How to Play Online Slots

A slot machine is a type of casino game that typically includes three or more reels that are set to spin when the player places a bet.

Winnings are counted as soon as the reels stop spinning. In a classic online slot machine, a win occurs when the reels show three or more identical and adjacent symbols on a valid payline.

As with any online casino game, these results are always random and cannot be controlled or influenced by either the player or the house.

Probabilities and Theoretical Return

In the case of slot machines available at any online casino, the randomness of the game is programmed by a mathematical algorithm, which offers a certain percentage of theoretical return.

In fact, it's their randomness that makes slot machines a unique form of entertainment, as we never know what's going to happen. Sometimes games offer us truly unforgettable results, precisely because of their rarity.

But don't forget: any online casino game is always, and above all, a form of entertainment. You shouldn't play with the hope of always winning or to recoup your losses, but for fun.

What is Theoretical Return?

Theoretical payback is the percentage of all money wagered that a player can theoretically expect to get back over time. The higher this value, the lower the house edge. For example, for a theoretical 95% return, if you place 100 bets of €1 each, you can expect to receive an average of €95. It is important to note that this is a theoretical value, and as online slot machines are random games, the actual value may be much higher or lower than the stated Theoretical Return. Therefore, this value is for reference only.

What are Paylines?

Each payline corresponds to a set of symbols that result in a prize being awarded. Traditionally, slot machines had only three reels and three lines, often having only one payline: a straight line that included the three symbols in the middle. However, these days, slot machines often have multiple paylines, with slots with 10, 20, 40 or even 100 lines becoming more and more common, therefore making the game more exciting.

This number of lines in each game can be fixed, or variable. Being variable, as a player you can choose how many active paylines you want to play with, with more paylines usually implying higher stakes. By default, paylines only pay for horizontally adjacent and only left to right combinations of symbols starting from the leftmost reel, but there are exceptions.

How Do Non-Payline Slots Work?

Although paylines are one of the most common elements of a slot machine, they are not mandatory. In fact, some of the best casino games don't include them. In recent years, online game makers have found more and more unique ways to award prizes without paylines.

One of the solutions found is to award equal symbols on adjacent reels ignoring any lines. This feature, which is also known as “ways to win” or “megaways” (depending on the game), gives rise to a very high possible number of winning combinations.

The fact that these games do not include paylines offers great flexibility to their creators, who can then develop other game mechanics.

For example, in games without paylines it is common to find reels with a variable number of symbols, which makes the number of possible winning combinations also different in each spin. Find out more about this type of slot machines on the page dedicated to Slots with Megaways.

What Are Falling Symbols?

Also known as: “cascade symbols”, “cascade reels” or “symbol avalanche”, this type of functionality is usually (but not always) found in slots without paylines. On each successful turn, the winning symbols disappear from your reels, being replaced by new symbols that fall from above, which can generate new winnings without having to bet again.

Of course, this is an increasingly popular feature as it increases the potential of each prize.

Special Features of Slot Machines

In addition to the different game mechanics you can find in a slot machine, these games can now offer a wide range of special features that allow for more advantageous odds or give players extra prizes. These days, slot machines are games with increasingly diverse and complex features, which means that the explanations below are merely indicative. You should always read the game rules for each of our online slot machines, which are always available within each game.

What Are Wilds?

Wilds are scatter symbols that substitute for other pay symbols. For this reason, these symbols are more valuable, as they allow you to get winning combinations more easily. Wild symbols sometimes have additional features. They can ignore the adjacency rule, for example, or offer additional prizes if a payline is made up of wilds only. The symbol “wild” is often also known as “joker”.

Scatter Symbols

This type of symbol typically ignores adjacency rules. In other words, scatter symbols may not need to be adjacent (or even part of a payline) to trigger a successful play. They may also not pay left to right, or offer higher payouts than other game symbols. It is also frequent that scatter symbols offer free spins or also have the wild feature.

What are Free Spins?

In their simplest form, free spins are just a set of extra spins that do not entail any additional wages or other cost to the player. However, many games have free spins with more advantageous prizes or more attractive odds for players than a normal play. It is also possible to find slot machines with free spins that are completely different from the so-called “base game”. They can, for example, have an expanded playing area, have more wilds available, include other types of symbols or even offer immediate prizes.

As a rule, a certain number of free spins is offered when the player finds at least three scatter symbols in a single spin. However, there are other ways to unlock this feature: for example, by collecting a certain symbol over several turns.

Multipliers

One of our players' favorite special features are multipliers. These special symbols - which are not always part of the main game area - increase the prize amount on a winning turn by multiplying it by a value that will be indicated on the symbol in question.

The most frequent multipliers double, triple or quadruple the prize. However, some games have much higher multipliers, which can even be progressive, that is, they can get higher and higher with each new winning play or active payline.

Jackpots

In the online casino world, a jackpot is a special prize that usually corresponds to the highest prize in a slot machine. As a rule, a jackpot cannot be won in the same way as a regular prize: you will need to find special jackpot symbols, play a bonus round or unlock certain special conditions to win it.