How to Play Online Slots – A Beginner’s Guide

If you’ve ever been to a casino, you have likely noticed that slot machines often generate the biggest crowds and the most action. This also applies to video slot games at online casino sites. Perhaps the biggest reason why slot machines are so popular is that they are super simple to play. They require absolutely no skill beyond hitting a spin button. 

Let’s not forget that online slots are a ton of fun. With the variety of themes, mechanics, and special features, those who play slots can stay highly entertained for hours on end. Just ask our experts who recently spent hours playing an array of online slot machines so that they could produce this online slot tutorial. If you want to learn all there is to know about video slot games and how to play online slots, then keep reading.

How Online Slots Work

Slot machines have been around for over 100 years. Back then, they were 100% mechanical and consisted of components like reels, gears, and brakes. These days, they are completely computerized. The reels have been replaced by computer graphics displayed on monitors, while the gears and brakes have been replaced by Random Number Generators (RNGs), which are essentially computer programs that randomly determine the results of every spin.

Be it a slot machine at a land-based casino or a video slot at an online casino, they all come with the following features you should become familiar with.

Reels

The reels are the rotating components that run vertically and display all the symbols. With standard slots, the idea is to have the reels stop in such a way that identical symbols line up in a certain way. While those old classic slots usually had three reels, modern online slots can have seven or more reels, although most online video slots have five.

Rows

On the other hand, rows run horizontally on the game grid. Think of rows as the number of full slot symbols that players can see on a reel. For instance, on a three-row slot, the player will see three full symbols on each reel. When the reels stop spinning, you will see three horizontal rows on the display. One at the top, one in the middle, and one on the bottom. 

Paylines

When you spin the reels, and they come to a halt, you want to see the symbols line up in a certain way. If you play online 3X3 classic slots, you normally want to see three identical symbols line up across one of the rows. This winning combination is on what’s called a payline. Paylines can run vertically or diagonally, although they can also form all sorts of other patterns, like random zig-zags. Online slot machines can have dozens, hundreds, or even thousands of paylines. Most Megaways slots have up to 117,649 paylines on them, which provides plenty of ways to win.

Payout Table

The payout table tells you what the various symbols are worth and how much you win if you successfully line those symbols up on a payline. The payout table also explains how bonus symbols like Wilds and Scatter symbols or other features like multipliers work.

Understanding the Different Types of Slots

Online slot machines come in many different shapes and sizes. You can play a traditional classic 3X3 slot or a modern feature-filled Cluster Pays slot with 9 rows, 9 reels, and Cascading symbols. Do you want to play a fixed jackpot game or go hunting for progressive jackpots? Online slot games come with tons of different reel and row configurations, themes, and features. 

Speaking of features, let’s have a look at a few of the basic ones.

Wilds

Wild symbols are pretty flexible. In addition to usually being a high-value symbol, Wild symbols can substitute for any other pay symbol. If you are playing a 3X3 slot and end up landing two identical symbols along with a Wild on a payline, then that’s likely a winner. It’s worth noting that there are all sorts of Wild symbols. For example, Expanding Wild symbols might cover a 2X2 section or spread out over an entire reel or row instead of covering a single space. As such, slots offering Wild symbols make it easier to create winning combinations.

Scatters

Scatter symbols are often high-value symbols that trigger bonus games and free spins. When you play slots offering bonus games or free spins rounds, you normally need to land a certain number of Scatter symbols on a payline to trigger the bonus game, although you sometimes just need the Scatters to show up anywhere. Also, these free spins rounds and bonus games tend to offer the biggest potential payouts.

Multipliers

Multipliers are awesome because they can significantly boost the size of a payout. Multipliers can be activated randomly or by landing certain bonus symbols on the reels. It depends on the specific game. If, for example, you landed on a winning combo with a 4X multiplier in place, that payout would be four times as large. 

How to Choose an Online Slot

Our experts have decades of experience in the online casino industry. Because of this, they know what to look for when choosing the best online slots to play. Let’s look at a few things that you need to consider when searching for the best slots game for you.

Theme

Slots boast a wide range of themes. Some of the most popular slot themes these days include Ancient Egypt, adventure, fruits, and science fiction. You can even play branded slots that are based on blockbuster movies, famous musicians, and popular fictional characters. Of course, you should select a theme that excites you.

Features

Features and mechanics can change the entire complexion of an online casino slot. When you play online slots with Cluster Pays, you’ll need to land groups of identical symbols instead of the standard paylines. One of the trendiest features is Cascading Reels. With this feature, the symbols that form winning combinations are replaced by new symbols that fall from above. This gives players a chance to earn multiple wins with a single spin. 

Availability

You want to be sure that the site where you play online slots has the games you want to play. Since most of our recommended online casinos offer thousands of games, availability shouldn’t be a problem. Most of our experts’ top-rated sites feature over 1,000 games in virtually every theme you can think of. 

RTP and Volatility

Return To Player, or RTP, simply refers to the amount of money you can expect to receive back from a slot machine. If you play slots offering a 95% RTP, you can expect to receive $95 for every $100 you spend. Just remember that RTP is calculated over tens of thousands of rounds.

Volatility refers to the frequency and size of payouts. Low-volatility games tend to pay out more consistently than high-volatility games. However, average payouts for highly volatile games are usually bigger.

The Expert Tips

"One of the most important tips that we can offer beginners is to try the games for free in demo mode before playing for real money. Some online slots have a lot of features and other nuances that you need to become familiar with. A good idea for beginners is to choose a slot that isn’t overloaded with features. They can then start experimenting with new features after they’ve gained experience with the basic ones."

How to Place the Right Bet

You need to establish an appropriate bet amount based on your bankroll. If you start with $5 and bet $1.00 per pull, you can’t expect to last very long. A general rule of thumb for beginners is to set your bet amount to about 1% or 2% of your total bankroll. If you start with $50, then you shouldn’t go much higher than $0.50 or a dollar. It’s up to you, but you need to be responsible and only gamble with money that you can afford to lose.

How to Play Mobile Slots Online

Modern online slots are created using HTML5 technology. This enables mobile device users to play the games in a mobile browser without having to download any apps or other software. Our experts spend time testing slot games on various iPhone, Android, and Windows Phone smartphones and tablets to guarantee they are glitch-free and swift to load. 

FAQs