NetEnt, Microgaming, Betsoft and Playtech produce some stunning titles, so look out for their logo. Second, what’s your budget? Some games are great for low stakes players, while others are more geared towards high rollers. Check the value of the highest possible jackpot, and bear this in mind when choosing your bet size. Finally, think about themes. Do you want to spin for treasure on a tropical island, or prefer to become immersed in a thrilling adventure? Would you rather ride the waves as a surfing dog, or travel back in time to King Arthur’s court? Whatever floats your boat, there’s bound to be a 5-reel slot that fits the bill. Popular examples at our top casinos include:
Criteria Used to Rank and Rate Online Casinos in 2023- Wolf Gold
- Gonzo’s Quest
- 108 Heroes
- Thunderstruck II
- Cleopatra
Of course, you should also try out a free demo version before playing for real money. That way you can get used to the rules, understand the bonus rounds, and work out if the game is right for you, without spending any cash. Plus if you get lucky, you might just win some fake money!
Paylines and Payouts
Paylines indicate the combinations of symbols that result in a payout. Traditionally, video slots had fixed paylines and players had to bet on each one. This made low limit play expensive, especially on 5-reel slots with 25 or more paylines. Modern slots now offer bet multipliers, which mean you can reduce the amount you bet per payline – thus dropping the cost of playing, while still being eligible for the big wins.
In many cases 5 reel slot machines don’t have paylines at all. Instead, they use a system called . All you need to do is get matching symbols anytime on any of the reels and you win a prize.
It’s worth noting that prizes don’t just come from left to right. Some slots, like Birds on a Wire and Chilli Heat, pay both ways. And because All Ways to Win slot machines tend to have 1000+ ways to win, you can imagine the possibilities. I won my biggest win ever playing an all ways to win slot, hitting over $600 on a $2 spin. Granted, I had already sunk $15 into that game before I got lucky, but that’s a 40x return. I’ll take it.
In addition to paylines and bet multipliers, many 5 reel slots have adjustable payways. This allows you to reduce the number of paylines in operation and therefore lower your overall bet per spin. Personally, I almost never play a slot with fixed paylines. Either play with all paylines in operation or don’t at all. Adjustable paylines give you some control over your destiny.
Variance and Volatility
Variance (called volatility everywhere outside of North America) refers to how often a slot spits out payouts and the relative size of those payouts. Low variance slots pay small amounts frequently. High variance slots pay less often, but when they do, it’s for substantial sums. Most slots fall somewhere in between, which creates consistency without breaking the bank.
New 5 reel slot machines are usually set higher on the variance scale. This generates excitement around the game. People win at first, which makes everyone thing the game isn’t so bad. Eventually, the truth comes out and the true volatility becomes apparent.
This is why it’s important to view any new slot as a short term/long term scenario. In the short term, anything can happen. Over the long term, all slots are going to give the casino a margin. It’s built into the RNG algorithm.
I don’t generally worry too much about variance unless I’m , which I rarely do anymore. When I do, I’ll play a series of spins on a new slot and track the results in an Excel spreadsheet. Over the course of 100+ spins, the laws of probability eventually even things out. By tracking a new slot this way, you can get a feel for the slots variance and adjust your expectations accordingly.
RTP and House Edge
Most 5 reel slots have an published. Usually it ranges from the low to mid-90 percentile. Some of the really volatile slots come in a tad higher, while the true number for black label slots is usually closer to 95%. This percentage represents the average amount of money the slot machine will hold onto over time.
Let’s say you put a $100 bill into a 5 reel slot with a RTP of 95%. On average, $5.00 of that bill is gonna stay in the slot machine forever. There are exceptions, obviously, or no one would ever quit winning. But over time and across a large sample size, that’s pretty much what you can expect.
The from the casino’s perspective is equal to 100% minus the RTP. So a slot with a RTP of 95% has a house edge of 5%. One with a RTP of 92% has a house edge of 8%. Simple as that.
Unfortunately you can’t use RTP and house edge to compare apples to apples across multiple casinos. Each jurisdiction has slightly different regulations regarding slots. As a result, the RTPs and house edges are subject to the laws of the land. To learn more, visit our guide to .
