Online slots are among the most popular online gambling games. They can offer massive jackpots, there’s a large selection of games across a host of genres and themes, and they’re generally easy to play. Some of the more advanced games incorporate extra win lines and additional features to increase their appeal and winning opportunities, but even these are easy to get to grips with.
If you’ve spent any time looking for online slots, you’ll already know there are a lot of games from a lot of providers. But choosing the right game is important. Not only does this mean choosing a virtual slot machine with a decent win chance, but one that appeals to you and has decent bonuses and jackpots, like those listed by Techopedia. According to tech editor Sergio Zammit, players should consider factors like the Return To Player (RTP) rates as well as just the number of win lines and the size of jackpots when choosing a slot. The Return To Player (RTP) is the percentage of total stakes bet by players that are returned as winnings.
So, if a slot machine offers a 98% RTP then it should return $98 in winnings for every $100 bet. This is an average figure, however, so even if you were to place $100 in bets, there is no guarantee that you will get $98 back.
The RTP offered by slots does vary. Most machines offer at least 95% with most offering 96%. Very few offer rates as high as 98%, and the difference is quite marginal, so it is best to stick to that 96% figure to ensure a decent average return combined with a reasonable variety and selection of games to choose from.
Online casinos and slots sites do publish their RTP, and RTP calculations should be verified by independent third parties, so you can be sure of enjoying a fair game when you play online.
More paylines don’t necessarily mean more winnings or higher jackpots. But, they can make slot machines more fun. The first slot machines had single win lines, right down the middle. Players had to match symbols across that line to receive winnings. Most modern slots offer multiple paylines.
A lot of modern slots have five reels and offer 20 paylines, but there can be as many as 243 from this configuration. Fortunately, you don’t have to manually keep track of the paylines, yourself, but remember that more isn’t necessarily better.
Most slot sites and online casinos offer bonuses to new players, as well as royalty bonuses to existing players. These bonuses can come in the form of deposit match bonuses or free spins. While bonuses shouldn’t be the only factor to determine which site you play, or which game you play, they are an added incentive that can bring extra value to your online gambling.
Extra spins also mean you can spend some time on different games to find the ones you like best. The chances of winning the jackpot are very slim, especially with larger and progressive jackpots. While it’s nice to dream of landing the big one, you generally have better odds of winning at machines with smaller prizes. And smaller prizes can add up over time.
A lot of slot sites offer free versions of their games. You play for pretend money and there are no cash prizes, but these give you a good opportunity to try out games and see if you get a feel for them. It is also a good chance to get used to the paylines and winning requirements for online slots, in general.
The theme of a game doesn’t really matter. It doesn’t impact your chance to win. But you could be spending a lot of time staring at the same five reels, so you might as well choose a theme that interests you or something that won’t irk you while playing. If you don’t like bright neon lights, don’t choose an 80s theme, and so on. A lot of slots also have background music that can range from electronic sound effects to genres including classic jazz and even heavier post metal.
Once you’ve decided on the slot you want to play, you will need to open an account with the slot site. This may mean giving personal details, although some modern crypto casinos do not have the same ID requirements as those that use traditional banking methods.
Try to take advantage of any first deposit or other bonuses when you do put money in your account, but only ever play with money you can reasonably afford to lose. Losses do happen, and you need to legislate for this fact.
Most machines offer a choice of stakes so you can get bet anywhere from a few cents to several dollars. If you opt to play with more playlines, you will need to stake more money each time, so it is usually best not to get carried away playing with 200 or more playlines.
Check the prize table to see whether there are minimum stakes set to win jackpots. Progressive jackpots will often require that you place a minimum stake of a dollar or more. And some games offer multipliers for high-rollers.
Once you’ve chosen your stake, all you really need to do is hit the spin or play button. Online slots are automated. If you win, the money will be put in your account. If there are any bonus games or additional features, and you qualify for them during a particular spin, you will be informed.
In games with no bonus features, you may even find an auto-spin button. When you use this, you don’t even have to hit the button between spins as the software will do that for you. If you do use auto-spin, be sure to set limits and don’t just leave the game unattended. Auto-spin can very quickly burn through your account and leave your betting budget in tatters.