Online slot machines are rapidly increasing in popularity among online casino fanatics. The gameplay of online slots is quite simple, and you don’t have to use any complex strategies. Also, the high-quality graphics and mesmerizing soundtracks make for a more immersive gaming experience.
In this article, we’ll take a look at the basics of online slot machines to help you get started with your online slot journey.
Basics of slot machines
Slot machines comprise a series of reels. The number of reels is always odd with the machines having three, five, seven, or even nine reels, and each reel has various icons on it. If the reels align in a manner that results in a winning combination on one or more paylines, you win.
The paylines are composed of rows going across the reels from left to right. Paylines can be composed of symbols that are all in the same row, or they may be in rows that fluctuate across the reels.
The symbols on a slot machine are mostly related to the theme of the slot machine. For instance, a machine with an adventure film theme will include characters and other images from that movie.
Symbols like free spins, wilds, and scatters have specified properties. Often machines will offer a certain number of free spins if two or three free spin symbols appear on the screen. Wild symbols can transform into any other symbol associated with the payout table and are used to complete paylines.
When it comes to online slot gaming, it’s important that you read the associated payout table that tells what combination of symbols will result in a bonus round, winning combination, or free spins.
Types of online slots
Online casinos offer a wide variety of slot games to their players. Below are the most popular types of slot machines.
Classic slots
These slots have three reels, and they often use symbols like fruit bars, diamonds, and 7s from the electromechanical slots of the old.
Video slots
Video slots feature five reels or more. They have immersive thematic content supported by mesmerizing sound effects.
Progressive slots
The highest payouts in these slots are not fixed and it keeps on increasing with every bet. The jackpot may be hit through a combination of symbols or even a bonus game.
What is RTP and house edge?
Return to Player (RTP) is the term used to describe the percentage of all the wagered money a slot machine will return to the player over time. For instance, if you place a £100 bet on a slot machine with an RTP rate of 90%, you might expect to get about £90 in wins.
The RTP is really just the flip side of the house advantage. So, if a machine has a 15% house advantage, then the RTP will be 85%, meaning that the machine will keep about 15% of all the money bet and will return the other 85% to players in wins.