25 Tips on How to Win at Slots

Joseph Havens

Casino expert

Updated:
25 Tips on How to Win at Slots

Slot machines have been one of the most popular options in land-based casinos, and they are even more sought after in online betting sites.

The first online slots were developed in the 1990s as the internet became easier to access. Now, there are thousands of variants available. You will learn how to win on slot machines.

How Exactly do Slot Machines Work?

How-Exactly-do-Slot-Machines-Work

Slot games are developed with random number generators or RNGs. These systems run continuously, even when no one is playing. 

This way, casino players can be assured that all the results are truly random. Licensing bodies like the MGA and UKGC check the slots to determine whether they are created with RNGs. Thus, casinos and software providers cannot trick you by rigging games. Similar to lotto outcomes, players shouldn’t be able to anticipate slot games results any more than they can learn to recognize a winning lottery ticket before scratching it.

Practice Free Slots Games First

Practice-Free-Slots-Games-First

It is essential first to play free slot machines. Online slots have different rules, and one slot machine strategy will not apply to all games.

Practice play will give you a chance to understand the game’s rules and apply your slot machine strategy. Most slot machines nowadays have free versions, and you can play them on various online casinos.

However, in some cases, you will need to register and complete the KYC initial verifications before accessing the demo mode for slots.

There should be no differences in your chances for a payout between demo and real money mode.

When learning the best way to play slots, you can also take the time to practice your money management skills. Start with a fixed bankroll and try to follow a strategy for some time. This way, you can determine the money management system that will work best for you.

Read as Many Slot Machines Reviews as You Can

Read-as-Many-Slot-Machines-Reviews-as-You-Can

Make a point out of reading different reviews for slot sites before you place a real money stake. This way, you will understand the basics of the game and will not get confused as you start playing.

Also, you will be able to determine whether the slot machine has decent features such as free spins and base game balance boosters. Such slots will usually offer you better chances of winning huge prizes.

Once you determine whether a particular slot offers decent chances of winning, you can go ahead and read the tips on how to win at slots. For example, with the Mega Joker slot, most testers recommend that you wager ten credits per spin, which should be reduced when you strike a big win.

The tricks to winning on slot machines vary from one slot to another, so evaluate the games individually.

Study Slot Machine Variants

Study-Slot-Machine-Variants

Slots games have different properties and characteristics, and it is important to study them before you start playing. After creating a shortlist of games, you want to play, check what previous players say about the variants. This approach will give you some tricks to winning on slot machines.

After that, apply the slot machine strategy, which seems to make the most sense and record your results. You can do this with the free versions, but you can also allocate a small amount of money for the study. With the statistics you record, you will be able to learn how to win at slots.

Understand The Return-To-Player Payout Percentages

Understand-The-Return-To-Player-Payout-Percentages

It is essential to understand how the return to player payout percentages works when learning how to win at slots.

RTP refers to the slot odds, and it can be defined as the amount of money paid back to players over several rounds. You can calculate the RTP by taking the total amount players win and dividing it by the total player bets in each play period.

If you subtract the RTP from 100%, you will get the theoretical house edge. For example, a casino game with an RTP of 97% has a house edge of 3%.

Slots With the Best Odds of Winning

Before you learn the tricks to winning on slot machines, create a list of slots with the best odds of winning.

These slots have RTP percentages of over 96%. Slots with RTPs of less than 90% may offer impressive winnings, but your chances of winning will be very low.

In most cases, the casinos publish the theoretical return to player rates of the slots as these will guide players when selecting slots.

Slots with the Best Odds of Winning

  • Ugga Bugga by Playtech – 9.07%
  • Rainbow Riches Pick n Mix by Barcrest – 98%
  • Mega Joker by NetEnt – 99%
  • Ooh Aah Dracula by Barcrest – 99%
  • 1429 Uncharted Seas by Thunderkick – 98.6%
  • Jackpot 6000 by NetEnt – 98.86%
  • The Catfather by Pragmatic Play – 98.10%
  • Jokerizer by Yggdrasil – 98%
  • Blood Suckers by NetEnt – 98%

You shouldn’t expect to win all the time because you selected a game with a high return to player rate. This rate indicates that, over a long period, you should be able to win a decent amount of money.

Search For Slots Machines That Offer Bonus Games

When learning how to win at slots, you will also have to look out for bonus games. These features will work as mini-games within online slots.

You will find them in the form of free spins, re-spins, instant wins, extra wilds, and pathway games.

Bonus games are triggered whenever you hit a selection of symbols. These are most often three scatter symbols. You may also trigger the bonuses at random or after specific intervals.

