Dan-Louis K
If you're looking for tips and tricks on how to win at slots online, trust us - the biggest casino & slots streaming community in the world - when we say there aren't any winning strategies out there. The reason is simple, and it's because these games are rigged in the casinos' favor.
However, your choices when you play online slots can greatly impact how frequently and big you win and how long your online casino deposit will last.
Tip 1: Playing slots only on licensed online casinos
Only do so in licensed casinos when you play online slots. They are regulated by one or more of the following gambling regulators; MGA (Malta Gaming Authority), the UKGC (UK Gambling Commission), SI/SGA (SpelInspektionen/Swedish Gambling Authority), and the DGA (Danish Gambling Authority).
Why it's essential:
A licensed gambling venue is a serious business held accountable for its operations on the market. Abiding by strict rules and regulations, a casino will face the consequences of infractions by being given a warning, a fine, or ultimately having its license to operate revoked.
Why you should care:
The regulators dictate how the casinos with a license can operate in one or more markets. Operations include - but are not limited to - the prevention of underage gambling, security, finance, anti-money laundering, anti-terrorism funding, customer care and support, marketing, and responsible gambling.
You have consumer rights that protect you when you play in licensed casinos. If a dispute arises between you and the casino, you are automatically entitled to have your case tried with the casino's designated ADR (Alternative Dispute Resolution provider).
Tip 2: Play online slots that are from licensed and regulated game providers
While a casino facilitates playing slots online, the companies that make these games are independent game studios. Also called game providers, these studios need to be licensed and regulated by one or more regulators before being able to offer their games to the casinos.
Why it's essential:
It's a mandatory requirement from any serious regulator that a game provider certifies the integrity of their games. In layperson's terms, an independent, ISO-certified game auditor must test any game on a licensed online casino before it's made available to play.
Why you should care:
You should care because it means you can win at slots when playing these online, as the games have been certified by independent game auditors to ensure fairness and that all results are random. That isn't always the case if you play on unlicensed casinos, as some of them have pirated games from well-known game providers.
Pirated games effectively allow the operators to manipulate them as they please, at your cost. The same applies to slots from game providers who do not have accreditation from independent third-party game auditors. You don't know if the results are random, fair payouts or if the games even pay.
Tip 3: Play on slots that have a high RTP
RTP is short for "Return To Player." All slots have a set RTP percentage, which dictates the payback to players over time, given an infinite amount of spins. A high RTP slot machine is a game with a minimum of 95% and preferably above 96.00%.
Why it's essential:
A casino makes money when people who gamble lose their money. Any casino that offers slot machines will generate most of its revenues from slots. A slot machine with a 95% payback means the casino keeps 5%.
After the player RTP is factored in, the operator has the leftover percentage in GGR (Gross Gaming Revenue). GGR is not a pure profit as it's split between multiple parties, including the studio that made the game, due to licensing fees and more.
Why you should care:
The best tip anyone can give you in 2022 and beyond when you want to win at slots online is to play the games with the highest RTP possible. A higher RTP means extending your deposited funds' expected value (lifetime) and increasing your chances of landing a big win.
The difference between a slot machine with 96% and one with 92% might not seem like much, but the difference in effective game rounds played is "astronomical."
Now that you know why you should care about this, we'll tell you why the casinos care too.
Depending on the market and jurisdiction in which the casinos operate, their earnings per dollar vary greatly. The costs of running a gambling business in regulated markets have increased due to taxes, licensing fees, and the need for highly-qualified staff to ensure that the business complies with its obligations as a license holder.
With slots being the #1 revenue-generating asset a casino has, it's natural that the increase in costs is offset by introducing games with a lowered RTP.
Tip: Browse our list of slots with the highest RTP available here
Using the game provider NoLimit City as an example, they offer three different RTP versions of the same game. Their newest release, as of October 12th, 2022, comes in three versions; 1) 96.06% RTP, 2) 94.09% RTP, or 3) 92.11% RTP.
Tip 4: Play on slots that has a high max win
The term "max win" refers to a hard cap on a player's winnings in one game round or bonus round when playing on a slot. It's often denoted as number + x times the stake (e.g. 5.000x).
Why it's essential:
The max win instantly tells you the potential of the game you intend to play, allowing you to decide whether you'd like to gamble your money on it quickly or not. For example, if you're playing a slot machine with a 5.000x and you play on a €10 stake, the maximum amount you can win is €50.000.
Why you should care:
Slots are default designed to pay out frequently, but the size of the winnings varies greatly depending on which games you play. If you want to win sizeable prizes that make your jaw drop, you should seek out slot titles with at least a 10.000x win cap.
Tip 5: Play on slots that are highly or extremely volatile
The term volatility describes how volatile a slot machine is regarding the payouts' frequency and size. The scale ranges from low to extremely high. A low volatility slot has a very high payout frequency but meager amounts paid per win, and the max win cap is usually around 200-1.000x.
On the opposite side of that spectrum, you have extremely volatile slots with at least 5-digit max win caps, where the payout frequency is much rarer, but the winnings are very high.
Why it's essential:
Unlike where you judge a book by its cover and not knowing what awaits you when you start reading, knowing the slot's volatility instantly tells you what the potential is when you start playing. It's a great way of assessing risk versus reward.
Why you should care:
There are many ways to win big when playing online slots. You can play a low volatility slot on a €10 stake in hopes of getting a max win of €5.000, or play an extremely volatility slot on a €0.20 stake and hope you win 300.000x for a €60.000 payday. When you're playing high or extremely high volatility slots, you can win a jaw-dropping amount on just a €0.10 stake. The risk of ruin (losing your deposited money) is much higher, yet the potential rewards are unparalleled to those of lower volatility titles.
Tip: Browse our frequently updated list of high- to extremely volatile slots here
Tip 6: Play slots for free by signing up for marketing communication and get free spins
The best strategy for any player who's 18+ years old and wants to know how to win at slots online is to play them for free. Whenever you sign up with an online casino, say "yes" to "receive marketing communication from us" on SMS, email, or both. In doing so, you'll receive marketing communication about new games and features in the casino and the occasional batch of free spins to try out the promoted titles.
Why it's essential:
Free spins are a standard marketing strategy used by casinos online worldwide. They can be freebies in exchange for your telephone number or email where you agree to receive marketing communications or as an attempt to get you to log in again and deposit after playing your spins.
Why you should care:
The best way to win at slots is to play them for free, and in doing so, you can earn a small lump of money if you're lucky enough to win when you take advantage of the many casinos and their free spins offer. If you play slots at casinos frequently, you should get yourself a dedicated email that you use strictly for receiving marketing communication. A good rule of thumb is that 10% of all communication received will contain free spins, which you don't have to deposit to your player account to get them.
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