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2024 Slots Guide - All You Need to Know
Slots are super fun to play, they come with the best graphics and music out of all the casino games on the internet, and they provide you with univariable return rates, which allows you to budget as properly as you can. In this article, I'll explain to you all about online slots - but first, let's take a look at the best slot casinos on the planet:
| 1 |  | 9.9 | Visit сasino |
| 2 |  | 9.8 | Visit сasino |
| 3 | | 9.8 | Visit сasino |
| 4 |  | 9.7 | Visit сasino |
| 5 | | 8.4 | Visit сasino |
What Are Slot Games?
Slots are a type of casino game where reels packed with symbols are spun to try to get symbols lined up within paylines. When symbols line up, winning combinations are created and players are paid according to how rare the combination is, how much the combination is worth, and how much money the player has put on stake to spin the reels. They usually don't involve any strategies and can be played with a small budget or with a large one.
- Every slot has different rules, including minimum and maximum bets, as well as max payouts and winning combinations;
- Slots could have a fixed or progressive jackpot;
- Slot machines have different RTP (Return to Player) rates, which determine how much money the player is expected to win, on average.
What Are Slot Machines?
Slot machines are slot games found in land-based casinos. We usually refer to "machines" when talking about physical slot games, but the popularity of online slots also means that the term could be used to talk about standard online slots, also known as online slot machines.
How Do Slots Work?
Online slots are programmed to operate legitimately, but it's important to play slots in licensed online casinos to ensure a fair outcome for each round. These games are created by companies that specialize in the development of these types of casino games and host them across online casinos throughout the industry.
These are some features that will help you understand how slots work:
- Slots use an RNG, or random number generator, to ensure that every round is unique and truly random. RNGs generate thousands of number combinations per second, and they stop when the player presses the "spin" button. The number combination chosen at random determines the outcome of the spin;
- The RNG takes several factors into consideration: slot volatility, potential payouts, RTP, and probable combinations;
- The house has an advantage in every slot game. The house's advantage is usually 4% for standard slots and 6%+ for progressive jackpot games.
How to Use Slot Machines
To use a slot machine, you simply need to input a bet and click on the button to make the reels spin. Older slot machines require you to pull a lever to spin the reels, but modern slots can be played with the touch of a button alone.
Types of Slot Games & Machines
There are dozens of types of online slots in the online casino industry. Slots are divided into multiple categories and subcategories, which you'll become quite well acquainted with as you gamble on the world's best and safest online casinos. These are the main types of slots:
- 3-Reel Slots or Classic Slots: Classic slot games that had 3 reels, 3 rows, and 5 paylines. Many video slots have a similar setup, inspired by these classic casino games;
- 5-Reel Slots or Video Slots: Modern video slots usually have 5 reels, which allows for a more dynamic gameplay and varied rounds that feel less repetitive. You'll hardly come across 3-reel slots anymore!
- Progressive Jackpot Slots: These are online slots that don't have a fixed jackpot, but rather offer a max payout based on what has been collected by everyone who has played the game;
- Fixed-Jackpot Slots: Games that offer a fixed jackpot based on your stake. Fixed jackpot slots often have jackpots of 1,000x your stake or more, depending on the rules;
- Bonus Buy Slots: Games with bonus features that you can pay more money to activate instead of having to wait for the features to trigger;
- Megaways Slots: Online slots with the Megaways feature, developed by Big Time Gaming, have more than 100,000 winning ways and come with multipliers. They're often highly volatile;
- Cluster Pays Slots: Slots that pay in clusters of symbols rather than paylines. Really popular among fans of games like Candy Crush, as gameplay is quite similar.
These are just some of the types of slot games found in the online gaming industry. You are likely to come across plenty more during your adventures: be sure to check out as many types as possible to determine which type of game you like the most!
Most Popular Slots & Casinos to Play Them On
The most popular slot games in the world aren't the most profitable, but they are the most fun that you can play in the iGaming industry. Let's take a look at the most popular casino slots in the casino world and where you can play them:
| Slot | RTP | Where to Play |
| Starburst | 96.09% | BitStarz |
| Book of Dead | 96.21% | mBitCasino |
| Mega Moolah | 88.12% | 7Bit Casino |
| Sweet Bonanza | 96.48% | Wild.io |
| Immortal Romance | 96.86% | BC.Game |
Most Popular Software Providers
There are over 70 reliable software studios that develop software for the world's best online casinos. Some companies, however, are known to be the creme de la creme and are known to develop some of the best online casino games of all time, being played in hundreds of casinos across the world.
From progressive jackpot games to popular slots with fixed payouts, these companies are known as the iGaming industry's finest providers:
| Provider Name | Popular Games | Best Provider Casino |
| NetEnt | Starburst, Gonzo's Quest, Divine Fortune | Oshi Casino |
| Microgaming | Mega Moolah, Immortal Romance, Book of Atem | Fortunejack |
| Play'N Go | Book of Dead, Moon Princess, Reactoonz | Katsubet |
| Pragmatic Play | Wolf Gold, The Dog House, Sweet Bonanza | Lunabets |
| Playtech | Golden Tour, Alien Hunter, Jungle Boogie | King Billy |
Slot Terms that You Must Know Before You Play
You don't really need to know the meaning of slot terms to play online slots, but it's not fun to dive into the action blindfolded. Knowing the basic slot terms will not only allow you to learn how to play slots mroe efficiently, but it will also help you understand why each round occurs the way it does and how to be smarted when choosing which slots to play.