When evaluating the bonus games, you should check their hit frequencies and the payout potentials.

Slot Machines That Offer Bonus Games

Slot Title Provider

Cleopatra

IGT

Zeus

WMS Gaming

Buffalo

Aristocrat

Beverly Hillbillies

IGT

The Walking Dead

Aristocrat

Elvis the King

IGT

Book of Ra

Novomatic

Rainbow Riches

Barcrest

Starburst

NetEnt

Gordon Ramsay Hell’s Kitchen

NetEnt

Try To Find New Slots to Play

Another trick on how to win at slots is to play new games. The developers usually increase the payback percentages for these games to generate more interest in the slots. This aspect works to your advantage as you will enjoy better odds of winning.

It is also common for online casinos and game developers to set up tournaments for new slots. They will give you a chance to pocket large sums of money.

Where to Find New Slots

There are many ways of finding new slots to play. The most convenient is reading reviews for new casino sites. Here, you will find intricated details about the games and platforms featuring them.

You can also follow different game developers on social media platforms like Twitter. Providers will typically use such platforms to announce new variants.

Casinos, too, may announce new slots in their newsletters, so you can subscribe to them whenever you create an account on online betting platforms.

Know When It’s Best to Walk Away

A large part of learning how to win on slot machines is knowing when to walk away. You should know when you’ve won or lost enough money so that you quit playing for a while.

The absolute best time to walk away is before you start chasing losses, especially since the odds will always be against you.

Stop-Loss Limit

When setting up your online gambling account, decide on a stop-loss limit. With this system, you will have a pre-determined amount of loss.

Once you reach this amount, you will have to stop betting. The advantage of setting a stop-loss limit is that you will always avoid chasing losses out of emotion.

Stop-Win Limit

You can also set a stop-win limit, which will indicate the amount of money you have to win before you stop playing. The advantage of stop-win limits is that they allow you to bank your profits in a playing session.

If you fail to stick to this limit, you will eventually lose all your profits as you wager them on more slot games.

What Are Some of The Best Slot Machines to Play?

As you learn how to win on slot machines, create a list of the best slot machines to play. You must consider factors like the return to player rate and the quality of the bonus games. These two factors will help you pick the most profitable online slot.

RTP and Volatility

Consider playing slots that have low volatility, as these will give you regular wins. However, combining high RTP and low volatility can be a little difficult.

Completely avoid high volatility, and low RTP games as these can wipe out your bankroll before you even have any entertainment value.

When picking online slots is the maximum win. Try to find slots with high maximum wins but remember not to sacrifice the RTP and volatility while you’re at it.

Some of the Best Slots You Can Play at Online Casinos

Name Volatility Return to Player Rate

Starburst

Low

96.1%

Thunderstruck II

Medium

96.6%

Enchanted Garden

Low

97.5%

Blood Suckers II

Low

97%

Wild Scarabs

Low

96.28%

Top game providers

Top-game-providers
  • Microgaming
  • NetEnt
  • IGT
  • Playtech
  • Real Time Gaming
  • Novomatic
  • Pragmatic Play
  • Barcrest
  • Bally
  • Blueprint Gaming
  • iSoftBet
  • 1X2 Gaming

How To Boost Your Chances to Win at Slot Machines

  1. Avoid playing branded slots since they usually have high volatility and low RTPs. This aspect is because of the high cost of licensing brands like Hollywood films and celebrities.
  2. Jackpots will usually give you larger-than-usual winnings, but aim for smaller pots when learning how to win jackpots on slot machines. These options will give you better chances of winning, and you will still end up with sizeable winnings.
  3. Take advantage of promotions such as the welcome bonus, as they will give you a chance to win larger sums of money for a particular bet size. Apart from the bonus size, evaluate the rollover requirements to determine whether a particular bonus is great.
  4. Check the game provider. Each of them develops slots in a specific style. For example, Pragmatic Play is known for making slots with high payouts.
  5. Go for local jackpots as opposed to network jackpots. Although local jackpots are usually small, you will be competing with fewer people for the pot.
  6. Make use of no deposit free spins, as they will allow you to test different slots for free. You can even end up winning free money from these bonuses.
  7. Set a budget before you start playing, as this will prevent you from gambling with money you don’t have.
  8. Choose games based on odds and volatility. When researching how to win on slot machines, you will inevitably encounter bogus tricks like timing the wheel to land a jackpot or winning combination. Remember that online slots use RNGs, so check the odds and volatility.
  9. Study the paytables of the slot machines to determine the winning symbol combinations.
  10. Split your bankroll into smaller amounts before you start gambling, as this will allow you to play for longer. This way, you have better chances of winning.