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How to Win at Slots 2021 | Slot Machine Strategy and Tips

How to Win at Slots: The Definitive Guide to Popular Slot Machine Tips and Strategies

The question every single gambler has asked themselves at one point in their lives is how to win on slot machines. If only there was some miracle strategy, we could share with you all, right? Unfortunately, there isn’t. There is no sure-fire way on how to win online slots every time. However, we do have the next best thing. So, sit back and relax, grab yourself a cuppa, because today we’re going to be showing you some online casino tips and tricks that may increase your winning chances.

1. Choose Online Slots with the Highest Payout Percentage (RTP)

Like we said, we can’t tell you how to win on fruit machines, but we can teach you which games have a higher payout rate than others. So, when you are wondering how to win at slots, this is our first tip. All slot games will have an RTP which is a theoretical expected percentage a certain game at casino sites pays out to you over its lifetime. It also helps you determine how much of a house edge the casino has.

Anything higher than 97% will do, as these games will pay more back to you over a long period of time. To get more informed on this slot machine strategy, you may as well check out our blog on how to understand RTP, as it could help you pick the best slot machine to play.

However, before we reveal more tips and tricks on how to beat a slot machine, we should make it clear that you can win or lose on any slot game regardless of its RTP. Even a game with a 98% RTP doesn’t guarantee that you are going to win, and these percentages are based over a long period of time rather than just one playing session. So, play a mixture of games with different RTPs and you’ll soon discover the best way to win at slots, based on your personal gaming style and preferences.

2. Understand Different Types of Slot Machines

The next thing you can do is do your own research about the best online slots according to their types. If you've ever wondered how many types of slot machines exist, our blog will come in handy.

Sorted out according to their categories, these are the types of gambling machines that you are most likely to encounter:

  • By gameplay (classic, video, progressive)
  • By location of playing (land-based vs online slots)
  • By denomination they accept
  • By number of reels and paylines
  • By class (class II machines or class II machines)
  • By percentage of payback

There are various kinds of slot machines for you to try out - classic slots, video slots, or progressive slot machines and it’s very important to learn how they work and what you can expect from them. Once you find the one(s) you like, set your bets carefully, choose the number of paylines (if possible) and pay attention to slot volatility, as well as the game’s RTP percentage.

3. Take a Good Look at Slot Machine Pay Table and Its Paylines

Checking a payable is an essential part of any gaming session, especially when it comes to the possibility of triggering some nice bonus features and Free Spins you may be showered with. Because, if you haven’t checked the paytable, how are you going to know how to activate them? So, as we mentioned earlier, a pay table can’t help you snag more winning combinations but reading it will put you in the right direction.

First and foremost, by checking the paytable you’ll know the difference between your high paying symbols from your low paying symbols. It can be annoying trying to work out something if you haven’t checked the pay table first, right? In case you’ve checked the pay table, but you still don’t understand something, don't worry, you can open it at any time to cross reference your wins and losses. In case you need more information, you'll find all you need to know in our blog about slot machine lines and pay tables. 

person playing online slots

What you also need to pay attention to is the number of paylines the slot of your choice has, because, in order to win, you’ll need to land matching symbols on those paylines! Slot machine paylines can vary from 1 up to 1024 paylines and beyond. Now, for the maximum possible winning potential you should of course play with all the paylines active. If you don't activate them all, it’s fine, but do remember, if you are playing with a reduced number of paylines, slot machine symbols won’t pay if they land on a payline that is not active.

In case you choose to play a jackpot game, you’ll usually be required to activate all paylines to be in with a chance of winning the jackpot. Likewise, a vast number of newer generation slot machines will have fixed paylines, meaning you won’t be able to choose how many active paylines you want to play with, and you’ll just automatically play and bet with all of them. 

4. Know How to Choose Slot Variance

So, you already have your first slot tip, but we have plenty more to share. The best slot games to win can also depend on their variance. Now, what does volatility mean? Don’t worry, it’s all explained in our blog about how to choose slot variance, but we’ll go through it here too.

You may also know this term as variance, but they both mean the same thing and every gambler will have their own “preferred variance” to play with. Picking the right volatility for you could be vital in your quest for an answer on how to win online slots. Now, in simple terms, slot variance tells you how often a game is going to pay out. Most of these games state their volatility level and you’ll easily spot it in the description. All slot machines can be labelled according to the following categories:

  • Low variance
  • Medium variance
  • High variance

Naturally, if you choose a game with low variance, this will often mean you’ll get smaller wins quite often, but that doesn’t mean the game won’t pay out big either. And vice versa; a game with high variance can be known to reward players with larger winning amounts, but not so often. Keep in mind though - if you’re playing a game with high variance, you should be prepared to invest some patience in it, and a decent bankroll too.

Pick an online slot with the right volatility level to suit your style and bankroll.

Play slot machines that suit your gaming style and your style only, not what someone else tells you to. If you have a small bankroll, maybe you should consider low variance games to start with, and then work your way up when you feel comfortable. Picking the right variance for you could help you win in the long run. Don’t forget - you can change the games you play whenever you like, so you can switch between the volatility levels depending on how lucky you feel.

5. Learn How to Set Your Own Betting Limits

Before we move on to the max bet option, let’s just take a moment here to discuss how you can limit your bets so that things don’t get out of control.

There are a few tools provided by gambling authorities that will help you control the amount of time and money you spend while playing your favourite online slots and other casino games. To be more specific, you can set a limit on how long you want to play, as well as control how much money you wish to play with.

Know how to control the time and money you spend playing.

