Want to play online slots but don’t know where to start? Welcome to our beginner’s guide to slot machines — a comprehensive breakdown of this hugely popular casino game type.
While UK online slots can be one of the simpler game types at online casinos, total newcomers may feel uncertain about playing them. What do the different symbols mean? What are paylines? And what does Return to Player (RTP) mean anyway? Our guide to slot machines answers these questions and many more.
Below, you’ll learn key slot machine basics, including:
- How slot machines work at online casinos
- How to play online slots step by step
- Tips for responsible gaming
- Common slot terms
By the time you reach the end of this beginner’s guide, you’ll have the knowledge you need to start playing slots with confidence.
What are Online Slot Machines?
Online slots are similar in concept to traditional slot machines, but the experience of playing them is significantly different. If you’ve never played a slot machine (or one-armed bandit, as they’re otherwise known), the goal is simple: spin a set of reels and see if you can match identical symbols across them to win prizes.
Traditional slots at brick-and-mortar casinos required players to pull a lever to activate the reels, but modern machines and online slots spin their reels at the tap of a button. One factor that remains the same across physical machines and slots played at online casinos is randomness — you never know which symbols will land or where.
In online slots, this is down to random number generator (RNG) technology: software that produces unpredictable number sequences starting from a specific seed value. These numbers are connected to certain positions on the reels, and they ensure that symbols land in random spots on the reels at the end of each spin.
With RNGs driving games behind the scenes, online slots are always fair and transparent: each spin is independent and unconnected from others. That means slots are games of chance, not skill. No matter how experienced a player might be, no matter how many prizes they might have racked up over the years, they’re no more (or less) likely to win than a beginner.
This makes online slot machines a fantastic place to start playing casino games: they can introduce you to the process of placing bets, managing your bankroll, depositing funds, and other essential processes involved in using online casinos.
On top of that, you have thousands of slots to choose from, with plenty of diverse themes, visual styles, features, and prizes. Whether you want to play a slot based on your favourite movie or you’re more interested in something with adorable animals, you’ll find it online.
Need a bit of help to narrow your search? Get inspired with our guide to the most popular slots of all time.
Slot Machine Basics Explained
We’ve covered the fundamental differences between traditional slot machines and online versions, but what about the gameplay? What are the most important elements of an online slot that you need to know before you start playing?
In this section of our beginner’s guide to slot machines, we’ll explain the crucial basics, from the symbols to the bonus features.
Reels, Rows, and Symbols
The reels, rows, and symbols are key structural elements of any slot. Let’s break them down.
- Reels: Slots typically have between three and six vertical reels, though some may include an extra horizontal reel at the top of the screen. Whenever you tap the ‘spin’ button, all of the reels will roll at the same time (unless they’re held in place as part of a bonus).
- Rows: Rows run horizontally across the reels. Depending on the game, reels may feature three or more rows, each holding its own symbols. The number of reels and rows determines how many symbols appear on the screen (e.g. 5 reels + 5 rows = 25 symbols).
- Symbols: All slots have multiple symbols. Some award prizes when a certain number (e.g. three or more) appear across the reels together, while others perform special actions or trigger bonuses (such as free spins).
Paylines and Ways to Win
Paylines are the positions that symbols must land in to create winning combinations. Slots may include as little as one payline or hundreds. The more paylines available, the more opportunities to land wins on each spin.
Ways to win (also known as chances to win) are a little different from paylines. This refers to a looser win structure: symbols will pay out in any position as long as they hit adjacent reels starting from the leftmost reel (reel 1).
Slots can have potentially hundreds of thousands of chances to win — or even more. Rasputin Megaways, for example, offers almost 3 million.
Slot Volatility and RTP
No beginner’s guide to slot machines would be complete without an explanation of volatility and RTP.
- Volatility: A slot’s volatility indicates how often it’s likely to award wins and how big or small they’ll be (on average). Slots with low volatility tend to pay out more often, but prizes will usually be on the small side. In slots with medium and high volatility, payouts typically land less often, but they can be bigger. Essentially, volatility represents the risk of losing your bets.
- RTP: Return to Player reflects the amount of money a slot will theoretically return to players over a long period. This is represented as a percentage: the average for slots is 96% (a theoretical long-term return of £96 for £100 wagered). RTP is calculated over extended playing sessions with millions of simulated spins, so actual returns can vary.
