Online Slot Machines

Online slot machines are the simplest casino games because they do not require the player to understand long lists of rules or adopt any specific strategy. All the player has to do is insert their money and pull a handle or press a button to set the reels in motion. The reels come to a stop from left to right and the configuration of symbols on a pay line determines whether or not a player wins. If a win does occur then the slot machine pays out automatically.

Slots have evolved a great deal over the last fifty years or so. For years almost all mechanical slot machines looked alike, with three reels and a single pay line. Only the décor of the cabinet and the symbols appearing on the reels varied from machine to machine. Then electronic slot machines were introduced, and from there slots began to be developed in a number of different directions. The ability to nudge and hold reels, play bonus games, play more than three reels, play more than a single pay line and play video slot machines were all new ways of entertaining the player. Jackpots grew larger, progressive jackpots were introduced and, as the rapidly advancing telecommunications industry matured, machines were remotely linked, making it possible for progressive jackpots to reach previously unimaginable heights.

Today, online gaming has helped slot machines to make another evolutionary leap forward. We can now play slots that have five reels and as many as fifty pay lines. We can choose the size of our own stake and enjoy audio, animation and video that creates a more immersive entertainment experience. And we can do all of this from the comfort of our own home!

Progressive Slot Jackpots

As far as profit potential is concerned, progressive jackpot machines are the ones to focus on. These start with a baseline jackpot level (see individual machine rules for details of this) and the jackpot grows every time the machine is played until it is eventually won. It is worth noting that many progressive jackpot slot machines will only pay out the progressive jackpot if you are playing with a maximum stake size, so do look at what is required to win the jackpot before you play – you don’t want to line up the jackpot symbols and discover you aren’t the multi-millionaire you suddenly thought you were!

Strategies For Slots

Slot machines are games of chance, so there is no real skill-based strategy that you can adopt in order to influence the game to any extent. Having said that, there are a few tips we can give you that should prove useful:

• Check the edge. The payout percentage on slot machines can be as high as 98% at some casinos, and as low as 80% at others, so it makes sense to look around for the machines offering the highest payout rate (and therefore the lowest house edge). However, don’t think that these percentages are constant over the short term because payout percentages are generally calculated over hundreds of thousands of spins. So, whilst it is reasonable to assume that if you put £1,000,000 into a 98% machine you will get around £980,000 back, it is not reasonable to assume a return of £9.80 from a total investment of £10.
• Set yourself a budget. You should give yourself a certain amount of money to spend during a single gaming session and stop playing when your losses reach that limit. This will allow you to remain in control of your slot machine spending and avoid being seduced into spending more than you can afford by the gaming experience itself.
• Know the rules. Many online slot machines these days have bonus rounds, and knowing how to play these will help you enormously even if it doesn’t actually increase your chances of winning a prize. Taking a few minutes to read the rules of the game and obtain this “how to play” information will put you in a better frame of mind to tackle any bonus round when you get to it.