A beginner’s guide to online slot phrases
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If you are new to the world of iGaming, it’s easy to be dazzled by industry jargon. You’ll no doubt have noticed plenty of unfamiliar terminology used to describe bits and pieces of casino games, especially online slot games.
There are plenty which will leave you scratching your head, which is the last thing you want if you’re planning to spend some of your own hard-earned money playing and having fun. Worry not though, as we’ve put together a guide which demystifies the most common phrases in online slot gaming at English-speaking sites. This should allow you to spin the reels, safe in the knowledge that you know what you’re doing.
Return-to-player (RTP)
Each slot game is assigned with an "RTP" percentage. This percentage shows how much of your stake you can expect to be theoretically returned to you over the long term. For instance, a 96% RTP slot should return $96 of every $100 wagered. However, just be mindful that these percentages are calculated over hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of spins. The outcome of slot spins, determined by random number generators, can deviate from the RTP over short-term sessions, but it’s still a useful guide.
Progressive jackpot
Unlike a fixed jackpot, a progressive jackpot grows over time with every wager from other players. The prize pool is often shared across the same slot game at multiple casinos, or the same casino across multiple slots. Every time someone plays the game, a small percentage of their stake contributes to the rising jackpot. This is what makes them such an intriguing prospect among slot players, since the potential prizes can escalate and be triggered randomly during any base game spin.
Volatility
When you're thinking about how to win at slots, the volatility of a slot game is a key consideration. Volatility denotes the level of risk involved in playing the game. High-volatility slots are more likely to pay out infrequently. However, they’ll also pay out in bigger multipliers when wins do occur. Low-volatility slots will pay out more regularly but usually in smaller multipliers.
Paylines
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Most traditional online slots will have paylines. These are invisible lines which denote where winning combinations of matching symbols must land. Most modern slots will have dozens of paylines, if not hundreds, but retro-style slots will have just one central payline in a homage to old-school fruit machines which were some of the best arcade-style games at the time.
Wilds
A wild symbol is like the Swiss army knife of the slot world. It can act as a substitute for other base game symbols to help create winning paylines or clusters. In some slot games, wilds can also expand to fill entire reels or remain locked in place during certain bonus features.
Scatters
Scatter symbols operate somewhat differently to wild symbols in that they’re needed to trigger bonus features like free spins. Unlike base game symbols, scatters don’t need to appear on the same payline to activate bonuses. You’ll usually need at least three to land during the same spin. Scatter symbols can sometimes be used to retrigger or extend bonus features too.
Once you get your head around the terms used in slot games, you’ll soon discover a whole new world of entertainment. With dozens of slot themes to sample, including many inspired by popular culture, there’s never been a better time to sample state-of-the-art slot game experiences which are now more akin to games console environments.
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