Slots are the most played game in all casinos. This is due to their entertaining gameplay, colourful visuals, as well as alluring possibilities of instant and large payouts. Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned player, knowing how to play slots is essential to boost your casino gaming experience.
Besides describing what slots are and how to choose a slot, we’ll point out important tips to keep in mind when playing. We’ll also explain what triggers a win and any terms you might encounter when playing this game.
Slot machines are one of the most popular gambling games found in both online and land-based casinos. In this game, you spin the reels by pressing a button or pulling a lever. Once they stop, a set of symbols appears. The main goal is to match identical symbols in a specific pattern. If this happens, players receive a payout.
Learning how to play slots is fairly simple. You first choose your betting amount and click the spin button. The outcome itself is purely based on chance. However, there are several key elements that you must be aware of when learning how to play online slots. We’ve explored these in more detail below.
Whilst rows are the horizontal lines, reels are the vertical columns that spin. The whole ensemble is known as a slot grid. Depending on the type of slot, the number of reels can vary. Classic slots generally have three and modern video slots have five or more. The number of reels available can affect the game’s configuration and its payout potential.
The images that are used throughout the game are known as symbols. The way they land establishes if the outcome is a win or not. Symbols can come in a series of designs, such as numbers, bars, fruits, or ones related to the theme. Special symbols, like wilds or scatters, can substitute for other symbols or unlock bonus features respectively.
The bet size is how much money you wager on the outcome of the spin. You can increase or decrease this according to your budget. In some slots, you can also bet on individual paylines. Therefore, your total bet will depend on how many paylines you’ve activated.
When seeing how to play slots online for real money, you must consider the total bet you’ve set for every spin. This affects both how much you could win as well as lose. While smaller bets result in smaller wins, they are less risky and can extend your bankroll.
Many classic and modern slots include paylines. These indicate where the matching symbols need to appear on the grid to result in a win. In most cases, at least three symbols must land from the leftmost reel to the right. The more paylines a slot has, the more chances players have of winning. In the image below, you can see the paylines of the slot Erik The Red by Relax Gaming available from its paytable.
One of our first recommendations when seeing how to play slots is to read and understand the paytable. This gives players information about the slot. Here you’ll find the paylines, how to trigger wins, and each symbol’s payout value. You’ll also be able to see details about special symbols, like Wilds or Scatters, as well as what bonus rounds are available.
Free Spins are one of the most popular bonus features in slot machines. They are normally triggered when certain symbols, usually three scatters, land in the same spin. Here players can enjoy the bonus game without betting any additional money. Free spins are the best way to win big and reach the game’s maximum win.
There are a variety of slots, each providing a different gaming experience and rewards. Below, we’ve explored the various types of slots in more detail.
These are the traditional types of slots, that normally have three reels and between one and five paylines. The gameplay is simple and ideal for players who are just starting out and learning how to play casino slots. Some popular examples of classic slots are Mega Joker (by NetEnt) and Mystery Joker (by Play’n Go).
Video slots are more modern slot matches. They often have five reels or more and feature colourful and immersive visuals. They are often based on a theme, including mystical, adventure, or pop culture.
One of the main advantages of video slots is that they normally include special symbols, like Wilds, and bonus features to make the experience more entertaining. Popular video slots in the UK include Big Bass Bonanza (Pragmatic Play) and Starburst (NetEnt).
Helpful Tip: Choose a high RTP slot with bonus features and a high max win potential to boost your chances of a payout. Additionally, choose a slot with low volatility if you prefer steady wins. Choosing a highly volatile slot is more risky, although the wins are bigger.
As time goes on, slot developers are doing their utmost to create more entertaining and immersive games. 3D slots are packed with engaging characteristics, visuals, and soundtracks. Unlike classic slots, 3D slots often feature storylines and characters.
3D slots include several features that can boost your payout. These include cascading reels, cluster pays, multi-level bonus rounds, and multipliers. If you already know how to play slots, then you’ll be able to play 3D slots. Gorilla Kingdom, Jack and the Beanstalk (NetEnt), and The Phantom of the Opera (Microgaming) are well-known for their entertaining gameplay.
Megaways was an innovative engine that was added to video slots. This mechanic uses dynamic reels, so with every spin, the amount of paylines changes and can reach 117,649 or more. Learning how to play Megaways slots is simple. Just like with other slots, you first need to choose a bet size and tap the “Spin” button.
The best Megaways slots offer extra features, such as cascading reels, free spins, multipliers, and high max wins. The Dog House Megaways (Pragmatic Play), Big Bad Wolf Megaways (Quickspin), and Gonzo’s Quest Megaways (Red Tiger) are three of the most prominent Megaways titles in the UK.
Progressives can be either classic or video slots. These games include a jackpot prize that increases every time a player places a real money bet. These can be played by seasoned players as well as beginners learning how to play slots. Thanks to its large average wins of €6+ million, Mega Moolah is the number one progressive jackpot slot in the UK.
Helpful Tip: If you’re a beginner and still learning how to play progressive slots, we recommend checking the requirements you need to satisfy to qualify for the pot. Some progressives may ask for a minimum amount of coins to be wagered first.
