One spin is all it takes to win with online slots that pay real money at the most trusted online casinos. Learn how to play them with our comprehensive guide.
Author Frank Scoblete put it best when he said that “slot machines sit there like young courtesans, promising pleasures undreamed of, your deepest desires fulfilled, all lusts satiated”.
The fascination with playing slots has been around for decades, and they get their name from the physical real money slot machines found in casinos and other establishments. The term comes from the slot that players would put coins into in order to allow them to play the game.
They have changed a lot over the years though, going from having an arm you would pull to trigger spins on three reels, hoping desperately for a matching set of symbols, to new touch-screen controls on video slots.
There are even now slots available online and offering a number of features unlike any you find in land-based casinos. These features make slots for real money a very fun and entertaining experience.
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Whilst all slots that pay real money tend to follow a similar pattern, in that you pay a stake for each spin made with an aim to match as many symbols as possible, there are differences between many of the best online slots for real money.
Here are just a few of the different types of slots you will find:
| Different Type | Of Slots |
|---|---|
| 3-Reel Online Slots | Cluster Pay Slots |
| 5-Reel Online Slots | Megaways |
These are based on the traditional slots first introduced at land-based casinos. There is just one pay line, although you are usually able to see the symbols on the reels above and below the pay line.
The idea with these real money slots is to match three symbols in order to win, with different symbols paying out different amounts.
These online slots win real money in a similar yet different way. You still have to match symbols, but you can match anywhere from three to five, with payouts increasing the more you get.
Many of the best online slots for real money offer multiple pay lines. The majority will payout as long as symbols match up on a line from left to right, with some also offering payouts from right to left as well.
If you are into your mobile gaming, you will be familiar with match-three games such as Candy Crush Saga. Well, these online slots win real money in a similar way. Instead of traditional reels, you are faced with a grid full of symbols.
Once you “spin”, a set of symbols will fall down. Successful matches will count as a win. The more you match, the higher the payout. But, when you do get a group together, the fun doesn’t end there, as they disappear and are replaced with more, potentially triggering multiple wins from one spin.
Megaways are one of the more recently introduced variations with which you can win real money slots. They usually have five reels too, but can have more, but the main difference is you can have over 1,000 different pay lines.
That’s because each reel never drops a set number of symbols. On one spin it may drop three, the next time it could drop seven, and then it may drop two. There is also an additional row above the main reels offering some extra symbols that can sometimes help you form a win line.
When you decide to play online slots for real money, you may hear a number of different words, from autoplay to free spins and volatility. You may be wondering what they all mean. Terms such as bandits, fruit machines, and pokies are all different names given to various types of slot machines.
These other terms below will be associated with all machines too, so here’s our little slot term dictionary to help you out:
| Terms | Description |
|---|---|
| Autoplay | Plays automatically, and allows you to limit the number of spins. |
| Bonus Rounds | Featured games on a slot game. |
| Free Spins | Bonus spins awarded that will not cost you a penny to use, are usually awarded at your current stake. |
| Paylines | The lines on the reels in which slot games payout. There is usually a maximum payout with each game. |
| Paytables | Show you all the different pay lines, symbols, and how much each symbol pays. |
| RTP | Return-to-Player %: the percentage chance of winning. E.g. 90% RTP should return $90 for every $100 staked. |
| Scatters | Symbols that appear scattered around the reels. Can appear anywhere and trigger a bonus round. |
| Stake | The amount you place on each spin. There is a minimum and maximum stake for each slot game. |
| Volatility | Describes the risk of losing a bet. |
| Wilds | A symbol that will substitute for all standard symbols on reels, increasing the chances of a winning pay line. |
Real money slots online and offline can often have progressive jackpots. These are jackpots that are contributed to by every player who plays a particular game, with every spin adding an amount to the collective pot. They are seen as a community-style game as so many people have a chance of winning.
Slot providers are the companies who develop and design slot games. Many are based on popular themes such as comics, movies, sports, and video games, with new innovative slots being released all the time.
Here are some of the most popular real money slots providers in the USA:
Yes, as long as you are of legal gambling age, you can play slots online that payout real cash prizes.
Match the required bonus symbols to activate the bonus. Paytables will tell you how to achieve this.
No, these are only guidelines. There are chances to both lose money and win money, as with any casino game. You take the risk when you play, so ensure you gamble responsibly.
Yes, anyone can win progressive jackpots playing on any stake.
Whilst bonus games do usually offer bigger payouts when reaching them, having one doesn’t increase your chances of winning.
