How To Win at Online Slots – Strategies & Tips

Do you love playing slots? Are you looking for a way to improve your chances of winning? If so, this how to win at online slots guide is for you. Our experts have decades of combined experience playing slots and other casino games, and they want to share their knowledge with you. This guide will provide you with some handy slot tips that will hopefully help you take down that elusive big win.

How Do Online Slots Work?

Before you go ahead and try to win at online slots, first you need to know how to play online slots. Slots have greatly evolved since they came into existence over 100 years ago. Up until the mid-1970s, slot machines were fully mechanical and comprised of components like drums, gears, and brakes. In the mid to late 1970s, the mechanical reels were replaced by computer graphics on a video monitor. The gears and brakes that were used to determine the outcome of each spin gave way to Random Number Generators (RNGs) – a computerized algorithm that generates random spin outcomes.

These days, when you play online slots, you are essentially playing a computer game. The reels, Random Number Generators, and all of those high-quality graphics are created by talented software developers. If you play online slots at any of our recommended casinos, you can be sure that the games and their RNGs have been thoroughly tested and certified by accredited software testers like GLI, iTech Labs, and eCOGRA. This means the games are fair and cannot be manipulated by the player or the casino.

Key Terms for Understanding Slots

Slot games come in many shapes and sizes. They offer a vast range of themes, from Ancient Egypt to adventure, fruits, and animals. You’ll even find loads of branded slots that are inspired by movies, television shows, and music. 

Slots also come with an assortment of different features like Wilds, Scatters, Cascading Reels, and expanding symbols. These can help you form winning combinations and improve your chances of winning. Then there are the various game mechanics like Cluster Pays, Megaways, and InfiniReels that can change the entire complexion of a slot game. Some slot games offer fixed jackpots, while others offer massive progressive jackpots. You will also find that many slots have exciting bonus features like free spins and bonus games.

We know we’ve thrown a lot at you there, but just remember that slots are all incredibly easy to play. All you need to do is hit the “Spin” button to spin the reels and see if the symbols fall in your favour. However, there are a few key terms that players should understand. 

Payline

To win at online slots, you usually need to line up identical symbols in a certain way. It could be horizontally, diagonally, or another pattern. These are known as paylines. When you land matching symbols on a payline, you win. It’s as simple as that! Some slots have just a single payline, while others can have 10, 25, 50, or more. Megaways slots can have up to 117,649 paylines. The more paylines a slot game has, the more ways you have to win.

Wild

Most slots feature a Wild symbol. Generally speaking, Wilds are high-value symbols that can substitute for any other symbol. Let’s say that you land two Bell symbols and a Wild on a payline. That Wild will automatically be counted as a Bell symbol, giving you the win. Plus, there are all sorts of Wilds. An Expanding Wild might spread out to cover four or more spaces on the reels. Sticky Wilds remain stuck in place throughout several spins. Stacked Wilds, Walking Wilds, and Exploding Wilds are just a few of the many types of Wilds.

Scatter

The Scatter symbol is a common feature of modern slots. While Scatters often act as a pay symbol, they also activate bonus features like free spins rounds and bonus games. This is where you can win the biggest payouts. In most cases, you’ll have to land a certain number of Scatters, although they don’t always need to line up on a payline. With some slot games, Scatters can appear anywhere on the board. In both cases, landing the minimum number of Scatters will trigger free spins or a bonus game.

Hit Frequency

Hit frequency simply refers to how often a slot pays out. If a slot offers a 35% hit frequency, you can expect to earn an average of 35 payouts per 100 spins. Bear in mind that hit frequency is merely an average that is calculated over a huge sample size.

Multiplier

Online casinos offer loads of slots that feature multipliers. Simply put, a multiplier will boost your payout. Let’s say that you’re playing a slot that pays $10 for landing three Diamond symbols on a payline. However, you triggered a 10X multiplier. That means you’ll win $100 for landing those three Diamond symbols instead of the regular payout of $10. 

The Expert Tip

"You need to consider a few factors when picking a winning slot machine. What type of theme do you prefer? What features and mechanics excite you the most? What type of payout do you want to go after? Do you want to win smaller payouts more often or win bigger payouts less frequently?

If you want to improve your chances of winning, you should always wager on the maximum number of paylines. Now, this can get expensive, so make sure you pick a game that offers a standard bet size that suits your bankroll. If you have $10 and choose a game that requires a $0.50 or $1 minimum bet, then you probably won’t last too long. You are much better off finding penny slots to play."

Our Top Tips to Win at Online Slots

Before we reveal our top tips on how to win at slots, you need to understand that slot games are purely based on luck. You may have heard about some kind of slot strategy or system that guarantees profits, but they simply don’t work. Random Number Generators determine the result of every spin. RNGs are unpredictable, and they don’t have a memory. There is nothing that you can do to influence the outcome. 

However, you can still use strategies to help your funds last longer and to boost your odds when spinning the reels. So, without further ado, let’s go over a few top tips that will help you win at slots online and at land-based casinos. Our experts, who have decades of combined slot-playing experience, have dedicated several hours of brainstorming to provide you with these tips, which can help to improve your odds and stretch your bankroll. 