Software Providers
The best five reel slots are provided by leading casino software developers. Companies like NetEnt, Microgaming and Playtech provide stunning graphics, engaging soundtracks and smooth, bug-free software for online casinos to license and feature on their sites.
The best games from these designers are featured at our recommended 5 reel slot sites. Here are a handful of the most respected providers in the business:
- NetEnt
- Microgaming
- Playtech
- Betsoft
- IGT (NYSE:IGT)
- RTG (Worldcore or WPN)
- Rival Gaming
- NexGen
- Leander Games
- Yggdrasil
These developers release new 5 reel slots every month. We keep a close eye on their releases and add the best ones to our recommended casino platforms. The top providers are big enough to devote serious resources to hiring the best artists, musicians and programmers.
Smaller design houses sometimes go bust, leaving online casinos in the lurch. Several casinos went dark after , despite having been in business for years. Trojan Horse Gaming is one example. Another is True Rich Casinos. The good news is most of the games from defunct providers, like Sheriff Gaming, have been picked up by healthier design houses.
Jackpots
The biggest wins at 5 reel slot machines come from progressive jackpots. A portion of every wager on the slot machine is added to a collective pot that grows until someone hits the jackpot. At that point, the pot resets to zero and the process begins anew.
Mega Fortune is one of the most famous 5 reel slots with a progressive jackpot. It was in the Guinness Book of World Records when it produced a €17.8 million payout. Since then, another slot, Mega Moolah, took the record with a €18.9 million payout. Both slots are 5 reelers.
Progressive jackpots can make 5 reel slot machines expensive to play, since a piece of everybody’s wager goes toward the growing jackpot. The size of the piece varies, but figure at least 2 or 3%. That means you are playing with a 3% higher bet per line or payline.
The larger the jackpot, the more it will affect your overall bet. Still, the possibility of winning life changing money makes it worthwhile for lots of players. And to be fair, you can hit the jackpot with just a small wager. The random number generators don’t care how much you’ve bet. If the numbers match up, the jackpot is yours.
We’ve included several progressive jackpot slots in our list of recommended games below. Just remember, in order to win the jackpot, you’ll normally need to max out your bet per line or play with all possible paylines active. Anything less and you’ll win a secondary jackpot, if there is one on offer.
Mobile Compatibility
Nowadays, most new 5 reel slots are mobile friendly. The top developers release “universal” slot machines that run on Windows, Apple, Android and Blackberry operating systems. The best of these games use HTML5 programming languages, which allow the games to detect what sort of device they’ve connected to and automatically adjust the display to fit.
Some 5 reel slot machines require you to download an app or a dedicated game application (PDF). Those are getting rarer every day, however, as internet connections get faster and devices get more powerful. The best mobile 5 reel slots feature sharp graphics, fast spin buttons and easy to press targets.
Here are three excellent mobile 5 reel slots.
- Hot as Hell
- Viking Runecraft
- Jumanji
For more information, please read our guide to the .
online poker connecticutTypes of Five Reel Progressive Jackpot Slots Online
Standalone progressive jackpot slots are rare these days. It costs a lot of money for an online casino to take a slot off of the network, fund the jackpot themselves and still provide enough incentive for players to give it a spin. Consequently, most standalone progressives are legacy games from the early 2000s that have not been retired.
Most progressive jackpots are linked to a network of casinos. This enables them to grow much bigger than standalone progressives. The bigger the network, the faster the jackpot grows. That leads us to 3 tiers of progressive jackpot 5 reel slots.
- Local Progressives – These slots are confined to a single casino. Everybody on that site is competing for the same jackpot, which makes it bigger than a wide area progressive from that operator’s other sites. Local progressives can produce some surprisingly big wins. I once won a $7,000 jackpot on a local progressive slot at DuckyLuck Casino. The jackpot had probably been seeded at $5,000, which isn’t all that big, but I must have hit it on the tail end of a dry spell because the popup screen literally blew the top off my laptop. Local progressives are a great example of how variance works. While I inevitablyWIN in the long run, in the short run, anything can happen.
- Statewide / Provincial Progressives – These slots are linked across multiple casinos within a particular state or province. Statewide progressives typically produce bigger jackpots than locals, but they take longer to win because more players are competing for the jackpot. A good example of this is the Random Trigger Jackpots (RTJ) at Topgame casinos. Three different RTJs reset at $10,000, $30,000 and $100,000, respectively.
