Slot Machine Strategies and Tips to Beat the Casinos
Online slot games remain the most popular game choice at online casinos. More players play slots than those who play casino games, including virtual table games, live casino games, and video poker. Despite this popularity, many players need help to beat the casinos when playing online slots. Many of these players look for slot strategies to turn their fortune in their favour as they spin the reels of their favourite slot games.
Unfortunately, as with other casino games, there's no guaranteed strategy, tip, or trick you can use to consistently win when playing online slots. After all, slot machine algorithms are designed to give the casino the edge over players. However, some slot strategies and tips could help improve your chances of winning.
In this in-depth and authoritative guide, we'll take you through how slot machine payouts work and how to pick the right online slots, and we'll also give you numerous other slot machine tips and strategies. Once you have digested the expert information we provide you, you will better understand slot machines and how to maximize your chances of coming out on top each time you play them.
Understanding How Slot Machine Payouts Work
The first step to winning at slots is understanding how they work. If you know the core mechanics of slots and how, why, and when they pay, you can use that information to select the slot games that offer a better potential for paying out. In this section, we will list some of the more fundamental aspects of slots you need to know:
- Slot machines will payout when you create a specific combination of matching symbols on the reels. This could be across specific reels on a payline, in a cluster, or anywhere in view. How slots pay will depend on the mechanics they use.
- The size of the payouts you can receive is displayed in the paytable of the slot you're playing. It will show you the required winning combinations and how much you receive each. The payouts are shown as a multiplier of your current stake.
- Some slot machines use just a single payline or between 3 and 50 paylines for you to find winning combinations. Others using mechanics such as Megaways, Cluster Pays, or Ways-to-Win can have over 100,000 ways to win.
- Many slots have wild symbols that substitute regular symbols when they can create or enhance a winning combination.
- Another type of symbol regularly found on slots is the scatter symbol. Often, these symbols payout and/or trigger the slot's bonus round without needing to land on a payline.
- You will come across some slot machines that offer fixed or progressive jackpots. The former can deliver a big win if you get lucky enough. However, the latter is where you can land huge jackpots as big as multiple millions.
- Random number generators determine the results you receive when spinning on slot machines. These software algorithms ensure that each spin is entirely random and fair.
- All slot machines will have a return-to-player (RTP) percentage. Most slot games will display this information within the game's rules. However, others may not declare their RTP publicly. An RTP is how much the slot is expected to pay over the long term from all bets placed. For instance, a slot with a 96% RTP is expected to pay 96% of the money it takes in stakes over an extended period. The 4% is how much the slot is expected to make and is also the edge the slot gives the house (online casino). Slots at land-based casinos have a lower RTP of between 80% and 90%.
How to Choose the Ideal Online Slots
Often, the best way to improve your chances of winning at slots is to know how to pick the right ones. If you want to win money, there are certain factors you need to consider. We all like playing slots with fancy graphics and animations, entertaining themes, innovative bonus features, and engaging gameplay. However, none of those impact the results you get. Follow the below tips on how to choose the best slots that give you more chance of winning:
- Consider the Slots RTP: As mentioned, the RTP is how much the slot is expected to pay out over the long term. Therefore, your best chance of success will come from playing high RTP slots. Mathematically, these will pay more money than others over a long period. The randomness of results, as determined by the RNG, will determine how that RTP is paid out in that time. One player could have good luck and receive 300% of their bets back, while another could lose everything.
- Consider the Slot's Volatility: Another aspect of a slot's inner workings, determining how often and how big it pays out, is its slot volatility. Low volatility slots will deliver smaller payouts more frequently. That means you should land wins every few spins. Conversely, high-volatility slots will pay out more significant sums but less regularly. You may have to wait numerous spins, but eventually, you could land a huge win to make it worth it. Medium variance falls somewhere between the two. So, pick a slot that suits your preferences regarding volatility. If you have a smaller bankroll, it is better to play low-variance slots, as you might burn through your budget on a high-variance slot before it pays.
