Need to know all about slots? You’ve come to the right place! In this guide, we will
cover everything you 🌧️ need to know about slots – from odds to reels to wins, get the
knowledge you need to spin like 🌧️ royalty.
Slot machines are by far the most popular
casino game, having surpassed table games due to speed, ease, and accessibility. 🌧️ This
is because slots are plentiful and can be found in ‘prime seating’ locations by casino
entrances, making them not 🌧️ only cheaper and easy to play, but also highly
accessible.
At Caesars Slots, we put the reels and riches of great 🌧️ rulers in the palm
of your hand – at work, at home, on vacation, and anywhere you have a mobile
🌧️ device.
WHAT ARE SLOTS?
Slots are gaming machines that generate random combinations of
symbols on a dial, where certain combinations result in 🌧️ wins. The odds of winning on a
physical slot machine is around 1 in 49,836,032. The average return-to-player (RTP)
rate 🌧️ is usually 92-97%, with online slots having better payout percentages than casino
machines. Online casinos like ours have a paytable 🌧️ in every game, where you can read
about payout rates, prizes, and bonus features for that slot. You can find 🌧️ the paytable
for our slot games by clicking the “i” button inside that slot.
THE BIRTH OF SLOT
MACHINES
It’s widely known 🌧️ and accepted that Charles Fey is the father of modern slots,
creating the Liberty Bell (or first “New Nickel operated 🌧️ machine”) in 1887 in San
Francisco. Slots became an instant hit, and the inventor was able to open a production
🌧️ factory to manufacture slots. These machines do not differ much from modern ones, with
similar reels and symbols.
DID YOU KNOW?
Slot 🌧️ machines go by many names! “Slot machine”
or simply “slots” are American and Canadian English, while “fruit machine” or
“fruities” 🌧️ are more common in British English. In Scottish English these are referred
to as “puggies” and in Australia and New 🌧️ Zealand, you might hear them called “poker
machines” or “pokies”, though these are still the same type of gambling machines. 🌧️ Slots
have also been called “one-arm bandits” for their large levers used to spin the earlier
mechanical slot machines.
Land-based versus 🌧️ online slots
Simply put, land-based slot
machines are those that you find in casinos that you visit in person. Whether you’re
🌧️ taking a weekend trip to Las Vegas or Atlantic City with friends or bigger trips to far
off gambling centers 🌧️ such as Macau, the slot machines you play in casinos are
land-based.
Land-based slot machines go all the way back to 🌧️ the late 1800s in San
Francisco, where they were first kept in store entrances to entertain people who were
passing 🌧️ by. Early slot machines gave winnings in the form of chewing gum and golf balls
before cash prizes became common.
The 🌧️ earliest slot machine technology was made of
mechanical reels powered by random number generators. As computer technology became
more advanced, 🌧️ computerized video slots have changed the slot playing experience for
the better. Game play has become richer and more diverse 🌧️ with complex game themes.
Moreover, the jackpot potential is bigger because machines aren’t limited to how many
reels can physically 🌧️ fit into the back of the machine.
As the years went on and
technology has become more advanced, slot machines have 🌧️ become popular in casinos all
over the world. In many places, they have become even more popular than table games
🌧️ such as poker and blackjack. Not only are they fun and entertaining, but they often
offer the opportunity for big 🌧️ jackpots on small wagers without too much skill.
Online
slots have taken slot machines to the next level. First of all, 🌧️ they offer players the
opportunity to play 24/7, whenever, wherever. It is not always easy to travel to a
casino 🌧️ to play the slots, but players who are interested can now get the same
experience from the comfort of their 🌧️ only living room. Whether you want to play on your
computer or phone, online slots offer a thrilling entertainment experience 🌧️ from
anywhere in the world. Online slots are based on constantly evolving technology that
engage players with new changing themes 🌧️ and fun features. Play experiences online are
more varied, which means that you’ll never be bored with the same thing 🌧️ twice. That’s
why millions of people all over the world love to be entertained by online
slots.
