How to play online slots

The very concept of gambling makes no sense without slots. In fact, slots make up the majority of online casino games.

Slots are delightful games of chance – they are easy to learn and offer big rewards. Slots can be played by beginners as well as seasoned casino players.

The advantages of playing slots are many. First, they come in a wide range of themes, such as rock bands, history, movies, video games, TV shows, comics, and so on.

Second, they come in a wide range of pay lines, starting from the one-line slots to those with 243 or even more ways to win, like on those fantastic Megaways slots.

Third, they come packed with thrilling and lucrative features such as multipliers, extra wilds, scatters, expanding wilds, bonus games, free spins, retriggers, progressive jackpots, and more. The possibilities are almost endless.

The attraction of online slots: small stakes, big winnings

Maybe the biggest attraction of playing online slots is the fact that you can win large sums of money with just a small stake. Did you know that the biggest online progressive jackpot, was won with a tiny stake?

The jackpot amount? Over 13 million pounds. The progressive jackpot slot? Mega Moolah. The stake? No more than 25p.

Of course, winning a progressive jackpot worth millions on a small stake does not happen every day. But it can be done.

Even slots that do not have a progressive jackpot, especially the high variance kind, can pay out multiple thousands of times the initial bet size.

No other casino game exists where you can win so much with such small stakes.

How to play online slots

Online slots are mostly the same as their brick-and-mortar counterpart and are based on the same principles.

There are, however, two big differences between online and offline slots:

online slots have better payout ratios (also known as the return to player)
the selection of online slots is far greater than offline slots

What remains the same, is the way all slots are played. Players first need to place a bet by selecting the number of lines and the number of coins they would like to play. They must also choose a coin size from a range of coin values.

The number of lines, multiplied by the number of coins and the bet size, determines the size of the total bet. Some slots have a fixed number of pay lines. Online slots also have a Bet Max option for players who would like to bet the maximum amount per spin.

Once the total bet size has been determined, you can place the bet by clicking on the Spin button. This action turns the reels, and the symbols will show on your screen.

The way these symbols are arranged will determine your outcome – you have lost your stake or won money.

In some slots, a Gamble option appears as soon as you get a winning combination. By clicking on the Gamble option, you get a 50% chance to double or their winnings.

Make the wrong guess, however, and you will lose your winnings. This gamble option does not favor the casino in any way, and you are always free to take it or leave it.

Bonus games on online slots

Certain combinations will activate a bonus game – this is when it gets exciting. You have now won an extra game which is different from the base game and often has the potential to pay out big.

How the bonus game is played differs between every slot, but you get extra free spins with a multiplier, extra wilds, a pick em bonus or a combination. An excellent bonus game can make or break an online slot.

Playing online slots for real money

Online slots can be played for fun, or real money at all UK licensed online casinos and online slot sites. Trying out online slots for free is an excellent way to get familiar with the mechanics and gameplay of that particular slot. If you play a slot for fun or in practice mode, you will not be able to win any real money.

If you want the thrill of playing online slots for real money, you need to sign up for an account at a trusted online casino and deposit funds.

With real money in your account, you can start winning real money at online slots. An excellent way to get some excitement and entertainment, right from the comfort of your home.

Most lucrative slots

All slots are designed to give the house an advantage over the players. In other words: the casino will always win in the long run. In the short term, it is very much possible to win playing online slots. Here are some pointers to which slots give you the best chance of winning.

First of all, players should only play slots with a high return-to-player (RTP) percentage. For reference: an RTP of 96% and up is considered a high RTP for an online slot. Avoid slots with a lower RTP.

Also, slots without progressive jackpots pay better during the base game than slots with massive progressive jackpots.

Players should always remember that smaller jackpots are far easier to hit than larger jackpots. It is perfectly okay to try and catch that one big progressive jackpot, just bear in mind that the odds of hitting that big, life-changing jackpot are about the same as being struck by lightning. Twice.

If you are looking for big wins, you are betting off playing a slot with medium to high variance. These slots will give you a fair shot at winning a nice, decent-sized jackpot without breaking the bank.

If you are purely looking for entertainment and long playing time, look for low variance slots. They may not make you rich, but you will have fun trying.

Online slot tips and tricks

Here are some exciting online slots tips to help players win:

Avoid playing progressive slots that have just paid out their progressive jackpots. Instead, play a progressive slot that has not paid out the top jackpot for a long time
Always check the RTP in the game rules. Avoid slots with an RTP lower than 96%. Try to find a slot that pays out 98%-99% for the best odds.
Always try out the slot in fun mode before playing for real money to get a feel for the mechanics and rules
Always play maximum lines
Always bet according to your budget and playing style – only bet max if your budget allows it or if you are having a winning session
If you want pure excitement, play high variance slots such as The Bowery Boys (Hacksaw) San Quentin xWays (Nolimit City), or Dead Man's Trail (Relax Gaming). Be careful, though, wins can be enormous, but your bankroll can evaporate fast
Do not go over your budget when you are losing and know when to stop when you are winning

Have fun and good luck!

Ready to play slots?

Here is a selection of reliable UK-licensed online casinos. We have extensively tested these casinos with real money.

Each casino offers hundreds of the newest and most exciting online slots from top slot providers such as NetEnt, Microgaming, Play'n Go, and Hacksaw Gaming.