How to Win at Slots

Slots are the backbone of the casino floor in land-based venues and online. These fast-paced games promise some of the best payout opportunities out of all other gambling games, but winning requires a mixture of skill, knowledge, practice, and of course, a bit of perseverance! We’ve compiled some essential details on what to look for when you play slots online, plus active steps you can take to maximize your chances of seeing a payout.

Online Slots Explained

Slots have evolved considerably since the days of mechanical levers and pulleys. Since they went online, these basic features have advanced to sport colorful animations and second-screen bonus events that can give players a mountain of extra earning opportunities. What has stuck since they first emerged on the market is the randomization of the results. Online slots work with Random Number Generators (RNGs), which are complex algorithms that ensure that the symbols always appear arbitrarily and never in a particular order. Because of this, it is impossible to predict the outcomes of the reels in online slots — no matter what a person’s level of skill. The good news is that there are some things players can do to improve their likelihood of winning online slots:

• Choose Right and Use Freeplay – What most players struggle with when it comes to modern-day slots is knowing how to pick a suitable one. There are endless themes and different layouts to choose from these days, which can be overwhelming to a slot newcomer. This alone can easily cause people to choose one that isn’t the best fit for their bankroll or playing style. Moreover, they may end up picking one that puts them off playing altogether. Gambling sites purposefully give the option to play slots online for free so that you can get used to the dynamics, rules of play and build up confidence before you start taking any risks. If you’re prepared to play the game for real money afterward, you know you’ve probably picked a good one. 

• Go for Jackpot Games with Bonus Rounds – The best part about playing slots online is the explosion of bonus rounds that occur and give players more chances to strike it big. Bonus rounds are typically triggered when a player has achieved a combination on the reels, such as three scatters or a line that includes a wild symbol. When the bonus round is unlocked, a number of free spins or free games are awarded, letting the player spin the reels without using their own cash. The majority of online slots are also home to a progressive, local, or network jackpot that can be triggered at any given moment. Some games even contain two jackpots (a minor and a major), which aren’t as prolonged or difficult to trigger compared to the other types of prizes. Games that contain both a jackpot and bonus rounds are the best kinds of slots you could opt for.

• Look at Slot Volatility – It’s not always obvious how volatile a slot machine is until you actually play it in land-based casinos. Luckily, online casinos often have this information available in a game’s paytables. Slot volatility, also known as “variance” is how often a machine is likely to pay out over time. Some machines can give you smaller, frequent payouts, while other machines will pay out massive wins but over a much longer duration. The slot games that house the largest jackpots are high variance games that normally require you to place high betting amounts. If you’re looking to win big sums of cash and can be flexible with your bankroll at the same time, go for the types of games that feature high payouts or progressive jackpots.

• Study the RTP Percentage – Another strong indication of whether a slot is worth a second look is the Return to Player Percentage, aka, the RTP. This information can also be found in the paytables of online slots and shows what the game will pay back to the player over time. For example, if you were to place a bet of $1 on a slot game, and the RTP of that machine was 90%, you could expect to get back $0.90 in wins in the long term. Most online slots have an RTP between 90-97% on average, and the higher this percentage, the better your odds are of seeing a win.

Slot Bonuses for Better Odds

Bonuses are one of the best parts of being a member of online casinos. For new players, particularly, the first-time offers tend to be the most lucrative and fulfilling when it comes to your bankroll. These welcome bonuses sometimes include a number of free spins that can be played without a deposit. It’s well worth utilizing these offers whenever available, as you are essentially playing off the house’s money and extending your own budget in the process. Bonuses aren’t just limited to new players either — existing players can also make use of bonus codes regularly, as can VIP players. 

At CoolCat, we’ve always got a treat up our sleeve for our players. Right now, newbies can take advantage of a 330% Welcome Bonus with 50 free spins to use on the slot game, Popinata. Just register an account, deposit $50 or more, then enter the code COOLWELCOME at the cashier, and it’s yours! Our seasoned players can also get their game on with a $25 no deposit bonus to use on slots, keno, and all other allowed table games with code COOLEST25. Be sure to check the terms and conditions for both by heading to our promotions section for full details and more great offers!

Adopting a Strategy

Even though there is no skill required to play slots, let alone win them, it never hurts to have a basic strategy to follow to give yourself the best chances of success. A strategy doesn’t have to be anything complex; it’s just about using common sense when it comes to managing your bankroll, using bonuses, researching a slot’s paytables before playing, and practicing the game for free in advance of placing real wagers. While these things might not make you a millionaire every time you play slots, following such practices is the smartest approach to playing slots — and any other casino game for that matter.

Play Online Slots at CoolCat

There’s no fast-track solution or hidden secret for how to win at slots, but hopefully, this article has armed you with some knowledge and useful insights for how to play and how you can make them work in your favor. If you want more cool slots tips and the chance to play slots and table games for real money, you’re in luck! You’ll find hundreds of classics and fresh releases in the CoolCat lobby that feature magical bonus rounds, enormous jackpots to play for, and the ability to multiply your stakes tenfold — see for yourself!