- RTP: The RTP, also known as return to player rate, is a percentage that determines the amount of money that you can expect to keep after playing many rounds of a slot game. The standard is 96%, meaning that the casino expects to make 4% profit on each of its slots, but players can overcome the RTP if they're lucky (some people lose more than 4%, while others don't lose money at all!)
- Paylines: These represent the number of lines in which symbol combinations can be made. Modern video slots have a standard 20 paylines, but some could have more than 100,000 if they have special features, as is the case with Megaways slots
- Reels & Rows: These are the columns and rows of an online slot. Most video slots have a standard setup of 5x3 (5 reels and 3 rows)
- Symbols: Symbols are icons that are shown in online slots. Each symbol has a different value that multiplies your bet by a certain number depending on how many symbols you manage to line up.
- Wilds: Wilds are slot symbols that substitute other symbols in a payline, allowing you to make a winning combination where there wouldn't have been possible. Lining up wilds on a pay line also gives players larger payouts.
- Scatters: Scatters are symbols that don't need to be in the same payline to have their effects triggered. Most scatters activate free spins, multipliers, or bonus rounds.
How to Choose the Right Slots
Choosing the right slots and understanding how slots work are two aspects of casino gameplay that go hand-in-hand. To choose the best slots to play, we recommend taking the following aspects into consideration:
- RTP: Take into consideration a slot's RTP before choosing which game to play. Higher RTP rates mean that you'll have a better chance of winning money.
- Variance: The variance, or volatility, is a matter of personal preference. High variance means higher payouts but fewer winning rounds, while low variance means lower payouts but more frequent wins.
- Type of game: Do you prefer progressive jackpot games or fixed jackpot games? Fixed jackpot games have lower potential jackpots, but offer better RTP rates.
- Available bonuses: Consider which bonuses you'll have at your disposal when you're choosing a slot game to play. Always opt to play games with free spins and free cash to maximize your chances of winning.
Why You Should Play Slots
Online slots are some of the most fun games in the industry. They are the type of casino game with the largest player-base in the casino world, so let's take a look at the main reasons why you should play online casino slot games. These are the main reasons why online slots are so popular:
Balance Between RTP and Fun
We’ll be straight with you: there are much better games, in terms of RTP, than online slots. On average, the expected return rate of an online casino slot is around 96%, but some games come with even lower values, whilst a smaller portion of titles come with larger ones.
Easy to Play
The main reason why you should play online slots is that they’re easy to pick up. You don’t need to read a bunch of rules every time that you want to play. You just need to make sure that you understand the reasoning behind each payline, how the symbols work, and what are the special bonuses of your favorite game. All of this can be learned pretty quickly!
Free Games with Bonuses or Demo Mode
Online slots are the best type of casino game to play for free, alongside digital table games. They just have an aura to them that makes them extremely satisfying to play – even when you’re not betting any money on them. Sure, winning money makes them a thousand times better, but that doesn’t mean that playing them on trial mode isn’t fun.
Thankfully, the best online casinos in the world allow you to play most of these games for free – no monetary commitment needed. Just visit any casino of your choice, click on the slot that you want to try out, and get down to business.
The Best Online Slots Bonuses
We know that you might want to try out the best slot games for free. You can always play the games without spending your cash, using the free play feature that we just mentioned, but the best casino bonuses will allow you to play them all and earn free cash as you do it. Check out the best free spin bonuses and start your journey as it should start!
| 1 | | Claim bonus |
| 2 | | Claim bonus |
| 3 | 30 Free Spins No Deposit WIZARD30 | Claim bonus |
| 4 | | Claim bonus |
| 5 | | Claim bonus |
Best Online Slots to Play to Get Started
One of the main reasons why you might want to play online slots is because they’re the best way to introduce yourself to the world of online casinos. There really isn’t anything too complicated about basic video slots, which means that you’ll be able to pick up the pace pretty quickly – even if you haven't played at any online casino in the past. You might want to try out the most basic of online slots first and then move on to more complex titles.
We recommend you check out this Starburst review or play Book of Dead to kickstart your casino adventure. You can even get Book of Dead free spins! Then, you can discover and rejoice on Mega Moolah and Gonzo’s Quest Megaways!
Where to Start Your Journey – Our Online Casino Selection
When it comes to the best online casinos in which you can play online slots, there are varying degrees of quality to be found all over the internet. Some of the sites that we’ve come across are so great that we can spend hours upon hours playing in them, whilst we have also tried some online casinos that we can recommend you to stay away from. Choose your favorite casino and get down to business – bonuses await those who make their first deposits!
- 2024 Slots Guide - All You Need to Know
- What Are Slot Games?
- How Do Slots Work?
- Types of Slot Games & Machines
- Most Popular Slots & Casinos to Play Them On
- Most Popular Software Providers
- Slot Terms that You Must Know Before You Play
- How to Choose the Right Slots
- Why You Should Play Slots
- The Best Online Slots Bonuses
- Best Online Slots to Play to Get Started
- Where to Start Your Journey – Our Online Casino Selection
Frequently asked questions
Some slot games allow you to make bets of just €0.02 per spin. You can play for hours with a budget of just €5.
It is ill-advised to try to make a living playing slots, as they’re luck-based and make it impossible to win consistently. You can make a living playing poker against other players, though.
No, slots are just what they look like: games where you make the reels spin and win money as you achieve paying combinations.
Yes, slots are based on luck. The outcome of each spin is determined by an RNG, and it cannot be influenced unless you’re playing skill-based slot games.
It is statistically impossible to win in the long run, but with a little bit of luck, you may be able to hit a big win that makes it worth your while to play!
Slots are fun games that offer a massive payout potential with low stakes. Lucky players could earn life-changing rewards, which is why they’re so attractive.
