Many people often think that online slot games are the simplest games there are on the online gambling market. To some extent, it is true, that there requires no prior knowledge or skill to learn how to play online slot games.

That said, there is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to online slot games. Slot machines come in different shapes and forms, including the different number of reels, paylines, reel symbols, jackpot amounts and in-game features.

There are also payout percentages and volatility levels to pay attention to. All of these can have a significant impact on your online gambling session. In this guide, we will dive into the different types of online slot games available on the market.

Keep on reading our comprehensive guide to get a good overview of what it entails when playing online slot games.

Basics of Online Slot Games

Before we dive into the different types of online slot games and features, you should know the various terms associated with slot machines. Each slot is built on a different number of reels, rows and paylines. These are explained as follows:

  • Reels: The reels are the vertical columns on an online slot game. These will spin as soon as you hit the ‘spin’ button. Slots can come with a different number of reels. Some games even have one reel, while others can have six or more.
  • Rows: The rows are the horizontal lines in the slot game.
  • Paylines: Paylines refer to the invisible patterns upon which identical symbols must land in order to generate a winning combination. The number of paylines will have a significant impact on your odds. If you have a number of identical symbols but they don’t line up on a payline, it won’t result in a win. Some games come with fixed paylines, while others will allow you to increase and decrease the number of paylines.
  • Ways to Win: Ways to win is another term used for paylines. This ties in with Megaways slots, which can offer up to a massive 100,000 paylines. They replace the traditional paylines and lead to more winning possibilities.
  • Bonus features: Bonus features refer to the various perks of slot games, such as a free spins round, a Pick and Click round or any other random feature outside of the base game.
  • Min and Max Bet: When you play a slot game, you can adjust the minimum and maximum bet limit, so you can place the bet size that suits you best.
  • Maximum Win: Each slot game will have an assigned maximum win which a player can generate from a single spin. It could either entail the jackpot or simply landing a number of the highest paying symbols on a single spin.
  • RTP: Also known as the payout percentage, the Return to Player refers to the slot’s theoretical return rate that players could get back from the money they have wagered. If a game has an RTP of 90% and you place a EUR100 bet, you can expect to get EUR90 back. The higher it is, the better it is for you as a player.
  • Volatility/Variance: Volatility refers to the payout rate of slot games. If a game is low volatile, you can expect small wins on a regular basis, while highly volatile games will pay out substantially on an infrequent basis.

Different types of online slots

There are many types of slot machines available on the market. There are ones that are available at land-based casinos and others, that are a little more advanced and are available online. Slot machines at land-based casinos are known to have notoriously lower payout percentages than their online counterparts.

Here’s a quick overview of what’s available:

  • Mechanical Slots: Mechanical slots no longer exist and were available in the olden days when they were first created. They needed no electricity to operate, so they are mostly a novelty these days.
  • Classic slots: The traditional classic slot is based on three reels and often only entails one payline. These are widely available at land-based casinos but are deprived of any modern in-game features.
  • Fruit Machines:  Fruit machines are exactly that. They are slot machines with various fruits as symbols. They are commonly found at UK pubs all over the country.
  • Video Slots: Video slots are mostly built across five reels or more and are available online. They don’t rely on any mechanical reels to operate and come with various features, such as wilds and free spins bonus features.
  • 3D Slots: To stand out from the crowd, game developers are incorporating 3D graphics in their games making the games immersive.

 

Now that you know about the different types of online slot games, you should also be aware of the different extras and features available in modern online slot games. Here are some of the most commonly found features:

  • Wild Symbols: Wild symbols substitute other symbols in a bid to create a winning combination. Wilds come in various forms as well, including stacked and expanded which will cover entire reels and lead to bigger winning combinations. In some slot games, they also act as Scatter symbols.  You can learn more about different wild symbols in the next section.
  • Scatter Symbols: The main aim of a scatter symbol is to activate a special bonus round or jackpot. Usually, you would need to land at least three scatter symbols on a single spin, in order to activate a free spins bonus round or trigger a jackpot round.
  • Free Spins Bonuses: Free spins bonuses provide players with a number of spins on the house. The number of spins will vary from one game to another. They may also come with multipliers.
  • Multipliers: Multipliers will boost your winning combinations. These can come attached to a free spins bonus round or wilds. They can also increase depending on the game.
  • Mystery symbols: Mystery symbols are a bit of an innovation and are quite new. They show up with a question mark and as soon as they land on the reels, will reveal the hidden symbol.
  • Cascading Reels: Also known as Avalanche Reels, whenever a winning combination is formed, all winning symbols will disappear and be replaced by new symbols landing from the top, essentially triggering a respin.
  • Pick Me Bonuses: A Pick Me Bonus is usually triggered by a number of scatter symbols. You will be presented with a number of options and must pick between them to reveal the prize behind them.

