Online Slots Ireland

How do Slots Work?

Slots are simple games, although in recent years they’ve got a little more complicated. The original slot machine games were just three reels and three rows of different symbols. All players had to do was spin these reels and watch to see if any matching symbols lined up with each other. In these older games, the three symbols had to match across the central row for players to reap a reward. Gradually, as technology improved, online slots have become more complicated, offering numerous different ways to win and adding in bonus symbols.

Nowadays most slots offer five reels with three rows. The premise is the same – match at least three symbols for a win, but now bigger payouts are awarded for matching five. The payout lines are also different. There’s not just the single one anymore, slots offer anywhere from 20 pay lines right through to thousands, meaning players have more chances of landing winning combinations. Bonus symbols such as a wild help to push things along – wilds change to match any symbol to create a winning combo – while the scatter symbol usually awards free spins.

Rules of The Game

Slot games don’t have as many rules as other online casino games. The player must decide what bet amount they are going to play before the game. Once they spin the reels, the bet that they placed will remain the same for each spin until the player changes this themselves. The stake they have made will also apply to any of the bonus games, multipliers or winning combinations they make and, subsequently, any jackpot wins will also reflect this, so players should be mindful of what they are betting.

Each game will have different rules regarding the payout for each slot symbol. These can be found in the paytable attached to that slot. There will also be specific rules for each of the extra symbols and the in-game features, including free spins, that the slot offers. Again these can all be found within the paytable so that players can go into the game knowing all the various aspects that are offered. Slot games are audited for fairness and protected by casino security to prevent any cheating from either side.

Slots Terms and Their Meaning

There are a number of terms relating to slots that players should be familiar with to have the best results when they play.

• Wild: this is the symbol that can replace any other symbol (except additional bonus icons), to make a winning combination. 
• Scatter: this is a bonus icon and landing three or more of these on the reels will usually result in players being awarded a predetermined number of free spins. Free Spins – spins given to the player without taking any money from the bankroll.
• Reels: These are the vertical columns of symbols. 
• Rows: these are the horizontal lines of symbols. 
• Payline: the line along which the matching symbols must lie if the player intends to get a winning combination. 
• Multiplier: a value that the stake is multiplied by when a certain outcome occurs. Multipliers can be awarded through different in-game features. 
• Jackpot : the big prize is usually won by landing five of the highest paying symbols on a payline. The size of the jackpot will vary significantly between different slot games.

Different Types of Slots

As mentioned already, there are classic slots, 5-reel slots and progressive jackpot slots. Classic fruit machine style slots offer players the simplest gaming experience with just three rows, three reels and a small collection of symbols. These games tend not to offer any in-game features and don’t bring in huge jackpots. Five-reel video slots, including 3D versions, have multiple ways to win, tend to be more extravagant in their themes and symbols and also offer a range of in-game bonus features. This covers both extra bonus symbols but also mini-games within the slot.

The last category is the progressive jackpot games. These are the most lucrative of all the slot options. Progressive jackpots are generally of the same gaming format as 5-reel slots. However, they have a key difference. Unlike 5-reel games, their jackpot is not fixed. Instead, game machines are electronically linked, and as players around the world play for the jackpot, the amount in the pot will tick upwards. The prize is created by taking tiny percentages of each stake that is made. With so much input globally, these jackpots get huge, fast! Check out different types of slots here in our in-depth article.

How to Win Online Slots

Playing online slots is a matter of luck. However, by utilising the demo versions and reading up about each game, you can pick one that’s more likely to payout. Checking the Return to Player (RTP) rate will tell you how much you stand to have returned. Volatility levels are also important, with low volatility awarding regular low payouts and high volatility paying out infrequently but large amounts when it does. If you’re planning to succeed though, as well as having a bit of the luck of the Irish, managing your bankroll is the key. We rated top 10 slots according to their paylines, RTP and volatility here, make sure to check them out for easy wins!

References

• Online Slots (Wikipedia)

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