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A Complete Guide to Slot Machines

By Jim Beviglia Published: Updated:

Slot machines are without a doubt the most exciting game in the casino, and with the rise of online video slots and their various features, they’re becoming more engaging and interesting with every passing day.

The hype surrounding slots is founded on a few things – the colossal jackpots, the fun features, and the sheer number of free spins and slots bonuses casinos are giving away to win you over as a player.

With stories of players winning $15,000,000 from a $0.30 spin found all over the web, it’s little wonder that slots are the top priority for most players.

Yet not all slot machines are created equal. There are indeed fantastic games that have potentially life-changing jackpots, but there are also plenty of dud slots which you’ll want to avoid. To learn about the best slots online and where to play them, check out the page linked to below.

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We understand that it can be confusing to understand how to distinguish between great slots and the less worthy ones, how the features work, and that understanding how slot machines work can seem tough at the start.

We’ve created this page to bring you up to speed in record time. Feel free to read these sections one by one or skip ahead to the section which is most relevant to you.

How Slot Machines Work

Understanding how slot machines work doesn’t require a degree in quantum physics (thankfully). There are a certain number of reels, a set number of pay lines (patterns which make winning lines), and getting matching symbols across those lines creates payouts.

It can be helpful to think of slot machines as scratch cards in motion. Each time you spin, a new set of symbols appears on the screen, and matching certain symbols in specific patterns creates wins. Of course, symbols are worth different values, so not all payouts are equal.

Slot machines are ultimately controlled by random number generators, which are what makes casino games random and fair. This means that a complex mathematical program controls the outcome, ensuring games can’t be rigged and likewise can’t be tampered with by players.

To learn more about random number generators and how they work, check out the article below.

Types of Slot Machines

Did you know that there are distinct “types” of slot machines? Yup, that’s right – no two slot machines are exactly the same, but they can be classified according to certain categories.

For example, slots can be classified by the number of reels they have or the type of jackpot. There are three-reel slots and five-reel slots, and there are fixed jackpot slots and progressive jackpot slots.

Fruit Machines

Fruit machines are found in pubs and bars all over Europe and in lots of land-based casinos around the world. They’re exactly as the name indicates – basic slot machines with a few symbols based on plums, melons, bananas, and bunches of grapes.

Fruit machines don’t offer many features (if any), but one common feature is the “nudge.” This gives you the ability to move symbols up or down to help create winning combos. You can also “hold” symbols in place for another spin.

One-Armed Bandits

These are another form of land-based slot game. Their defining characteristic is their “handle,” which protrudes from the side of the machine and which you need to pull on to spin the reels.

One-armed bandits typically have three reels and rows and are made up of simple symbols, much like fruit machines. They won’t offer lots of bonus features, although we’ve encountered a few in which you can jump up a “level” to play a higher-value game with bigger payouts.

Classic Slots

Classic slots are the online version of fruit machines and one-armed bandits. They’ve been made to recreate these games in digital format and typically appeal to older players who remember how slots were back in the day.

Classic slots, like their land-based counterparts, don’t offer lots of extra bells and whistles. Instead, they typically offer 5-10 paylines, perhaps an expanding symbol or two, and maybe a few free spins thrown in just to spice things up. The aim of the game is to win cash payouts and the jackpot (if you’re lucky).

Video Slots

Video slots are the main focus of online gambling these days. There are literally thousands of them out there, and new ones are being published every week.

Video slots are different from other kinds in that they have features, animations, and superior graphics, much like video games. A video slot might have a story, levels for you to move through, several bonus features and rounds, and a mesmerizing 3D theme based on ancient Egypt, Aztec culture, or something else entirely.

Branded Slots

We mentioned above that there are all kinds of video slots online. From football to food to flowers to farming, there are all manner of themed slots out there.

However, there are also specific “branded” slots which are themed on big-name movies or even companies. These can be plain and simple, but they often have lots of great bonus features and decent jackpots, since it’s likely the slots company has paid a licensing fee and so will want to make the slot the best it can be to maximize their return on investment.

Mobile Slots

Most slot games designed within the last five years are mobile-compatible. However, there are specific mobile slots which have been designed with mobile players in mind. Nektan is a slot firm which has carved a name out for itself in the mobile gaming scene, and its slots are lite, fast, and they load extremely quickly.

Slots which have been designed specifically for mobile players don’t tend to have as many features as everyday video slots, but they usually have at least a free spins bonus round.

Progressive Jackpot Slots

These games offer “super jackpots,” which are often linked together in networks.

Progressive jackpot games come in all types, too. There are simple, straightforward games with few features, and there are extravagant, feature-rich progressive slots which are a pleasure to play.

The features and extras are often overshadowed and deemed less important than they would be in other games due to the huge amounts of cash on offer, though. Some progressive jackpot slots offer the sort of wins you would think of as lotto wins, rather than slot wins. They can change lives in an instant and have done so on many occasions.