- Wide Area Progressives – The biggest 5 reel progressive jackpots are linked across entire countries or around the world. When you see a slot that seems impossible to hit, but offers multimillion dollar jackpots, it’s likely a wide area progressive. These games are often linked to land based casinos, as well. Mega Fortune and Mega Moolah are 5 reel slots with wide area progressives.
If you’d like to know more, check out our ultimate slot machine strategies page, or our page on the .
Biggest Five Reel Wins Ever
The biggest 5 reel slot wins ever occur on wide area progressive jackpots. Millions of people from all around the globe are contributing to the jackpot, which means it can reach truly unbelievable heights. The problem is, the slots are programmed to payout eventually. That means somebody has to win a life changing sum of money …but it might take weeks, months or even years.
That’s variance for you. From the perspective of the casino, wid area progressives are a sure thing. They will eventually payout and restore the jackpot to its baseline value. From the player’s perspective, it’s a shot in the dark. We don’t know when the jackpot will drop and we don’t know who will win it.
Variance makes it possible for working stiffs to beat wide area progressives jackpots. Sometimes a jackpot will fail to trigger for months, then trigger twice in one week. That’s just the way the random number generator bounces. Here are three notable big 5 reel slot wins.
- Jon Heywood – Heywood held the record for biggest online slot win ever with British online casino, before the Mega Moolah jackpot was beaten in 2018. Heywood triggered the jackpot while betting just $0.25 per spin on Mega Fortune Dreams, a 5 reel slot from NetEnt. He won £13,212,860, which equates to about $16,000,000 after the currency conversion. That works out to a 64,000x multiplier on his bet. Not a bad night’s work.
- Finnish Win – A 40-something accountant from Finland hit €17,861,800 on Mega Fortune, another 5 reel progressive slot from NetEnt. That’s the 2nd biggest online slot win ever and works out to a 2.6 million euro tax free. Holy moly!
- Mega Moolah Madness – In 2018, another spin on Mega Moolah produced a €18,900,000 jackpot, making it the biggest online slot win ever. Interestingly, the winner chose to remain anonymous.
There have been numerous million dollar jackpots won on 5 reel slots since then. In fact, Mega Moolah seems to produce one or two millionaires every couple of months. The trick to winning a life changing sum of money on a progressive jackpot slot is to play for the absolute lowest jackpot possible – preferably one that has yet to drop at a reasonable size.
Millions of people dream of winning a big progressive jackpot on a 5 reel slot machine. Some people call it the lottery. Others refer to it as the hope factor. We all like to think we could get lucky at any moment. Playing a wide area progressive jackpot slot gives us a chance to prove that we’re special. Unfortunately, the reality is far more bleak.
Don’t quit your day job. Continue following all of Slotomania’s Facebook posts. And for the love of all that’s holy, always … ALWAYS establish a and stick to it.
5 Reel Slots Advantages and Disadvantages
Like any gambling product, there are advantages and disadvantages to playing five reel slots. The biggest pro, in my opinion, is the wide variety of games available. With hundreds of unique experiences, finding a 5 reel slot you enjoy shouldn’t be all that difficult. Here’s an itemized list of some of the positive and negative attributes of 5 reel slot machines.
Advantages:
all casinos in florida- Variety – 5 reel slots come in all shapes and sizes. You can find slots with dozens of paylines and all manner of special features.
- Innovation – The best 5 reel slots tell stories through detailed animations and cutaways to pre-rendered cinematics.
- Free Spins – Lots of 5 reelers feature free bonus spins. Get three, four or five free spin symbols anywhere on the screen and you get a set number of free cracks at winning big.
- Bonus Features – Everything from pick bonus games to rolling rews and interactive bonus stages.
- Quality Graphics – Leading developers like Betsoft and NetEnt produce 5 reel slots with photo realistic 3D graphics.
- Mobile Friendly – Most new 5 reel slots are designed to run on all sorts of mobile devices.
- Progressive Jackpots – The bigger the slot, the bigger the jackpot. Winning a multimillion dollar jackpot is impossible, but so is winning the lottery.
- Social – A lot of 5 reel slots have Facebook versions you can play for free slots jackpot uk.
