Have you ever wondered why slot machines take up the most space on a casino floor? The short answer is: People love it! They are the loudest, brightest, and have the most excitement surrounding them compared to other games.
While casino games are designed to provide entertainment value to players, slots are single-player gaming options that are easy to learn and simple to play. The variety and appeal of online slots directly influence the casinos' income. Therefore, slot developers pour their investment into building the best slot machines with exciting bonus features to impress players.
As a player, you may be drawn to the slot machines you are comfortable with or the ones that offer the biggest progressive jackpot. However, learning how slots work before playing is one of the smartest tricks to winning on slot machines at casinos.
Our extensive guide offers an in-depth understanding of how slots games are built, what you should look for and top tips on how to pick a winning slot machine.
How Do Slot Machines Work
Winning on slot machines comes down to pure luck, thanks to the RNG (Random Number Generator) used in their software. There is no skill or single strategy you can use to beat the online gambling system. However, we cover some nifty secrets to winning on slot machines.
But first, you need to know the basics slots. Once you know basics, you can truly benefit from our tips on how to pick a winning slot machine. All slots have the same primary elements that determine your winnings. They are as follows:
- RTP or Return to Player Percentage
- Volatility
- Betting Limit
- Pay Tables
- Slot Developers
The Basics: How Do You Pick A Winning Slot Machine
Everyone who plays slots wants to walk away with the jackpot dollar figure. You can play on jackpot slots for hours in the hope of winning and losing out because you ignored the important details. If you want to know how to win on slot machines every time, focus on how the slot machine probability works, not the sounds and graphics.
For example, the RTP of slot machines is the most important thing that players should watch closely. High RTP slots have the highest chance of a big payout. Unlike land-based casinos, the RTP on online slots is much higher.
All the information you need about finding the RTP, choosing the volatility, bet limits, paytables, etc, are available once you know where to look and their role in slot games.
How to Find the RTP of a Slot Machine
The RTP or the Return to Player Percentage is a term that is used commonly when referring to slot machines. The concept of RTP is the same as the 'House Edge' when playing other casino games. However, according to the slot machine you pick, the RTP or the payback percentage differs.
The RTP of land-based slots is often regarded as one of the best-kept casino slot machine secrets that are very tough to find.
In reality, you will need to get data reports about live casinos the local gambling jurisdictions to make an estimated guess on the RTP. Not very straightforward, is it? Yes, we didn't think so either.
It is a lot simpler to find the RTP on online casinos and on the best casino apps. This is because casinos online and other trusted websites provide payout information of slot games with a clearly marked RTP percentage value.
Why are slot machine secrets exposed so freely to online casino players? Licensing and laws governing the operations of online casinos stipulate that the payback percentage of a slot should be available to all players.
The Importance of Volatility
The term 'volatility' goes by different names like variance and payout frequency. So whether you choose progressive slots, progressive jackpots, video slots or online penny slots, you will find that the volatility ranges between low, medium and high.
Low volatility slots will provide frequent payouts. However, the value of the wins on low volatility slots is low too. These online slot games are low-risk options.
High volatility slots pay high with a less frequent payout pattern. Choosing a higher volatility slot means that your risk is higher too.
When you have a big bankroll, you have the best odds by choosing a high volatility progressive jackpot slot. You may not see a big win often, but your bankroll will celebrate when it comes.
A low volatility slot is better than any other casino game for the slow and long-game player. They are just as fun to play and they don't dip into your bankroll severely. The little wins are enough to keep the player happy, and the hope of a significant win keeps them engaged.
Betting Limits Explained
The betting limit of a game refers to the maximum bets and minimum bets you can place on any slot machine. Ideally, the betting limit is directly influenced by the player's budget for the gaming session.
While it may be tempting to max bet continuously on dollar slots for a big jackpot win, the risk is heavy and your bankroll may not appreciate it.
You can find the betting limit on most slots by choosing the information menu or studying the table before you place your bets. Set a limit when you play slots. Your winnings and bankroll balance can help you set the limit.
If you have doubled your budget, stop, and leave the slot machine. The same goes for losing more than 30% of your budget without a win.
How to Read The Pay Table
All information about the payouts for the winning combination is described in the paytable for every game. Every symbol in the slot reels carries a value when it is in the right combination, and this information is gold, and players need to pay attention to it.
The information menu on the slot game will have the paytable for you to understand before playing. The paytable describes the multipliers, wilds, scatters and bonus symbols for the lucky wins too. For example, knowing what scatter symbols you should look for, helps players know when they can get free spins.
How to Choose A Casino Game Developer
Choosing games developed by a reputed game developer helps in keeping the entertainment alive. It also helps to know the games that others trust and play often. For instance, video slots were introduced into casinos to keep up with the growing interest in video entertainment.
By including features like this, casinos prove that they understand your entertainment expectations while you win at slots. Reputed game developers build unique, popular, trendy and, more than anything, legal games.
Top 10 Secrets to Winning on Slot Machines
It helps to know all the slot tips possible to boost your chances of winning. While every slot machine strategy has been tried and tested, they do not guarantee your slot machine odds.
Picking that perfect and right slot machine to win is a game of probability thanks to the random number generators built into the slot game software.
1. Superstitions and Tricks
People have different kinds of superstitions that they think influences their winning odds. However, their theories are not based on facts.
All the 'just missed' exclamations from players glued to their video slots, are simple reactions to the marketing strategy of the game developers. They are designed to make the player feel close to triggering bonus features, prompting them to increase their bets substantially.
