Slots are some of the best-known casino games out there. Besides the classic Ace of Spades that comes with Poker, the infamous Seven stands right up there as the icon for gambling. Slots have spawned numerous topics and have even gone on to cover parts of Asia, generating considerable revenues for multiple gambling companies.
Yet, there’s more to this subject than one might think.
Get to know slots first
Gambling can be quite a confusing medium at times. Slots can also be misleading, especially for newcomers, so it would be best first to get to know their specifics. It’s ideal to understand how slots work beforehand, how the multiple complicated slots’ features blend, and where to look for them.
With the iGaming industry being such a volatile medium, slots are also prone to change, new limitations, and development. Keeping a keen eye on new regulations is always a good thing to do.
Land-based vs Online
Choosing the right slot is essential as there is so much variety. For land-based casinos, the selection is more restrained than what can be found on the online betting platforms. Bars may have only 3 or 4 slots, hotels a bit more, with the real selection found only in casinos. Even then, you will come across the same type of slot for rows on end or by a few developers.
Online casinos get the upper hand due to the multitude of operators, which have access to different developers for these games, thus bringing some much-needed options. For most gambling sites, the providers are big names such as Microgaming and Playtech, but some come with their in-house made slots games, which could surprise many. Also, let’s not forget that with the online medium being so accessible, so are slots, so play them while on the go.
Developers’ particularities
Talking about developer diversity, it’s a sure thing that each one has different tidbits which make them stand out. So you might find that you fancy one over the other.
Take Microgaming, for example, one of the biggest names and the first to develop gambling software for the online medium. For so long in this domain, it’s no wonder that their games are some of the most trusted and played. They developed the Mega Moolah progressive jackpot and recorded the biggest jackpot success in the slots industry. Microgaming also dabbles in products licensed by game studios and cinema, with the likes of Lara Croft and Game of Thrones present in their library.
Other developers also have their unique takes: Quickspin has excellent graphics and exciting effects, and Yggdrasil has nice cinematics when entering their games, presenting their background stories.
What can also set slots apart are noteworthy features. Some have more multipliers, wilds, respins, and many more, different numbers for pay-lines, options to choose which reel to spin, and many more.
On this note, finding a casino that allows demo mode is best, meaning playing is possible without using real funds.
Return to Player and Volatility
It would be best to check out the statistics for slots, which are Return to Player (or RTP) and Volatility.
RTP
Return to Player is a percentage of how much the slot will pay the player and is calculated at a set number of spins, usually over 100 thousand. A 95% slot will pay back £95 for each £100 wager on slots. The RTP is more difficult to get a hold of land-based slots, but most online casinos show their RTPs in the games’ descriptions.
RTP is not necessarily a steady thing, so different slots have different percentages, and this number is also dependent on the casino itself.
Volatility
Volatility matters for generating funds frequency, risk, and sizes of any funds gained. This is important for setting in expectations and choosing how much to invest. On an introductory note, here is how it works:
- High – rare payouts with more significant amounts.
- Medium – average payout with average amounts.
- Low – frequent payouts with low amounts.
Some betting sites also show the volatility of their games.
Your style, your slot
Everything is subjective, so the perfect slot for you is the one you like the most. Yet, we suggest you keep an eye out for the different topics we’ve tackled here.
Testing slots from different providers is essential to know how slots work in general and to get more acquainted with the industry. The difference between land-based and online is tremendous. The RTP and volatility are necessary for strategies, thus improving the spending and amount of generated funds, even if it’s more luck than anything.
Yet, always remember to play responsibly, as slots can be an addictive gambling medium.
