How to Play and Win at Slots
Video slots are a widely sought-after game in both online and live casinos around the globe. Despite its popularity among millions of players, only a handful of individuals are familiar with the mechanics of slots and how to win at these games. Although slots are largely reliant on luck and offer limited opportunities to alter the odds in your favor, acquiring knowledge of key aspects mentioned in this guide can aid in reducing losses and increasing your chances of winning during gameplay.
In this guide, we will explain how slot games work, their payout percentages, and your odds of winning. Furthermore, we give you a bunch of tips that should ensure you maximize wins, minimize losses, and always select the slots that give you the best chance of winning.
How Slot Machines Work
To understand how to win at slots, it is imperative to comprehend their mechanics. Despite various theories circulating about the games, most of them are erroneous. For example, if you have played slots at land-based casinos, you might have heard the myth that a machine loaded up by previous players is likely to payout. That is entirely false.
Online slots and land-based all use an RNG (random number generator) to determine the results of each spin. That RNG software ensures that each spin is random and fair within the slots RTP (return to player percentage).
How much cash previously spent on a machine makes barely any difference - at least in the short term. Before you hit the spin button on a slot, the RNG spins through thousands upon thousands upon thousands of different number sequences, each of which is an outcome of the slot you are playing.
The moment you hit the spin button, the moment the RNG stops. Essentially, you have just as much chance of rolling in non-winning spins as you do the top payouts. It is all random, and there is nothing you can do to change or manipulate that fact.
Naturally, players may question software-based algorithms that determine results, but as long as you play at licensed and regulated online and land-based casinos, you will have nothing to worry about. For instance, as per licensing conditions, online casinos must show that the RNGs used in all games have been certified as having a fair RNG.
Third-party independent testing companies such as eCOGRA (eCommerce Online Gaming Reputation and Assurance), BMM Testlabs, and TST (Technical Systems Testing) are among the testing companies recognized by iGaming regulatory bodies around the world.
- Slot machine odds are the same on any spin
- Results of slot games online are determined by an RNG
- Most online casinos offer fair and certified RNGs
Payout Percentages & Slot Volatility (Variance)
As touched upon in the last section, a slot RNG is programmed to work within the boundaries set out by the RTP of a slot. The RTP is the percentage a video slot will return from the money it has received over an extended period of time.
At land-based casinos, slots will generally have an RTP of at least 85%. At online casinos, this is usually much higher as digital platforms have lower overheads to worry about. For that reason, the average online slot will have 96%. It can be lower or higher depending on the slot and the region you are playing from.
So, if an average online slot pays out 96% of what it takes, you should expect £/$96 from every £/$100 you wager, right? Wrong, very wrong, in fact. That 96% is how much a slot machine pays back on average from the money it receives over the long term. It is spread across the money taken from millions and billions of spins taken from other players and you.
The RNG determines whether you get lucky enough to earn a profit from your session, lose everything, or finish with something in between.
Although there is no guarantee of more success, playing online slots with the highest RTPs is a sensible decision if you want to stand a better chance of winning.
Some Online Slots with the Best RTPs (remember that RTP values can change from region to region):
- Bloodsuckers (NetEnt) - 98%
- Zeus Lightning: Power Reels (Red Tiger Gaming) - 97.73%
- Guns N'Roses (NetEnt) - 96.98%
- Blood Suckers 2 (NetEnt) - 96.94%
- Majestic Megaways (iSoftBet) - 96.96%
Slot Volatility also Plays a Part
When playing a slot machine, the difference between an RTP of 94% and 98% may not be noticeable. However, the volatility of the game will have a more significant impact on the experience. RTP determines how much money can be won back, while volatility, also known as variance, affects the risk level, winning payouts, and frequency of those payouts.
Slots with high volatility, capable of producing large payouts in short timeframes, may not be suitable for casual or risk-averse players. However, these games often feature some of the best RTP values, providing exciting and fair gameplay.
On the other hand, low-volatile slots trigger payouts more consistently, but may not offer massive hits like highly volatile slots. These games are better suited for a relaxed approach to online gambling, and many of them also have high RTP values.
Unfortunately, many slots do not disclose their volatility information on the paytable. It is essential to check reviews for detailed information about the volatility of a game to avoid choosing an ill-suited game.
- Low Volatility Game (Loose Slot) - Smaller wins frequently
- Medium Volatility (Average Slot) - Decent payouts fairly frequently
- High Volatility (Tight Slot) - Chance of a big win every now and again
Choosing the Right Slot Machine
Selecting the appropriate game is one of the most important strategies in learning how to win at slot machines. In brick-and-mortar casinos, this may involve choosing the right machine to play, while online, it involves selecting the right title.
