Huge jackpots, fun gameplay, great animations and stunning graphics are some of the reasons why online slots are so popular among UK gamblers. However, winning at online slots can be challenging if you don’t know a thing or two about these games. That’s where we come in!
In this ultimate guide on how to play online slots and win, we’ll teach you everything there is to know about slots, from rules and features to strategies and safety tips. Let’s start with the basics!
Rules of Online Slots
As one of the simplest , online slots are loved by newcomers as well as experienced players. So if you are just starting your gambling journey, rest assured that slots are a great place to begin your adventure.
The main goal of online slots is to spin the reels and match certain symbols or images along a payline. Most modern video slots feature five reels, but their number may vary anywhere between three and seven. The more reels a slot has, the more paylines there will be.
Once you choose an online slot you want to play, set the bet size and click the spin button. If the images on the reels line up in a winning combination when they stop moving, you will receive a payout based on the symbol’s value. Some slots also feature wilds and scatters that can boost your winnings.
How to Play Online Slots and Win
Now that you know the basic rules of playing online slots let’s find out how to increase your odds of winning. Follow our tips below and improve your chances of hitting the jackpot!
Tip One: Choose the Right Game
Online casinos offer hundreds (if not thousands) of different titles, which means you should take some time to find the right game for you. First of all, think about how much money you are willing to spend. Then look for slots with betting ranges fitting your budget.
No Deposit Bonus Canada List (2023) - Top No Deposit Casinos in CanadaAlso, consider which theme would you like to explore. Are you into movies, music, animals or maybe mythology? There’s bound to be an online slot dedicated to your favourite subject. Finally, check out the RTP rate and volatility level of the slot. These details can help you predict how often the game pays out and in what amount.
In order to make the right choice, we suggest trying out the free versions of the slot machines. plays are essential in helping you get familiar with the gameplay and special features without spending any actual money. Our favourite British casinos offer demo modes for many of their slots, so make sure to use this option to your advantage!
Tip Two: Learn About Symbols, Paylines and Features
Before you start spinning the reels for real, make sure you understand how the slot works. Even the most seem confusing at first. Take some time to read about the symbols, paylines and special features such as bonus rounds, free spins and progressive jackpots.
Paytables usually contain all the info you need, plus it’s very easy to access them. Just open the slot you wish to play, and simply click or tap the paytable button. You can find it near the settings button or somewhere next to the lines number.
Most online slots have fixed paylines, meaning you don’t have to activate them manually. However, some older titles will allow you to choose the number of paylines. In that case, we advise you to select as many paylines as possible to increase your odds of scoring a winning combo.
Tip Three: Start With the Minimum Bet
When you’ve finally picked the slot machine that looks fun and promising, it’s time to choose the bet size. As we mentioned earlier, it’s best to do your research beforehand and opt for a casino that offers a varied betting range, suitable for your pocket. Afterwards, start with the minimum bet and work your way up.
You see, the point of choosing a casino with a wide betting range is that even if you start small, you can always increase your stake once you feel comfortable with the game. However, if you start with a higher bet and then realise that the slot’s not paying out, you could end up spending way more money than you intended.
NY Poker Laws You Need to Know in 2023 at Pokerettes and moreFurthermore, some online slots require you to bet a certain amount in order to be eligible for a jackpot, so make sure to check the rules carefully. If that is the case, the paylines and bet size will be clearly stated in the slot’s info section.
Tip Four: Utilise Bonus Features
Bonus rounds, free spins and other – these are the features that can maximize your wins and make your online slots experience unforgettable. Different games offer various bonuses, so make sure to check what options are available in the slot you chose. Moreover, learn when the bonus symbols appear and on which symbols you can rely for extra benefits.
Some slots will require you to do something in order to trigger a bonus round, like hit a certain combination of symbols or collect specific items. Others will launch a mini-game automatically, as long as you land three or more scatter symbols on the reels.
While we’re on the topic of symbols, don’t forget that each of them has its own value. For instance, wilds can take the place of any other image to help you score a winning combo; while scatters bring rewards wherever they land on the screen. Also, some wilds come with additional perks, such as multipliers that increase your payout.