POPULARITY of slot machines
So 🌧️ why are slots so popular? For starters, they are
easy to play! Just insert or set your bet and push 🌧️ the button or pull the lever,
depending on machine design. This ease also factors into the time in which it 🌧️ takes to
play. It is possible to place over 500 bets an hour on a slot machine, and even more
🌧️ when there are not many bonus activities.
Minimum bet requirements for slots also add
to their attraction. You can play a 🌧️ short quick round with the chance at a jackpot or
huge prize for a lower fee than table games. Casinos 🌧️ make their games attractive with
sounds, art, lights, and the exciting surrounding casino floor environment. Online,
slots are made with 🌧️ the same environment in mind, with the option to adjust settings as
preferred. Slot designers build machines with player activity 🌧️ in mind, aiming for an
engaging, stimulating, and overall fun experience where players feel a part of the
action.
Land-based versus 🌧️ online slots
Simply put, land-based slot machines are those
that you find in casinos that you visit in person. Whether you’re 🌧️ taking a weekend trip
to Las Vegas or Atlantic City with friends or bigger trips to far off gambling centers
🌧️ such as Macau, the slot machines you play in casinos are land-based.
Land-based slot
machines go all the way back to 🌧️ the late 1800s in San Francisco, where they were first
kept in store entrances to entertain people who were passing 🌧️ by. Early slot machines
gave winnings in the form of chewing gum and golf balls before cash prizes became
common.
The 🌧️ earliest slot machine technology was made of mechanical reels powered by
random number generators. As computer technology became more advanced, 🌧️ computerized
video slots have changed the slot playing experience for the better. Game play has
become richer and more diverse 🌧️ with complex game themes. Moreover, the jackpot
potential is bigger because machines aren’t limited to how many reels can physically
🌧️ fit into the back of the machine.
As the years went on and technology has become more
advanced, slot machines have 🌧️ become popular in casinos all over the world. In many
places, they have become even more popular than table games 🌧️ such as poker and
blackjack. Not only are they fun and entertaining, but they often offer the opportunity
for big 🌧️ jackpots on small wagers without too much skill.
Online slots have taken slot
machines to the next level. First of all, 🌧️ they offer players the opportunity to play
24/7, whenever, wherever. It is not always easy to travel to a casino 🌧️ to play the
slots, but players who are interested can now get the same experience from the comfort
of their 🌧️ only living room. Whether you want to play on your computer or phone, online
slots offer a thrilling entertainment experience 🌧️ from anywhere in the world.
Online
slots are based on constantly evolving technology that engage players with new changing
themes and 🌧️ fun features. Play experiences online are more varied, which means that
you’ll never be bored with the same thing twice. 🌧️ That’s why millions of people all over
the world love to be entertained by online slots.
TYPES OF SLOTS
CLASSIC 3-REEL
SLOTS
These 🌧️ are modeled after the original (physical) fruit machines as traditional
3-reel slots. These basic slots are easy to play and 🌧️ understand! To win, simply match
symbols along the top, middle, or bottom line. Some people use these to relax, unwind,
🌧️ or reminisce. Traditional slot machines have physical reels as opposed to their video
slot equivalents, though classic slots can now 🌧️ be found with either.
FLAT TOP
SLOTS
Flat-top slots have a fixed top prize or jackpot, also known as a cash pot
🌧️ jackpot, standard jackpot, or non-progressive jackpot. These have a massive prize and
are the only types of jackpots that do 🌧️ not grow or change in any way. The prize remains
the same between players and can be won by playing. 🌧️ These jackpots may be lower than
those of progressive slots, though the chance of winning the jackpot is far higher 🌧️ than
the chance of winning a progressive jackpot.
5-REEL SLOTS
5-reel slots, or video slots,
use a video to display 5 virtual 🌧️ reels. These can be found in casino slots as well as
online ones.
