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Online Slot Machines: Everything You Need to Know

Slot games are nothing new to anyone with some experience in online casinos. They get into the spotlight of nearly every gambling den with the flashiest imagery and big wins. The games drive their fame even further by including a gameplay procedure that is easy to grasp for both newbies and seasoned gamblers. 

As a newcomer to the world of slot machines, you need to be familiar with a lot of things to keep track of like how the games operate and what one stands to win. Here is a breakdown of everything there is to know about these famous casino games.

How They Operate

Slots maintain consistency in their gameplay procedure, which is simple enough for almost anyone to keep up with. Although each software developer has a unique approach to executing the betting process, they all work within definite lines. Usually, the procedure unfolds as follows:

  • Select any of the provided slots in online casinos and affiliate sites for free or real money
  • Adjust the bet lines, if any are used, after launching the chosen set
  • Place the desired coin value to use
  • Set the number of coins to place on the playing grid
  • Spin the reels either manually or automatically
  • Repeat the procedure until the desire wins are collected, or the balance runs out

The displayed results after each round are usually random, with no way for players to influence them using any skills. This makes it impossible to predict the expected combination accurately. Online slots achieve this feat with the help of Random Number Generators. These programs use complex mathematical formulas to generate unexpected results. During the gameplay, the RNG creates long codes that are then equalized to the expected results to be revealed as characters. This random nature makes the chances of landing wins in one round are similar to those of the previous and next rounds.

Physical Attributes

Each slot machine is uniquely created, but they all follow the same basic guidelines. Some attributes are included in almost every slot machine, and they include:

  • Theme: Themes were introduced to slot machines as a way to add some entertainment to gameplay in addition the mundane spinning of reels. Pokies are now built around storylines that make the spinning of reels more than just collecting winnings. A slot’s theme influences the imagery used on the grid and characters.
  • Reels: Slot machine grids are made up of vertical columns known as reels. The number of reels varies depending on the game from three to as many as eight. Each reel displays a random set of characters on its tiles.
  • Paylines: Online slots often use paylines to determine valuable combinations. These lines run horizontally across the grid and activate when the required icons of a kind land on them. The bet lines usually trigger wins from left to the right, but in some cases, they can start from the rightmost reel too. Some slots allow punters to choose the number of active win lines to use while others have a fixed number.
  • Win ways: Win ways have grown to become a popular replacement for paylines. Slots with win ways do not limit winning combinations to bet line patterns. Instead, payouts are awarded for them appearing on adjacent reels in any order. Slots can have as little as 243 win ways while others can go up to 117,649 ways to win.
  • Symbols: Symbols are the main gameplay component in slot games and are used to create winning combinations. These icons are usually crafted to go with the game theme aside from poker face cards that are a standard inclusion in most as low-value items. With each spin, the game reveals a new set of icons, and they usually pay for similar ones appearing next to each other in the right number and order.
  • Control panel: Slot controls are commonly placed at the bottom of the screen on a UI bar. The included fields usually conduct the bet selection and spinning procedure. In some slots, however, the buttons are scattered around the screen but are often well-labelled to indicate their functions.

Bonus Features

Slot machines spice things up beyond providing regular character combinations collected in the base game. Nearly all slot games have one or more bonuses that boost not only winnings but also the entertainment value. The most common ones include:

  • Wilds: Wilds appear as icons that can replace others when there is a chance to complete a winning combination. These special characters can be restricted to specific reels with no possibility of creating combos of their own or left open to appear anywhere. Also, they can have other bonus features attached. For instance, sticky wilds stay in place for one or more rounds after they appear while expanding wilds cover the entire reels where they appear. Other popular kinds of wilds include stacked wilds, walking wilds, and replicating wilds.
  • Scatters: Scatters refer to the other special symbols in slots, and they are mostly the only ones that cannot be replaced by the wilds. Also, they typically award winnings despite the tiles where they appear, which earns them the name scatters. The wins from these characters are multiplied by the total bet as opposed to the coin value or stake per line. Also, they are used to activate other bonus features
  • Free spins: Free spins award several rounds that do not deduct any stakes from the player’s balance. Freebies are usually activated when three or more scatters are in view or when a designated meter appears. Some slots have unique procedures to trigger this bonus that are linked to the theme and gameplay. The free spins can be granted in a fixed value or vary depending on the events that led to their activation. In most slots, they can be retriggered when another special event occurs as the bonus is playing.
  • Avalanche wins: Some slot games replace the regular reel spins with cascading reels that drop icons from the top all at once. Most of these pokies feature avalanche wins where characters that trigger combinations vanish from the playtable and are replaced by others from above. Progressive multipliers or free spins sometimes accompany this bonus.

Parting Shot

There’s nothing too complicated to understand how slot machines work as well as grasp the features that make these games as popular as they are. With slots being games of chance, it is important to enjoy them for their entertainment rather than monetary value.