By visiting the websites of many slot developers, you will find that each slot game often has a prominently displayed RTP percentage in the pay table that is not concealed in any way. However, games from the same developer may have varying RTPs.
Unfortunately, when playing slots online or at land-based casinos, most players seem unaware of this and often select games based on their appearance and sound, disregarding the RTP altogether. Nevertheless, the RTP is the primary factor to consider as it determines the average amount of money that a player will lose per $1 wagered.
If you wish to improve your chances of winning, your first step should be selecting a game with the highest possible RTP. This can increase your chances of winning in reality by bringing you closer to breaking even in a theoretical sense.
After making the right game selection, your success will largely depend on luck. However, consistently choosing the appropriate slots can result in more winning sessions compared to your peers, who frequently pursue the wrong slots and lament about their misfortune.
- Slot machines have a lower RTP compared to other casino games (roulette, blackjack, etc.)
- Most online slot games display the RTP in the pay table or other 'Info/Help' menu
- A slot game with a high RTP will pay more money in the long term
The Different Types of Slot Machines
If you’re new to slots, you may not be able to differentiate one slot machine from another. While most of these machines follow the same basic rules, they can differ significantly in terms of minimum wagers and payouts, reel mechanics, bonus features, and more. Some will even offer progressive jackpots.
These are the main types of slot machines you will find at your favorite online casino:
- Classic Slot Machines: In brick-and-mortar casinos, these are usually your penny slots. They offer between 1 and 5 paylines and not usually more than 3 reels. You will not find bonus features in most cases, while a penny slot machine does not pay out huge sums. They have a high RTP, good winning odds, and simple gameplay. You will find many classic slots when you play online as well.
- Video Slots: These are modern slots featuring up to thousands of paylines, amazing graphics, lucrative bonus rounds, and innovative reel mechanics. For instance, you can play real money slots that use a cluster pays mechanic with cascading reels. Alternatively, another exciting game may offer 243-ways-to-win that includes free spins, multipliers, a buy bonus and more. Essentially, each particular video slot game will offer something different.
- Progressive Jackpot Slots: Progressive slots are what's known as big win slots. These slots pay millions in some cases. In fact, if you play slots such as those in the Mega Moolah, WowPot, or Age of the Gods progressive jackpot slot networks, you could win sums of up to 8-figures. Just note that jackpot slots will usually have a lower RTP as a percentage of each wager goes towards covering that huge jackpot.
- Megaways Slot Machines: Many slot games now include Big Time Gaming's Megaways mechanic that has proved so popular over the years. The iGaming developer leases out the random reel modifier mechanic, and that is why there are now well over 1,000 Megaways slot games to enjoy. These slot machines offer huge top payouts, the possibility to unlock hundreds of thousands of ways to win, and fantastic bonus rounds. However, these are highly volatile slots, so be warned.
Slot Machine Gameplay and Bonuses
Like most casino games, when playing slots online, you begin by making bets. If you’re playing slots in a live casino, you will need to deposit cash or a card. For online slot games, you will need to deposit money into your account. While each establishment ranges in terms of deposit methods, most online casinos accept credit cards, debit cards, e-wallets, and bank transfers.
Once your bet has been made, it’s time to hit the spin button on your slot game. Pressing the button to spin the reels signals the machine’s random number generator. This results in a random combination of numbers being sent to the reels. The reels stop on their own after a few seconds.
When you get how to play slots well, there are a number of ways to win. A standard slot game will require you to form a winning combination across an active payline. That involves landing matching symbols from left to right across a payline. These combinations can be found on the game’s pay table, which should be available in the in-game menu.
Bonus features and free spins are common among online casino slot games. These rewards act as incentives to get people to play. While the bonus games and free spins work in the same way as the regular gameplay, they can lead to bigger payouts and the chance to hit the jackpot. Some online casino slot machines also have “mini-games”, which are fast, simple slot bonus games that give players an additional chance to win.
Tips to Beat Slot Machines
The online gambling industry would not exist if there were easy ways to beat slot machines. Unfortunately, an online casino will always have a house edge. Winning just comes down to how lucky we are on the day. That said, there are some slot tips we recommend you use. These will not guarantee you win at slots all the time but will give you a better chance of finishing up with a profit.
- Play Online Slots Games with High RTPs
If you want to beat slot machines, your best chance is playing slots with high return-to-player percentages. It makes sense that a slot game with better odds is going to give you a better chance than slot games with lower odds. Just check the pay table of a game to determine the RTP before spinning for real money. While you're there, check the cash prizes on offer for the symbol combinations possible.
