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Online Slot Machines: The Tips and Tricks You Need To Know About

Online slot machines are some of the most popular games at online casinos the world over, and it's easy to see why. The fast pace, exciting gameplay, fun themes, cool soundtracks and massive jackpots combine to create a huge range of exhilarating games that are hard to resist. On this page our experts reveal a whole host of different tips that could see you maximize your winning potential.

How to Play Online Slots: Our Top 10 Tips

A smart gambler knows that there is more to betting than just putting down large sums of money. We've compiled ten quick tips to help you on your way to mastering the slots reels and bagging yourself some big winnings when you play slots for real money.

1. Find More Frequent Payouts

If you want to ensure you've got a bigger chance of winning a progressive jackpot, the best way to do so is by choosing a game with a relatively small jackpot. These are the games that pay out most often.

Slot Mega Winner

2. Look After Your Bankroll

Before you begin, make sure you know how much you'd like to spend playing and what you can afford to lose. Never bet money you can't afford to lose.

Slot Bankroll

3. Think About Paylines

If you know how many paylines your chosen game has, you'll know what your chances of winning are. Take the time to research each different game's paylines before you start.

Slot Book of Ra

4. Keep an Eye Out For Bonus Rounds

Bonus rounds are key if you want to win jackpots and unlock free spins, and are a great opportunity to make the most of your winnings. Know where they are and how to play them.

Slot Cleopatra Bonus

5. Choose Reputable Casinos

We can't stress this one enough! There's no point winning if you find you can't withdraw your cash. Research your chosen casino and ensure it's been fully vetted and licensed by a trusted authority.

Slot casinos

6. Join the Club

Many online casinos have Slots Clubs, made with slots fans in mind. Join one and you'll be privy to extra bonuses like cashback, special offers and other freebies.

Slots clubs

7. Play Simpler Games

Often, the more complex a game is, the more time and money a developer has invested in building it. Therefore, they'll be wanting to take more from players before providing big payouts. If you stick to simple, traditional games you might find your chances of winning improve.

Gonzos quest

8. Take Your Time

We know it's easy to get caught up in the excitement of fast-paced online slots, but you must resist! Take your time, relax and think about every move you make - especially in bonus games.

Slot Coyote Cash

9. Find BIG Progressive Jackpots

Whilst games with smaller progressive jackpots often pay out more frequently, if it's the big bucks you're after, there's only one thing to do. Seek games with huge progressive jackpots!

Slot Jackpot

10. Make a Note of Bonus Codes and Promotions

Nearly all online casinos reward loyal customers and new players alike. These rewards will come in the form of bonus codes and other promotions like free spins, cashback, no deposit bonuses and much more.

Slot Bonus

Understand How to Play Your Slot

Slot machines
  1. 1
    Select the number of lines you'd like to play and the amount of your bet per spin.
  2. 2
    Hit the spin button to start the reels. When they stop, you'll get paid based on the symbols lined up on your paylines.
  3. 3
    Get at least three connecting symbols to win a prize. With multi-payline slots you can win with symbols that connect diagonally as well as horizontally.

Behind The Scenes: Insider Knowledge on How to Beat the Slots More Often

Learning how slots work seems easy enough, but did you know that a more thorough understanding of the ins and outs of your chosen game could see your chances of winning improve? Here are a few of our top tips.

  • The number of paylines of any given slot machine is always clearly stated on the game's webpage. And that's all the information you'll need to work out your chances of winning.
  • Slots are a game of luck, but choosing which slot to play is entirely in your control. You can easily improve your chances simply by opting for games which offer the best odds for players.
  • You can keep track of how large on average a progressive jackpot tends to be before it's triggered. This can give you an idea of when you should start placing your bets. However, you must bear in mind that this is by no means an exact science. It's only an average estimation, after all!

The Limits of Online Slot Strategies

As with any game of luck, there are limits when it comes to what you can do to give yourself the best chance of winning. Unlike classic table games such as blackjack or poker, slots are truly random. You can always make predictions, spot trends and brush up on the latest news, but it's impossible to change anything about the way you play that will significantly improve your chances of winning.

However, there are a few things you can do which could still give you a helping hand, as mentioned above. It doesn't hurt to practice free slot games for fun before playing for real money, either. This will enable you to get to know the game, learn which symbols trigger what amounts of prize money, and where you might unearth a hidden bonus game or unlock a bounty of free spins.