For a deeper understanding of how RTP and volatility work together to influence your gameplay, check out our guide to RTP and Volatility in Slots for more insights.
Bonus Features and Free Spins
Bonuses are a critical part of online slot machines. Most slots include at least one feature, and the free spins round is incredibly common. These give you multiple free chances to win, and some slots can award dozens of free spins during the same feature.
Free spins rounds may also incorporate additional features, such as respins and expanding symbols (which grow beyond their 1x1 size to cover extra space, possibly filling entire reels). Free spins that include extra bonuses can help you win more (and potentially bigger) prizes.
Other common slot features include extending reels (for a larger playing area) and cascading reels that can award multiple wins in a single paid spin. In most cases, you need to land certain symbols or perform a specific function to activate a feature. Free spins rounds, for instance, often trigger after you land three or more Scatter symbols.
How to Play Online Slots
If you’re looking for slots for beginners, UK casino sites offer plenty of games with a simple design, structure, and features. Even if you don’t know how slot machines work, you may be surprised by how easy they are to play.
To help you get started, this next part of our beginner’s guide to slot machines explains how to play step by step.
- Pick a trustworthy, reputable online casino with a licence from the Gambling Commission (the authority responsible for regulating most gambling activities in Great Britain).
- Choose a slot with a theme, volatility, RTP, and betting limits that suit you. As a beginner, you may want to focus on a traditional 3x3 slot with basic features until you get a feel for the process.
- Set a sensible bet for yourself before the first spin. Start small: only wager money you can afford to lose — if you’ll miss it, don’t bet it.
- Check the rules. Always look at the rules before you start playing. This will help you understand how the base game and bonuses work.
- Start spinning the reels. Press the ‘spin’ button on the screen to spin the reels once. Once they stop spinning, the reels will show a random symbol arrangement. If multiple symbols of the same type land across consecutive reels, that may form a winning combination or trigger a feature (possibly both).
- Look into promotions. Reliable online casinos typically offer bonuses for slots, such as free spins on your first deposit. Check to see if any are available to help you explore different slots, but read the terms and conditions carefully to make sure you know what the promotion involves.
- Know when to stop playing. Stick to your betting limit and recognise when it’s best to close a slot. Try not to chase losses: you may not be able to recoup your money.
Slot machine basics are easy enough for many beginners to pick up quickly. However, give yourself time to follow these steps carefully and learn how to play online slots at your own pace.
Tips for New UK Slot Players
Here are four tips on playing slots for beginners in the UK:
Start with Low Volatility Slots
As we explained earlier in this beginner’s guide to slot machines, slots with low volatility can award prizes more often than highly volatile games. While the payouts tend to be smaller on average, low-volatility slots pose less risk to new players overall.
The lower a slot’s volatility, the lower the risk in general. This makes low-volatility slots ideal for more cautious players: you can keep your bets small and focus on learning the rhythm of the gameplay without feeling the need to chase large wins.
Set a Budget and Time Limit
Setting a budget for yourself is vital when playing slots. Think carefully about how much you could realistically wager, and possibly lose, without making a negative impact on your finances.
As a beginner, you may want to stick to the minimum deposit most casinos require (which is usually £10) or a small portion of that. Focus on slots with a low minimum bet (such as £0.05) to make your money go further.
Additionally, set a time limit for each slot session. Otherwise, you could lose track of time and spend more of it on a particular game than you intend to.
Use Casino Tools
One of the simplest ways to manage your bankroll with care at online casinos is to use their safe gaming tools. For example, setting a deposit limit will prevent you from putting excessive amounts of money into your casino account within a specific period. If you choose a weekly limit of £25, you wouldn’t be able to deposit more than that.
Explore the tools available at your chosen casino to discover ways to help you control your gambling.
Read the Paytable Before You Play
Always check the paytable before you play a slot. This will reveal the paying symbols, their values, and how many you need to line up to win a prize. It will also explain what non-paying symbols do, such as triggering a free spins feature or substituting for other symbols to help you land winning combinations.
Some paytables are more comprehensive than others, so look for a ‘rules’ section within a game if you need more details.
Responsible Gambling for Slot Players
When explaining how to play slots for beginners, UK casino sites have a duty to promote responsible gambling. Slots, like any other casino game, are for players aged 18+ only — anyone below that age is prohibited from betting money at gaming sites in the UK.
Focus on playing for entertainment only: while slots can award prizes, don’t spin the reels with an expectation of winning. Choose slots because you want to play them (not just because of the prizes on offer), and if it stops being fun, stop playing immediately.
