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Get to Grips With These Crucial Slots Terms

Slots gaming has been a popular pastime for many years, and it’s thanks to the rise of technology and the birth of the online casino in 1996, that the games are more accessible than ever. With exciting new mechanics, retro, classic, and themed games to choose from, you could spend hours embarking on new adventures and travelling the globe thanks to the world of online Slots at Paddy Power, for example. So, to get you thinking and feeling like a pro, we’ve put together a list of some of the most crucial slot game terminology to help you on your way. Read on to find out more.

Active payline – the winning paylines that are active during gameplay.

Auto play – an option that allows you to spin the reels automatically for a set amount of time.

BAR – a classic fruit machine symbol, based on the logo for the Bell-Fruit Gum Company.

Bet per line – the amount you have wagered per line for each spin.

Bonus features – reward features that come with gameplay. These include free spins, re-spins, expanding wilds, multipliers and many more.

Bonus multiplier – can increase your win by a certain amount during a game’s bonus round.

Bonus round – a reward feature that provides you with a new game to play for free, within the game you’re playing.

Cascading reels – symbols fall and any winning combinations are replaced with new ones. These games feature multiple paylines and are also known as Avalanche Slots.

Casino bonus – can include free spins, credits to play with or another incentive offered to you by the online casino.

Credits – slot machine currency. The amount of coins or cash inserted into the slot.

Fixed jackpot – a fixed amount that can be won whilst playing the game.

Free spins – you guessed it – free spins are a bonus feature that provides you with free turns.

Icons – the symbols you find on the reels. Usually playing card symbols or fruit.

Megaways – a slot mechanic developed by Big Time Gaming with unique features and up to 117,649 ways to win.

Payout – the amount you can win for each specific combination.

Progressive jackpot – a jackpot that keeps growing based on other players’ bets, each time it isn’t won.

Random Number Generator (RNG) – computer software that generates a new combination of numbers or symbols every second, generating randomness. An RNG is used to keep slot games and many other online casino games fair and unpredictable.

Return to player (RTP) – this is the percentage of all the bets that’s paid out to players in winnings. Generally, slot games with a RTP of 97% or higher are best.

Scatter symbol – a slot symbol that can show up on the reels and help to provide wins or unlock free spins.

Volatility – a slot’s volatility is associated with the amount of risk in playing the game. A high volatility slot has less frequent chances to win, but wins usually pay out more, whereas low volatility Slots tend to pay little and often.

Wild symbol – can substitute for all symbols on the reels, with the exception of the scatter.

Win-both-ways – a slot game that allows winning combinations from both left-to-right and right-to-left.

Now you have some new Slots terminology under your belt, it’s time to put it into action and wade through the sea of slot machines at an online casino and find your new favorite. Will you travel to Ancient Egypt, or decide to set sail with Pirates? Perhaps you’ll spin some retro reels, or satisfy your sweet tooth with a fruit machine? The Slots world is your oyster…

 

 

Jeff Campbell