Slot games are a huge part of online gambling, from Big Bass Bonanza to Starburst, online slots are attracting a huge market to online casinos. The question is, how do online slot games work? How have they become so popular and what do they offer?
What are online slot games?
Online slot games are games that can be played on the Internet, usually on your phone, laptop, desktop, or any other device that can access the Internet. Online slot games come in many different forms, from the original 3 and 5 reel slots to Megaways Slots. Not only do they have different layouts, but they will also come with different bonuses, paylines, and outcomes. If you’re still feeling confused, understanding the terms can help you get a better grip.
Reels are what contain the symbols; they can also be called columns, and these are what commonly spin when you push the start button. Symbols inside these reels will have different properties and values. Most games use J (Jack), Q (Queen), K (King), and A (Ace) for some of the lower-value symbols, with higher-value symbols coming in many different forms depending on the theme of the particular game, such as a pirate themed game using a treasure chest or a ship to signify these higher-valued items, every game comes with information so you can see which ones are worth the most.
Different types of online slots
Online slots can come in many different forms due to different bonuses and paylines, this allows for a large amount of variety between games as there are many different ways to win and many different ways to play.
Paylines are the ways you can win, such as getting 3 of a kind which would mean you have collected a payline and therefore would win. Most online slots have around 20 to 30 paylines such as King Kong Cash which only has 20. However, with the introduction of Megaways, there are plenty more paylines in these types of games for more ways to win, some of these games will have over 100,000 different ways to win.
Jackpot King slots are different as they bring a progressive jackpot to the table which increases the jackpot as you and other people continue to play.
It is very common these days for online slots to have bonus features such as free spins and wildcards that can be used to be a placeholder over other symbols to help create winning combinations and scatter symbols, which often leads to a payout without them needing to be on a payline.
Understanding terms for online slots
There are plenty of terms that can surround online slots that are not explained, but understanding what they mean can help you pick a game that suits your limits and how you want to gamble.
RTP – Return to Player
In the gambling industry, RTP stands for “Return to Player.” It is a percentage that represents the amount of all wagered money a slot machine or casino game will pay back to players over time. Essentially, it is the theoretical payout of a game. Understanding RTP helps players manage their expectations. However, it’s important to remember that RTP is theoretical, and individual gaming sessions can vary significantly from these long-term averages.
Volatility
Volatility stands for how varied the results are in terms of winning and losing. Consider a roulette wheel. If a player bets on red, they have an approximate 48.6% chance of winning and a 51.4% chance of losing. On the other hand, if the player bets on a single number, they have a 1 in 37 chance of winning, but the payout is 36 times the bet.
The way this is calculated means that safer bets are known as less volatile, meaning you will win more consistently, yet you will not win as much compared to higher volatility, which will see the player win far less often, yet the rewards will be larger.
Putting these two terms together, the player can make their own mind up on the risk they would like to take. Ideally, the best situation would be a high volatility and a high RTP percentage, as this would have the best chance of returning well.
What are the biggest online slot games?
Online slots are some of the most popular types of games in online casinos, with some acquiring lots of attention and players. King Kong Cash and Big Bass Bonanza are among the most popular games today. Their success can be attributed to engaging game mechanics, unique and varied bonuses, and creative, authentic graphics. Additionally, both games boast high RTP levels, with King Kong Cash offering a 95.8% RTP and Big Bass Bonanza providing a 95.67% RTP. Both games are huge in the online slots community and have influenced many other games after it, with the jungle and fishing theme being used frequently throughout online slots.