Slot Terms

Article by : Olha Lammer Jun 30, 2023

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When you open the casino lobby, you definitely see a wide range of varied slot machines, which can be divided by varied features or other qualities. Even in this case, slot machine terms can help you learn more about the games to choose from. Not to mention the deeper analysis when you find out the gambling slang and puns, understand more details regarding technical characteristics and master online slots this way.

General Terms

In this section, you will find words related to the basic characteristics and interface of online casino slot machines. They will simplify your navigation so that you can learn how to place bets, and gameplay to let you set autoplay or understand how specific bonuses work and the overall experience when getting familiar with a certain slot.

Autoplay

This option is designed for players who want to have a long session and set a range of automatic spins at a certain bet. In some cases, you just set the bet and the number of spins, and they can be limited (eg. up to 100), while other slots allow players to open advanced autoplay settings. For example, Gonzo’s Quest by NetEnt has additional settings where you can choose the following parameters to stop autoplay:

• On any win
• If single win exceeds a certain amount
• If cash increased by a certain amount
• If cash decreased by a certain amount
• If the Free Falls bonus game is won

‘I launched the autoplay mode for 100 spins and nearly doubled my bankroll after this gaming session.’

Bet Max (Max Bet)

This betting option allows a player to set the maximum allowed bet by pushing a single button. When your balance isn’t enough to reach the highest slot’s limit, the game will determine the maximum bet according to your bankroll. This feature is convenient for high-rollers who don’t want to increase the bet continuously by pushing ‘+’. This button is usually displayed on the menu panel. For example, the Crazy Digginz slot by Pulse 8 Studios has a ‘MAX’ widget on the left from the round start button.

‘High-risk strategy requires playing at the max bet, so it’s suitable only for players with a large bankroll’.

Bonus

It’s a special feature or a set of extra features different from the main game. They can be triggered by a certain combination of special symbols like a Wild and a Scatter or launched randomly. For example, Walk of Shame by Nolimit City has the Loaded Wild bonus which makes high-paying symbols covering the entire reel turn into Loaded Wild on reels 2 to 5 and bring a 4x multiplier.

‘Due to the bonus with Wilds, my base game brought me an extra winning combination.’

Bonus Game

This is a special mini-game different from the main game. Mainly, bonus games are triggered by certain combinations of bonus symbols or after a certain reaction, such as filling a bonus meter. Such features are designed to make the gameplay diversified and let players get more chances to win prizes or free spins. For example, on the Game of Gladiators Uprising slot by Play’n GO, gladiator symbols are Wilds which can trigger re-spins or launch extra mini-games.

‘If you manage to activate a bonus game with free spins, this will save your balance and bring extra wins.’

Branded Slots

These are slot machines based on popular media topics, be they TV shows, movies, games, or other forms. The media elements can include the main characters as symbols on the reels and other details. A good example is a range of Marvel-themed slots by Playtech, including The Avengers, Iron Man 2, and Elektra. To provide such software, providers need to partner with the brand’s owner (eg. Warner Bros).

‘Playtech and NetEnt are known for their branded slots like The Avengers and Narcos.’

Buy-a-Pay

This term mainly refers to land-based slot machines (eg. the two-coin Sizzling 7s) and describes slots that require the maximum amount of coins as your bet to activate a certain feature. In case of a lower bet, the bonus combination won’t bring you the desired result. In some cases, you can see traditional slots where players can win jackpots only when they play at a maximum bet.

‘On buy-a-pay slots, the combination can be non-winning due to the lack of the second coin.’

Classic Slots

Also called old-school or traditional, these slots are a virtual version of land-based machines from the past. They are simple in terms of graphics and functions. Mainly, such slots have 3 reels and 1 row, so you can play with a single line. The most popular symbols of classic slots are fruits, BARs, and bells. Some of these games can have a Gamble feature or even a random jackpot. You can try out Lucky Seven (Betsoft), Vegas Hot (Wazdan), and other similar machines.