- Play the Slot Machines You Enjoy
Whether you win at slots or not is down to an RNG that you have no way of manipulating. So, even if you find high RTP titles, you can still have a bad day at the office. For that reason, you may as well play a slot game you enjoy. This might be a title with a theme you enjoy, bonus rounds such as free spins, or perhaps high-quality graphics and animations. If you do win at slots, then happy days. If you lose, you kind of enjoyed yourself while doing so!
- Make Use of Casino Bonuses
Many online casinos offer bonuses you can use that give you bonus cash or free spins. Taking advantage of online casino bonuses is a smart move if you choose to play online.
By utilizing an online casino bonus, you can add extra cash to your balance, giving you more opportunities to play your favorite slot machines. This allows you to play with higher stakes, increasing your potential payout. Keep in mind that these bonuses come with certain restrictions, but this should not deter you.
Each bonus comes with a wagering requirement, which means that you must play for a specific period. However, most players do not quit after a few spins, so this requirement usually has little impact.
In reality, a casino bonus can boost your balance, and depending on the wagering requirement, it may even give you an edge over the casino in certain slot games.
- Practice Bankroll Management
Learning the best ways to manage your money is important when playing fast-paced casino games like slots. Managing your bankroll does not require any complex math. Instead, slot players should focus on keeping track of their wins and losses.
Before you even deposit money into your account, consider how much money you are willing to lose. Next, divide that number by how many hours you would like to spend gambling. For example, if you are going to the slots with $500 and do not want to lose more than $50 an hour, you’ll want to take a break once you hit $50 in losses in any given hour. Once the next hour starts, you can begin playing again.
Also, know when to walk away. While this is a personal choice, it can be wise to set a win limit at the very start. Of course, this will be dependent on how much you start with. For example, if you start with $500 and double your money, you may want to stop playing at that point and enjoy your winnings. It can be tough to stick with limits while gambling, but having limits can prevent significant losses in the long run.
- Enjoy Slot Machines with the Best Bonus Features
If you want to increase your chances of winning money when playing online at slots, bonus games and features can be advantageous. Free spins are the most popular reward, but slot game bonuses can also offer wager multipliers, enormous jackpots, and plenty of entertainment.
When using a slot machine strategy, taking advantage of bonus features such as free spins can help you increase your chances of hitting a major jackpot or winning lucrative cash prizes by extending your gameplay or adding funds.
It is important to remember to check the pay table before playing a slot machine, as it will indicate if there are any bonuses available and what wagering requirements are needed to trigger them.
Slot Machine Strategy
There are countless slot machine strategies on the web, but many of them don’t actually work. What makes most of these strategies baseless is the house edge. Slots are specifically designed to return less money than they take in. That means no matter what you do to gain an advantage, you cannot beat the system.
However, that doesn’t mean slot machine strategies do not exist. There are certain strategies that can help increase your chances of winning and help you save money over time.
Some of the most betting system strategies used in slots include:
Anti-Martingale
Also referred to as the “reverse martingale,” this betting system involves the player reducing their wagers following a loss and increasing their wagers after a win. This helps minimize the presence of cold streaks and takes advantage of hot streaks. Unfortunately, this strategy is not exactly based on logic, as each spin is independent and has no effect on previous or future spins.
The Ladder System
The ladder system is a simple slot machine strategy in which the player increases their bets when winning and lowers them when losing. This betting system is designed to take advantage of streaks. Of course, there are no “real” streaks in the game of slots, so your streak can end as fast as it started.
Zig-Zag Method
The zig-zag method requires players to be highly observant of the players around them. By looking at other players’ machines, you can get an idea of what reel patterns are most common and which have not seen any big wins recently. The alignment that looks like a diamond is the most sought-after alignment in this method. Looking for patterns is not always feasible, especially with online slots, but some players find success with this method nonetheless.
The Play and Run
This next slot strategy does not allow you to play a single slot machine game for longer than five minutes before moving on to the next. For example, if you have $100 to spend on slots, you would make a $20 wager on each machine. While there is no real strategy behind this method, it does allow you to get to know different slot machines well.
How to Win at Slots - The Takeaway
Essentially, you should not expect to win when you start playing slots. They will always offer a house edge, and no matter what you do, there is no way you can ensure you come out of every session as a winner. There, whether you're at your local casino to at your favorite online platform, treat slot machines and other online games as a form of entertainment. Do not view them as a way to make money.
However, as you will have seen in this guide, you can still use a few tips that can improve your chances of success, even if they cannot guarantee it. As long as you play sensibly and do not risk money you cannot afford, you might just come out of some sessions with a healthy profit.