We’ve now gathered the main features of each type of slot to help players who are learning how to play slots compare them.
Type of Slot | Reels | Paylines | Description |
Classic Slots | 3 | 1 – 5 | Simple and nostalgic gameplay |
Video Slots | 5 | 10 – 200+ | Immersive gameplay that includes colourful graphics, animations, and soundtracks. Multipliers, special symbols, and bonus rounds are common in video slots. |
3D Slots | 5 | 20 – 30 | Generally more engaging than regular video slots. Additionally, they usually include a narrative and innovative mechanics to boost your chances of a payout. |
Megaways | 5 or 6 | Typically up to 117,649 but can go beyond that | Operate with dynamic reels that alter the number of paylines on every spin. Special features include multipliers, cascading reels, and free spins. |
Progressive jackpots | 3 – 5 | 1 – 30 | Offer an opportunity to win a jackpot prize that grows each time someone spins the slot’s reels. |
Choosing a slot is an important part of your gaming experience. Here are some key aspects that you should consider before playing for real money.
Helpful Tip: Many of the top UK slot sites allow players to try out slots in demo mode, without asking for a real money wager. This gives you a chance to see whether you enjoy the game and experience its RTP and volatility in a risk-free way.
You’ll find a variety of symbols in each slot. They can be traditional sevens or bars, however, many times you’ll see card ranks and ones to match their theme. For instance, Sweet Bonanza (by Pragmatic Play) features lollipops, gummies, and lots of other sweets.
Often represented by card ranks or fruit icons, these symbols offer smaller payouts than their more rewarding counterparts.
High-value standard symbols offer the game’s bigger rewards and are typically based on the slot’s theme.
Although in some slots, wild symbols may be used to trigger bonus features, substituting for common symbols is their most common use. This helps players form a winning combination that would not have been there otherwise. Expanding, sticky, roaming wilds, or wilds with multipliers, are other popular features of the best video slots. In the image below, you can see the former in NetEnt’s Guns ‘n Roses slot.
Scatter symbols are special symbols that provide larger payouts if they land on a winning payline. Besides that, landing a certain number of them triggers a bonus feature, usually free spins.
Multipliers are symbols that increase your payouts by multiplying the number on the symbol with your regular win. So, for example, if you land a 2x multiplier with a winning combination, your payout is doubled. Multipliers in video slots can reach x1,000, whilst in Megaways titles they can be theoretically unlimited.
To win, a predetermined number of identical symbols must land in a specific spot on the grid. Each symbol pays out differently, so the value of the win depends on which particular symbol appears. Paylines, scatter pays, cluster pays, and Megaways are the four main types of slot payout mechanics. You can find out the differences between them below.
Type of Payout Mechanic | Description | Example | Benefits for players who are learning how to play slots and win |
Paylines | Symbols must appear in a specific pattern to win. For instance, horizontal or zigzag. They usually start paying from the leftmost reel but some slots use a pay-both-ways system. | Book of Dead (Play’n Go) – 10 paylines that pay from left to right, Starburst (NetEnt) – 10 paylines that pay both ways | Easier to understand |
Scatter Pays | Symbols can land anywhere on the grid | Gates of Olympus 1000 (Pragmatic Play), Divine Divas (Play’n Go) | More flexibility |
Cluster Pays | Matching symbols must appear in a row – horizontally, vertically, or diagonally | Rise of Olympus (Play’n Go),
Mining Rush (Pragmatic Play) |
Are more adaptable and provide a novel twist to the more traditional paylines |
Megaways | Reels are dynamic and change with every spin. This results in up to seven symbols per reel creating up to 200,000 ways to win each time you spin the reels | Mega Moolah Megaways
(Microgaming), The Dog House Megaways (Pragmatic Play) |
Can offer up to 200,000 possible winning combinations. The gameplay is more exciting with innovative features, such as cascading reels. |
Playing slots is simple and straightforward. In the section below, we’ve detailed the steps you need to follow.
Helpful Tip: Casino bonuses, such as free spins, match deposits, and no-deposit bonuses, allow you to play more or make larger bets. We recommend choosing a no-deposit bonus or a no-rollover bonus when learning how to play slots.
Besides regular slot wins, Quick Hits slots have the potential to reward players with high-value cash prizes. This happens when a predetermined number of “Quick Hit” symbols land on the same screen. The more appear, the bigger your reward will be. As you play, you can trigger different bonuses, including stacked wilds and free spins.
Let’s now look at the process in more detail.
You can follow our guide on how to play slots as playing penny slots is practically identical. The only major difference is that penny slots accept bets of £0.01. However, they tend to be more prevalent in land-based casinos. You can follow this step-by-step guide to start playing.
Below we’ve listed the most common mistakes that players who are learning how to play slots make and how to avoid them.
Playing slots is simple and straightforward. All you need to do is find one you enjoy, set your bet, and spin the reels. Once they stop, you can check for any wins. However, this is also done automatically by the slot machine itself. If you win, you can collect your payouts at the end of your gaming experience.