‘Players who want to have simple gameplay and remember the old times launch classic slots with fruits and bells.’

Coin Size

Here are the slot machine denominations explained. Some slots can have not only a betting modifier but also a coin value. It’s pretty often displayed on NetEnt slots like Mega Fortune. This way, you can choose both the bet level and the coin value, increasing or decreasing the total wager this way. For example, when the bet is $25, and the coin value is 0.20, this means that you’ll play at the total bet of $5 per spin ($25 * 0.20).

‘When setting the bet per spin, you can modify the coin size and track the total bet in your currency before each spin.’

Pay Table

This table displays the values of winning symbols once they land on paylines. In some cases, the amount each symbol pays is fixed, so you need to count yourself how much you win at a certain bet, and in other cases, it will adjust to your current bet and you’ll see the values available with your current active wager. In Benji Killed in Vegas by Nolimi City, the pay table adjusts to your bet. In these cases, when you want to track multipliers, simply select a bet of $1.

‘Open the paytable via the ‘i’ widget to find out how much 3 to 5 symbols of a kind can pay when on a payline.’

Payline

This is a certain combination requiring symbols to land upon to pay. Simple games can have 9 to 243, or any other number of paylines. In some cases, they are fixed by default (eg. Dead or Alive 2), and in other slots, a player determines the number themselves (eg. Book of Dead).

When you change the number of active paylines, the bet changes accordingly, so the fewer active lines, the lower the total bet. Yet, when the line isn’t active, you won’t get wins there, so your chances are lower.

Plus, it’s worth noting Megaways slots where the game’s potential can bring up to 117,659 lines, or even more. But you can have rounds with, for example, only 5,000 ways to win. In some cases, paylines are absent and wins are formed via either clusters or Scattered symbols.

Here are some more examples of slots with a different number of paylines:

• Double Diamond (IGT) – 1 payline
• Fire Joker (Play’n GO) – 5 paylines
• Ugga Bugga (Playtech) – 10 paylines
• Sweet 27 (Play’n GO) – 27 paylines
• Jurassic World (Microgaming) – 243 paylines
• Buffalo (Aristocrat) – 1,024 paylines
• White Rabbit (BTG) – 248,832 paylines

‘When you can change the number of paylines, the more of them are active, the higher your chances to win. Only the highest win per line is counted.’

Random Number Generator (RNG)

Also known as RNG, it’s one of the gambling sayings players can hear a lot. It’s a technology randomly determining the outcomes of each round you play, which makes it fair since it’s impossible to influence or predict the outcomes. You can often meet eCOGRA or iTechLabs certificates showing that the software from a certain provider is RNG-tested, which means that independent auditors control whether the games are really random and non-rigged.

‘This casino games are based on the Random Number Generator (RNG) and tested by iTechLabs, so you can be sure that they are fair.’

Reels

These are the slot elements which spin once the game starts. They are covered by symbols which form winning combinations once the reels stop. Depending on the slot configuration, you can find 3-reel (Goblins Cave by Playtech), 5-reel (Twin Spin by NetEnt), or more complex mechanics, such as 1-2-3-2-1 on Gems and Riches by Wizard Games.

‘By pushing the ‘Start’ button, you spin the reels and try to catch winning symbols on paylines.’

Symbols

The images covering the reels are called paying symbols. Each of them has a certain value displayed in the pay table. In most cases, you need to land 3+ standard symbols or 2+ high-paying ones on a certain payline or in a cluster to get paid. In most cases, combinations are counted from left to right and the symbols should be adjusted to each other.

The amount you can win varies depending on your bet since the symbol’s multiplier will be applied to your current bet. For example, on the Fire Archer slot by Pragmatic Play, the most valuable symbol is the main character who pays 2x, 6x, or 20x for 3, 4, or 5 symbols on a payline (or $2, $6, and $20 at a $1 bet per spin).

Besides, slots can have bonus symbols like Scatters, Wilds, and different modifications like Super Wilds.

