Dave | October 2, 2023 | Updated on: January 8th, 2024
Do you know how to play slots? How sure are you? Perhaps you were an expert back in the 1980s or you’ve watched people play at your local casino. We’re here to tell you that online slots have changed drastically over the last few years.
Slots now come with five or more reels, 25+ paylines and awesome bonus games and free spin features. We’re here to tell you exactly how to play video slots like a pro. Join one of our USA online casinos and put your new-found skills to the test!
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How to play slots – step by step guide
We understand that some of our readers may be completely new to the world of online slots or slot machines in general. These rules can be applied to online slots, as well as slots at land-based casinos. Most online slot games have a bet max button, which will automatically set the maximum bet. However, if you want to set your bet yourself, follow the steps below.
Step 1
The first step is perhaps the most important. Players need to choose which slot they’d like to play. Slot players have a huge amount of choice in the slot industry.
They’ll need to decide how many reels they’d like to play, how many paylines, and what sort of jackpot they’d like to play for. Once this is decided, then they can choose the actual slot game and get started.
Step 2
Once you have chosen a slot to play, load the game up, and get ready to spin. The first thing you’ll need to decide on how much you want each coin to be worth. In most popular slots, this could range from $0.01 per coin, up to $10.00 or more per coin.
Step 3
Once you know how many credits you want to spend on each coin, you’ll then need to decide how many coins you want to spend on each payline. This varies depending on what slot you’re playing, but you can expect this to range from 1-10.
Step 4
The final step before you’re ready to spin the reels is deciding how many paylines you want to be active. This will range from 1, up to the maximum number of paylines provided by the chosen slot.
This could be 5, 10, 25, or more. Keep in mind, the more paylines that are active, the more each spin will cost. However, there is also a greater chance of winning.
Step 5
You’re ready to spin! Simply hit the Spin button and watch the reels go. Slots will let you know if you’ve won anything. You can spin again with the same bet or change it up depending on what you want.
Helpful Hints and Tricks for Slots
There are several buttons that come with all slots that will speed up the process and help you get more spin in a shorter amount of time.
Bet Max
As we already mentioned, this button will quickly and easily set the slot up for the maximum bet. This will immediately activate all the paylines, as well as bet the maximum amount of coins on each payline. Be advised, though, this can get expensive very quickly.
Autoplay / Autospin
While this button can sometimes go by different names, it performs the same function. Essentially players can tell the game how many times they’d like it to spin. The game will complete these spins with the same wager unless the player intervenes. Some machines also allow the player to add in other parameters, such as stopping after winning or losing a certain amount of money.
Understand the Rules
We highly recommend that players understand the rules before they start wagering their money. They need to be aware of what each symbol’s value is, what the bonus games are, and if there are any other rules. An example of this is that with many progressive jackpots, you won’t win the full jackpot unless you placed the maximum wager.
This also comes in helpful if there are any bonus game modes. You need to know what you need to do. Using the free play feature is a great way to have some fun while you learn the game.
Make sure the casino is reputable
This is extremely important, because there really is no way to know if online slots are fair just by playing them. You need to make sure the casino site you’ve chosen is properly licensed and regulated by third-party organizations, like eCOGRA, who ensure all play is fair.
This will ensure that their games are tested for fairness on a regular basis and players are protected. We here at Casino US will do all the research for you and ensure that we only recommend the best and safest slots casinos.
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Types of Slots
There are three main types of slots that you’ll find at casinos. While there are some other types, these are the three common ones that you’ll see at every casino.
Three Reel Slots
When the slot machine was first invented, they had three reels and a single payline. These days there are still classic slots available with three reels. They tend to be simpler games, with fewer paylines and no bonus games, but there are always exceptions.
Five Reel Slots
Five Reel slots are the most common and popular online slots today. There is a huge variety of themes and gameplay elements, but you can generally expect them to come with bonus game modes and free spins. This does make them a little more complicated, though, so they might take a little longer to understand.
Progressive Jackpot Slots
The progressive slot differs in terms of its jackpot, rather than the number of reels. There are progressives with three reels and others with five. What makes these unique is that a number of games will be linked together and every time a player wagers, a portion of the bet is transferred to the jackpot.
As such, it constantly grows and grows until someone gets very lucky and wins. Progressive slots could have a few games linked together in the same casino, or there could be hundreds or thousands of games spread across multiple casino sites in different countries.
How to Play Slots FAQ
This is entirely dependent on each individual player. Some players will prefer simpler slots with three reels, while others like the more complex five-reel slots. We would recommend you choose an online slot that appeals to you and offers the features and jackpot you want. Other than that, try to find one with a higher payout percentage and one that is operated by a trustworthy casino.
Progressive jackpot slot machines typically link several games together. Every time someone places a wager, a portion of this is transferred to the jackpot. This means it keeps growing until someone wins the jackpot. Progressive jackpots have the potential to grow to millions of dollars and change a winner’s life forever.
When you first look at an online slot, it can be a little overwhelming because there are so many buttons. Thankfully, they are quite simple and are easy to explain. There will be buttons to increase or decrease the number of credits per coin, increase or decrease the number of active paylines, change the number of coins bet on each payline, place the maximum bet, and one to spin. There are also some others for things like autoplay, but everything you need in order to enjoy your casino game is right at your fingertips.
There isn’t really a way to be sure until you’ve started playing. Luckily, just because you’re playing, doesn’t mean you’re paying. Casinos will allow you to play online slots for free.
So, if you’re unsure, you can always fire one up in free play mode and have a few spins. This is also great for learning how a new online slot works.
Online slots will have a set number of reels with various symbols on them. When a player spins the reels, a Random Number Generator (RNG) will randomly determine the outcome of the spin. The RNG is designed to be as random as possible, with no detectable patterns.
Once the spin Is complete, the slot will check the paylines for matching symbols. If there are any winning combinations, the appropriate winnings will be paid out to the gambler.
Well, we can’t say with 100% certainty that you will walk away a winner, but it is definitely a possibility. As long as you are using real money that you deposited into your casino account, you will be able to win real money if you get lucky.
You sure can, almost all top casinos will allow players to enjoy their games on the move. Players will just need to download the casino’s app, or visit its website and log in from their smartphone or tablet. Keep in mind though that the casino’s full collection of slots will sometimes not be available on mobile. However, you’ll typically find the latest and greatest slots will be there.
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