Online Slot Guide Overview

There are many classic and commonly recognisable features of casinos, but perhaps no more so than slot machines. Having originated in the late 19th century, slot machines have grown to become an all-time player-favourite in the gambling world. First starting off as physical machines, which do, of course, still exist today, slots have now transformed onto the platform of online casinos, where they are played by millions of different users each year. To break the games down, Bucky have put together a small slot guide for you.

When online, the games are often referred to as ‘video slots’, as they are a graphical representation on a screen. Given the rise and development of technology in recent years, these slots have quickly improved in terms of visual quality and of course, become more interactive with their gameplay.

With leading casino providers like NetEnt and IGT possessing such advanced software, they can continuously create new and thrilling slot games for players. Just like the physical machines, online slots are programmed to pay out winnings, which is tracked by each game’s individual RTP.

RTP, which stands for Return to Player, is a term used to describe the exact percentage of any wagered money that will be paid back to players, over a given time. Minimum and maximum bets do completely alter depending on the game.

As mentioned, the rise of technology has subsequently lead to an increase in slot games and inevitably, an influx of new players. To find out how to play, read on in this slot guide, where we have broken down all the common features and gameplay structure found in the games.

How To Play Slot Machine For Beginners

So, there may be thousands upon thousands of different slot games, but nearly all of them follow the same structure of gameplay. Whether you are familiar with the games already or not, it can never hurt to refresh your memory on the rules. Read out how to play slot machine guide below for further information. Inside each specific slot game is a certain number of reels and paylines. The paylines are arguably the most important aspect of the games, as a payline is simply a way to win. In contrast to fruit machines and other physical slots, online slot game’s paylines are not always adjacently lined up, but instead, they can be diagonal and even a zig-zag.

To activate a payline, you need to be lucky enough to land matching symbols across a payline. No matter what game you play, you can access the ‘paytable’ on your screen, to thoroughly understand what it is you need to be looking out for. Before spinning the symbols onto the reels, you will also need to decide on your betting amount. This is usually simple for players, who will be given certain amounts to bet each spin. For instance, you can select from 25p, 50, 75, £1 per spin etc.

If you are lucky enough to activate a payline, your winnings are decided by multiplying your betted amount to the payline. In other cases, you can specifically bet on a certain number of lines. For instance, you may place a bet of £1 on five different lines, making your betting amount £5. You may also choose to ‘auto spin’ and select a specific amount of spins for the machine to automatically spin this certain amount.

Common Features Found In Slots

Each casino software provider will always aim to make their game stand out from the rest and bonus rounds are a good way in doing so. Whether it be through diverting player’s screens to secret locations or having characters pop up on the screen, there are various ways that bonus features can help grant a game its specific identity.

Similar to the structure of gameplay inside slot machines, there is, however, also a common reoccurrence with certain bonus features inside the games. See below for bonuses that are predominantly used by slot machines:

• Scatter Symbol: Predominantly speaking, Scatter symbols hold the potential to unlock free spins for players. Usually, you will need to spin at least three of the symbols either adjacently from left to right or anywhere across the reels.
• Wild Symbol: The Wild, also known in some cases as the Substitute symbol, will replace all other symbols bar the Scatter. It will therefore potentially help create a winning payline by replacing a symbol that is not there. Commonly, the Wild will also hold a higher multiplying value in comparison to other symbols.