‘The more symbols of a kind you land on an active payline, the larger your potential winning amount per spin’.

Video Slots

Such real money slots are advanced in terms of theme, graphics, animation, and sound effects. Their features are just engaging, so you can try out varied modifiers of traditional features like free spins. For example, The Rave by Nolimit City features a realistic party theme where gamblers can enjoy cool music and stunning animation effects during the winning rounds. The same is with its features like Drop The Bass and Enhancer Cells.

‘Unlike slot machines you could meet in the past, online video slots feature dozens of themes, as well as striking animations and cool features.’

Jackpot

Standard payouts on slots are based on basic symbols and the paytable. These wins can be quite large, but they still can’t be compared with jackpots which are top prizes offered by certain slots.

These can be either fixed or progressive jackpots. When they are fixed, you win a certain multiplier according to the game’s settings. For example, Wolf Gold by Pragmatic Play has Mini, Major, and Mega fixed jackpots paying 30x, 100x, and 1,000x respectively.

When the amount is progressive, the prize pool grows with each new real money bet players place and can be hit randomly regardless of the bet amount. One of the most thrilling progressive jackpot slots is Mega Moolah by Microgaming (Games Global) which has Mini, Minor, Major, and Mega jackpots.

‘Of course, my biggest wish is hitting a jackpot one day and getting a really large amount.’

Features

The lingo slang regarding bonus features can also be very helpful. By learning these new terms, you’ll understand more mechanics, which will help you easily compare slots by their functions and quickly realize what to expect from a certain title.

We’ll tell you why Wilds and Scatters are different from standard symbols, explain what bonus games exist, and tell more about nudging and cascading mechanics. Due to these terms explained and examples from our SlotsUp team, you’ll master any casino game, even when it’s the latest release with advanced features.

Ante Bet

This feature is designed to let players increase their chances of hitting a bonus game by increasing the bet by 25%. In this case, your wins are still counted according to the standard rate, while the amount deducted from your balance is 25% larger. However, it’s considered beneficial by some players since the chances of getting a bonus game are doubled or even tripled. Sweet Bonanza by Pragmatic Play has such feature.

‘I activate Ante Bet when I feel that I’ll be lucky and it’s time to trigger the bonus round.’

Bonus Buy

An opportunity to buy a bonus for a certain amount deducted from your balance is attractive for those who can’t wait triggering the bonus game. In some cases, there are different variations so that you can buy a bonus round according to your balance and preferences. For example, Tombstone RIP by Nolimit City has 2 bonus options you can buy for 70x and 3,000x respectively.

‘Perhaps, Bonus Buy is too expensive in some games, but it’s one of my favourite features, especially when my bankroll is large.’

Cascading Reels

This feature is based on winning symbols which explode (disappear) and allow upper symbols land instead. In the result of this reaction, you can form one or even more additional winning combinations. In some cases, each new consecutive reaction brings extra multipliers. Some providers also name similar mechanics as Avalanche, Rolling Reels, or Tumbling Reels. Among the slots with Cascading Reels, you can try out Bonanza Megaways by Big Time Gaming.

‘Due to Cascading Reels, I had a chain of consecutive wins without paying for the next spins.’

Clusters

Clusters are a type of paying mechanic on slots where you need to land a certain amount (usually 3+) adjacent symbols of the same type. Cluster-paying slots don’t have paylines and can be combined with other mechanics, such as Cascades. As a rule, cluster-based slots have a larger grid of about 5×5 or even more. One of these slots is Jammin’ Jars by Push Gaming, where you need to land 5+ fruits to get a win.

‘When I’m tired of standard 5×3 slots, I launch slots based on clusters since they are always vibrant and have a range of other cool bonuses to boot.’

Free Spins

Free spins are bonus rounds you play for free at the bet set in the main game. This bonus feature is the most popular since it’s available in nearly all slots. Depending on the game’s settings, players can trigger free spins by landing the required number of Scatters, filling a bonus meter, or meeting any other requirement.

