The Key Components and Terminology of Online Slots

The more you play online Slots, and find yourself doing the rounds on all of the latest casino sites, you’ll quickly realise that the layout and main buttons involved in these Slots are mostly the same. No matter where you find yourself spinning those reels, the terminology will remain almost entirely the same, too. What’s more, if you’ve just signed up for a new gaming site and you’ve just received your Betfair casino welcome bonus, but you’re not quite sure what to do next – then you’ve come to the right place!

With that in mind, lets look at some of the need-to-know information that’ll turn you into a Slots expert.

• Reels

The reels are the columns on the screen, within a grid, that spin when the game begins. The most popular layout across all slot games is a five-reel set-up, however there are still simpler games out there that play out across three reels.

• Symbols

Another key aspect of any game – the symbols are the icons or pictures that fill each section of the reels. Each symbol will hold a different pay-out value which is earned by rolling in certain matching combinations, e.g. six of one symbol may offer out a 25 times your bet reward. You can find out more information about symbol and their values on the pay table. The symbols will often correlate with the overall theme of the game, as well as featuring playing card icons as the lower value symbols.

• The Payline

These are the lines that run across the grid and reels that will signal when a win has been triggered. The rules of slot games will often dictate that you need to get X amount of a certain symbol across one or more paylines to win.

• The Spin Button

As you’ve probably guessed, the spin button triggers the game to start and gets the reels spinning. Whether you’re playing online or at a brick-and-mortar machine, you’ll encounter a “Spin” button. You also click or press this to activate the reels, and bring the next selection of symbols to the screen, between each round.

• Bet Amount

This is where you select how much you wish to bet in each round, or your wager on the next spin. How much you choose to bet will have a direct effect on how much you stand to win, if the right combination of symbols come your way.

• Random Number Generator

The Random Number Generator is a feature in all slot games, which ensures that all outcomes of the game are random and cannot be fixed in certain player’s favour. You should find an icon somewhere on the screen which signifies this feature, allowing players to rest easy and not worry about the game being rigged in anyway.

• Auto Start/Stop

This is a handy feature that you’ll find in almost all online slot games. Simply put, this will allow you to trigger continuous spins without clicking the “Spin” button between every turn of the reels. Before your gameplay begins, you can set a predetermined number of spins that you want to play. Press this button again and that sequence will end.

• Bet Maximum

This button is one for the high-rollers – as it sets the bet per payline to the maximum amount, whilst selecting all the paylines on offer within the game. Always remember to bet responsibly and play within your means.