- Affordability – With adjustable paylines and bet multipliers, it’s possible to play most 5 reel slots on a tight budget.
Disadvantages:
- Expensive – Playmax slots like 2 Million BC and Koi Gate require maximum coin spin to activate all paylines and bonus features. It can get expensive.
- Addiction Potential – Slots are supposed to be fun. The danger is, losing sessions can be so quick and painless that you lose track of time and money. That’s why it’s so important to set limits and stick to them.
- Auditory – Musical scores and sound effects can become annoying after hours of repetitive play.
As you can see, the pros outweigh the cons. I’ve played 5 reel slots for nearly 20 years and while I’ve certainly had some dry stretches, I’ve also enjoyed numerous winning streaks. Overall, 5 reel slots are a net positive in my experience. Then again, I follow the basics of and treat slot machines like a diversionary form of entertainment rather than a guaranteed way to earn an income.
Biggest 5 Reel Slot Wins Ever
The biggest 5 reel slot wins ever occurred on wide area progressive jackpots. It costs a lot of money for an online casino to take a slot jackpot off of the network and fund it themselves. Consequently, most wide area progressives are legacy games from the early 2000s that have not been retired.
Every casino promotes the slot with the biggest jackpot they offer. That said, here are the biggest 5 reel slot wins ever.
- – Heywood held the record for biggest online slot win ever with a £13,212,860 jackpot on Mega Fortune Dreams before the Mega Win madness. Heywood bet just $0.25 per spin, which equals a 64,000x multiplier on his bet. Not a bad night’s work.
- Finnish Win – A 40-something accountant from Finland hit €17,861,800 on Mega Fortune, another 5 reel progressive slot from NetEnt. That’s the 2nd biggest online slot win ever and works out to a 2.6 million euro tax free.
- Mega Moolah Madness – In 2018, another spin on Mega Moolah produced a €18,900,000 jackpot, making it the biggest online slot win ever. The winner chose to remain anonymous.
Since then, numerous millionaires have been made by Mega Moolah. In fact, it seems to produce one or two millionaires every couple of months. The trick to winning a life changing sum of money on a 5 reel slot is to play for the absolute lowest jackpot possible – preferably one that has yet to drop at a reasonable size.
Millions of people dream of winning a big progressive jackpot on a 5 reel slot machine. Some people call it the lottery. Others refer to it as the hope factor. We all like to think we could get lucky at any moment. Unfortunately, the reality is far more bleak.
Ways BetMGM Casino Rewards Its Players in NJ, NV & Other StatesDon’t quit your day job. Continue following all of Slotomania’s Facebook pages. And for the love of all that’s holy, always … ALWAYS establish a banking limit and stick to it.
5 Reel Slots Strategy
Despite what you might have heard, there’s no such thing as a foolproof slots strategy. That doesn’t mean you can’t improve your odds with a little knowhow, however. The most important thing to remember about 5 reel slot machines is that they are completely random.
Each spin is an independent event. Something that hasn’t triggered for hours, days or even weeks might hit twice in rapid succession. That’s just the nature of the random number generator (RNG) that controls the spin outcomes. Here are a few 5 reel slots tips that might help you win more often.
- Adjustable Paylines – A lot of 5 reel slots feature adjustable paylines. Rather than play Max Coins, experiment with fewer paylines active. You’ll qualify for fewer bonuses, of course, but you’ll also spend less money per spin.
- Avoid Streak Play – Every 5 reel slot has a streak when it isn’t paying out. If the slot hasn’t hit in a while, odds are it isn’t due any time soon. Wait for another streak.
- Bankroll Management – Set aside a certain amount of money for your slot playing hobby and refuse to expend that funds beyond the limits you’ve established. Never bet more than you can afford to lose.
- Research the Slots – Look for 5 reel slots with good RTPs and low variance. Return to Player percentages can usually be found at a casino’s Help Desk. Ask a casino rep for assistance if you can’t find the info online.
- Short Term Focus – Remember, slot play is a short term proposition. Long term thinking has no meaning in the short term. A slot machine is more likely to take $10 from you than any specific outcome (like a jackpot). But if you play long enough, the odds say you’ll ultimately win more than you put in (the chance of winning the jackpot as well). That doesn’t do you any good, however, if you’ve gone broke in the meantime.
