Online Slots Guide

Getting Started

Slot games have the most variety among online casino games. You can start from the classic to the 6-reel slots and Megaways. Most importantly, you can play them for real money or have risk-free fun with the free version.

Most South African online casino providers have video slot games as the primary option in their catalog. They have other casino games like roulette or baccarat. However, a greater percentage of their lobby will be dedicated to video slots games. During a recent study (2024) it showed that slots cover 80% of all played games in a casino

Most games are available on mobile devices, although some older variants still work only on desktop versions. These launched long before smartphones came onto the scene. Microgaming (now Apricot) produced the first online slot machine in the mid-90s.

What are Online Slots?

A typical online slots game has three or more reels that spin, resulting in a row of several symbols when they stop. While classic verions in land casinos had levers to initiate reel spins, an online one has a button to initiate the spins.

Several symbols will join the spin until the reels stop. To spice things up, providers can add the following:

• Backstories
• Themes and graphics
• Soundtrack
• Animations

These add-ons do not influence the results, as each result is random. However, they increase the immersive feel, making some games better than others.

How do Online Slot Machines Work?

Like all real money casino games, the online slot machine requires a bet to spin the reels. You can play free slot games, but your winnings cannot be converted to actual cash. A expection on this is a free spins bonus.

Once the reels start to spin, different symbols will appear quickly on each reel. This motion will continue until you stop it or the reels come to a natural stop. Then, the remaining symbols will stop spinning.

These symbols can form matching combinations, resulting in a win. If that doesn’t happen, the bet on that spin is lost, and the next spin occurs.

Desktop and mobile slots work the same way, except for a few design changes for the screen size differences. Most slots start their matching combinations on the leftmost reel. Hence, you can have the following ways to win:

• Have a minimum of three matching symbols on a payline on the reels.
• Have a minimum number of symbols anywhere on the reels.
• Have a minimum number of symbols in a cluster.

Besides the base gameplay, the online version also offers bonus features. These include free spins, multipliers, expanding wilds, etc. These bring winning opportunities and the potential to walk away with many times the regular win. For example, multipliers can increase a win up to 100 times.

Some slot machines may have mini-games in their bonus rounds. They could be pick-me bonus rounds or a massive wheel.

Other Features in a Typical Slots Game

You’ll find sections to learn about the paytable and rules. Other features of the play area include:

• Spin button
• The bet button(s): This lets you pick bets from the acceptable range.
• The autoplay button: This option spins the reels automatically. Some online slots games allow up to 1,000 auto-spins.
• Bet max button: This feature allows you to place the maximum bet for the next spin quickly.
• Turbo mode: You can speed up the reel spins with this button.
• Paylines: Some have adjustable paylines.

Some online casino slots include ante-bet and bonus-buy features. The ante-bet feature lets you increase your chances of triggering the bonus features. Conversely, the bonus buy option allows you to buy the bonus features.

Popular Bonus Features in Online Casino Slots

South African players can activate the following bonus games in a typical slot:

• Free spins: This is the most popular feature. It lets you spin the reels without using your funds. Still, the wins are real money that can be transferred into your account.
• Bonus symbols often activate in-game free spins when they appear on the reels. Notwithstanding, some games can activate them randomly.
• Bonus wheels: Some online slots offer bonus wheels in their games. The wheels often consist of several segments with different prizes, including those with no prizes. You’ll spin it to win whatever the wheel stops at.

Typical terms

Here are a few typical terms to know about online slot games:

• Reels: These are the columns in the playing area. Symbols spin vertically on each reel until the spinning stops. You can get three up to six-reel slots and even more.
• Rows: These are the horizontal sections. They often carry the paylines from the leftmost reels to the right.
• Paylines: These are preset lines that matching symbols must occupy to produce a win.
• Volatility: This refers to how often you win. It also includes the average amount won.
• Return-to-player rate (RTP): Casinos pay a percentage of player deposits back. This percentage is known as the return-to-player rate. Also, the RTP occurs over time and if different per game.
• Winning frequency: This parameter is the ratio of winning spins to all the spins made in the game. It can be helpful when gauging your winning chances.

These are the basic terms you’ll find on most reel slots.

How to play slots online

Playing online slots begins with creating an online casino account. Some South African online casinos allow unregistered players to play free online slots. However, playing for real money, or progressive jackpot games, requires a funded account.

Here are some general steps to playing online for real money:

1. Find recommended online casinos in South Africa, we got a list at the top of this page.
2. Register with your preferred choice.
3. Deposit real money into your account.
4. Pick an online slot game from the catalog.
5. Load the slot game.
6. Place a real-money bet. You can play max bet or adjust to your preferred bet size.
7. Hit the spin button to start the game.

Slot machines often have minimum and maximum bets. Hence, you must bet within this range to spin the wheels.

Online slots work with average bet sizes. Hardly will you find online slots for real money that accept up to R15,000, which is prevalent in roulette.

