Online Slots

Complete Guide on How to Play Online Slots in 2024

Best Online Slot Games Guide

Video slots are the pillar of every renowned online casino. These games attract millions of players due to their easy gameplay, simple rules, and potentially massive jackpots. Additionally, video slots are exhilarating fast-paced games full of lifelike graphics and exciting themes.

In this guide, we are going to tell you everything you need to know about playing video slots, including different types of slots, most popular titles, how to find the best video slot casinos, and more. Stay tuned!

Benefits of Playing Video Slot Games

If you ever browsed the contents of a casino website, you would have noticed that the majority of games in any casino’s library are video slots and that certain slot titles are connected to the casino’s bonus offers. Why is that so?

Well, the main advantage that video slots have in comparison to other more traditional casino games is that the rules are really simple. In fact, you don’t even need to be familiar with all the rules of a given video slot game, as the outcomes of every spin are random, so there’s no skill involved. All you need to do is decide on how much you want to bet, and the rest is up to your luck. This makes slots ideal for beginner players who don’t have the patience to learn complicated rules and strategies that some other casino games require.

However, the simplicity of these games is not their only advantage. Modern video slots are full of various symbols, bonus modes, and other features that make the games more exciting. The graphics of video slots have improved significantly over the last several years, and we now even have slots that can be played in 3D and VR environments.

Moreover, some of the best online slots games are those with licensed themes, so you can enjoy playing the game with characters and soundbites from your favorite movie, TV show, comic, band, and more.

List of Popular Online Slot Games

This part of our online slots games guide will contain brief reviews on some of the best video slot titles at the moment. All of the slots that you can see below are offered by top casino sites on our list. Of course, as new and better video slots appear, we will make sure to update our list accordingly.

All you need to know for now is that these five games are the best titles in the industry, having exciting themes, vivid graphics, and rewarding bonus features. Enjoy!

Thunderstruck II (Microgaming)

Nordic Gods themed slot game. Wild feature doubles winnings, huge free spins feature, over 243 ways to win with each spin.

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Mega Fortune (IGT)

Five reels, 4 bet levels along with 25 bet lines. Three different jackpots available to be won, along with the Wild symbol to help you win more with every spin.

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Wheel Of Fortune (IGT)

With five reels, a Wild symbol, Scatter symbol and 720 paylines, this classic has something for everyone.

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Triple Diamond (IGT)

This classic three reel, 9 pay-line game is one of the most popular games from the early days of slot machines. Simple play, Wild symbol triples all wins and big jackpots.

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Starburst (NetEnt)

Floating through space, match the gems to cash out big. Five reel, ten paylines and 5,000 bonus coins are waiting for you.

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How to Find the Best Online Casino to Play Slot Games

In order to play quality video slot games for real money, you will have to find a trusted online casino that offers them. This is where our list of top video slot casinos can help you, but you should still know how and why we chose these exact casinos.

When looking for a quality casino site, you need to take several things into account. These include the following:

Safety

Every casino on our list is considered to be 100% safe. Before checking the contents of any website, we make sure that it employs modern cybersecurity systems which guarantee that your information will remain secure at all times.

Reputation

Apart from doing our own review of a given casino site, we also read into other people’s reviews to see what sort of experiences other players had while playing video slots there. If a given casino has a high number of positive reviews, we can assume that it’s completely legit.

RTP

Return to player estimates how much money you are expected to win back while playing casino games. The average RTP of video slots is about 96%, but there are some slots that are more generous than others. If the average RTP of all video slots on a given casino site is above average, we consider that playing on that website is worthwhile.

Game selection

Online casinos that have a wide selection of slot games always have a great chance of taking a high position on our list. If a casino site has several hundred video slots on its list, you are sure to find at least a few that suit your needs.

Software providers

Having an abundance of video slots doesn’t mean much if those slots are low-quality titles with outdated graphics and features. In order for the games to be worthwhile, they must come from reputable software providers like NetEnt, Microgaming, NextGen, and others.

Mobile compatibility

Playing video slots on mobile is possible in two ways. You can either load your favorite casino site through your mobile browser or download the casino app if it’s available. However, the number of iOS slot games, Android slot games, and desktop slot games is not always the same, as most casinos offer fewer games on mobile compared to desktop. That’s why we always search for sites that have video slots that are compatible with the latest mobile devices.

