Online Slots – What You Need to Know

Online slots are some of the most popular games you will find at online casinos. Whether you are a casual gambler or a hardcore veteran, you’ve almost certainly come across a slot machine in a land-based establishment, or an online game at an internet casino. However, recently, online casinos have become a much bigger industry than ever. Which begs the question, what are the basics every gambler needs to know before they play online slots?

Determining Safety

The first thing you must be aware of is whether you are playing slots on a safe site or not. Online casinos have a bad reputation, mostly caused by ignorance. However, it is absolutely true that not all websites are legitimate. Luckily, there is a simple way to determine if you are playing games on one of the good internet gambling establishments.

If a casino is licensed by a noteworthy local or international authority, then you are safe. Licensing companies go over every single one of the hundreds of online slots a casino may host, and make sure that the games are up to par. So, if you’ve found an offshore casino with a reputable license, feel free to enjoy your favorite games.

Return to Player + Volatility

The next thing to keep in mind is the RTP, or Return to Player. For the unaware, an RTP is the percentile representation of all of the money that a slot machine will return to the player over a significant amount of time. Note that this isn’t the percentage that each individual player should expect to get. It simply shows how much money a machine will return, relative to how much money has been wagered. 

Volatility, on the other hand is a relatively looser term, and is used to describe the slot’s likelihood of payout. A high volatility means that the slot is very unlikely to pay out frequently. However, slots with a high volatility usually payout significantly more. By contrast, a low volatility slot is likely to give more frequent payouts, though the amount is usually smaller. 

Gamblers often think about how RTP might pair with volatility. Obviously, the golden rule is that you want a high RTP and low volatility slot. However, it isn’t reasonable to assume that an option like that will be available. Therefore, most gamblers attempt to do the best they can, and stick to average RTP and medium volatility. Throughout the slot machine’s history, the average RTP has changed, but for online slots it is about 95% – 97%. 

Pay Lines

Finally, all players that enjoy online slots should be aware of the pay lines. For those who may not be aware, pay lines are simply the combinations on the grid which result in a win. In other words, they are the lines on a slot’s grid that you have to fill up with the same symbols if you want a payout. 

The interesting thing about online slots is that different games have different rules for pay lines, and even a different amount of pay lines. That is why it is absolutely imperative to read up a bit about the game, before you decide to play it.