Slingo takes responsible gambling seriously, and offers a variety of tools to help you stay in control. These include:
- Deposit limits to manage your wagering on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis
- Game Status Reminders (Reality Checks) to remind you how long you’ve been playing
- Cooling-off and self-exclusion periods to prevent access to your account for up to five years
- GamStop to block yourself from gambling on any licensed online casino in Great Britain
- SafeMate for tracking your gambling activities and spending
To ease yourself into the process of gambling online, we recommend that you start with a beginner-friendly slot, such as Starburst. This has a minimum bet limit of £0.10, a simple 5x3 structure, 10 paylines, and low volatility. Only explore more complex slots if you feel comfortable and confident in your ability to play responsibly.
Glossary of Common Slot Terms
As we approach the end of our beginner’s guide to slot machines, let’s define some of the most common terms you’ll encounter when playing slots.
- Wild symbol: A Wild symbol can substitute for other paying symbols on the reels to help complete winning combinations. They may also have their own values.
- Scatter symbol: Scatters can award a win or trigger a feature wherever they land on the reels.
- Avalanche/cascading reels: Avalanching, cascading, or tumbling reels remove winning symbols, creating space for others to fill empty positions. This can create multiple consecutive wins on the same spin.
- Base game: The main part of a slot, focused on spinning the reels to try to land wins. You may trigger one or more bonus features in the base game.
- Bonus feature: A bonus feature is usually a short game within a slot that offers more chances to win. This may be a free spins round or a pick-and-click game (e.g. tap 3 out of 10 objects to reveal prizes).
- Cluster pays: Cluster pays slots have no paylines or ways to win. Instead, they award payouts for (usually) five or more symbols that connect horizontally or vertically, forming a cluster.
- Demo: A demo version of a slot allows you to test the gameplay for free. You’ll use virtual credits and play for virtual prizes.
- Bonus/feature buy: Pay a certain amount (e.g. 100x your bet) to trigger a bonus feature instantly from the base game instead of waiting to unlock it organically. Consider the cost of these carefully before use.
- Gamble feature: A bonus that offers a chance to increase the size of a win. Many gamble features involve guessing the colour or suit of a face-down playing card before it’s revealed.
- Hit frequency: The average occurrence rate for winning combinations in a slot.
- Progressive jackpot: Large prizes that grow in size over time, funded by a percentage of each bet.
- Megaways: Megaways slots vary the number of symbol positions from spin to spin, with potentially millions of chances to win. Read our guide to the best Megaways slots to find the top titles.
- Multipliers: A feature that increases your wins by a certain value (such as x10).
- Retrigger: In many slots, the free spins feature can be retriggered if you meet specific conditions (e.g. landing three or more Scatters in a free spin).
FAQs About Online Slots
Are online slots fair in the UK?
Online slots in the UK use random number generators to ensure every single spin is fair. RNGs create an unpredictable outcome whenever you spin the reels, providing all players with an equal chance of winning.
Can I play online slots on mobile?
Most online slots released by reputable software providers are mobile-friendly. Slots developed with HTML5 technology adjust to any device and screen size for maximum convenience.
What’s the best slot for beginners?
The best slots for beginners at UK casinos offer straightforward gameplay, simple features, low minimum bets, and low volatility. These carry less risk than slots with higher volatility.
How do I know if a slot is high or low volatility?
Many software providers include information on a slot’s volatility within the game, commonly on the paytable or in the rules section. Otherwise, the casino hosting a slot should indicate the volatility.
What slot games offer the best RTP?
Slots with an RTP above 97% provide the best RTP. For example, Money Cart and Money Cart 2 have a high RTP of 98%.
Final Thoughts for First-Time Slot Players
Still feel unsure about playing slots? That’s normal for beginners — even simple slots can seem intimidating at first.
However, if you want to try slots and get a feel for their gameplay, look for demo versions of any that appeal to you. You’ll get to play for free and focus on the experience without risking money.
If you decide to play for real, remember: slots are meant to be fun and are based entirely on luck. You never know which symbols may land on the next spin, or how long it could take you to win. Always play responsibly and take advantage of safe gambling tools to stay in control of your betting.
Slingo is home to more than 6,000 casino games, including thousands of slots from the biggest software brands in the industry. Discover an amazing range of beginner-friendly slots at Slingo now!
