Regular Slots

The Basics

Slot machines are probably the oldest and most familiar of all 'casino machines'. Although there are a number of variations, the basic slot machine is a game of chance in which the player spins a set of reels (usually three or five), which each feature a sequence of symbols on them. When the reels stop spinning, if the combination of symbols displayed left to right across the 'payline' matches a particular sequence the player wins.

Playing Slots

Playing a slot machine is probably as easy as it gets in a casino – and possibly easier than falling off a log too! Players simply place the required bet in the machine they want to play, then set the reels spinning with the push of a button (or a large lever in the classic mechanical 'one-armed bandits' of yore). A panel on the machine displays the fixed combinations of symbols that will earn a certain payoff, and once the reels are randomly brought to rest the player will win for any combination that matches.

Some modern real-world slot machines feature additional functions to 'hold' reels for the next spin and win opportunities to 'nudge' reels up and down to get to a winning combination in the payline, but these are not yet common options on online slots.

Playing Online

There's lots of customisations of the basic Slots game online, so we'd always recommend reading the game guides at the specific online casino you've chosen to familiarise yourself with its software's controls and player options. However, common features you will find are the ability to choose different coin denominations to play with on a certain machine, as well as multi-line and progressive jackpot machines, of which more below.

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Multi-line Slots - These are five reel 'Video Slot'-style games that allow the player to wager on several different paylines in the game window. Having more than one possible payline across the stopped reels creates more opportunities for getting a winning combination on each spin.

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Progressive Slots – A progressive slot is one where the jackpot is a constantly accumulating prize, the value of which is shown and regularly updated in the game. These are a big draw online since the more players that play them and the longer the period it takes for the Jackpot to be hit, the bigger the prize gets – and some have topped a million! Once claimed a progressive jackpot game returns to start again from a fixed minimum.

Variations

The main variations of the basic Slots game you'll find online are five-reel and 'multi-line' games. Five-reel slots are often billed as Video Slots and, obviously enough, have two more reels than the basic Slot Machine described above. The number of permutations possible on these machines is much greater than for a three-reel Slot so payoff tables are more elaborate and offer higher odds combinations. 'Multi-line' Slots also offer the player an opportunity to bet on combinations appearing on alternative paylines across the game window, so that a single spin offers more than one way to win. These games are very easy to pickup and you will often find good online casinos offer a 'for fun' version of the game which allows you to take them for a free spin (every pun intended) before you decide to put any real money into them.

One other aspect of online Slots that is very attractive to players is the lure of Progressive Jackpots, of which you'll find more detail by clicking here.