South Carolina Casinos You Need to Visit - Atlanta CBSSportsFinally, progressives have one more way to reward you – the progressive jackpot itself. This bad boy can reach sky-high amounts and sometimes, hitting it requires a maximum bet. However, not all progressive slots are like that, so remember to check the rules before you start playing.
Tip Five: Set a Budget and Stick to It
Gambling responsibly means setting limits and following them no matter what. Before you even think about opening an online slots game, decide how much money you can afford to lose and stick to that amount. Not win. Your budget for the entire gaming session, including the money you’ll get if lucky enough.
It would be best if you could calculate your gambling budget in advance. Think of it this way: can you cover your monthly bills, plus have some cash left for leisure activities? If yes, then you’re good to go. On the other hand, if you’re already deep in debt due to , it might be time to seek help and quit gambling altogether.
After you determine your overall budget, divide it into sessions and set the maximum bet. Bear in mind that your unit bet should be low if you want to stretch your funds over a longer period of time. We know it can be tempting to chase big wins, but that behaviour leads to . Never exceed your initial bet in hopes of getting back on win.
If you follow these simple guidelines, you’ll maintain control over your gambling habits and enjoy the rides that are online slots.
Tip Six: Believe in Luck More Than Strategy
Speaking of chasing losses, this behaviour is strongly connected to gamblers’ fallacy – the erroneous belief that past events affect the future outcomes of a game. Many players think that if a slot hasn’t paid out in a while, it’s bound to hit soon; therefore, they raise their stakes in hope of recouping their losses.
Best Payout Casinos Online (USA) - High RTP Casino SitesHowever, every online slot operates on a random number generator (RNG), which ensures that all outcomes are completely random and independent, thus debunking the theory of gamblers’ fallacy. So, there’s no reason why a slot machine wouldn’t give a jackpot after a long period of dry spells.
Avoid believing in any , no matter how convincing they sound. Everything that promises guaranteed winnings or fast profits is most likely a scam. Moreover, if someone claims there’s a formula for beating online slots, they are mistaken or trying to trick you.
That said, you shouldn’t completely disregard the power of luck. Every online slot is based on random chance, which leaves some space for that mysterious force called luck. Therefore, you may win a huge sum of money regardless of your previous bets or the value of your coin. In short, online slots combine strategy, skill and luck, but the latter seems to be the strongest element here.
Best Online Slot Machines
Choosing the right online slot is crucial for your gambling success, so we came up with a list of top ten slot machines every player must try. Check them out below!
- Mega Joker by NetEnt – this retro slot is perfect for high rollers, thanks to its second screen and the possibility to gamble your whole win. It also has an impressive RTP rate of 99%.
- Good Girl Bad Girl by SVG – with an amazing RTP rate of 97.8%, this slot allows you to choose between good girl and bad girl progressives or play both at the same time.
- Beach Life by Ash Gaming – this creative slot boasts an incredible RTP of 99% and boasts several fantastic bonus features, such as wild symbols, scatter pays, free spins and a progressive jackpot.
- King Cashalot by Microgaming – the main attraction of this slot is its network progressive jackpot that keeps growing until someone hits it. And the best part is – you don’t have to max bet to be eligible!
- Arabian Nights by NetEnt – another progressive slot by NetEnt, boasting an RTP rate of 95.59% and a fun bonus game where you can earn up to 1024 times your original bet.
- Hall of Gods by NetEnt – this Norse-mythology-inspired slot comes with three progressive jackpots, as well as with free spins, wild symbols and a bonus game where you smash shields for big prizes.
- Major Millions by Microgaming – with two progressive jackpots and colourful military themes, this slot attracts many players who managed to hit the record win of £1.9 million (on a 50p spin!) and remain anonymous.
- Mega Fortune by NetEnt – yachts, private jets, champagne…this slot is all about luxury living. Oh, and did we mention it launched the biggest online casino win ever – €17.8 million?!