Famous Slot Machines

The following are the most popular slot games at this moment:

Gonzo’s Quest Megaways

This sequel brings back the avalanche feature of its predecessor. It has 116,649 winning ways with high volatility. The jungle theme and maximum payout of 20,000 times place it among the best online slot games.

Gonzo will give you up to 15 free spins in your quest. However, you must land the free-fall symbols.

While you won’t get a progressive jackpot in this game, you’ll find exciting bonus features with the Megaways engine. These include the unbreakable wilds and the earthquake feature. Also, you might be lucky enough to catch a welcome bonus for the game at the best online casinos in South Africa.

Gates of Olympus

Many online slots feature Greek mythology. However, Gates of Olympus takes a memorable approach. The game uses a pay-anywhere system where you win by landing at least eight matching symbols on the reels.

Gates of Olympus has six reels and five rows with an RTP of 96.5%. Free spins are the most prominent feature. However, the potential for a 500x multiplier makes Gate of Olympus one of the best slot games you can play for real money.

Wheel of Wishes

The 500x maximum win might turn attention away to other online slots, but this game is a hidden gem. Alchemy Gaming has four progressive jackpots in the game. However, the progressive jackpots don’t have random triggers like other games in this category.

This progressive slot game has two ways to trigger the progressive jackpot:

• You can activate it by having two or more scatter symbols on the reels
• Activating the Power Mode

The power mode costs real money but doesn’t guarantee the bonus wheel will appear. Instead, it increases your chances of triggering the bonus wheel. Think of it like a bonus buy feature in other progressive jackpots.

Progressive Jackpot Slots

Most online slot machines have a cap on how much players can win in a single round. Progressive jackpot slots are for you if you find that limiting. These have increasing payouts as more players join.

The Mega Moolah is one of the best progressive jackpots. While the gameplay and free spins bonus do not differ from others, the progressive jackpot game makes all the difference. The progressive jackpot occurs randomly.

Most progressive jackpots offer random triggers for their jackpot prizes. With Mega Moolah, the higher your bet, the better your chances of winning the progressive jackpot.

Online casinos can offer progressive slots as part of an international network or exclusively to players on their platforms.

Fixed Jackpot Slot Games

Opt for fixed jackpots if progressive slots are overreaching. Fixed ones are similar to the typical flat-top slot machine. Both have caps on their maximum wins.

These games can have randomly triggered fixed jackpots. Alternatively, you might need specific combinations to trigger the jackpot. You can play the following fixed jackpot online slots (for real money only):

• Rainbow Riches
• Fire Forges
• Miami Jackpots
• 9 Masks of Fire
• Sweet Bonanza

Winning Strategies

Games of chance don’t have winning strategies. The best you can do is to manage your bankroll for prolonged gameplay. Real-money slots are in this category with their random number generators.

Here are some tips to maximize your winning:

• Avoid high-volatility games if you don’t have enough bankroll.
• Play the free versions of slots to understand the gameplay before betting real money.
• Utilize casino bonuses, like the welcome bonus, to reserve your bankroll. Ensure you check the wagering requirement of any bonus before activating it.
• Split your bets to increase your playing time.
• Play at a reputable online casino.
• Focus on mobile compatible games.

Most South African casinos offer bonuses, usually free spins with a deposit match. They often work on just one slot, so check the terms.

Can You Trust Online Real Money Slots?

It is risky to play online slots for real money at questionable casinos. The thought of a rigged game can grow stronger as you play for extended periods without winning. However, these games are legit, provided you consider a few things.

Are online slots rigged? Run your checks through the following:

Slot Game Providers

Don’t play any game from unlicensed game providers. Think of the top providers like NetEnt, Pragmatic Play, Games Global, Play’n Go, Playtech, BGaming, etc. These companies are licensed by several gaming authorities, including the following:

• The Malta Gaming Authority
• The UK Gambling Commission
• The Curacao eGaming

Random Number Generators

Besides the stunning graphics and rewarding features, the crucial thing is the random number generators. These ensure fair results when you play online slots at casino sites. Any tweaks to them will produce biased results that’ll work against you as a player.

Random number generators control the gameplay. Casinos with endorsements from eCOGRA, iTest Labs, and other independent agencies have fair random number generators.

Licenses

The last major check for fair online slots gameplay is the casino license. Unlicensed casinos are accountable to no authority. They can rig games in their favor and deny payouts, even from known providers.

Most casinos will have their license information at the footer of the home page. Alternatively, you can check their “About Us” section or the license page.

Verify their license numbers with the licensing body to be sure. Then, you can deposit and play slots without fear.

Online Casinos with the most online slots

Conclusion

Online slots are among the simplest casino games. They barely require any learning curve, with enough excitement for new players. Moreover, you can always play the free version to lay out any complexities.

Casinos regularly introduce new slots and jackpots. The latter brings mega-winning opportunities because of their increasing payouts. Even so, some slots can be high-paying, like Gates of Olympus, with a 20,000x max payout.

In short: Find the best licensed online casinos. Start with the free versions before depositing money for the real-money gameplay.

Frequently Asked Questions about Online Slots