Bonuses

If you want to start playing with something extra in your account, you should choose a casino site that has rewarding bonuses for their new players. Luckily, every casino on our list has amazing promotions for first-time customers, and all of those promotions are compatible with some of the most popular video slots.

How to Play Online Slot Games

If you don’t have experience with using online casinos and don’t know how to play online slots games, we are here to help. Follow our five easy steps below, and you will start playing in no time:

  1. Choose the right online casino
    This first step is easy, and it just involves you selecting one of the casinos from our list. Browse through every casino carefully and choose the right one according to its bonuses, the games you want to play, and other factors that we discussed.
  2. Create an account
    Once you’ve found the right casino, go through the registration process so you can play video slots for real money. This process is rather simple, and it just involves you sharing some of your identification details with the operator.
  3. Deposit and claim the bonus
    After your account is all set, go to the cashier page to deposit some money. Select one of the available banking options and make sure to deposit at least the minimum amount (usually around $10). Once the deposit goes through, you can claim the casino’s welcome bonus that will grant you some extra bonus cash that you can use on the site’s most popular video slots.
  4. Find a library of video slot games
    A casino site will usually have several of its most popular video slot titles displayed right on the homepage. However, if you want to see more games that the site offers, navigate to a page that contains a full list of titles.
  5. Select an online slot that you like the most.
    With the variety of slot games available for you to play, one of the hardest decisions may be where to start! It might be as simple as the characters in the game, or the size of the current jackpot. Go ahead, pick one and get in on the fun!
  6. Start playing
    Once you have found the right game for you, click on it and wait for it to load. Set your coin size and start spinning. Good luck!

Playing Online Slot Games for Free

The most exciting thing about video slots is the prize. If you land just the right combination of symbols, you can walk out with millions in your pockets. So, why would someone play video slots for free?

Well, while you can potentially win huge sums of money playing video slots, those rewards come with great risks. As a matter of fact, a majority of video slot players lose money in the process. Some people simply prefer to play slot games casually, not concerning themselves with money.

However, free video slots have another purpose. Let’s say that a certain slot title caught your eye, and you want to see what the game is about without using real money yet. The free version of the game will allow you to test out all of the game’s features before you decide to put some cash on the line.

Online Slot Game Strategies

Video slots are powered by random number generators that randomize every spin. No matter how much you try to figure the games out, you won’t be able to predict the outcome of the next combination. So, unlike games like blackjack and poker, where players can use various strategies to beat their opponents, people who play online slots games are completely dependent on luck.

However, this doesn’t mean that there’s no strategy involved with playing video slots. As a matter of fact, there are plenty of things you can do to minimize your risks when playing these games.

Max Out on Bonuses

As we discussed earlier, every casino has bonuses and promotions, and most of these bonuses are compatible with video slot games. Bonuses give you a chance to play with extra money in your account. By using them properly and having a bit of luck, you can turn free money into withdrawable cash. Of course, this is easier said than done, but playing with bonuses is definitely more advantageous than having no bonuses at all.

Read RTP Percentages

Every slot has an RTP or a percentage number that indicates how much money you are expected to win back from a given slot game. We will explain how RTP works a little later on, but all you should know is that the higher the RTP percentage is, the higher the chance for you to win some money.

Manage Your Bankroll

Due to their fast-paced gameplay, video slots can leave you scraping for pennies rather quickly. It is important that you keep control over your bankroll at all times. While being hit with an unlucky streak, you can easily find yourself eager to win all of that money back, which can lead you to make some costly decisions. Stick to your gambling budget, and don’t let things get out of hand.

Types of Online Slot Games

Slot games can be divided into many categories. They can be divided by how many reels they have, the mechanism of their jackpot systems, what sort of platforms they’re played on, and more.

Here are some of the most common types of slot games that you can run into online:

Classic 3-Reel Slots

In the beginning, all slot machines had only three reels. These games are still somewhat popular, and some developers deliberately put three reels in new titles to create a retro feel to the games. Because these classic games also contained a lot of fruit symbols, 3-reel slots are also sometimes called fruit machines.

5-Reel Slots

Most modern slots have five reels, intersected with either three or four rows of symbols. They come in a wide variety of themes and usually include one or two bonus rounds.

Video Slots

Video slots is just a name for all slot games that are played on a screen, whether that screen is on a computer or a slot gaming station. They were preceded by slot machines that used mechanical reels and a lever.

3D Slots

To play 3D slots, you won’t need 3D glasses or any kind of a special 3D screen. These games are given such a name because they use graphics with three-dimensional depth.