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When Jackpots Get Supersized

If there's one thing that gets all slot and video slot fanatics excited, it's talk of a progressive jackpot. Progressive jackpots rise every time a player plays a slot machine and doesn't win the prize. So, as you can imagine, they tend to be pretty impressive sums indeed!

Often progressive jackpots will span a few different online casinos offering that game. These are known as network-wide progressive jackpots, and are those that pay out the really big money. Otherwise, a site-specific stand-alone jackpot can still pay out huge sums. Apart from keeping an eye on large amounts that haven’t been triggered, there aren’t any tips as such for how to win jackpots on slot machines. Here are 10 of the best progressive jackpot games to look out for:

Mega Moolah

In 2015, a man called Jonathan Heywood pocketed $20,062,600 when he scooped Microgaming's Mega Moolah progressive jackpot. Mega Moolah is known for its big progressive jackpots, and it pays out fairly regularly.

Mega Moolah

Gladiator

Released by Playtech back in 2008, this game is still a popular choice amongst progressive jackpot hunters. The online slot machine takes its inspiration from the movie of the same name, and has five reels and 25 paylines to look out for.

Gladiator

Fantastic Four

One of a series of Marvel themed slots, Fantastic Four is an exciting game which comes in two versions. Whilst both have five reels, one has 20 paylines whilst the other has 50. If you match three identical jackpot symbols on this game, you'll walk away with a huge payout.

Fantastic Four

Hall of Gods

One of a selection of fantastic progressive jackpot games from NetEnt casino, Hall of Gods is a five-reel, 20 payline game. If you activate all 20 paylines, you'll unlock a bonus round. That's where you'll get the chance to play for the incredible Mega Jackpot.

Hall of Gods

Deal or No Deal

This online slot machine offers players the chance to win one of three progressive jackpots, all of which are kept locked up in Safe 1, Safe 2 and Safe 3. As the level of jackpot that players are able to play for is determined by the amount they originally bet, you'll need to wager highly to have a chance of winning the big bucks on this game.

Deal or No Deal

Major Millions

This three-reel progressive jackpot game is known for its generous payouts. To unlock the progressive jackpot, all you need to do is line up three major millions symbols, once you've bet your maximum of three of fifteen coins, depending whether you are playing the 3 or 5 reel variant.

Major Millions

Beach Life

Playtech's Beach Life progressive jackpot slot is a big, bold game that's full of color and excitement. The progressive jackpot has been won 15 times, and the luckiest of those 15 winners took home $6,956,847!

Beach Life

Mega Fortune

Mega Fortune has created plenty of millionaires. Could you be next? In 2013, a Finnish man bet $0.25 and managed to walk away with $24 million! And then just two years later, in 2015, another millionaire was made when a player scooped $9.57 million playing the NetEnt slot machine. Not bad at all!

Mega Fortune

Treasure Nile

Another popular progressive jackpot game from Microgaming, Treasure Nile pays out an average of $119,967. This game's progressive jackpot is won, on average, every 10 days. So far the game has clocked up 287 winners - and counting!

Treasure Nile

Advanced Slots Tips: Maximizing Every Betting Opportunity

When playing slots, it's important that you're taking advantage of all the opportunities your chosen game might provide.

Denomination Size

Higher denomination slots often equal higher paying machines. So, if you can afford to play these, you might find you have a better chance of winning bigger and more frequently. However, if you can't afford to lose the money you're betting on these machines, it's best to stick with lower denomination options.

Slot

Win Eligibility

Betting the maximum number of coins a game almost always gives you an improved payback percentage. There's often a disproportionate jump in percentage when you bet a third coin, rather than two. If you're playing real-money slot machines, you might be tempted to play fewer win lines with an increased bet per line. So, you'll net a bigger win than if you had bet $0.01 per line and played all 25 lines.

Slot
TipHowever, it is important to consider that by playing fewer lines you'll have less chance of a win coming up for you. More importantly, some games require you to play all the paylines to qualify for a bonus round or jackpot, so keep that in mind.If you're not sure how best to maximize your chances, we'd recommend you give free online slots a try. Playing the free versions of real money slots is a great way to learn the rules before putting your money on the line.

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