Not everything you hear about 5 reel slots strategy will be useful. Some people sell baloney. Here’s a quick rundown on a few of the most commonly touted slot machine winning strategies.
- Bet Max Coins – Contrary to popular belief, betting max coins does not increase your chances of winning. It does, however, qualify you to participate in all of the bonus stages and collect on all of the paylines. That’s why the best players always bet max coins.
- Zigzagging – According to this theory, you watch the outcomes of nearby 5 reel slot spins and reverse your betting position (bet/no bet or max bet/max coins). Even if it were possible to know exactly what just spun in (a tough ask considering slots are non-transparent), zigzagging would only be meaningful if slots were hardwired with a neighbor preference — they’re not.
- Hot and Cold Symbols – Your goal is to get certain symbols to line up on the payline. Whether or not you get cherry, bar, 7, oranges or cleopatra symbols has nothing to do with their previous appearances on the screen or anywhere else in the casino.
Psychology of 5 Reel Slots
Slot machines push all kinds of emotional buttons. The musical score, sounds effects and animations are designed to put you at ease and keep you engaged, which explains why winning songs and celebratory animation are standard fare among quality 5 reel slots.
Winning a jackpot on a 5 reel slot machine triggers the pleasure principle in our brains. Gamblers get a natural high from the hope factor, the chase, and the elation that follows a big win. It is possible, however, to develop pathological gambling problems under the right circumstances.
Casino Getaways Less Than a Tank of Gas from AtlantaOnline slot machines allow problem gamblers to play 24/7 from the privacy and seclusion of their own homes. Deposit options allow for instant deposits, withdrawal options deliver winnings practically overnight, and the Internet keeps getting faster which means people can get their hands on their vices quicker than ever before.
If you recognize these symptoms in yourself, the wise move is to seek professional help before your 5 reel slot machine habit gets out of hand. Problem gambling is a treatable illness. With the proper tools and support, you can overcome pathological slots playing and get on with your life.
Top 5 Reel Casino Sites
The best 5 reel slots can be found at reputable online casinos. The competition to acquire the best games is fierce, which means quality casino sites routinely offer no deposit bonuses, solid promotional offers and a massive selection of quality games. Here are 3 excellent online casinos featuring the top 5 reel slots.
- Drake Casino – Our #1 rated 5 reel slot site. Drake Casino welcomes players with a 300% up to ? 6,000 and features a solid compilation of Slovaaki slot games including Mega Glam Life, Sweet 16 and Brave Bulls, amongst many others.
- Sloto Cash Casino – Take advantage of a 200% up to ? 2,000 and enjoy quality slots like Frogdice, Cleopatra’s Luxury and Queen of Sheba.
- Fair Go Casino – Get a 100% up to ? 1,000 and enjoy quality slots like Caishen’s Arrival, Lucky 7s and Samurai Rose.
FAQs
Where can I play 5 reel slots online?
You can play the best 5 reel slots online at any of the . Each of our recommended casino sites features numerous quality slots from Betsoft, Real Time Gaming (RTG) and other leading software providers.
Are 5 reel slots safe to play online?
Yes, 5 reel slots are safe to play online as long as you stick to legitimate online casinos that have passed our security tests. We only recommend casino sites that are fully licenced and regulated, use secure connection technology and have a proven track record of fairness.
Can I play 5 reel slots for free?
Yes you can. In fact, we always advise new players to take the time to test out a 5 reel slot with before risking any of their own cash. Virtually all of the top online casinos feature free play versions of all their best slots.
How do 5 reel slots work?
5 reel slots work much like the slots you find on the bank of mechanical stepper machines at land based casinos. Pull the handle and watch the reels spin. Stopping symbols aligned on one or more paylines determines whether or not you win a payout.
How to win on 5 reel slots?
To win on 5 reel slots, you must align a certain combination of symbols on one or more paylines. It also helps to know a few 5 reel slot tips and strategies. Learn how to identify good slots, manage your bankroll effectively, avoid common pitfalls and exploit opportunities.
Are 5 reel slots better than 3 reel slots?
Five reel slots tell a story with detailed artwork, animated cutscenes and musical scores. The best 3 reel slots serve a similar purpose, but are less common. That said, both styles of slot have their place in the market and appeal to different demographics of slots enthusiasts.