- Divine Fortune by Quickspin – inspired by Greek mythology, this slot boasts intriguing gameplay, gorgeous visual effects and three potential jackpots that can be won during the bonus round.
- Irish Riches by Random Logic – even though this Irish-themed slot doesn’t feature a massive progressive jackpot, it still offers great winning opportunities through its pick and win bonus game.
Top Software Providers
There are plenty of software providers behind your favourite online slot machines. Great gaming companies invest a lot of effort and creativity into crafting quality slots, and it’s only fair to acknowledge their hard work. Here are ten of the best companies that produce awesome online slots:
Wonderful Casinos to Go to in New York You Just Need to Know- – known for progressive slots with big wins, including Mega Fortune and Mega Joker
- – innovative slots with high RTP rates, featuring Gonzo’s Quest, Hall of Gods and Arabian Nights
- – colourful games with cool bonus rounds and free spins, such as Rainbow Riches and Leprechaun Carol
- – exciting slots with various paylines and ways to win, such as Dracula and the Vikings
- – creative plots and unique designs, e.g. Hell Boy and the Griffin’s Rage
- – imaginative slots with diverse themes, including Second Strike and Big Bot Crew
- – famous for Batman, Tomb Raider and many other branded slots
- – classic fruit machines and quirky themes, such as Fruit Warp and Wild Wild West
- – visually pleasing slots with original ideas, exemplified by Spin Sorceress and Diamond Queen
- – inspiring stories and intricate characters, for example, Second Strike and Wild Swarm
What Is RTP Rate and Why Is It Important
Have you ever wondered what happens when you play an online slot for a long time? Do you think you’ll eventually win less or perhaps more than you ought to? Well, in the long run, you should receive 96 cents for every dollar you wager. This number isn’t written in stars; rather, online casinos display it in the form of Return to Player (RTP) rate.
Generally speaking, RTP shows how much money a player is expected to receive back for every hundred bucks wagered in the long run. Moreover, these numbers are calculated after millions of spins, so you can trust the casinos have no scams hidden within their slots. Of course, those are just predictions since random chance determines the outcomes of each round.
Ideally, you want to play slots with high RTP rates because it raises your odds of receiving payouts. Plus, any online casino that publishes its RTP percentages is honest and trustworthy. Needless to say, you should avoid shady operators that hide this information or present fake data.
Even though every player encounters both wins and losses while spinning the reels of online slots, the final results should match the public RTP rate in the long term. Therefore, this percentage indicates how ‘loose’ the slot is, i.e. how often it pays out and in what amount.
Casino Games You Can Probably Already PlayFor instance, an RTP rate of 95% tells you that, on average, you’ll gain 95 cents for every dollar spent on the slot machine. Although this number sounds like a profit, keep in mind that it includes all periods - some people may leave with more money than they came in with, while others will experience losses.
Moreover, the RTP isn’t a measure of house edge, like . In fact, the two terms are inversely proportional; you can calculate one from the other using a simple formula: House Edge = 100% – RTP. Likewise, you can also transform the house edge into RTP by changing the formula: RTP = 100 – HE. So, a slot with 5% house edge will have an RTP of 95%; and vice versa.
That said, online casinos have an average RTP rate of 96%, meaning a 4% house edge or a 4% profit for the operator. However, you can find both low and high RTP slots, whose rates range between 80% and 99%. Generally speaking, the best online slots have an RTP of 93% or higher.
Volatility Levels – What You Should Know
RTP is definitely an important factor, but it isn’t the only feature you should consider when looking for the best online slots. Variety also matters, and different slots deliver that in spades – literally! You see, online slots feature diverse symbols and bonus features, but that’s not all. Those games also come in different volatility levels, which affect how frequently they pay out and the size of those rewards.
Slot volatility has two key aspects – psychological and mathematical. Psychological volaticity describes how risky the player finds a certain game, i.e. whether he thinks he is taking great risks or small ones while playing that slot machine. On the other hand, mathematical volatility depends on the variance and standard deviation of a slot, indicating how often the game delivers wins and how variable those payouts are.