Virtual Reality Slots

The age of virtual reality is coming, and with a few tweaks by tech savants and a few billion-dollar checks written by Mark Zuckerberg and friends, we’ll be living in a VR world we can only imagine, perhaps sooner than we think.

However, when it comes to slots, we don’t need to speculate too much about the future, because virtual reality slots are already here. In fact, there are now entire virtual reality casinos offering lots of slots to choose from.

Right now, this is all still in its infancy, and we expect massive strides forward over the coming 5-10 years. However, if you own a VR headset, you can now stroll around VR casinos and pick from various slot machines.

Once you begin playing the game, the screen takes up your view, just as it would when playing a standard video slot, so the VR experience focuses more on the casino experience, rather than the game itself. That said, it’s an experience in and of itself to have the game screen right in front of your face.

Once you understand the different types of slot machines and have made a decision about which games you would like to play, the next thing to figure out is where to play them. Our site is dedicated to helping you find the best online casinos, but there are specific sites which are better at one thing or another.

The age of virtual reality is coming, and with a few tweaks by tech savants and a few billion-dollar checks written by Mark Zuckerberg and friends, we’ll be living in a VR world we can only imagine, perhaps sooner than we think.

However, when it comes to slots, we don’t need to speculate too much about the future, because virtual reality slots are already here. In fact, there are now entire virtual reality casinos offering lots of slots to choose from.

Right now, this is all still in its infancy, and we expect massive strides forward over the coming 5-10 years. However, if you own a VR headset, you can now stroll around VR casinos and pick from various slot machines.

Once you begin playing the game, the screen takes up your view, just as it would when playing a standard video slot, so the VR experience focuses more on the casino experience, rather than the game itself. That said, it’s an experience in and of itself to have the game screen right in front of your face.

If you’re interested in progressive jackpot slots, the page linked to below is for you. These are the best slots to play if you want to land life-changing wins. This page will show you the best games to play, the pros and cons of the various slots sites you can play them at, and which games currently have the biggest jackpots.

It’s possible that you’ll want to play slots for free to begin with. This has a few advantages, such as giving you a better understanding of how slots work, letting you assess individual games and their features without risking real money, and letting you test slots strategies for yourself.

The page linked to below discusses the best sites that offer free slots. We assess slots sites the same way we do online casinos as a whole – we look at various factors such as which games are offered, whether the sites are honest and trustworthy, and what the strengths and weaknesses of each individual site are.

It’s highly likely that you’re reading this on some sort of mobile device. The vast majority of people connected to the web today are using mobiles of some sort, and so are slots players.

Mobile slots players face different challenges and issues than regular players. For example, you need to be sure the games on offer at a given site function optimally on mobile devices, and the slots bonuses tend to be different for mobile players (usually a smaller amount to get things started).

The following page covers all you need to know about mobile slots sites. After reading it, you’ll know where to find the best mobile slot games, which sites are most trustworthy, and where to find the best mobile slots bonuses. Go ahead and check it out.

Best Mobile Slots Sites*

Slot Machine Strategies and Myths

You’ve probably seen at least one system claiming it can teach you how to beat slots every time. We’re here to tell you upfront that no such system exists in reality, and anyone who is trying to sell you one will be the real financial winner in that transaction.

However, there are some things you can do to improve your odds of winning. While the game is ultimately determined by a random number generator, there are things that every experienced slots player wishes they had known when they first started playing.

First, check the following page out. It discusses various popular slots strategies and discusses whether or not they actually work.

There are also a lot of myths surrounding online slots. Some of these are outright lies, and some of them have some basis in truth but have gotten blown out of proportion over time. We’ll discuss these slots myths on the page below.

Busting Slot Machine Myths

Whether or not slots strategies work, there are definitely some expert slots tips that we all wish we had known a little sooner. For example, knowing how to pick the games with the highest “RTP” (return to player) can save you hundreds or thousands of dollars and substantially increase your chances of winning. Check the following page out for some great slots tips that will most certainly help you. You’ll be glad you did.

Tips for Playing Online Slots

Other Helpful Articles on Slot Machines

While you might look at a slot machine, enjoy a few spins, and think you have it all figured out, there’s actually a lot more to playing slots online than initially meets the eye.

Like with everything else, it’s the little things that count, and it’s the things you don’t see coming that will bring you down and leave you empty-handed. Taking some time to familiarize yourself with the various facets of slot machines will pay off dividends in the long run. The following pages have been designed to teach you what you need to know.

Slots Glossary

When you first encounter slot machines, you might feel a bit bamboozled by all of the different “terms.” For example, some new players are confused by what “paylines” are or how to differentiate between a standard symbol and a “wild” symbol.

We know that it can take a while to figure this all out, during which you will miss opportunities and lose money, so we decided to create the slots machine glossary linked to below to speed up the learning process.

