Slot machines have always been the mythical emblem of casinos. They are present in every casino in the world and are probably the most played game due to their simplicity and accessibility. Whether men, women, young or old, everyone tries their hand at the famous one-armed bandits, hoping to hit the jackpot and watch the coins fall as the siren screams out a victory. Today, as well as being the number one attraction in land-based casinos, they are also the number one attraction in internet casinos. Even though slots are one of the easiest games of chance to play, there are some rules to keep in mind: let’s explore them together!
Understanding the structure of the game
Before we discuss each rule of the slot game, we feel it is essential to first explore how a slot is composed. When players click on the game, whether it’s via free slots or just real money, they will see different reels with symbols appearing on the screen. When the machine is launched, the reels will start spinning and then stop, showing a particular combination of symbols that may or may not form winning lines. Wondering how to play slots at the casino under these conditions? Don’t panic, you don’t have to do anything: the slot automatically reports the generated winnings.
Note also that depending on the symbol forming the combination, the win will be different. A random number generator will determine the outcome of the draw, and whether or not your game will win depends on it. Note that each machine is programmed to pay out a particular amount of winnings via a setting called the payout ratio.
By clicking on the “i” button or by going to the area listing each slot machine rule, you will be able to see all of this data as well as the data that will be presented in the rest of this article. You will find the rate of return to the player, the data concerning the betting limits, the list of the planned pay lines, the presentation of all the features of the game…
Our advice: since this article only gives you an overview of the rules of a slot, always take a few minutes to read the information describing the specificities of the machine you are about to use.
Slot machine rules in terms of betting and limits
Actually, it’s not really slot machine rules that we’re going to talk about here, but rather some essential precautions to take in order to know how to play slot machines.
The first thing you will have to do – after starting the online slot machine – is to choose your bet amount. To set this, you will usually need to click on the ‘+’ or ‘-‘ buttons, and set the amount you wish to bet. Note that this will be the amount you wish to bet per pay line (we will explore this in our next paragraph) and not the total amount.
Finally, note that each game is set up so that maximum and minimum bet limits are in place. It will be essential to check these to ensure that the machine fits your budget. This means matching your bankroll with the amount of money you are willing to spend: don’t play on a high limit machine, for example, if your starting capital is relatively low, you risk spending all your money quickly and therefore not having any fun, which is obviously not the goal.
This is how we advise you to choose your entertainment when playing slots:
- For a limited budget: lean towards a minimum limit of C$0.01 per pay line;
- For a medium budget: opt for limits between C$0.1 and C$100 per pay line;
- For a big budget: look for a slot offering limits between C$0.25 and C$500 per pay line.
If the casino doesn’t clearly display this data on its site, you can run the machines one by one and see how far you manage to move the cursor.
The features
By now you know the basic elements of an online slot. However, there are also a number of game options, also known as features. Their purpose: to make your games even more fun and, above all, even more profitable. Thanks to these features, you don’t just wait to form winning lines: you stay on the edge of your seat and hope to engage one of these ultra-entertaining game modes, which we are presenting to you right now. Discover in the blink of an eye how to play slots with even more excitement!
In conclusion, choose the type of slot machine that suits you, bearing in mind that if you prefer to have the chance of winning very big prizes, you could perhaps go for the so-called progressive jackpot slots that will allow you to hit the jackpot eventually. This does require a significant amount of ‘coins’ to be played as you will need to bet the maximum amount on each spin to have any chance of winning.