Video slots typically have 5 reels, which allow 🌧️ for up to 100 paylines
instead of just 1, creating more chances of winning. Paylines are winning combination
patterns on 🌧️ the reels, and the more paylines you have the better your chances are of
winning. 5-reel slots include special symbols 🌧️ like WILD and SCATTER to provide even
more ways to win. Be sure to read the paytable before you play, 🌧️ to understand the game
you are playing. 5-reel slots become harder to understand and follow as they vary in
complex 🌧️ ways to win and scatter symbol triggers.
BONUS FEATURE SLOTS
Bonus rounds are
unique features in slot games where you can win 🌧️ without betting. These bonus rounds
might include a mini-game or free spins, usually triggered by lining up special symbols
such 🌧️ as a WILD (substitutes any symbol on the reels to create a payline) or SCATTER
(allows for generous payouts, extra 🌧️ rewards, or triggering a feature). Bonus rounds
offer a short and fast way to win extra payouts during a feature 🌧️ before returning to
the base game. Some may require speed or skill, while others are up to chance or play
🌧️ short graphics.
Free Spins are the most common and popular bonus feature. Once
triggered, wins stack as the reels spin without 🌧️ taking more bets from the player. The
triggering bet is used in calculating the wins in most bonus features, so 🌧️ the higher
you bet the better your bonus wins will be! Do you have a favorite type of bonus
game?
PROGRESSIVE 🌧️ SLOTS
Most slots have fixed jackpot prizes that can be won or missed
without affecting the jackpot amount. Progressive slots have 🌧️ a jackpot that increases
over time, as their jackpots are prize pools that rise each time the machine is played.
🌧️ The value of the jackpot increases with every spin that is not won during a game,
essentially accumulating player bets 🌧️ to return to them to a lucky winner. The odds may
be tougher, but the payout is sure to be 🌧️ huge!
ONLINE SLOTS
Online slots are becoming
more popular each year, being preferable to some slot players over land-based ones. Is
there 🌧️ any difference between physical and online slots? The answer is yes! Online slots
have more advantages than land-based ones, including 🌧️ convenience and accessibility,
privacy, and better bonuses. Read more on why you should play online slots
Video
slots
This kind of slot 🌧️ machine has more graphics and diverse gameplay than a classic
slot because of virtual animation. Many on the higher end 🌧️ of the spectrum have quality
sound effects, graphics and animation, and have become the norm in many casinos online
around 🌧️ the world – in addition to being the only kind of slots online.
Mega spin
slots
This feature means that a machine 🌧️ has more than one set of reels in a single
machine – more variety, more entertainment. Mega spins slots are 🌧️ made so that players
will never get bored of seeing the same content twice.
Slots multipliers
Multipliers
work to increase player winnings 🌧️ by multiplying bets, line wins and total wins. The
multiplier symbol lands during either the base or bonus game to 🌧️ signify the amount
which is multiplied.
Jackpot slots
Many slot machines feature different kinds of
jackpots, that can range from a few 🌧️ dollars to a few thousand dollars. In general,
smaller rewards are easier to win, while larger rewards are rarer and 🌧️ require higher
bets.
Multi-payline slots
Multi-payline slots are a product of technology’s ability to
add more features in slot games, which have 🌧️ become more diverse in terms of animation,
sound and graphics. Multi-payline slots means that that there are multiple payouts on
🌧️ winning combinations across reels. If a game has more paylines, then a player is more
likely to score a win.
3D 🌧️ slots
3D slots are designed to make a user feel as if they
are having a 3D experience, without needing the 🌧️ glasses. If you enjoy lots of
stimulation from sounds and animations, then this kind of slot is for you.
Vegas
slots
This 🌧️ refers to the classic, unbeatable style of slot machines from Las Vegas.