In some cases, winnings during free spins have extra multipliers or are doubled/tripled by default. For example, Dragon Dance by Microgaming has a free spins bonus round launched by 3+ Scatters where wins automatically get a 3x multiplier. Besides, in this game, free spins can be re-triggered, which means that once you get 3 more Scatters during the bonus round, you get 15 extra spins.

‘I was so lucky to get 10 free spins during my gaming session. Thanks to extra multipliers during the bonus round, I won over 35x in this round.’

Gamble Feature

This feature allows players to optionally open a double-up game and try to increase the winning when the luck is on their side. If you give the right answer, you increase the win and can either collect or continue. It can be a card game where you need to guess a colour (2x) or a suit (4x) of the next game, a mini-game where you try to guess whether the next card is higher/lower, head or tails, a ladder, a wheel of fortune, and other forms, but the concept is the same. In some cases, you can collect a part of your wins and continue gambling with the rest. Pretty often, games set certain limits for the Gamble feature, such as up to 10 rounds or up to 10x. It’s also known as a risk game and is often available on traditional slots, such as Inferno by Novomatic.

‘It sounds very attractive to double my wins via the Gamble Feature, but I find these rounds too risky and hardly ever open this mini-game.’

Hold and Spin

This mechanic holds certain symbols in place while you have free spins within a certain bonus round or in the main game. This solution is also known as lock-and-spin since the positions of the reels where the required symbols landed are locked in place. Mainly, this mechanic is used in bonus and jackpot games where you need to land, for example, coins of certain values or jackpot symbols.

Initially, you have a certain number of spins, let it be 3, and each time a new symbol locks, the counter resets and you get the initial number of re-spins again. The round is over when either the entire field is filled or when the re-spins are over. Fruity Wild Bonanza Hold & Spin by Stake Logic is one of the games of this kind.

‘In the Hold and Spin bonus round, I didn’t manage to catch the Major jackpot, but it was nice to land a range of coins and the Mini jackpot.’

Megaways

These mechanics were patented by BTG. This solution means that a slot has not a traditional number of paylines but a dynamic system based on thousands of ways to win. They aren’t revealed at once and the maximum of, for example, 117,649 Megaways, is revealed when all the reels are covered by symbols to the maximum. Megaways games are available from different suppliers, and Buffalo King Megaways is one of them.

‘Megaways slots are a new gambling trend since each spin can have a random number of paylines of up to 117,649 or even more.’

Multipliers

These are multipliers provided within a certain bonus feature of an online slot. Once a multiplier is applied, it increases your winning by the according amount. In some cases, multipliers are provided in the base game randomly, and in other cases, they can be combined with any other bonus, such as a 2x multiplier applied for combinations with Wilds, tripled (3x) wins during free spins, or wheels of fortune with multipliers on its sectors.

Sometimes, these multipliers can be huge, exceeding even 500x, which significantly increases the odds. Among slots with multipliers, it’s worth highlighting Wheel of Fortune by IGT where the bonus wheel of fortune has multipliers of 50x to 3,859x, while wins during the bonus spins are tripled.

‘You will get 3x multipliers during free spins, so it’s a good opportunity to triple your wins when you manage to reach the bonus round.’

Nudge Feature

This feature is designed to move a symbol one or several positions up or down if it’s necessary to form a winning combination. In most cases, it’s applied for stacked bonus symbols so that they nudge to be seen in full. One of the modern slots with this feature is Hot Nudge by Nolimit City where 3 bonus symbols can nudge to be fully visible once they land on reels at the same time.

‘I lacked one symbol to finish a winning combination, and thanks to the Nudge Feature, I’ve got it and received a win.’

Progressive Jackpot

This jackpot type is based on the provider’s jackpot network where the total prize pool continuously grows from each real money bet placed by any gambler playing this slot. The prize pool starts from a certain seeding amount (the minimum), so once the jackpot is hit, there is already a new prize pool which also starts growing.