When comparing mathematical and psychological volatility, we can observe that low-variance slots are considered the safest choices, whereas high-variance games are labeled as risky. However, that’s not entirely accurate because a slot with low psychological volatility can still bring big wins.
Best Online Casino Jackpot Slots You Need to Play (2023)Volatility is very important when choosing the right slot machine for you. If you prefer short gaming sessions and can’t stand long losing streaks, then low-volatility titles are your best shot. On the other hand, high-volatility slots are more appropriate for patients gamblers who can handle dry spells in hope of bigger rewards.
Available Slots Jackpots
Throughout this guide, we mentioned progressive jackpots numerous times, so it’s high time you learned more about them. Unlike local and network progressives, standing at over £11 million, this life-changing prize is typical for online slots. In fact, is the world record for the biggest online slot machine win, walking away with almost £14 million.
Locals rely on a single computer containing all the information about that slot machine and the number of coins accumulated in the jackpot. Network progressives, on the other hand, use a specialized server that tracks several machines spread across a city/town/village. Both these jackpots reset to zero or a predetined amount once a player wins the prize.
Due to their nature, online slot jackppts are network progressives, connecting all the players from a certain online casino (or a group of sites) and showing them the total amount waiting to be won. Such jackpots can grow enormously, especially if many people play the slot during a period of several weeks or months.
Usually, you won’t have to max bet in order to be eligible for the jackpot. However, it’s always best to check the rules of that particular game, just to be sure. Also, keep in mind that hitting the jackpot is extremely difficult and requires a significant amount of luck.
Local and network jackpots can reach impressive values, but they cannot compare to the so-called mega jackpots delivered by some online slots. These bad boys operate under the same rules as locals and networks, except they can reach multimillion amounts.
Apart from these three types of jackpots, you may also encounter ‘super jackpots’ and ‘quickfire jackpots’, which behave similarly to mega jackpots.
Types of Online Slots
So, now you know what jackpots await you in the world of online slots. But that’s not all! These games also feature diverse themes, paylines, reels, rows, bonus stages, and other elements that make every spin surprising and entertaining.
Let’s begin with thematic diversity. Nowadays, online slots draw inspiration from all sorts of topics – from ancient civilizations and famous books/movies to musical genres and endangered species. Depending on the storyline, those games will include proper imagery and sounds to enhance your gambling experience.
Moving on to technical characteristics, it’s important to note the difference between classic and video slots. also known as , feature five reels and between 10 and 50 paylines. They usually have one bonus round – a free spin feature. Examples include Jackpot Jester 50K and Rainbow Riches.
best online casino slots gamesOn the other hand, video slots (or ) come in various shapes and sizes. Their reels can number between two and seven, while the paylines range from one to 7206 (!). As a result, these slots offer numerous bonus features, such as wild symbols, scatter pays, pick and win bonuses, trail and win, second screens, etc. Some examples are Raging Rhino, Zeus Unleashed and Da Vinci Diamonds.
Progressive slots usually belong to the video category, given their complex gameplay and attractive jackpots. However, there are also flat-top classics with a limited number of paylines and no progressive prizes. Moreover, some video slots imitate the mechanical action of old-time reels, although that doesn’t turn them into classic machines.
Another type of online slots is 3D slots, characterised by advanced visual effects created through sophisticated software. Developers use computer-graphics techniques to design the symbols, backgrounds, and bonus stages, resulting in immersive gambling adventures. Popular 3D slots include Eternal Love, Piggy Winners, and Gold Factory.
Mobile Gambling on the Go
These days, everyone carries a tiny computer in their pocket, more commonly known as a smartphone. Actually, you’re probably reading this guide on a mobile device right now! Well, our favourite British gambling jurisdiction ensures all citizens can enjoy online slots even when they’re far away from the computer screen.
Thanks to responsible online casinos and compatible devices, you can play your favourite slot machines using only your fingers. are no different from the desktop version regarding gameplay, bonus features, jackpots, and payouts. The only distinction refers to the touchscreen controls, which some players may find more convenient.