Nowadays, many online slots are designed to recreate 🌧️ the Vegas experience for those
looking to enjoy it from the comfort of their own homes.
SLOT BASICS &
TERMINOLOGY
Slots PAYLINES
A 🌧️ payline is a straight or zig-zag line that determines the
payout for a spin, based on the combinations of symbols 🌧️ appearing on the line. Slot
machines have you pay your bet per line, applying it to each individual payline you
🌧️ choose to bet on, whereas online slots such as ours take your bet as is and apply it to
all 🌧️ paylines without having you pay for each line separately. Only active paylines
provide a payout for winning combinations, and with 🌧️ us, all paylines are active!
Variable or adjustable paylines are those that allow you to choose whether to wager on
🌧️ them or not and fixed paylines are those where you must bet on all paylines but give
you the chance 🌧️ to win a larger payout, which is why they are sometimes referred to as
all-or-nothing games.
Slots with more paylines provide 🌧️ more opportunities to win, so
check the paytable for each slot you play to know your chances. Every time you 🌧️ spin,
paylines with winning combinations will flash on your reels to show you how you won.
Each hit is then 🌧️ combined to give you your payout.
Our slot machines, as well as those
in casinos, use a Random Number Generator (RNG) 🌧️ to create a random output of symbols
even when no one is playing the machine! This means that the resulting 🌧️ combinations are
truly random and unpredictable, ensuring fair gameplay. Every player has the same
chances of winning.
NEAR MISSES
You need 3 🌧️ scatter symbols to trigger a bonus event and
spun one… two… and the third is just off the reel! So 🌧️ close… right? This may be the
case, though the reality is that this near miss was probably one of the 🌧️ many that
happen as a part of the game’s design. Slot manufacturers build near-miss elements into
their reels to balance 🌧️ out the game’s payouts and engage players with a tempting win
they could have had.
FALSE WINS
False wins are more frequent 🌧️ with modern slots and
become more apparent as more slot variations and paylines develop. False wins are wins
that are 🌧️ lower than the bet placed, so if you were to bet one million coins and you won
175,000 coins, the 🌧️ machine would still say “You won!” even though that spin ended in an
actual loss. Thes wins not only allow 🌧️ you to spin more, but also add excitement to the
game. Old, single-lined slots had no reason to give false 🌧️ wins, whereas now slots have
so many payout options that the machine shows you winning on certain lines and not
🌧️ others, hence the small amount. If you could choose to bet on a handful of lines rather
than all of 🌧️ them, false wins drop in frequency or all together, depending on the game
pays.
DEAD SPINS
If you spun and came out 🌧️ empty-handed, you had what is called a dead
spin. Unlike winning spins with any type of payout, a dead spin 🌧️ gives zero wins. The
more volatile a game is the more dead spins will occur; however, in such games, wins
🌧️ will generally be substantially larger since they are less frequent.
WEIGHTED REELS &
REEL STOPS
Each reel has a set number of 🌧️ reel stops, positions at which it can come to
a stop. Slot reels stop directly affects wins, making reel stops 🌧️ critical in slot
design. “Weighted reels” are those in which weighting components have been added to the
reel stops. Weighting 🌧️ components can be added to each reel stop, increasing the
relative frequency one reel stop will be used compared to 🌧️ another.
Example: imagine
reels with spaces between symbols. A game could be designed to stop on a space with
more frequency 🌧️ than on a symbol, which could stop with more frequency than a different
one. Weighted reels allow for an increase 🌧️ in potential combinations and make some
scenarios more common than others.
Near-miss scenarios can be caused by weighting reel
stops next 🌧️ to special symbols or by allowing two out of three needed symbols to show up
in place. These scenarios make 🌧️ it seem like you almost made something happen, though it
resulted as a part of the slot’s design. Using weighted 🌧️ reels can make top payouts
bigger, however, as they increase, so does the amount of dead and false
spins.