Players with any real money bet can hit this prize at any time and no one knows when the jackpot hits. The only condition is playing a slot connected to this jackpot chain. For example, Games Global (Microgaming) has Mega Moolah and WowPot jackpot pools. It’s worth noting that the main game RTP of jackpot games is below average since there is a certain contribution (eg. 5%) of each bet to the prize pool.

‘If you aren’t a casual player and want to try out something with bigger potential (yet higher risks), try out progressive jackpot slots with huge potential wins.’

Random Wilds

Unlike the case when Wilds are just a part of a paytable, Random Wilds are provided as an extra bonus during the main or the bonus games. The forms of this bonus vary, so you can experience the entire reel turning Wild, like on the Immortal Romance slot by Microgaming (Games Global) where the Wild Desire feature randomly triggers at the start of the spin and can turn up to 5 reels Wild.

‘The basic gameplay would be boring if not for Random Wilds landing on the grid at any time.’

Respin

This feature triggers an extra spin which you don’t pay for. In most cases, it’s launched by bonus symbols and they can stay locked, while the other reels re-spin. Besides, re-spins are a part of the Hold & Win mechanics. For example, Respin Rhino by Lightning Box has a Lock and Respin feature and Money Train 2 by Relax Gaming has another mechanic when a re-spin is triggered when 2 bonus symbols land anywhere on the reels.

‘Though I didn’t get free spins, extra respin rounds were enough to feel the bonus excitement of this slot.’

Scatter

Scatters are symbols that can pay regardless of their position on a payline or the slot’s grid in general. Mostly, Scatters are bonus symbols that trigger bonus rounds like free spins. For example, House of Fun by Betsoft has Jackbox symbols as Scatters, and 3 of them trigger free spins. In this case, Scatters land only in the main game, which means that the bonus round can’t be retriggered.

‘In most cases, to launch free spins, you need to land Scatters. For example, 10,15, or 20 free spins for 3, 4, or 5 bonus symbols.’

Scatter Pays

Unlike the case when Scatters serve as bonus symbols, Scatter pays mean that regular symbols are Scattered (can pay from any position). Some games are fully based on Scattered symbols, so the general slot’s mechanic is different. Such slots don’t have paylines and you just need to land a certain number of the same symbols (usually, 8+) anywhere on the grid to get paid, and unlike clusters, these ones shouldn’t be adjusted. For example, Gates of Olympus by Pragmatic Play pays for 8 to 15 regular symbols of a kind landing anywhere.

‘It’s a bit unusual when you don’t stick to the standard paylines, but it’s also convenient when you get Scatter pays by simply landing 8+ symbols of a kind to get paid.’

Stacked Wilds

This feature makes multiple Wild symbols land upon each other to cover the entire reel. In some cases, this can be a large Wild symbol covering the entire reel, and pretty often, such symbols are nudging or trigger additional bonus features like re-spins. One of the slots featuring such a feature is the old good Sakura Fortune by Quickspin.

‘I managed to land several Stacked Wilds during my gambling session, so it was a good boost in addition to the main game.’

Tumbling Reels

As well as Cascades or the Avalanche mechanic, Tumbling Reels mean that winning symbols disappear and the round continues when upper symbols land and form more winning combinations. This way, you have a chance to form a long chain of winning combinations within a single spin. In some cases, the option is progressive and each new combination has a higher multiplier. Tropical Tiki by Pragmatic Play is one of the slots with the Tumbling Reels feature.

‘Due to the Tumbling Reels feature, a single spin can bring a wide range of continuous wins.’

Ways to Win

Some slots have not just a certain number of paylines but a wide range of diversified ways to win (such as Megaways). This means that a game can support a wide range of possible winning combinations. For example, Buffalo by Aristocrat has 1,024 ways to win. As for the Megaways slots, they can activate up to 117,649 ways to win, or even more.

‘The slot offers the highest potential when all its ways to win are active.’