- Consider the minimum and maximum bets of a slot machine: Before you play any online slots, check out their maximum and minimum bets. That is in terms of how you can bet per spin. For instance, if you have a small bankroll, you want to avoid playing an online slot with a high minimum bet. That works the opposite if you're a high roller with deeper pockets.
- Ensure you understand the mechanics, additional features, and bonus features: Would you make a financial investment without understanding what that investment means beforehand? Although on a smaller scale, that is what you're doing. Before risking money, ensure you have a good idea of how slot games work. The last thing you want to do is lose money simply because you still need to do your homework. Read the rules to learn about the bonus features, mechanics and all other aspects of the online slots you play.
- Play the Demo Mode: A great way to know whether you will enjoy an online slot game is to play the demo. Most online slot machines will have a demo mode you can play for free. You can also use these to practise and get used to the bonus features such as free spins, bonus rounds, Hold & Win games, Re-spins, and whatever else the slot might have.
- Learn the minimum and maximum bets: Before playing slots, check what staking options are available. If the minimum bet is too high for your bankroll, you could burn through it far quicker than you'd like. Alternatively, if the max bet is too low and you like to use a high roller style, you won't be able to place the bets you want.
Check out our top 5 slot picks for 2024, carefully selected to offer you a great gaming experience based on these tips:
Using Bankroll Management as Part of Your Slots Strategy
One of the most essential slot strategies is ensuring you're responsibly managing your bankroll. If you bet all your money on a single spin or over just a few spins, you cannot complain when your online gaming session is over within minutes. Instead, follow our most important tips for bankroll management:
- Set a Budget: You should also set a bankroll aside for your casino gaming. Make sure it is money you can afford to lose. Never use the money you should use to pay bills, rent, or other essential expenses. Consider your bankroll as money for entertainment purposes. Gambling at an online casino should be considered fun and not a form of making money. Of course, winning is a bonus, but always expect to lose your bankroll eventually.
- Split Your Bankroll When Needed: Rather than taking your whole bankroll into a session, consider breaking it up into separate bankrolls. This will prevent you from spending too much in one go.
- Play and Bet Sensibly: Before you start playing online slot machines, decide how much you want to spin per bet. Make it a bet size that gets the most out of your bankroll for the length of session you plan on playing. If the spin bet is too high, it might not last the session. As a general rule of thumb, it is best to bet between 1% and 2% of your bankroll per spin. That ensures 50-100 spins without factoring in any wins you'll probably pick up.
- Set Win and Loss Limits: Setting limits on winnings and losses is a great way to ensure you minimize losses and quit while you're ahead. Set an amount you're happy to win and stick to it. Do not get greedy; a losing streak could be around the corner. Plus, if you set a loss limit, you could save yourself from chasing those losses and losing even more.
- Take Regular Breaks: Spinning the reels of slots can become monotonous after a while, and you may lose focus. Without focus, you could bet too much or lose too much. Instead, take regular breaks to refresh your mind and regain focus.
- Take Advantage of Online Casino Welcome Bonuses and Other Promotions: Most online casinos offer a welcome bonus to new players who have created an account. These usually give players a match deposit of their first deposits or offer free spins. Sometimes, you get a mix of both. You can use these bonus funds to play without using your own cash.
Advanced Slot Machine Strategies
Now that you have a better idea of how slots work, how to choose the best slots to play, and understand bankroll management, the next step is to learn more advanced slots strategies.
It is important to remember that no slot machine strategy is guaranteed to bring improved results. The RNG algorithm of slot machines ensures that results are random. Furthermore, the RTP dictates how much money a slot machine will pay from the money it has taken over a long period. However, the strategies below can help minimize losses and exploit hot streaks.
Before we get started on the advanced slot machine strategies you can use to improve your chances when playing at top online casinos, it is essential to note that while they can work on all types of slots, they work best when playing slots with low volatility. That is because those slots pay more frequently.
