Frequently Asked Questions about Slots and Slot Machines

Slots and Progressive Slots are the most popular casino games and their biggest earners.  Playing slots is simple but there are some strategies you should pay attention to if you want to maximize your payouts.

Slot machines were originally invented by Charles August Fey, an immigrant to the USA from Bavaria.  The first slot machine was made in 1887.  Subsequent versions would become smaller, making them easier to place in a wide variety of retail businesses.

Slot machines  would soon be found in towns across the USA in bars and eventually in casinos.  From there they quickly spread into Canada and Europe.  Thanks to the modern internet, Charles August Fey’s creation now has the potential to reach people world wide and earn many billions of dollars a year.

In the 1990s the slot machine made the leap to the then-new World Wide Web. The very first web based casino was InterCasino, followed soon after by others like Golden Palace and Casino-On-Net (now 888 Casino).  These fledgling online casinos already had most of the games players still love today, although they’ve gotten a lot more impressive since then.  The very first slots online looked more or less the way they did in real life – without the side arm land based players pulled of course.  In place of an arm was the “spin” button you now see in online casino slots.

When you register at any of the online casinos we list, you will be taken to the cashier section where you can deposit money as securely as you can with any bank.  Though every casino accepts deposits in various ways, they don’t all accept all the available methods.  If you have a favorite deposit method make sure that the online casino you choose offers that deposit method.  These days, most online casinos allow deposits from a bank account, credit cards, as well as from various e-wallets like PayPal and Skrill(Moneybookers).  Just make sure to do a bit of research to make sure the casino supports deposit methods that you work with.

A welcome bonus from an online casino is extra money that casinos give new players for joining and depositing funds.  The amount of the bonus or bonuses vary from one casino to another.  We maintain a list of online casinos that offer the very best welcome bonuses, as well as those with bonus terms that make claiming and using your bonus easy.

Some online casinos offer free money no-deposit bonuses, but the terms on those funds usually make it nearly impossible to cash it out.  Your best bet is to find a generous match bonus with terms that will allow you to enjoy playing quickly and also to withdraw your winnings.  All online casino bonuses have wager requirements.  They will require you to wager the bonus amount several times to keep people from just cashing out the free money.  Stick to best practice and solid casino games strategies to tip the edge in your favor as much as possible.  That way you’ll get way more play and fun out of your deposit and bonus!

No way!  Almost all online casinos offer free play game mode so you can try out their games and see if you want to spend money with them.  This gives you the same great slots experience allowing you to learn new games, master the paylines and understand the rules before putting your hard earned money on the line.  Remember though, if you want to win real money you’ll have to deposit and play with real money!

Check out our collection of free online casino games, you can play them for free as long as you’d like.  Don’t let the word “free” confuse you, these games are tons of fun with stunning graphics and mind-blowing bonus games!

No, at least not any more.  Early online casinos all used downloadable software because the web was brand new and web browsers just didn’t have enough features to play games on websites.  Even today some online casinos are software based, and you must download and install their online casino software or app to play their games.  However, most internet casinos these days offer browser based games that require no download or instalaltion.  These web-based environments offer the same ability to open an account, deposit money, and play the games.  They are also ideal for gamblers looking to use mobile devices and operating systems other than Windows, like Android, Mac, ChromeOS, or Linux.

These are slot games where the jackpot accumulates value every time it is played without being won.  This may be a progressive jackpot on only a single game, or it could be a jackpot linked to many different slot games with the online casino, all having one combined progressive jackpot.  Over time these progressive jackpots can grow to mind blowing highs!

The slot game payline is a line that runs from one side of the slot window to the other.  When the wheels stop spinning, the icons under the payline must match a specific pattern or combination of symbols in order for you to win.  Unlike the early of slot machines, modern slot games do not just have a single center payline that runs straight across the window.  The payline can have many different shapes, zigzagging across the screen through the all icons.  Betting on multiple paylines will greatly increase your chances of winning.

Gambling experts always recommend betting as much as you can as the higher payline combinations usually have slightly higher payouts than the lower numbers.  If you can’t afford to “bet max” on the machine you like then see if you can change the base wager amount.  Most modern slot games allow you to bet anywhere from a penny to several dollars per line.  Find a level you’re comfortable with and bet max, baby!

The paytable is a chart showing exactly how much you can win on a bet of a certain value for every payline.  Every online slot machine has a paytable unique to its patterns, so be sure to study it before playing.

Free spins are extra perks that casinos give out so gamblers can get an extra chance to win.  Welcome bonuses often include a certain amount of free spins for new players.  The number of free spins and how they are awarded vary from one online casino to the next and from one bonus to another within a given casino.  You absolutely want them.

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