Wild

This bonus symbol can substitute for other standard symbols once it lands in a combination which lacks a certain symbol to bring a winning. Pretty often, such symbols have extra options, such as a 2x multiplier, an opportunity to launch re-spins, and more. As for the types of bonus symbols, you can meet the following variations:

• Roaming Wild
• Expanding Wild
• Walking Wild
• Stacked Wild

For example, Lady Luck by GameArt has a Wild which can pay as a regular symbol and double all wins when serving as a Wild.

‘By landing a Wild symbol, you can finish a winning combination even when it lacks a regular symbol on this payline.

Characteristics & Measures

Besides the gameplay elements and features, you should consider technical settings, especially the ones which are in charge of payouts, including RTP, volatility, betting limits, and more. Information about these settings is usually available on the provider’s site or in slots reviews. Here, we’ll explain why these characteristics are essential and what terms you should keep in mind.

High Limit Slots

These are slot machines with larger betting limits aimed at high rollers. Typically, the winning potential is also above average, so the slots can even offer progressive jackpots. For example, Divine Fortune by NetEnt is a progressive jackpot slot, and games from the Wazdan provider can provide bets of up to $1,000 per spin, which is quite unusual in the gambling industry and attractive for players who prefer large stakes.

‘When I have an according bankroll, I opt for high limit slots to have a shorter gaming session yet with larger potential.’

Hit Frequency

This rate shows the frequency of winning combinations which occur within a certain range of spins. For example, when you have 30 winning spins within a session of 100 rounds, the hit frequency is 30%. Sometimes, providers add this information and it’s considered in the long run when the slot is being tested.

‘I prefer playing slots with a hit frequency of above 30% since this shows that I’ll get regular wins during a long gaming session.’

Low Limit Slots

These machines have low betting limits and usually feature low volatility, which means that these games are suitable for newbies or low-rollers. For example, Mad Mad Monkey by Nextgen has medium volatility and an upper betting limit of $25.

‘It’s recommended for new players to opt for low limit slots first to understand their mechanics and opt for larger bets then.’

Max Win

This is the maximum winning potential offered by the game. This information is usually displayed on the provider’s site and you can also find this rate in our SlotsUp reviews. For example, Nightmares VS GigaBlox™ released by Yggdrasil Gaming in 2023 has a max win potential of up to $220,590 or 7,353x.

‘When picking games with a max win of over 10,000x per spin, keep in mind that the chances of reaching the maximum potential are about 1 to 100,000.’

Return to Player (RTP)

We also know this characteristic as the payout rate or the payback percentage. This percentage shows how much is paid back to players in a certain game, while the rest is the house edge (the amount earned by the casino). For example, a 96% RTP means that the house edge is 4%. This way, each $4 from the $100 bet is paid to the casino, while the rest is distributed between players.

This distribution is random, so one player can get $70 from a $1 bet, while another player can enter the game with a $50 bankroll and lose it. However, choosing high-RTP slots is a good idea. On Easter Island by Yggdrasil Gaming, the RTP is as high as 96.1%, which is displayed on the provider’s official site. It’s worth noting that progressive jackpot slots have a lower RTP (about 92%), which isn’t bad since about 3% is distributed to the jackpot pool.

By the way, in some games, the RTP rate for the main game and for Bonus Buy can be a bit different. It’s a weak point of jackpot games gamblers should consider.

‘I enjoy slot machines with a Return to Player (RTP) rate of at least 95.5%, and when the game has a rate of over 96.5%, it’s perfect.’

Volatility

It’s also known as variance or risk. This characteristic shows whether the game is paying frequently and whether the winning amounts are large. Low volatility means that the slot is paying frequently yet the wins are small. High volatility is, vice versa, for slots with infrequent yet large wins. And medium volatility is the middle ground between these two qualities.

Mainly, high rollers prefer high volatility slots, while careful players and newbies will enjoy low and medium levels. Interestingly, these levels can merge to from low-medium or medium-high scores. As for the examples, Dark Vortex by Yggdrasil Gaming has high volatility.

‘I try to avoid slots with high volatility since they are too risky, so I choose medium and low risk levels.’