Time out is a useful feature that comes in handy if you wish to be able to continue playing but want to block yourself from it for a short period of time (like 24-hour time frame, one week, one month...). The maximum time out that you can request using this tool is 6 weeks. In case you wish to be excluded for a longer period (we’re talking about a period of at least 6 months), then you can ask the casino in question to do it for you.

Namely, you can use a self-exclusion tool if you think you have a gambling problem and need help to stop. Of course, it’s up to you to stick to a self-exclusion agreement, but in case you try to break the rule and gamble during that period of time, the company needs to make reasonable efforts to stop you.

6. Benefit from the Max Bet Rule

Understanding bet rules works is helpful, as you can use it as your advantage every time you play. In case you don’t know what it means and how exactly it works, our blog how to use Max Bet at online casinos, can help you out.

Always check the max bet rule every time you play so you can use it to your advantage.

Every casino will have a ‘Max Bet Rule’ which will come into play when you have an active bonus. Every time you accept a bonus, you should always check how much the maximum bet is at the casino you’re playing in. As every casino is different, you will need to check every time you play. It may take a few moments to check it, but it could be detrimental to your winnings in the long run.

Player sitting by the computer

Basically, what this rule means is you are not allowed to bet over a certain amount in a single spin or bet when you have an active bonus in your account. One of the most common max bet amounts is €5. So, this means you should be placing bets under €5 until you have met your wagering requirements. Once these have been cleared, most casinos won’t apply the max bet rule anymore.

Only bet on the amount of money you can afford to lose.

As soon as the wagering requirements have been completed and you still want to know how to win at slot machines even more, then you can try increasing your bets. With no wagering requirements you won’t worry about breaking the max bet rule. However, you should only be betting with an amount you can afford to lose. Just because you bet big doesn’t guarantee you are going to win. If you lose, you’re going to lose your balance quicker with bigger bets, so make sure you keep that in mind.

7. Take Advantage of Casino Bonuses and Special Offers

Now that you understand how slots work, another important tip is to choose an online casino with a good reputation. What does that mean? Well, you’ll know the casino cares about their players if they are providing a safe and fair gaming environment. But, there’s something else to it. We all know how competitive the casino industry is wanting to attract players, where numerous casino sites offer stuff for free. It’s not a trick, they are simply competing for loyal customers, so, why not take advantage of the deals they offer?

Since all these casino bonuses really do exist, take advantage of them, and enjoy the casino’s treatment.

Once you choose a licensed casino site you like, take a look at their section called “Promotions”. In almost every casino, you’ll find a welcome bonus or an entire welcome package to start with.

Likewise, some online casinos will give you additional treats in the form of cashback bonuses, special promotions, and various gifts. You don’t have to choose them of course, but you can, as they may spice up your gameplay. Plus, if you use them wisely, and with a little bit of luck on your side, these special offers can be a great way to boost your bankroll. Make sure you read our guide to slot bonuses to get the whole picture.

8. Pick a Casino Bonus with No Wagering Requirements

Now this is a tricky one to overcome, but if you’re thinking about how to win at casino slots our next tip could definitely be a winner! You can take several different kinds of bonuses when you play at a casino which include no deposit bonuses, deposit bonuses and casino spins. If you take a deposit bonus, one of the most common types of bonuses, you’re almost guaranteed to get it with wagering requirements. Finding a deposit bonus that doesn’t come with wagering requirements will be tricky indeed.

thinking about wagering requirements

However, a lot of online casinos nowadays will offer wager-free bonus spins instead. If you’ve found a casino that does this, it means any winnings derived from your spins come as cold hard cash, yours to keep with no strings attached. How to play slot machines to win is certainly not a simple task, but if you don’t have wagering requirements it’s just one less thing to worry about.

Of course, not having wagering requirements won’t help you win, again this falls on luck itself but if you strike a lucky spin, you can withdraw your lump sum straight without having to worry about those pesky requirements.

Back to bonuses themselves though, you can still take bonuses that come with low wagering requirements. So, when you’re checking our selection of online casino bonuses, just make sure you check the wagering requirements on each one before you play. How to win slot machines with a low wagering requirement is far more beneficial to you than one with high wagering requirements, so remember this trick next time you play.

Additional Casino Strategies

Some additional tips of ours include visiting slot tournaments, and in case you’re wondering how to play at slot tournaments, don’t worry, we’ve got you covered! Many brick-and-mortar casinos and online casino sites host slot tournaments and what makes these tournaments fun is the fact that you can compete with other contestants, while you plan ahead for the buy in.

By joining a slot tournament you’ll have a chance to compete with other players and collect as many game points as possible in order to win.

Another useful tip is to browse online casino forums and consult other gamers. You can trust your fellow online slot players, read their reviews on slots (and casinos!), hear their opinion and see how they play. Visiting an online casino forum may not help you win but it will definitely help you learn more about real life experiences, before you try to win on online slots.

Tricks to Winning on Slot Machines: Are There Any?

To be completely honest with you, when playing casino games, we think there are no strategies that can guarantee you will win, when you decide to spin the reels of your preferred slot machines. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t win – you can, of course, it’s just that it all boils down to pure luck and there’s no system, no tips or strategies will make you a millionaire.

On the other hand, we do hope our tips and tricks will come in handy when it comes to better understanding your games and gameplay.

How to Win at Slot Machines: Conclusion

No, we can’t give you a definitive answer on how to win slot machines and win big because there simply isn’t one, but we do hope we’ve given you the tips and tricks that will help you on your way. The most important thing is to have a plan and set your budget, then go search for slot machines to suit your preferences and, once you find them, don’t forget to have fun!

Start your next gaming session using these tips and hopefully, when mixed with a bit of luck, your next withdrawal will come sooner than you think. Don’t worry, you can just thank us later! Visit our forum and tell us how it went.