Multiplier Slots

Plenty of video slots have bonus features and symbols that allow for your winnings to be multiplied. Multipliers in video slots can be 2x, 3x, 5x, 10x, or more.

Licensed Slots

You’ve probably seen video slots with titles like Star Wars, Game of Thrones, or Terminator. All of these games have been issued licenses to use original characters, symbols, and soundbites from those movies and TV shows.

Multi-Line Slot Games

As the name suggests, multi-line slots are slot games that have multiple paylines. Most modern slot titles are of the multi-line variety.

Progressive Slot Games

Progressive slots are some of the most sought-after casino games. The reason for this is that they have jackpots that rise every time someone places a wager. Because of this system, progressive jackpots can rise to be worth millions of dollars until one lucky player lands the right combination.

Wide Area Progressive (WAP)

A WAP represents a single progressive jackpot that is shared across multiple video slot games.

Poker Machines

Poker machines or video pokers are single-player poker games that are usually played with the rules of Five Card Draw.

Virtual Reality Online Slot Games

The online casino industry is working to incorporate VR technology into online casino games. In the near future, you will be able to play video slots through your virtual reality headset, which will open the door to new game mechanisms and features.

Mobile Slot Games

Mobile slots games are all video slots that are compatible with smartphones and tablets.

Understanding Slot Game Volatility and RTP

Video slot volatility and RTP are the two main indicators of how video slots pay out.

Volatility in slots can either be high or low, although some video slot reviewers tend to include the medium volatility tier as well. Slots with high volatility pay less frequently, but the wins tend to be higher when they finally occur. On the other hand, low volatility slots pay more frequently, but the wins are usually low or medium-sized.

RTP (return to player) indicates how much money a player is expected to win over a longer period. If a slot game has an RTP of 96%, that means that you are expected to win $96 back on every $100 you invest in the game. However, RTP percentages are calculated based on millions of spins, so they are usually not the greatest representation of how things will turn out for the player.

Online Slots Glossary

Here are some of the terms that you should be familiar with when playing slot games:

Autoplay

A feature that allows you to turn on a specific number of automatic spins.

Bonus Game

A game that you can unlock through the main game, which rewards you with free spins or other prizes.

Coin Size

The size of your coin can usually be set to multiple values. The coin size is multiplied with the number of active paylines to represent your total bet.

Fixed Jackpot

The main prize that doesn’t change its value, unlike progressive jackpot that can rise indefinitely.

Free Spin

A spin that is gifted as a part of the bonus game and doesn’t require a wager. Free spins can also be won through casino bonuses.

Hit

Landing a winning combination can also be called hitting.

Jackpot

A maximum amount of money you can win from a single spin.

Max Bet

A maximum amount of money you can wager on a single spin.

Multiplier

A symbol or a feature that multiplies your win several times.

Payline

Payines are patterns that go through the reels and that you need to land identical symbols on in order to win.

Payout Percentage

This is just another term for RTP or Return to Player. It’s a percentage that indicates how much money you can expect in return over a longer period.

Progressive Jackpot

Progressive jackpots are the main prizes that increase in value every time a player places a wager on a particular game. This collective pot rises until one player lands the right combination.

Random Number Generator

RNG is a system that ensures the spins on a video slot game are patternless.

Reels

Vertical “disks” full of symbols that spin every time you press the play button.

Scatter Symbol

A symbol that needs to land in several positions across the reels over a single spin in order to unlock the bonus game.

Slot Type

A category of a slot game. Slots can be classic, five-reel, progressive, 3D, mobile-friendly, etc.

Staggered Payout

A game with a staggered payout requires you to wager the maximum number of coins in order to be eligible for winning the jackpot. Most progressive slots have staggered payouts.

Symbols

Pictures of items or characters that need to be connected in a payline in order to trigger the win.

Ways to Win

Ways to win is just another name for paylines.

Wild Symbol

A wild symbol serves as a replacement for all other symbols in a winning combination. Wilds can sometimes pay on their own or even act as scatters.

FAQ About Online Slots

Below are some of the questions players frequently ask about online casino slots.

The main reason as to why you should choose online slot games instead of any other casino games is that they are fun and easy to play. They come in various shapes and forms and are full of exciting themes and characters. Also, video slots tend to have the most rewarding jackpots in the online casino industry. One lucky spin, and you can win millions of dollars!