The Ultimate Guide to Playing Online Slots for Real Money

Slots are unsurprisingly the most popular casino games on the Internet – they are simple, exciting, colourful and some of them give you the chance to win huge amounts with a very humble bet. If you too want to join in on the fun, then you’ve landed on the right page. Here you will find useful info about slot machines in general and important details about the best ones among them. But first, let’s check out which are the best places you can play those slots for real money so that you know where you can test your new-found knowledge.

Top Casinos for Playing Slot Games

Picking the right casinos to play slots, or any other real money game for that matter, is not as simple as it may seem. Most players just sign up at the first place they stumble upon, as long as it has a nice welcome bonus and long enough list of slot games. There are, though, many other details to take into account – is the casino licensed, is it regularly audited, are the bonus conditions there convenient enough for the player and are there enough promotions for the regular players, to mention but a few. After careful consideration of all these and many other aspects, we came to the conclusion that these are the best casinos on the UK market for playing slots:

At a first glance it may seem a little bit odd that 888 claimed the first spot in our short ranking, but the fact of the matter is that this operator is one of the best not only on the UK market but in the world in general. Though there are operators that offer higher welcome bonus amounts and bigger slot selections, no one offers better wagering conditions and more unique game selection that 888. They are also the leader when it comes to ongoing promotions and have internally developed many games that can only be played on their site. As far as Ladbrokes and Casumo go, they are the best places where you can play Playtech and Microgaming games, respectively. But enough about the casinos themselves, let’s focus on the games to find out which are the best ones.

Slot Games – All You Need to Know

There are hundreds if not thousands of slot machines that you can play online, so it’s more than natural to feel a little bit overwhelmed the first time you’re selecting a slot game. We went through the most popular real money slots that you can find on the Internet and analysed them according to the criteria that we’ll present to you in the next few paragraphs. In the end, we came up with four suggestions that have different perks and would cover the preferences of most players. And they are:

• +Starburst
• +Game of Thrones
• +Gonzo’s Quest
• +Jurassic Park

We’ll take these four games for example while we’re presenting the different features of online slot machines and, therefore, you’ll learn more about them and why we chose them as you scan through the rest of the review. Still, let’s make a quick presentation of their perks so that you can decide which one to try first.

Firstly, we chose Starburst as one of our top recommendation as this game has outstanding graphics and a very profitable expanding wild and re-spin feature. Game of Thrones is, of course, a fan-favourite and is available in two variations: 15-line and 243-way. Jurassic Park will be perfect for you if you are searching for feature-rich game, as it has 5 different bonus features, some of which offer increased multipliers up to x6, and a randomly-triggered ‘alert mode’ where you get stacked wilds. Finally, Gonzo’s Quest is one of the most unique slot games I’ve seen, because as opposed to reels with symbols it has falling stones which explode when they are a part of a winning line to make room for other stones. If you have a winning line, therefore, you pretty much get another chance for a win without paying anything extra, plus you get your multiplier increased. Now how cool is that!

Basic Features

So you probably know the basics of how online slots function, but let’s cover them quickly for our friends that are about to try this type of game for the first time. All in all, slots are games which feature 3 or 5 reels on which there are differently themed symbols. There are also pre-determined patterns from left to right across the rows, called paylines. If you get 3 or more of the same symbols across one payline, you win a sum which is determined in the paytable of the slot. From there on, there are some optional symbols and features that the slots might have or not and the different combinations of those plus the general theme of the game is what sets apparat one slot game from another. Those symbols and features are:

• Scatter – This is a symbol which doesn’t need to be on a payline to be triggered. Usually, if a slot features scatter symbols and you get two of those, you’ll get some small winning, while if you get three or more, you’ll trigger the free spins or the bonus feature of the game. If the game has both, then the scatter usually triggers the free spins while there’s an additional bonus symbol that will trigger the bonus round.
• Wild – This is a symbol that substitutes all other symbols except for the scatter, giving you thus more chances to get a winning combination. Some games or bonus features have stacked wilds which means that they are located one after another on the reels so that there’s a better chance for you to get more than one wild at once. Some bonus features or free spin rounds have sticky wilds which means that once you get a wild, it will stick there as long as you have consecutive wins, until the end of the round or until a specific event, like for example in the Millionaire Genie slot where during the free spins the Genie switches the place of the sticky wilds every 2 or 3 spins. Last but not least, there are the expanding wilds, which means that if you get one wild, it will disperse on the whole reel or on the adjacent symbols.
• Free Spins – As we already mentioned, if the slot game features a scatter symbol and you get three or more of those, you’ll get a certain number of free spins. Usually, the more scatter symbols you get, the more free spins you’ll be given. More often than not, the free spins rounds have other features which guarantee for bigger winnings – special multipliers, increased number of wilds or sticky wilds, or some other profitable feature.
• Multipliers – There are slot games where in the base game and/or in the free spins or bonus rounds there are increased or growing multipliers. One such game, as I already mentioned, is Gonzo’s Quest. There, in the base game, if you have consecutive avalanches which bring you a winning, the multiplier will grow up to x5 and in the free spins rounds – up to x15.
• Re-spins – There are some games where when you have a winning or get a wild, you’ll get one additional spin for free. An example of a game that has this feature is Starburst which you can find at 888 Casino. This slot doesn’t have bonus features and free spin rounds, so the creators have compensated for that with expanding wilds which also trigger one free spin. There are, in fact, many people that love the simplicity of this specific slot and especially its state-of-the-art graphics.
• Progressive Jackpots – All slot games have base game jackpots which are equal to the maximum win you can get from one payline. There are, though, some slots which feature progressive jackpots, i.e. jackpots that grow as the players bet on the game. Some jackpots are accumulated only by the players that enjoy the game at a certain casino or a certain game, while others grow from bets across the whole software network, between casinos. Such games are all of the Age of the Gods themed slot machines that you can find at Ladbrokes, including our top recommendation Age of the Gods Furious 4.

The above-mentioned are the most common features of online slots that set them apart from each other, but as the software houses that develop these games are getting more and more creative, they introduce new features to their latest titles, but worry not, as they make sure those features are easily understandable and explained in the paytable of the game. Therefore, it’s advised to give a quick look at it before you start playing or simply try the game in practice mode before you start playing for real money so that you familiarise yourself with the specifics of the game.

Type of Slots

The slot section of every online casino is its richest one, so most operators create sub-categories in this section to organise the games by their features. Every online casino creates its own categories but there are three that are always present:

• Three-Reel Slots: Also called ‘classic slots’, these are the computerised versions of the old-school fruit machines that you can play at pubs and land-based casinos. Though they definitely can bring you some vintage fun, you should know that hitting a payline in three-reel slots is an event that occurs way more rarely than in their modern counterparts that feature five reels.
• Five-Reel Slots: Nowadays, five-reels slots, also called video slots, have already become the standard for these simple games of chance. They are for sure more diverse, numerous and exciting than the classic slots. Often in this category you will see sub-categories such as ‘Free Spins’ and ‘Bonus Rounds’ so that you can find the game you’re interested in faster.
• Progressive Slots: As the name suggests, this is the category where you can find the slots that offer progressive jackpots. A popular name for those is also ‘Jackpot Slots’. Many of the casinos will also display the amount of the jackpot next to the thumbnail of the game so that you can quickly find the most generous one.

Sure enough, there are more types of online slots out there than the three mentioned above but usually, online casinos don’t create separate categories for those. For example, in the video slot section of most online casinos, you’ll find the innovative 243-way slots, which don’t pay according to the certain patterns but if the same symbols can be found in three or more adjacent reels starting from the left-most. Following the same logic, there are also 1024-way slots which feature not three but four rows of symbols.

Another category of slots that you can often find at online casinos is the ‘Featured’ one. There, the operators present their newest or most popular titles or the ones that at the moment feature jackpots that had reached a very high amount. This category is very useful for the players that are ready to try something new but have trouble choosing a game.

Options, Settings & Quality

Though the available options and settings that the different slots have don’t have any impact on your chances for a win, if available, they might just elevate your experience to a whole new level. For example, the auto-spin option may save you the effort to constantly click the spin button, while the quick spin setting can get you to the bonus feature or free spins faster. The two combined, on the other hand, are the perfect tool for wagering bonuses faster and with less effort. The other available options are pretty basic and have little to no impact on the game and the gameplay: switching the sound on/off, disabling the animations and the introductory video, or adjusting the quality of the graphics. Of course, the overall quality of the game and the available settings in most cases vary according to which is the software house that developed the game and when did they develop it. Let’s take a look at the three most popular software developers on the market and what their games and software can offer us in terms of quality and options.

