The Full Guide to Online Slots 2023

Unlike most casino games, the Slots have their history rooted in the United States of America. They were first introduced in San Francisco by a guy named Charles Fey, right before the start of the 20th century. Back then, it was called the Liberty Bell. The machine had a picture of a splintered liberty bell and three reels that spun. Each reel had the symbol, hearts, spades and diamonds painted. The first slot machine is still present in Reno, Nevada, as a tribute to the rich legacy of the game.

The Slots became an instant hit, and in less than a decade, the competition began to emerge. One such competitor was Herbart Mills; he developed the idea of adding symbols of fruits such as lemons, plums & cherries on the playing reels. Mills and Fey are two people whose ideas are used even today.

The advancement in technology helped the game of slots to reach new heights. In 1963, 'Money Honey', a fully electronic slot machine, was developed by Bally. Then in 1974, 'Fortune Coin', the world's first video slot game, was invented by Walt Freely; This was the point from where slot machines ventured into the virtual world, and today, they are played by millions of people all across the globe.

Slot machines became very popular towards the end of the 20th century, with the United States, Australia and the UK leading the line. The outbreak of online casinos ensured that the slots became available throughout the globe, and as a result, it has become one of the most famous gambling games. New and improved versions of the game are being developed every day, such as the 3D slots game or the version that allows a staggering 243 possible winning permutations. Technology, without any doubt, has raised the level of the game.

When playing slots, you will need to know what the following terms mean to play the game.

Bet: Amount at stake.

Bonus Feature: There are countless Bonus features, but the good ones are Free Spins and Wilds.

Free Spins: A new aspect of the online game where the player gets around 15 to 20 free spins in a single game.

Gamble Feature: A high risk, high reward bonus round in which the player can either lose everything or double, triple or even quadruple his winnings.

Jackpot: The ultimate winning on any particular slot.

Max Bet: The highest quantity of coins in a single turn.

Payline: The payline is where the symbols need to line up either diagonally or straight across the reel for the player to win. Paylines depend on which version of the game you are playing, and there can be a hundred payline or just five.

Progressive Jackpot: A Jackpot that begins from a minor jackpot and rises until a player hits it.

Reels: The revolving drums on which symbols have been placed since the first slot machine was created. The game aims to match the symbols on the revolving drums.

Scatters: When a player wins, even without lining up the symbols. A bonus stage usually follows this play.

Wilds: A bonus symbol that acts as an alternative to every other symbol. It helps to complete a winning permutation.

Winning combinations: The number of ways a player can win. Online casinos have slot games with hundreds of winning combinations, and some even have thousands.

The most straightforward rule is to match the symbols on the paylines. However, the fun doesn't stop there because in the new versions of the game, bonus rounds, scatter, and wild features make it possible to have hundreds of ways of winning literally. Therefore, it is also advisable to go through the bonus features of a new slot.

Every slot is unique, so you must know the type of slot you are playing at. There are countless possible combinations; however, generally, the following are present in all casinos.

3-reel slots: Based on the game's original version, it has a maximum of 5 payline.

5-reel slots: A product of the new era, these slots include new features including bonus stages, scatter and wilds.

Multiline slots: These are the high-risk-high rewards slot machines having over 25 paylines. The payout is high, but so is the risk.

Progressive slots: Same in appearance to standard slots; in progressive slots, the jackpot keeps increasing to the point where it gets stuck. Players can play as high as four concurrent jackpots in the modern game. In a bonus round, players can hit all four of them.

Online slots are unpredictable games of chance. This means that no set strategy can increase your chances of winning or turn the odds in your favour. Do these things to improve your odds before you begin playing. Here are a few strategic moves to increase your odds with online slots. 

Choose Slots with a High RTP

A good strategy is to find slots that have a high RTP. Any slot with an RTP of 95% or above meets the criteria. These can have a better chance of awarding wins. 

Choose Slots with Bonus Symbols

When you're playing online slots, you want to increase your chances of getting rewards. With bonus symbols, you get the opportunity to trigger features such as free spins or base game features such as multipliers, re-spins, or wild wins. 

Choose Only One

There is a high frequency and a payout size on all slots, and you need to choose one. Know from the get-go that you cannot choose both. So, if you want frequent but small wins, you should opt for a high hit frequency. If you're okay with occasional wins and prefer larger payouts, opt for lower hit frequency. 

Set Up a Personal Loss Limit

Slot games can be addictive, so you need to set your limits at your online casino to protect yourself. And on that note, never chase progressive jackpots as this is a fruitless effort. Progressive jackpots trigger at random, and you can never determine when they might hit. So if you play a progressive slot, play for fun and the possible luck of hitting the jackpot, but don't chase the win.