What Every Player Should Know About Online Slots

Slot machines became one of the most popular casino games over the course of the last century. So, it’s really no surprise that online Slots remain at the top of the online casino game charts.

Rather than using physical mechanics to spin the reels, when you play Slots online, it’s computer software that moves the reels and determines the outcome of the spin. If you’re interested to learn more about how online Slots work, then read on.

How online Slots work

Obviously, there are no physical mechanisms at work in online Slots like you’d find in a classic land-based slot machine. Everything in an online slot game is digital and part of the game’s software.

The core of what makes online Slots work is something known as a random number generator (RNG). These are computer algorithms that determine the outcome of a spin to create truly fair and unbiased games.

RNGs work by generating strings of thousands of random numbers, starting from a set seed and running through complicated mathematical equations. This creates sequences that have no discernible pattern, making it impossible to predict what the outcome of any given spin will be.

When a player initiates a spin the RNG locks in its current set of numbers, with each of them relating to the position of a symbol on the reels. This allows the game to determine which set of symbols will land on the reels, completely independently of any previous outcomes.

The RNG ensures that a slot game is entirely random in nature, with all players having the same odds of landing a matching combination.

Types of online Slots

There are thousands of different slot games to choose from online, ranging from themes of mythology and ancient civilisations to popular culture and sports. Aside from theming, Slots also fall into a few major categories, that include:

• Classic Slots – these games pattern themselves after the oldest slot game designs, sticking to three reels and fewer paylines.
• Progressive Slots – these are defined by their style of jackpot, which increases over time with a fraction of every wager placed.
• Cascading reels Slots – when matching combinations land on the reels the symbols will ‘clear’ and allow new symbols to fall into place, potentially creating more combinations.

Key Slots terminology

Like many other casino games, Slots have a lot of dedicated terminology that’s important to understand. Let’s delve into a few of those now.

• Reels – these are the spinning lines found in any slot game, usually numbering between three and seven in total.
• Paylines – these are the lines which symbols need to land on to form matching patterns.
• Volatility – this is a term that indicates the relative payout frequency of a slot game, with high-volatility games offering larger payouts at a lower frequency and low-volatility games having a higher level of small payouts.
• Return to player (RTP) – this is a percentage showing the percentage of total wagers that a slot game is expected to pay back over time. This is worked out over very long timeframes, so it isn’t any guarantee in the short-term.

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Online Slots still have the core of the classic slot machine, only with greater variety than ever before. Understanding the basics of these online slot games is key for every player.