When people hear the word, “casino” most will imagine those colorful slot machines, with their flashing lights, spinning wheels, and handles being pulled by players who are aiming to win the jackpot.
In U.S. casinos, the most popular game, by far, is the slot machine. And how much of a casino’s profits in the U.S. are generated by slot machines? Well, let’s take a look at the 12-month period from March 1, 2020 through February 28, 2021 to see how much of Nevada’s casinos profits came from slots.
The total amount won by the state’s casinos during that one-year period was $7,327,153 and of that amount, a total of $5,152,988 came from slot machines. So, 70.32% of the money won by casinos in Nevada came from slot machines!
How do slots work?
Slots are run by a computer program called a random number generator. This program creates random results every time a player selects several paylines and spins. Slot machines have different themes that range from fruits to animated video slots.
What are the reasons for the popularity of slot machines?
Well, there are a couple of reasons. Number one would be the fact that they are simple to play. Pretty much everyone knows how to play a slot machine: just put in your money, push the “spin” button, or pull the handle, and wait to see if you are rewarded with a lucky win.
This procedure is much simpler than having to sit down at a table game with other players and trying to make betting and playing decisions for games where you may not completely know the rules or strategies.
And, number two on our list of reasons for the popularity of slot machines is that they are relatively cheap to play. Actually, penny machines are now the most popular slot machine denomination.
Once again, going back to Nevada’s gaming statistics for the 12-month period shown above, we know that there were 94,588 slot machines in the state’s casinos. 45,459 of those machines were multi-denominational, and of the remaining 49,039 machines in the state, 39,080 of those machines, or almost 80%, were penny machines. So, for many casino gamblers, they can throw a $20 bill into a slot machine and have some fun for a while, rather than playing a table game where that $20 might only last for one hand.
Slots are also available online, and just like those in casinos that come in all shapes and sizes, online slots come with different themes, bonus features, and payouts. The common thing about almost all slot games is that they offer a chance to win big by just betting a small amount of money. With this, many people are researching tips and tricks on how to win at slots.
While there is no magical formula on how to win at slots, being educated and learning more about them can let you have more fun and, maybe, increase your chances of winning. Or, at least to help you lose less and get more “bang for your buck” with your gambling bankroll.
If you’re looking to learn more about slot machines and online slots, you’re in the right place. Today, we are giving you our ultimate guide to playing slots. Read on for more details!
How to Choose a Slot Machine?
A major aspect of playing online slots is learning various machines and deciding which ones you want to play. When choosing the slots you’d like to play, take some time to try out different slot machines for free in demo mode.
Online casinos usually allow members to play free on selected machines. There are also slot websites that can give you access to free play online slots without needing to sign up or download any apps or software, like playing slot games in our free slots arcade.
Here are some important questions to ask:
- Do you like the look and feel of the machine?
- Is it exciting to play?
- Does playing the maximum bet meet your budget?
- Is there a bonus round where you can expand winnings? (This is recommended)
- How many reels and paylines do you personally want on an online slot?
- What’s the maximum jackpot versus the max bet? Is it a good value?
- Are there numerous medium payouts? (This is preferred)
There are other factors to consider once you narrow down your choices. When you find a machine or machines you enjoy, it’s time for the next step. There’s still a little more work to do before you start to play slot machines online for real money.
How to Play Slots for Beginners – A Step by Step Guide
For the sake of keeping this guide on how to play slot machines simple, we’re going to pretend you’re playing the game you see in the screenshot above. It’s called Mega Fortune and is a great game for beginners since it’s simple and has several huge progressive jackpots.
Below is a step-by-step procedure showing you how to play slot machines, specifically Mega Fortune in this example. It works basically the same way for all slot machines, although there may be some variations depending on the software developer.
So, to place a bet on Mega Fortune slot, you would:
Step 1
Make a deposit. Unless you’re playing free slots or have a no deposit free spins bonus, you’ll need to deposit funds before you can play. You can usually do this in the ‘account’ or ‘banking’ section of your casino.
Step 2
Determine the number of paylines you want to play. In this game, the number is fixed at 25, but you can view each payline by clicking the numbers at either side of the game screen. In some other games, you can determine how many lines you want to play per spin.
