How to Win at Online Slots

Posted by Harry Kane on Tuesday, September 4, 2018

Let’s face facts; there are numerous reasons why iGaming represents such a huge growth market in the UK. These include a raft of progressive regulatory measures, while the global nature of the British marketplace has created numerous opportunities for international expansion.

Then there’s the rise of virtual slot gaming, which has brought considerable diversification to the marketplace and grown to account for an estimated 64.5% of the total iGaming GGY. Slots have also helped online casino operators to reach out to new and motivated audiences, including younger players and an entire generation of casual gamers.

Still, the growth of slot gaming has created a wealth of options for players to choose from in the digital age, and some may well find this overwhelming.

In this article, we’ll offer some advice that may increase your chance of winning at online slots, while also ensuring that you manage your bankroll effectively.

1. Understand the Opportunistic Nature of Slots and the Importance of Variance

While some believe that online slots can be mastered by skill and strategy, they are essentially games of chance that generate entirely random results.

In fact, outcomes are produced entirely by random number generators (RNGs), which are underpinned by advanced algorithms that are completely immutable.

As a result, you should not adopt any strategy that claims to pre-empt outcomes or successfully identify patterns in results. This includes the so-called standard deviation strategy, which requires players to analyse results across a number of cycles and estimate the timing of the next payout.

Instead, you need to focus on making a serious of informed decisions and assuming accountability for the elements of gameplay that are within your control. This includes the type of slot game that you play, with variance playing a considerable role in distinguishing one title from another.

Low variance slots are ideal for novice or casual players, for example, while they typically deliver a return-to-player (RTP) rate of between 95% and 97%. These games tend to deliver frequent but relatively modest base game wins, and a relatively low house edge of just 3% in some instances.

So if you’re focused on increasingly your chances of winning rather than pursuing big and progressive jackpots, low variance slots represent the perfect choice. Not only this, but they also help you to effectively manage your bankroll, allowing for extended gameplay in the process.

Conversely, high variance slot games offer access to potentially huge wins, while minimising the number of payouts on offer during the base game.

2. Play for Free and Get to Grips with your Chosen Slot Game

As the slot market has become increasingly lucrative and competitive, so too operators have looked to incentivise players by using a number of different tactics.

These include the creation of a so-called ‘free play’ mode, which the majority of operators have integrated into their websites in recent times.

This feature is synonymous with slot games, thanks largely to the immense popularity of these titles and the relatively complex nature of the gameplay. You can usually activate this mode by clicking through your preferred slot game in a virtual casino, before selecting the requisite button at the top of the page.

There are numerous benefits to activating the free play mode. Firstly, you’ll have the chance to trail a specific game in an entirely risk-free environment, before determining whether or not this is right for you.

Secondly, this mode will let you test your betting strategies in a simulated environment, as you experiment with variable coin sizes and stake values before deciding which one is most effective. This will help to deliver the best possible results when playing for real money, while also making it far easier to manage your bankroll going forward.

Beyond this, activating the free play mode will help you to understand how bonus rounds can be triggered during the base game, and this could prove crucial when looking to unlock the biggest and most rewarding cash prizes!

With these points in mind, we’d definitely recommend trialling slot games through a free play mode before playing for real money. Otherwise, you’d be missing out on an important and freely accessible competitive advantage that could make a big difference.

3. Refrain from Hitting the ‘Bet Max’ Button Regularly

New players should always look to optimise their bankrolls when playing online slots, particularly if their goal is to increase the frequency of wins over a sustained period of time.

This can be achieved through various means, although the process arguably starts by comparing the market for real-time promotions that can be applied to one or several slot titles. Pay particular attention to packages that offer free spins or a no-deposit bonus, as these will translate into free money and the potential to achieve 100% profits!

You should also adopt a strategic approach when hitting the ‘bet max’ button, as this protects your bankroll and ensures that it is used as efficiently as possible.

This flies in the face of traditional logic, which dictates that slot players should always hit the ‘bet max’ button in order to optimise their returns. While this may be a viable option for high-rollers or those who like to play slots with a progressive jackpot (where placing maximum bets is a condition of competing for the available prize), for others it simply maximises their stake value and forces them to run out of capital sooner.

Instead, focus solely on playing a single coin of the highest denomination that you can comfortably afford, while striving to cover the maximum number of pay lines available. This will help you to optimise both the frequency and the size of your wins in any given situation, without requiring you to sake more than you’re able to afford.

This is an important consideration, and one that should also allow you to play your preferred slot games for longer online. This type of longevity is important when looking to enjoy success through low variance slots, where sustained and incremental gains should remain the order of the day.