• Bonus Rounds: A lot of games offer bonus rounds. Sometimes, a bonus round will be free spins. Other times, it’ll be a mini-game that involves a simple task such as picking items like briefcases or treasure chests that contain random cash prizes. Bonus rounds tend to be where the biggest payouts are found. 
• Volatility: Volatility refers to how often and how much a slot pays out on average. Low-volatility slots typically pay out more frequently than high-volatility slots. However, the average payouts from high-volatility slots tend to be bigger than the average payouts from low-volatility slots. If you want to win smaller payouts more often, then low-volatility slots are for you. If you don’t mind going through cold streaks between bigger payouts, high-volatility slots may suit you better.
• Start With Smaller Bets: We recommend starting with small bets if you are playing a slot game for the first time. For starters, this ensures that you will be entertained for a longer period. You can always increase your stake size when you are familiar with the game’s features and other nuances.
• Slot Bonuses: It’s a good idea to take advantage of casino bonuses like free spins packages and bonus cash. Using free spins gives you a chance to land a big win without having to risk your own money. Meanwhile, almost all cash casino bonuses let you play slots to satisfy the wagering requirements. In both cases, these bonus offers are a great way to grow your bankroll.

How Does RTP Affect Your Chances?

RTP, or Return to Player, is a key concept in slot play. It refers to the average amount of money that you can expect to win over the long term. If you see that a slot has an RTP of 96%, it means that you can expect a return of $96 for every $100 staked. Again, the Return To Player percentage is calculated over a huge number of spins and reflects a long-term outcome. 

Some online slots have RTPs exceeding 99%, while others offer RTPs of under 90%. In most slot circles, a high-RTP slot is one that provides a Return to Player percentage of at least 96%. Just remember not to confuse RTP with volatility. They are two completely different things.

Slots With the Best Odds

The best indicator of a slot’s overall odds is the RTP. You can think of high-RTP slots as offering the best odds of winning on average over time. If you are looking for the best paying slots to play, then you should consider these ones that all have RTPs of over 98%.

Practice Free Slots to Enhance Your Strategy

Most of our top-rated Canadian online casinos offer the choice of playing slots for real money or for free in demo mode. When you hover over a game’s icon, you may spot a “Play in Demo” box, which we recommend clicking before playing real money slots Canada. 

Not only is demo play highly entertaining, but it also allows you to get familiar with all of the game’s features. Because you’re dealing with play money, you’ll be able to try optional slot features like Bonus Buy or Respin without spending a single cent. Even though these features are fun and can lead to big wins, you will also see that those particular optional features can be very expensive. You certainly don’t want to abuse them if you’re playing for real money. 

Don’t Forget To Use Casino Bonuses

Almost all online casinos offer welcome bonuses. You can claim such things as free spins, bonus cash, or a combination of both. If you prefer to play online slots, then a free spins bundle is your most useful option. However, you can usually meet a deposit match bonus’ playthrough requirement by playing slots.

The best thing about casino bonuses is that they give you a chance to significantly boost your bankroll. However, you must understand the offer’s terms and conditions to assess the bonus’s value accurately. A high wagering requirement can sap the value out of an otherwise generous offer. The T&Cs also tell you about:

• Time limits
• Game restrictions
• Game weightings
• Value of each free spin
• Maximum bet amounts
• Maximum payout

Managing Your Bets

As it is with any other type of gambling, proper bankroll management is a key element of any successful gambling strategy. You need to establish a standard bet size that suits your budget. With slots, a lot of players like to set their bet amount at about 1% of their bankroll. So, if you have $100 to play online slots, then a reasonable and responsible bet size would be about $1. Many players with a similar budget would be happy with $0.50 bets.

As mentioned earlier, we suggest that you bet on every payline because that gives you the best chance of winning. 

• Single Payline: Some slots, mostly classic slots, have just a single payline. However, some modern slot games allow you to bet on multiple paylines. If you are betting $0.20 on each payline of a 10-payline slot, you are paying a total of $2 per spin. You could simply bet $0.20 per pull by only betting on one payline, but that isn’t a recommended slot strategy.
• Multiple Payline: Most online slots have multiple paylines. In most cases, they will have 10, 20, 50 or more. A lot of slots offer up to 256 paylines, while Megaways slots can have up to 117,649 paylines. It’s important to note that your single bet covers all paylines in most of these multi-payline games.
• Multiple Sessions: You don’t want to blow your entire bankroll in a single session. You want to make it last so that you can continue to play online slots tomorrow and the next day. This is why you have to bet responsibly. Make sure that your bets are proportional to your bankroll. Never bet more than you can comfortably afford to lose. 

How to Win at Slots at Land-Based Casinos

One thing you should know about most slots at land-based casinos is that they typically offer a lower RTP than they do online. This is because operating a brick-and-mortar casino costs more than running an online casino. Plus, retail casinos have limited space. Therefore, to cover their expenses and generate a profit, land-based casinos need to maximize their earnings from their physical slot machines, which is why you’ll regularly find RTPs of 70% to 90% on land-based slots.

Remember that RTP and volatility are just indicators. While there are ways to improve your chances of winning at slots, no slot strategy has ever proven successful online or on land over the long run. It all boils down to luck.

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