2. Avoid Jackpot Slots
Progressive slots are not the frequent money makers in reality. However, they are the ones that you will spend the most money on, thanks to the prominent display of the jackpot value. If you have the money to spend, then consider progressive jackpots for the better benefit. But in that case, you should learn about the frequency of a slot machine to hit the jackpot.
Or you can choose to play slot machines that don't have a the biggest jackpot value. For instance, penny slots like Da Vinci Diamonds and Rainbow Riches can be some of the best and most enjoyable games to play online.
3. Low Volatility Slots are Better
Remember that slots are perfect for playing to be entertained as a single player for hours. Huge jackpots may not be a promise with low volatility slot machines. However, your wins and free spins will be frequent, keeping you in the game for a long time.
Playing slots with high volatility is best suited for those with a considerable bankroll. However, being a game of high probability; your best choice is to choose low volatility slot games.
4. Pick New Slot Machines
Game developers make new, trendy and eye-catching games regularly to keep up with the growing demand of players' tastes. Need an example? Think about this: as soon as the TV series Narcos became a global hit on Netflix, all the top gaming sites started to offer Narcos free spins to push players to try the new game released by NetEnt.
Online casinos also have the advantage of showcasing these games on their casino lobby to let their customers know that they are up to date.
The downside for a casino by offering new slots is that players don't often move away from the most popular online slots.
Therefore, to make up the cost of hosting new slots, casinos offer impressive casino bonuses with free spins to win money. Take note that payout percentages of the latest slots are sometimes dropped by casinos to attract new players.
5. Read Slot Reviews
Study the slots you are going to invest in thoroughly. Reading reviews and watching videos will give players the insight needed to score a good win. There are specific casino review websites that provide a detailed study of the slot game you want to play. Social media, community forums and other websites are also great tools.
And if you are too lazy to read reviews, you can use Twitch and YouTube. The top casino streamers are perfect to learn about the best games and see how different levels of volatility and RTP can impact your gameplay and your chances to win on slots.
Here on CasinoSmash we try to do our part, bringing you all the best ways to get free spins and win real money with a list of promotional offers and review that we update multiple times every month.
6. Practice on Demo Free Spins
If you have heard about a great slot game or want to try a new game that doesn't have many reviews, you can take advantage of demo games. Several casinos and review websites offer players a chance to try free slots to play for fun.
You can try out different bets without losing any real money on the games. Demo slots are also perfect for testing the higher denomination slots you cannot afford to lose money on.
If you don't know where to star, here's a link to play Mega Moolah free and discover all the other game reels you can play as demo and with no deposit needed.
7. Study The Game Table For Changes
Not all the slots have the same kind of playing rules. With new and improved games added frequently, developers introduce unique feature triggers to attract new players.
Before you start playing, always study the games' pay table first. Chances are you could have found a new version of an old slot game with a good payout percentage.
8. Promotions and Casino Bonuses
All online casino sites offer promotions and special casino bonus games for customers. Every deposit bonus designed for new players is a great way to play free games while winning money.
In addition, regular exclusive bonuses for loyal customers are offered as part of the promotions for newly introduced games. Again, this presents a chance for players to win real money with free spins.
As we explain in our rundown of the best Borgata slots, there are multiple ways to secure free money to play popular games - especially when you find a casino where you can register a new account.
9. Set Your Betting Limit
Your budget is an essential element in making a profit when playing online slots. Setting a budget and sticking to it will only increase your chances of winning at some point.
Divide your bankroll according to your bet sizes and move away from a slot that doesn't pay before you lose any more money. If you have an impressive bankroll to try progressive slot games, a budget will help set the limits to your bet size.
10. Wagering Requirements
Before you pick slot machines at an online casino, always check the wagering requirements to withdraw your wins. Most online casinos that offer bonuses that are too good to be true sneak in a staggering wagering requirement.
Wagering requirements make withdrawing your wins tricky even if you land winning symbol combinations on the first spin. Therefore, pick a casino that has low wagering requirements so you can benefit from the wins even on small bet sizes.
Conclusion
If you are new to online casinos, or even a seasoned slot player, it helps to know your playground. Playing games on live casinos is fun, but it can deplete the size of your bankroll considerably if you are not careful.
For this reason, the aforementioned tips are a great starting point for all types of players. Lastly, always begin playing with a small starting deposit on online slot games before investing heavily.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you find loose slots?
Loose slots refer to slots that offer frequent wins. In other words, you are essentially looking for a slot that has a low variance. A simple google search will help you find best slot games with a low variance.
How to tell if a slot machine is ready to pay?
All online slots use random number generators to provide players with a win. Therefore, there is no way of telling how to win on slot machines every time. Therefore, players are encouraged to play responsibly and realise that the "almost there" theory is an illusion not based on facts.
What are the best slot machines to play?
Depending on your budget, you can choose to play slots that pay often but in small increments or slots that pay rarely but pay more. The top slots to play online are Starburst, Goblin's Cave, Gonzo's Quest, Mega Moolah, etc.
What to do if a slot has not given a win for some time?
If you have not made a win in a while and your bankroll has depleted, it's time to move on. No, the next spin is not going to be your lucky spin.
What triggers a jackpot win at slots?
All symbols displayed on the reels are purely based on random numbers generated by the computer program of slot machines. There is no way you are going to win the jackpot on your next spin.
How much can you win on slots?
The sum of the payout depends on the combination you line up on the screen and the size of your bet. The maximum win on slots varies from one game to the other. Progressive Slots are the games with the highest possible wins — but also the most expensive ones to play.
