casino slots mechanics and special features

Their gameplay has further been simplified in real money online casinos, which offer features like auto-spins. They also offer thousands of variations, enabling players to find the games that best match their playing needs. So, how do these games work, and how can you better your winning chances?

Picture 1 of casino slots mechanics and special features

Explaining the Mechanics in Slots

From a player's standpoint, slots are easy to understand. You need to score a specific combination to win the game. But instead of doing anything to influence the results, you can only hit start and wait for your fate. So, what goes on behind the scenes?

1. Random number generation: You may have heard that casinos have games of chance and skill. Slots are a game of chance - they depend on luck, and you cannot do anything to change the outcome. So, who decides who wins? When you hit the spin or start button in a slots game, random number generation produces the result, determining whether you win or lose. Since the automation is random, you cannot predict the outcome, nor can the casino operator tweak the results. As a result, the game is fair and ensures that the lucky gamblers take home the prize.
2. Return to player rate (RTP): Another thing to consider is how much money you can make from these games. Here, the casino operator sets an RTP visible to all players, enabling you to know the house edge. For example, an operator can set the RTP at 94% - this means that each time you bet $1, the house keeps $0.06 and can pay out $0.94. However, this does not mean you will win this money back each time you play. Instead, it only indicates how much the casino pays out to winners. The higher the RTP, the easier it is to make a profit.
3. Volatility: Traders often talk about volatility in financial markets, which helps them determine the best time to make trades. In slots, volatility indicates how often you will win. So, if you play a low-volatility game, you will win often. Such games, however, have the downside of small payouts. High-volatility games are the opposite. Winning them is hard, but the returns are outstanding once you hit the mark. You can also opt for medium volatility games, which balance the payouts and the winning chances.

Each time you play a slots game, all these factors come into play. It is thus important to read about games and determine if their RTPs and volatility favor you. While you cannot do anything about the random number generation, you can have a say in how often you get paid and how much you earn.

Understanding Slots Features

When you start playing a slots game, you will encounter many features that determine how best to approach the game to enhance your winning chances. Since slots games vary based on the site, we will cover those you can find on almost any site:

1. Auto-Play

We have covered that players cannot influence the outcome of games and can only have a say in RTPs and volatility. Thus, the number of games you play and how fast you play them does not have a bearing on your wins. As such, many casinos offer an auto-play feature that allows you to determine the number of games you want to play simultaneously. For example, you can choose to play 100 slots games. In this case, the random number generator would produce 100 results, and you could watch as the software deducted your wagers and paid out your winnings between each game.

Why is this feature a good option?

1. It helps you play many games at once and eliminates the need for you to keep pressing the start button,
2. It helps you multi-task such that you can leave the game playing and come back to collect your rewards, and
3. You can determine the number of games you want or can afford and stick to this limit.

But what if the auto-play does not go your way, and you start losing more than expected? Most sites have an auto-play limit that helps you stop the game if you lose too much or score a big win. So, you still have control over the game.

2. Wilds

In slots, the goal is always to match symbols in a given pattern to score a winning combination. For example, a game may require three watermelons for you to score a payout of 3* your wager. But do you know what can boost your payouts? Wilds!

These features are some of the most common and anticipated in slots games. They substitute other symbols and enable you to complete winning combinations you could not have achieved without them. Examples include:

1. Multiplier wilds,
2. Diagonal wilds
3. Walking wilds,
4. Wild overlays, and
5. Jumping wilds.

Each wild symbol does what its name says. For example, a multiplier wild helps you get an even better payout. You can always refer to the game's rules and payout tables to understand how each wild works so you can use it to its best ability.

3. Multipliers

While slots are easy, they are some of the most lucrative casino games and can turn a $10 wager into a $1,000 payout. This possibility becomes much higher when multipliers are in play. These work in the following ways:

1. Standalone: A game might have one multiplier that remains constant, e.g., *2. So, if your payout is $50, you get $100 once you use this multiplier.
2. Combinations: These allow you to use more than one multiplier on the same payout. So, if you have two *2s, you get a *4. And the $50 payout now becomes a $200.
3. Increasing Multipliers: Under these, you get an additional *1 each time you win. As such, that *2 becomes a *3 and keeps growing at each win.

Do these have guarantees? Not at all. They only come into effect when you win - if you drop the ball along the way, you lose the prize. However, if you nab the winning combination, you will sing all the way to the bank.

Using Features to Your Advantage

Besides the standard features outlined in this guide, slots often have other lucrative additions, e.g., progressive jackpots. But how can you ensure you have the upper hand?

1. Always learn the rules: Each game has differing RTPs and features. You must understand its ins and outs before you start placing wagers.
2. Practice playing: Do you know how to use a wild? How about the auto-spin feature? Learn how to do so using demo games to ensure you boost your winning chances.
3. Work with a budget: With auto-play features, it's easy to play so many games that you forget your limit. Set it before spinning the first game to avoid overspending on the games.

Also, take advantage of free spins, often offered as bonuses - these help reduce your risk while boosting your earnings.

Jessica Tanner

Update 22 November 2023