It’s probably easy to think that you can just leap into a slot game or two and start spinning. And yes, plenty of games are user-friendly. However, there are still a few important terms you’ll need to keep in mind when playing slots so that you can really make the most out of them.
In this guide, I’ll take you through the most common slots jargon and terms so that you know what to expect the next time you start a new game!
Basic terms
The following terms are pretty common and many people use them to strategise and maximise their play time. However, always remember that slot games at Tonybet are completely randomised – meaning that there’s never a guarantee of a win. It’s always worth keeping this jargon in mind though, regardless of the games you play.
Reels
Each slot game has a set of vertical columns, or reels. The reels spin downwards when you start playing, and the symbols will land, creating matching combinations (that’s the goal, anyway!).
Many slot games have five reels, while others have three, such as classic fruit machines. There are even some advanced slots that have even more!
Paylines
Paylines are lines on a slot grid where you can make winning combinations. If you line up so many of one symbol on a winning payline, you’ll get a prize.
The number of paylines a slot game has will vary from title to title. In some cases, paylines can vary from spin to spin, such as in Megaways games!
RTP (Return to Player)
A slot game’s RTP ratio tells you how likely it is to pay out prizes over its entire lifetime. It’s represented by a percentage. For example, a good benchmark is an RTP of 96%. This tells us that a slot game is likely to pay out 96% over its run.
That said, RTP isn’t always a good measure of how generous a game is likely to be. That’s because a game’s lifetime could be years and years – and there will be millions of people spinning! Think about games such as Starburst, which are still running after a decade!
Volatility (variance)
Volatility and variance both refer to how much a game leans into giving prizes – i.e., how big the prizes are, and how frequently they’re given.
A low volatility game, for example, usually pays out quite often, but the prizes don’t tend to be particularly large. A high volatility game, meanwhile, gives away high prizes and bonus rounds – however, it does so pretty infrequently. A medium volatility game, as you might expect, falls somewhere in the middle.
Min bet/max bet
A slot game’s min bet tells you how much you need to pay in order to actually play the game. For example, many slots require you to pay €0.20 per spin.
Your max bet, meanwhile, is the opposite. This is the maximum amount of money you can bet on any one spin. Some slot games have max bet buttons where you can automatically bet the highest amount allowed.
Bonus and feature terms
The following terms and jargon usually apply to slot games that have lots of different features and bonus rounds – which help to mix things up a little bit! Not all slot games use these features, but keep your eyes peeled for them regardless.
Wild symbols
Wild symbols replace any other symbols on winning paylines. This means that they can sometimes create winning combinations on several lines at once!
There are also a few different types of wild symbols to watch for:
- Expanding wilds, which grow and take up space on the reels.
- Sticky wilds, which will hold in place across several spins.
- Moving wilds, which move around from spin to spin.
- Multiplier wilds, which multiply winning combinations.
Scatter symbols
Scatter symbols are special icons that frequently unlock bonus rounds and other features. Typically, you can unlock these features when you spin between three and five into view, though the number of reels available will determine this.
Scatter symbols can also offer cash prizes of their own, with some games giving prizes if you land two in a row.
Multipliers
Multipliers are simple – they multiply the amount you win! For example, multiplier symbols or multiplier wilds in a slot’s base game will increase the amount of money you take away from a simple line win.
However, some games also have multiplier gauges where you can collect and boost the amount of multiplication on offer – and multipliers are often common in bonus rounds.
Free spins
Lots of slot games have bonus rounds where you can play a certain number of spins for free – hence free spins! When you unlock a bonus, you’ll typically get a package of spins (e.g., five or 10), and sometimes have the chance to retrigger more free spins.
Betting and payout terms
Let’s close with a few quick betting and payout terms worth remembering before you dive deeply into slots for real.
Bet level
The bet level is, put simply, how much you wager per spin. You can either set this using plus and minus buttons, or you can set a min bet or max bet using set buttons (as mentioned above).
Jackpot
Jackpots are the biggest prizes available, though not all slot games have them! Jackpot prizes are often triggered by lining up specific symbols and then playing a bonus round. Some games have multiple jackpot prizes, while other slots are ‘progressive’, meaning that they share jackpot prizes with other casinos that run the same slot.
Regardless, it’s always worth remembering that winning a jackpot is very rare indeed!
Hit frequency
Hit frequency is a slot measurement often used alongside RTP. While RTP measures how much a slot pays out over the long term, your hit frequency tells you how frequently winning combos will appear in the short term.
Why not take a look at some of Tonybet’s slot games now and explore some of these terms for yourself? Remember, if you need help managing your gameplay, you can reach out to our support team.
