Slot Games – Understanding How They Work and the Different Bonus Features and Rounds

Slot games are always the most popular games at any casino, thanks to their bright colours, fun soundtracks and the possibility of hitting a win in one single spin. Whether you’re a fan of classic fruit machine games or modern video slots, these are games that are both simple while being surprisingly complex. Players all over the UK and beyond can enjoy Rainbow Riches slots, Starburst, Gonzo’s Quest, and all sorts of different titles – and each one comes with its own quirky twists while keeping that tried-and-tested format.

Here, we’re going to look at how slot games work, the different types of slots out there… and all the different bonus features and rounds that give them their individuality. 

How Slot Games Work

Basically, a slot game is all about spinning reels and landing matching symbols on paylines. Traditionally, a land-based machine would be played over three reels that contained a handful of symbols – generally fruits, BARS and Lucky 7s. But these days, modern online slots can have five reels, six reels, maybe more. There are some games – Megaways, where the number of symbols and paylines changes on every spin.

Once you hit the Spin button, the reels will start spinning, and this is where the Random Number Generator (RNG) comes into it, to determine the outcome. It’s the RNG that makes sure every spin is random, fair and independent of the other, so you have the same chance of winning on the 100th spin as you do on the first spin. The RNG means that the second you press spin, the result is already decided.

The Different Types of Slot Games

Slot games come in all different shapes and sizes, with different styles and payout potential. Some of the most common and popular are:

1. Classic Slots: Inspired by the traditional fruit machines, they usually have three reels and a handful of paylines – perfect for those who like simpler slots.

2. Video Slots: These are the most popular – and generally come with lots of paylines, fun animations, and even their own storylines. You could be exploring ancient temples, diving into underwater worlds, or even going on a magic carpet ride.

3. Progressive Jackpot Slots: A small percentage of each spin goes into a jackpot pool that gets bigger and bigger until someone wins – and games like Mega Moolah can pay out millions.

4. Megaways Slots: These games can offer up to hundreds of thousands of potential ways to win. The number of rows and symbols changes on every spin… adding an air of unpredictability.

Paylines and Ways to Win

In the more traditional slots, paylines are generally fixed lines across the reels – and three or matching symbols need to land on them to hit a win.

However, some of the more modern slots offer ‘ways to win’ systems, where simply landing matching symbols on any adjacent reels (starting from the left) can create a winning combination (Any Way Wins). There are also Cluster Pays (landing matching clusters of symbols) and Scatter Pays (where simply landing a certain number of matching symbols anywhere on the reels creates a win).

With some games, you can choose the number of paylines you want to play with, while other games have fixed paylines.

Paylines can also influence the volatility of a slot…  how often you can expect wins and how large they might be. Low volatility slots payout more frequent, smaller wins, while high volatility slots payout larger prizes but less often.

Bonus Features and Rounds

One of the main reasons online slots have become so popular is because of the variety of bonus features they have – which don’t just make it more fun, but can also really boost those wins. 

Wild Symbols

These can substitute for all other regular symbols to help complete winning combinations. Some games have variations such as expanding wilds (that cover reels), sticky wilds that stay in place for more than one spin, or shifting wilds that shift across the reels.

Scatter Symbols

These usually trigger bonus features or free spins when you land a certain number anywhere on the reels – they don’t even need to be on paylines to count.

Free Spins

One of the most popular bonus rounds, free spins essentially let you spin the reels without spending your own money. They usually come with bigger multipliers, stacked symbols, or other features for even bigger win potential.

Multipliers

These, as the name suggests, multiply your win by a certain amount. It could be a 2x multiplier… or even a 100x multiplier or more. You can get them in both the base game and bonus rounds.

Pick-and-Click Games

These bonus rounds let you pick from a range of hidden prizes, where you can win things like cash prizes, multipliers, or even entry into other bonus rounds.

Cascading Reels

In some slots, when you hit a win, the winning symbols will disappear – and be replaced by new symbols that fall in from above, potentially creating lots of wins from one spin.

Why Bonus Features Matter

Bonus rounds not only make slots a lot more fun, but they’re also usually where the biggest payouts can be found. While you can get some decent wins (and action) in the base game if you land the biggest-paying symbols, you really want to be playing in games that have lucrative free spin rounds, big multipliers, and fun features.

Choosing the Right Slot Game for You

When deciding what slot game to play, here are the main factors you should consider…

• Theme: They come in all different themes – history, science, aliens, mythology, and fishing. You need to pick one that appeals to you the most.
• Volatility: Decide whether you prefer smaller, frequent wins (low volatility) or bigger, less frequent wins (high-volatility).
• Bonus Features: Check out the bonus rounds and features, and see if you like the look of them.
• Progressive Jackpots: Are you chasing the dream?

Whatever game you choose, have fun and always play responsibly!