Step 3
ecide your coin value. In Mega Fortune, you can set your coin value between £0.01 and £0.50. Remember, you’re betting one coin per payline, so if you were to set your coin value at £0.01, you would be betting £0.25 per spin.
Step 4
Set your bet level. This isn’t a feature of all video slots, but it is for this one. You can increase your level from between one and four. The higher you go, the bigger your bet size. For example, if you bet with a coin value of £0.01 at level one your bet size would be £0.25. If you bet with the same coin value at level four, your bet size would be 4x greater or £1.
Step 5
Hit the spin button. This is where the fun begins. You’ll see the symbols spinning on the reels, and if you land a winning combination, you’ll receive a payout. The payout size depends on how many symbols you’ve landed, your bet size, and the value of the symbols.
Playing slot machines is as simple as that. It’s not rocket science, and you’ll master it in a few spins. If it all seems foreign to you, we suggest getting familiar with the process by playing some of our free slots until you feel comfortable.
Beginner Tips for Playing Slots Online
Here are six top tips designed to make sure you have a good experience playing slots online:
- Stay focused on the moment.
- Track how much money you are spending and winning/losing.
- Stop playing when you’ve lost what you’ve come to spend.
- Stop playing if you’ve won a substantial amount of cash.
- If you play the double-up game in the bonus, remember that you can lose all bonus winnings.
- Play for fun and not to win the month’s rent or car payment.
Preparation is key to playing slot machines online. Knowing a machine before you start pumping cash into it will help you understand any choices you may have, especially as far as the bonus round and double up features are concerned. Be sure to stick to your budget, stay focused, play at your own rate, and have fun!
Benefits of slots
Besides being one of the easiest games you can play. Unlike other games like Poker, you do not need to strategize to win. You can win jackpots with slots without making calculated moves. Slots have other advantages that set them apart from other casino games.
Slots require a low wager or bet and you can play for much less than you would in a table game. This allows you to play more, with less money, and make more.
Different Types of Slots
With the advancement of technology, you can find many different kinds of slot games today. It’s because software providers are constantly searching for new ways on how they can entertain players. This means that the choice of online slots has increased a lot in recent years. Here are some of the different types of slot games that you might encounter:
3-Reel Slots
This type of slot game is based on the classic fruit machine games that are found in arcades in different parts of the world. These are the simplest forms of online slot machines. They are very easy to understand.
There are three columns on a window with three rows of symbols. The center line is known as the main pay line, but the machine can easily have more pay lines, up to nine in total. The player will bet and then spin the reels. If the symbols on the pay line match a winning combination from the pay table, the player will win the equivalent amount of money for that combination.
5-Reel Slots
Five-reel slots are also called video slots. It is a more complex type of slot. Instead of having a single pay line, it can have up to 100, which gives players more chances of winning on each spin. Since it has extra reels and multiple pay lines, this type of slot game also has a more detailed paytable. In addition, there are also special features like wilds and scatter symbols, which can give players even more chances of winning.
3D Slots
The rules, gameplay, and pay lines in 3D slots are exactly the same as 5-reel slots. The only difference is that it features an assortment of 3D animated characters that intermingle with the players during the game to trigger bonuses and other incentives. It gives the game a narrative-driven feel because each 3D slot offers various settings and storylines. Its visual and audio effects combined with different themes give players a unique experience.
I-slots
This type of slot game is also interactive, but it allows players to create their own storyline by taking part in an adventure. To advance the game, the player needs to spin different combinations of reels. Each result provides different ways to finish the game and the storyline.
Feature Slots
These slot machines have special features, including bonus rounds and extra spins. These bonuses are unlocked via Wilds and Scatters. They are random symbols that act as wildcards, giving players more chances to win on every spin.
Key Takeaways
Advances in technology have changed the slot player’s experience. Modern computerized slot games can offer bigger jackpots and more varied play experiences. In addition to changes in the games themselves, the use of bill validators to buy credits and ticket printers to cash out credits eased play and enabled the development of low-denomination games. Bonus wheels atop slot machines as well as bonus events on video screens added entertainment value to the games. The online slots, and free slots are spreaded wide all over the internet and played daily by millions of people.