Net Entertainment, or NetEnt, are considered to be the casino software developer that produces the games of the highest quality. In fact, as opposed to other software providers that have over 500 titles in their portfolio, NetEnt have only 150, but there isn’t even one that is of low quality. Also, NetEnt offer the most numerous and useful settings to help the players customise their experience. Those include autoplay, quick spin, quality adjustments, disabling of sound and animations, auto-stopping autoplay options when you hit free spins and easy adjustment of the coin value and the bet level. Furthermore, some of their latest releases have a left-hand mode in their mobile version for the convenience of the lefties that want to play on the go. Some of the most popular titles in the portfolio of NetEnt are: Gonzo’s Quest, Starburst, Jack and the Beanstalk, Jack Hammer, Mega Fortune, South Park and Aliens.

Playtech is the most popular casino software provider as it offers a great package of services covering instant-play, download, live and mobile games. Also, as opposed to NetEnt who offer only separate games, they offer full-blown platforms. A good thing is that the game selection is equally rich in the download platform as it is in the browser one. The mobile game selection needs a little expanding, but at least it contains the live-dealer games. Something that Playtech are most famous for are their DC Super Hero-themed games. The casino software provider that has made a licencing deal so that they can produce real-money games based on the famous comic book characters. Some of the most popular DC Super Hero jackpot slot machines that you can play at any Playtech casino are Batman & The Riddler Riches, Man of Steel and Superman the Movie, to mention but a few. Other famous slots titles include Gladiator, Monty Python’s Spamalot, Little Britain and Rocky – all-time favourite titles from the small and the big screen. Too bad the quality of the graphics is not among the most impressive ones.

Microgaming is the oldest software provider in the industry and thus the one that has the most extensive experience. Since their founding in 1994, they have developed over 1000 casino games, most of which slots. Of course, being as old as it is, the company has some titles that cannot pride themselves on the best graphics since they were created literally the last century, but since there are still players that enjoy them, they are present in their platforms. Needless to say, the newer titles of the provider, especially the slots Jurassic Park, Game of Thrones, Immortal Romance, and The Dark Knight, are visually simply outstanding. Microgaming have also developed one of the most popular online slots in the UK Mega Moolah which also offers one of the biggest slot jackpots out there. Also, their signature Playboy-themed live casino is hugely popular among the players, too bad it’s not available on mobile. And when it comes to mobile casino, the mobile slots fans will find themselves right at home there as they can choose from close to 100 different titles.

Another very useful option that players can benefit from is the practice mode. As we already established, every slot is different and it’s very convenient for the player that they try it in demo mode before they start playing with their own money. This is just the thing that I recommend you do before trying out some new slot game.

Mobile Slot Games

Many slot fans enjoy playing these simple games of chance anytime anywhere so it’s more than natural that online casinos optimise many of their best titles for all types of devices. In fact, most online casinos have mobile-friendly platforms which are perfectly compatible with all relatively recent versions of iOS and Android. For iPad and iPhone, they even have specially designed download apps which can be found at the App Store. Unfortunately, very few mobile slots are really compatible with Windows Phones and Blackberries, but either way, these devices are not among the most popular ones.

Bonuses, Promotions and Free Spins

As you probably know, all online casinos have juicy welcome bonus offers to attract new players. Fortunately, all of those bonuses can be used on any of the slot games featured at the site. Still, I guess that you won’t be happy if you first start playing with a generous bonus and then discover that there are not enough ongoing promotions for you to secure yourself even more free cash or free spins. This is why, if you’re mostly interested in playing slots with bonus cash and claiming free spins, then I would strongly recommend you try 888 Casino – the best online operator on the UK market.

First of all, at 888, upon registration, you will be rewarded with a 200% bonus up to £200 which has very convenient wagering conditions. And from there on you can simply take advantage of any of the promotions that the casino offers. You can also win some extra cash in the form of cashback as you play for real money and collect comp points. If you want to learn about other fantastic offers, then also make sure to check out our dedicated page about the best casino bonuses.

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Playing Slots Online Is the Best Way

Online slots are simple yet exciting and very, very accessible. But are they better than the ones at bars and land-based casinos? Absolutely yes! Let’s leave aside the fact that online you can find hundreds of slot variations in one place and that you can play on the go using your mobile device. Online slot machines are actually more profitable than land-based machines, as they are set at a way higher return-to-player percentage. This, plus the fact that at Internet casinos the promotions are the rule and not the exception, makes for an experience that is not only fun but more convenient as well.