Take the time to check this page out. Even if you only learn one thing, it could be the thing which causes you to make a decision which lands you the payout you’ve always dreamed of. Don’t go in blind and lose money!

Managing Your Bankroll

Bankroll management is important when playing any casino games, but it’s especially so when playing video slots. These games are so exciting precisely because your bankroll will fluctuate so much, and you can go from close to zero to having swollen pockets in seconds.

Likewise, you can go from having swollen pockets to broke in a few spins if you let yourself get carried away. Such is the nature of slots, and it’s important to learn how to manage your bankroll properly in order to conserve your capital and hold onto your wins.

Check out the following page on casino bankroll management. While it’s applicable to most casino games, you’ll learn all you need to know about managing your slots bankroll, too.

Land Casinos with the Greatest Selection of Slots

Sometimes it’s nice to switch off your devices, disconnect from the digital world, and interact with real life, isn’t it? As slots players, we feel the same way, and every once in a while, we like to visit the best slots casinos in the world for some serious fun.

While there are thousands of land casinos out there, there are only a select few which make our “best slots casinos” list. These offer staggering numbers of slot machines, some huge jackpots, and of course the delicious food and high-octane entertainment which sets the best casinos apart from the average ones.

Check out the best land casinos for slots players on the page below.

Best Land Casino Destinations for Slot Fanatics

Slot Tournaments

Slot tournaments are a great way to play slots for a variety of reasons. They’re available at land-based casinos, casino sites, and real money slots apps.

Some of the biggest and best slots tournaments have prize pools in the hundreds of thousands. These typically cost a lot of money to enter, but there are plenty of cheaper tournaments to play in. You’ll even find free slots tournaments that pay real money prizes!

If you play slots tournaments for real money, there will be a “prize pool.” This pool of money will be distributed to the top winning players.

Every casino will do this differently. For example, if 45 players sign up then maybe they’ll pay out the top 7-10 players. If 10 players sign up, then maybe the top 5-10 players will cash. If 200 players sign up, then maybe 15-20 players will cash.

Typically, the larger prizes are awarded to the top finishers. The smaller prizes are awarded to the people who cash at the bottom of the payout scale.

There are lots of different types of slot tournaments. The following list has the most common formats you can expect to find.

Multi-Tiered or Survivor

These start off with multiple groups of players. The highest scorer from each group will move on to the next phase, where they’ll compete against the other winners.

This is similar to a poker shootout tournament.

Sit and Go (SNG)

As with poker SNGs, the tournament starts once a certain number of players sign up to play. For example, if you sign up for a 10-person slot tourney, and there are only 9 players, the tourney won’t start until a tenth person joins.

Scheduled

These start at a specific date and time. The upside to this type of tournament is that it attracts more players, which leads to higher prize pools and payouts.

The downside is that it’s much harder to win since there are so many players participating.

VIP

These tournaments are reserved for VIP club members.

To earn an entry, you might need to earn enough points each month or wait for an invitation from the casino.

Extender

These are interesting tournaments because the points you earn accumulate from one round to the next. For example, if you earn 500 points in round one, you’ll start with 500 points in round two. Any points you earn during that round will be added.

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If you have a bad round, you might be able to make up for it during a later round. The opposite also applies – just because you had a great round, that doesn’t mean you’re going to win. You can always have a bad round and lose the tournament.

These tournaments often allow add-ons and rebuys too. And some tournaments can last for as long as a month, which gives you multiple chances to increase your score.

Evolution of Slot Machines

Slots today are a heck of a lot different from how they started out. It’s rare to find an old-school fruit machine these days, but we still remember them with fondness, and we’re sure many of you do, too.

While those three-reel, one-armed bandits were a lot of fun (and still exist in some casinos today), there’s no doubt that the vast number of features like free spins rounds, expanding symbols, and built-in mini-games which modern video slots offer ultimately enrich the gaming experience.

Looking ahead, what does the future of slots hold? Only time will tell, but we’re already beginning to get a glimpse with the first virtual reality slots and blockchain-powered games. Slots are constantly evolving, and we’re excited to see what lies in wait.

Check out the in-depth article below for an overview of the evolution of slot machines.

Slots FAQ

Jim Beviglia
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About Jim Beviglia
Jim Beviglia has been a gambling writer at LegitGamblingSites.com since 2018. During that time, he’s written just about every type of article related to gambling, including reviews of betting sites, guides to popular casino games, betting tips on both casino and sports betting, sports and casino blog posts, and game picks. In addition to online gambling, one of Jim’s other major interests is music. He has been doing freelance work for various music sites and magazines for two decades. Among his outlets past and present are American Songwriter, VinylMePlease, Treble, and The Bluegrass Situation. Jim has also written five books on music that were published by Rowman & Littlefield.
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