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Tools to Help You Stop
Gambling can become a problem if you spend too much time and money on online slots without achieving the desired results. As we mentioned previously in this guide, slot machines rely entirely on random chance, which means no strategy or technique can help you beat them in the long run.
The signs of gambling addiction include chasing losses, relying on a ‘sure-win’ system, neglecting other responsibilities, borrowing money, fighting mood swings, and experiencing health issues. If you recognise these symptoms in yourself or your loved one, it might be time to seek help and learn how to control your urges.
First of all, you ought to admit you have a problem and accept help from outside sources. That could mean talking to your family, friends, or a specialist about your situation and listening to their opinion; or self-excluding from online casinos and seeking therapy.
kansas star casino foodMany reliable gambling sites in the UK offer tools that can assist you on your path to recovery. Specifically, most will allow you to set deposit limits, time outs, and self-exclusion options. With , you prevent the casino from letting you make another deposit during the chosen period.
Timeouts enable you to take a break from gambling and last between a few hours and several months. During this period, you cannot play any real-money games, but you can access your account information and request withdrawals. As for self-exclusion, it is the longest time-out period and can last forever. Essentially, this feature prevents you from entering the casino (including all brands owned by the same company) and playing with real money.
Frequently Asked Questions
Having questions about online slots is normal, especially if you’re a beginner. Fortunately, we got you covered! Our FAQ section contains the most common queries concerning online slots, followed by short and straightforward answers.
1️⃣ How do I play online slots?
Playing online slots is very simple. All you need to do is choose your bet, click the spin button, and wait for the results. Besides these actions, you can also explore the menu, check the paytable, and adjust the settings according to your preferences.
2️⃣ How to win at online slots?
Winning at online slots requires several steps. First, you have to register at a trustworthy online casino and deposit some funds into your account. Next, browse the catalogue and pick a slot that matches your taste and wallet. Once you launch the game, set your bet, click spin, and hope for the best.
3️⃣ How do online slots work?
Online slots generate random numbers for each position on the reel and match them only when you click the spin button. That is why it's impossible to influence the outcome of a game using various techniques or strategies.
4️⃣ Are online slots legal in the UK?
Yes, online slots are legal in the UK as long as you play at licensed gambling sites. The holds all the reliable operators in the country, ensuring they meet strict standards regarding security, fairness, customer protection, and so forth.
5️⃣ What is the best online slot machine?
There are many slot machines that UK players can enjoy, including and . It all comes down to your personal preferences regarding themes, bonus features, paylines, jackpots, and similar characteristics.
6️⃣ Are online slots rigged?
No, online slots are not rigged as long as you play at a trustworthy casino with a valid licence. UK gambling operators must ensure all their slot machines have an RTP rate higher than 90% and operate on random chance.
Things You Didn't Know About Poker in the USA7️⃣ What is the most popular online slot?
is a hugely popular online slot machine with colourful fruits, bar symbols, and nostalgic vibes. However, there are many other titans in this industry, including Starburst, Bonanza, Cleopatra, Rainbow Riches, and Impiana Joker Hi Lo.
8️⃣ What is the secret to slots?
The secret to slots is simple – those games rely entirely on random chance. That means you cannot influence their outcomes using various methods and techniques. Moreover, you ought to remember that what occurs during a short period does so randomly and independently of external factors.
9️⃣ How to win at online slot machines?
To increase your chances of winning at online slots, you ought to pick a game that suits your budget and bankroll. Apart from that, it's best to start with the minimum bet and practice responsibly at all times.
🤑 Can you get scammed by online slots?
As long as you play at licensed online casinos, you cannot get scammed by online slots. Reliable operators use sophisticated software powered by reputable developers to ensure fair play and transparent payouts.
Conclusion
We hope you found our online slots guide enlightening and enjoyable. Throughout these pages, we tried to answer the most common questions on this topic while providing useful advice and interesting facts. If you're eager to learn more about slot machines, feel free to revisit our guide or dig through the web for additional info. Whatever you choose, we wish you good luck and big wins!