 

Different types of Wilds

Wild symbols are essential to the slot game experience and while they are widely available, they are not always consistently available in a game. Their main aim is to replace other symbols to help you create winning combinations. However, there are many different types of wild symbols, with each one bringing different perks and benefits to the table:

  • Sticky Wild: A sticky wild essentially stays locked into place wherever they land. In some games, they will also trigger a respin. In others, they will stay put for the duration of a free spins bonus round.
  • Walking Wild: Walking Wilds are highly beneficial. They are a known feature in NetEnt’s slot game Jack and the Beanstalk. Basically, when they land, they will trigger a respin and move one position to the left with each spin. This will keep on going until they disappear off the reels. They are very similar to sticky wilds but can lead to a higher number of payouts.
  • Multiplier Wild: A multiplier wild will boost your wins by a multiplier.
  • Stacked Wild: Stacked Wilds cover the entirety of a reel leading to considerable wins.
  • Colossal Wilds: These symbols will come in different shapes, such as 2x2 and 3x3. Regardless of their size, they take up a considerable number of positions on the reels, leading to big wins.
  • Expanding Wild: An expanding wild is somewhat similar to the stacked wild. They will land on a reel and cover it in its entirety.
  • Scatter Wild: In addition to replacing other symbols, they can also double up as scatter symbols by triggering a particular bonus feature, such as the free spins bonus round.

How to pick the best online slot games for you

There is no winning strategy to help you achieve consistent wins in slot games. Similarly, there is no such concept as a hot or a loose game, as every spin of the reels is controlled by random number generators, which ensure that every spin has the same odds as the next one.

There are some tips and tricks to ensure you have the best possible chances:

  • The Payout Percentage: Pick online slot games with the highest payout percentage when possible. Jackpot games are notorious for having low payout percentages. The average RTP for slot games is 96%. If you can get games with this percentage or higher, you will be playing it safe.
  • The Volatility levels: This would depend on your personal preference. Some games love small but regular wins, while others will prefer big wins on an irregular basis. If you are opting for a highly volatile slot game, you should be aware of the effect this game will have on your bankroll.
  • In-game features: Picking games with multipliers, wilds and bonus features will ensure that you have better chances of recouping your losses and improving your payouts.
  • Paylines: Opting for a game with a fixed number of paylines ensures that you are betting on all paylines. Sometimes games with adjustable paylines will come at a higher price per bet.
  • Stay in control: Avail yourself of responsible gambling tools to ensure you don’t get too engrossed in your gambling session. Have loss and deposit limits in place.
  • Casino bonuses: If there is a bonus with fair terms and conditions, there is nothing wrong with taking advantage of them.

How to play slot games

Now that you are aware of the different types of slot games and terminologies, you should be able to conduct your research and find the best RTP slot games on the market. There are thousands of slot games on the market, so doing a quick search should yield results, when it comes to variance and payout percentages.

If possible, always try out a slot game in free demo mode first, so you can get a good idea of the mechanics and the variance:

  • Pick the best slot game: Browse through the thousands of slot games and pick the one that is best for you, including variance, RTP, theme, maximum wins, etc.
  • Look at the paytable: Have a good glance at the paytable and if you need to adjust the number of paylines.
  • Arrange the bet size: Very often, when you open a slot game, it will showcase the maximum bet right away. Reduce it to the best bet size for you.
  • Play: Click on the ‘Spin’ button. If you don’t want to manually click on the ‘spin’ button, you can opt for the autoplay function.

 

To conclude, online slot games are some of the most fun and entertaining games on the market. Since you don’t have any direct influence on the outcome, you may want to tread a little more carefully. There is a good reason why online slot games are available in their thousands. It’s where casinos make the majority of their money from. You don’t have direct control over the outcome. It’s all left to the random number generators and fate.

Selecting the best online slot games based on your personal preference would be wise. Don’t simply go for a game based on its theme or flashy colours, look at the bigger picture, such as the payout percentage, volatility, maximum wins and in-game features to ensure you have the best possible gambling session. If you hit a losing streak and are not getting any luck, feel free to jump to another game.  It is also important that you take regular breaks when you are gambling online, not only when you are playing online slot games. It will help you see the session from a different perspective and gives your adrenaline rush a break.

Most importantly, don’t forget to have fun!