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Online Slots Strategy

Online slots have exploded in popularity in the last few years. These fast-paced games might be crazy exciting and give players the chance to hit life-changing sums of money, but hitting that jackpot certainly isn’t easy. The outcomes are completely random in these games, and if you’re not too sure what to look out for, you can end up bursting your bankroll before you’ve even had a chance to get started. That doesn’t mean you can’t sharpen your skills and strategy tactics to give you a higher than normal chance at winning, though, and this article will provide you with top advice for doing precisely that.

How Do Online Slots Work?

Online slots work in the same way as the machines found in land-based casinos; only the games are replaced with digital buttons that spin the reels and a screen reveals the results of the symbols. Online slots come in multiple different formats, including 3-reel slots, 5-reel slots, 7-reels, and even 3D-based games with characters and a storyline to work through. To play online slots, you must first select your betting amount. This can be as low as $0.01 or as high as $100 per spin. 

The bets are placed on the game’s paylines, which are also where the symbol combinations appear. If the right symbols match up into a winning line, the player may hit a payout or trigger the game’s bonus content. Bonus rounds are second-screen events that allow you to acquire free spins, free games, and big bet multipliers to boost your stakes. Most slot games also feature a jackpot or top reward to play for.

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Where A Strategy Comes In

Even though the outcomes are entirely reliant on chance in online slots, here are some basic strategy principles you can use to help you maximize your chances of winning:

  • Using Bonuses – Bonuses are a huge benefit of playing slots online. These are incentives that the casino uses to attract new business, but regular rewards are handed out to existing customers too. Some bonuses are only redeemable on specific games, more often than not; however, slots fall into this category and are one of the best games you could possibly use a bonus on. Many of these offers come with free spins to use in place of your bankroll. Just note that you may have to play the game a certain number of times before you can withdraw anything you’ve won using free spins. 
  • Bankroll Management – In any kind of gambling, managing your finances is the top priority. Before you play any slot game, it’s always worth setting yourself a budget to play with and sticking to a limit. Doing so will mean that whatever happens, you’ll never be worse off than before you started. Too many gamblers make the mistake of betting more than they can afford, which consequently leads to losses and potential debt. It’s much better to start small with your bets, then work your way up to larger amounts as your confidence increases and you become more accustomed to a slot game.  
  • The House Edge – Many people think the house edge only applies to table games like roulette and blackjack. The truth is, every casino game has an edge to it — evens slots. It’s referred to as the RTP (Return to Player) percentage in these games, which represents the amount an individual slot will pay out over time according to how much people have paid into the game. Say, for example, a slot had an RTP of 97%; this would mean that for every $1 wagered, the house edge will keep approximately 3% of that bet. You can find the information about a slot’s RTP in the game’s paytable. It’s always good to establish this percentage beforehand so you don’t end up playing a slot that rarely pays out.  
  • Referring to Paytables – Now, onto the paytables themselves. Every individual slot game comes with a paytable that players can refer to when they get stuck. The paytable details all of the need-to-know information like the RTP, the Scatter and Wild Symbols in the game, the combinations needed to win, how to unlock bonus rounds, and how to play for a game’s jackpot. You might not ever think to look at these details when playing online slots, but it can be incredibly handy if you’ve never played a particular game before and want to assess your likelihood of winning. 
  • Playing for Free – Land-based casinos don’t make it possible for you to try slots out before playing for real. Luckily, the majority of online casinos do let players practice for free in advance of playing for real money. Using this option will help you get familiar with a slot’s rules and dynamics before you start dipping into your own pocket.

Playing Progressive Online Slots

All of the above can be applied to progressive online slots. These are games that feature a large jackpot that increases in size as more people bet on the game. The figure keeps climbing — often into the hundreds of thousands — until an eligible player triggers the prize and wins. Standalone progressive jackpots and local progressive jackpots are common in online slot games. The difference between them is that standalone jackpots are only applicable to one game, whereas a local jackpot is linked to several games. You can use the same principles with progressive online slots, but do take into account the following:

  • Bet the Eligible Amount – Most progressive online slots require you to bet a certain amount of coins if you want to play for the jackpot. Even if you happen to win, if you haven’t bet the necessary amount, you won’t qualify for playing the bonus feature that triggers the jackpot. You can check out what you need to bet for the progressive jackpot in the game’s paytables beforehand. 
  • Check Out the Game’s Volatility – High volatility slots are games that you can end up pouring money into without ever seeing a payout. The reason why gamblers still play them, however, is because the jackpots tend to be enormous. If you still want a shot at these games, it’s worth finding out the RTP first and ensuring it’s worth your time and hard-earned cash.
  • Pick A Slot Game You Enjoy – If you find yourself growing tired of a particular slot game, don’t be afraid to call it a day and try something different. It would be a waste of time to continue betting on something that doesn’t bring you any joy or excitement; this contradicts the point of playing. Take your time getting comfortable with a slot game before you start investing in it.

Winning Online Slots

While there’s no surefire way to win at online slots or influence the outcomes in these games, you can give yourself better odds by incorporating these steps into your strategy. Using casino bonuses, bankroll management, and practice are all part of the approach that will naturally help you minimize losses. If you’re looking for further expert advice and tricks to discover, CoolCat has a bunch of other great tips for winning online slots that you can use to your personal advantage.

Test Out Your Skills At CoolCat

Now you’ve got some idea of how online slots work and the basis for a strategy, put your skills and newfound knowledge to the test on hundreds of slots here at CoolCat Casino. You’ll find all kinds of different slot layouts, themes, and a myriad of other top casino games to play such as blackjack, roulette, video poker, craps, keno, and baccarat. Want to play for free or for real money? Just sign up, make your first deposit, and start reaping the coolest rewards today!

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