Level Betting Slot Machine Strategy
Level betting is one of the most common strategies experienced slot machine players use. It involves raising the size of your bet after a consecutive number of losing spins. These strategies are designed to recoup losses after a few losses and maximize any wins from a hopeful winning streak. For instance, this is how a levels betting strategy would work if you raised your bet per spin by 2x after five winless spins.
- Spin at standard bet per spin of, say, $1.
- Increase spin bet to $2 after five consecutive winless spins.
- If you lose another five straight spins, double the bet again to $4.
- If you have a winning spin, reset back to the original spin bet and start the process over.
This strategy relies on ending a losing streak by winning at a higher stake. Plus, if you trigger bonus rounds such as free spins after raising your bet, these trigger at a higher stake, meaning bigger possible rewards. The risk with this type of slot strategy is that an extended run of winless spins could eat through your bankroll quickly.
Fixed Percentage Betting
This strategy is always to bet as close to a fixed percentage of your bankroll. Earlier in this guide, we suggested betting 1% to 2% of your bankroll if you want to practise solid bankroll management. For this example, we will use 1% as the size of the spin bets placed in relation to the size of your bankroll.
Let's assume you have $100 you want to use playing slots online. That means an initial spin bet of $1 per spin. Your first spin results in a winning combination, and you win $20. That means you now have $120. For the next spin, you can spin for $1.20 or as close to that as possible. Most slot machines do not allow you to place such precise bets, so you can only sometimes bet precisely 1% of your bankroll.
Whether you win or lose, you change your bet so it's as close to the 1% bet of your bankroll as possible.
Best Strategy Tips When Playing Online Slots
Avoid Playing Progressive Jackpot Slots
While there is an outside chance you can win huge progressive jackpots, playing progressive jackpots is not the best idea. They have much lower RTPs when compared to regular slots. That is because a percentage of each bet is put into the progressive jackpot. Essentially, you'll lose more over time playing jackpot slots than you will win - unless you win big from one of the jackpots. By the way, fixed jackpots are a good option, depending on the RTP. You're not contributing to a shared jackpot when playing.
Understand there is No Way to Manipulate a Slots Random Number Generator
As reiterated throughout this slot strategy guide, there is no way to ensure you always win when playing slots. You cannot manipulate the random number generator on slot games; there is no such thing as loose machines and no cheat codes. The RNG of all licensed slot machines at online and land-based casinos is tested for fair play and randomness.
Choose Slots that Have Bonus Symbols and Games
When using any slot strategy, pick slot machines with bonus features, whether wild symbols, multiplier symbols, free games, expanding symbols, re-spins, progressive multipliers, or any other type of bonus. When you play slots with bonus games/symbols, there is a chance you can trigger these while using your slot strategy. Bonus games such as free spins usually promise bigger payouts than during the base game. Hit some nice wins, and it will provide a nice boost to your bankroll.
Take Advantage of Online Casino Bonuses
You can win money using free money from the online casinos. Most offer no deposit bonuses or welcome bonuses. The former are free bonus cash or free spins for signing up. The latter are bonuses on top of the first deposits you make at an online casino. Again, they're usually free spins, a match deposit, or a combination of both.
Play Online Slots
One of the biggest tips when playing slot machines is to play slots at online casinos rather than brick-and-mortar casinos. Why? Because you have the best odds of winning when compared to playing physical machines on the casino floor of a land-based casino. The house edge is higher when playing at physical casinos as the business has more overheads to cover. Think of casino staff, electric bills, rent, and everything a land-based casino has to cover. Online casinos have far fewer overheads to worry about. Therefore, the RTPs average around 96% when you play slot machines online. That can be 10-20% higher than land-based alternatives.
Read Slot Machine Reviews
If you need help deciding which slots to play using the above strategies, read reviews of the games you're considering. They'll tell you about the bonus features, payout potential, variance/volatility, RTP, and everything you need to know. Luckily, we have all the slot reviews you need here at Playcasino. Have a read-through, and you will quickly identify more slots to play using your chosen strategy.