UNBALANCED REELS
Similar 🌧️ to weighted reels, unbalanced reels use more or less of
a certain symbol on one reel over another to change 🌧️ the chances of an outcome. Imagine
having three red 7s on one reel, another three on the next reel, but 🌧️ only one on your
third reel. This unbalanced reel will give the effect of near misses when only two of
🌧️ the symbols line up and it seems like an almost win. Unbalanced reels get more complex
with video slots and 🌧️ slots with more reels. In games with stacked symbols and bigger
pays for five-of-a-kinds, unbalancing reels cause even more near-missed 🌧️ wins. Like many
other near-miss opportunities, this drives up excitement and suspense. From a design
perspective, balancing symbols can help 🌧️ a slot machine reach its payout target, while
the randomness in wins makes it exciting.
WILD SYMBOLS
Mutli-spin or multi-payline
slots often 🌧️ feature many bonuses using special symbols as triggers. Wild symbols
substitute for all symbols other than the bonus icons (such 🌧️ as scatters). These
sometimes multiply your wins or expand to fill the reel to increase your
payout!
SCATTER SYMBOLS
Scatter symbols, also 🌧️ called Scatter Pays, are bonus icons that
pay wherever they land on a payline by completing a winning combination like 🌧️ a wild or
increasing the payout for a spin. Three scatters usually trigger a mini game or bonus
feature that 🌧️ provides free extra wins, such as free spins or respins.
Glossary of
slots: your complete guide to slots terminology
RTP – Return 🌧️ to Player: the percentage
of money a player earns back compared to how much they have wagered
Pokies – the
Australian 🌧️ term for slot machines
Multi Spin – available on online slot machines only,
these slots feature multiple sets of reels
Fruit Machines 🌧️ – offshoot of a classic slot
machine featuring only fruit symbols, and typically less complex graphics than many
modern digital 🌧️ slots
High Roller Slots – as opposed to penny slots, these slots offer
higher payouts for those willing to wager higher 🌧️ pets
Bonus Games and Features – extra
games or features within online slots
Auto Play – feature on online slots that enables
🌧️ a player to choose a preset number of spins without having to press spin each time
Bet
Max – the maximum 🌧️ amount a player can bet on a slot machine
Coin Size– available in
penny up toR$5 slots – Coin Size allows 🌧️ players to vary the increments of money the
wager
Fixed Jackpot – jackpot always stays the same
Free Spins – a bonus 🌧️ feature
offered on many slot machines
Loose Slot – slots that offer players higher payback
percentages
Mechanical Slots – classic slot machines 🌧️ whose reels operate mechanically
rather than digitally
Traditional slot machines that have physical reels rather than
the video equivalents.
One-Armed Bandit – 🌧️ refers to early slot machine mechanisms
whereby a player had to pull down a large lever to operate the machine
Pay-line 🌧️ – a
straight or zigzagged line that crosses a particular symbol across reels
Payout
Percentage – the percentage of money a 🌧️ slot machine should return to a player over
time
Pay Table – a reference for players on a slot machine to 🌧️ show players different
winning combinations and how many credits each combination is worth
Progressive Jackpot
– the jackpot continues to grow 🌧️ until it is won
Random Number Generator –
mathematically based computer program that randomized slot machine results from all
possible number 🌧️ sequences
Reels – the strips that spin inside the slot machine screen.
When symbols on reels match up, the player wins
Scatter 🌧️ – a scatter symbol that appears
on a reel unlocks free spins, special features and bonus games
Symbol – the different
🌧️ icons on slot machine reels – popular ones include fruit, dollar signs, number sevens,
and money bags, but can be 🌧️ many other signs as well
Tight Slot – less frequent payout
than loose slot machines
Wild Symbol – wild symbols substitute for 🌧️ winning symbols on
the reels if they land in their place
Winning Combination – casinos decide winning
combinations in advance, and 🌧️ a player can win by getting one
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