Real Money Slot Machines – Best Games & Top Casinos
Slots are by far the most popular casino game in the world. Every land-based and online casino has an overabundance of them, and their fan base just keeps on growing. Slots have been around for a long time, and they are here to stay for the foreseeable future. The market is simply flooded with them.
Slots owe much of their popularity to the fact that they are one of the easiest to play games in the history of mankind. You do not need a strategy or special skills to play and win at slots – it’s all about luck, and not much else. This aspect of slots makes them very tempting for the majority of players out there.
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Playing online slots with real money can be really exciting and rewarding. However, before attempting it, you need to familiarise yourself with the basics, and find a reputable online casino to play at. Fortunately for you, we are here to help you with that.
Online Slots – Game Overview
Playing slots consists of two actions – placing your bet and spinning the reels. As simple as that. To win, you must manage to get a winning combination of the symbols on the reels. The possible combinations are usually a lot, and might differ from one game to the next. However, first we need to take a deeper look at the reels themselves, and the symbols that cover them.
Paylines & Symbols
Each slot machine has pre-determined patterns of symbols called ‘paylines’. In order to win something, you need to get 3 or more identical symbols across a payline. Different paylines and combinations across them yield different rewards. Information on that can be found at the slot machine’s paytable, which should always be accessible and in plain sight.
Apart from the standard symbols, each slot machine has a few special ones, which have various positive effects for the player. The Wild symbol is your best friend, as it can substitute any other symbol, except for Scatter. This means that it completes all possible combinations, making it easier for you to win. Scatter is a symbol that unlocks the bonus features of the slot machine – free spins, bigger payouts, and even bonus levels. Unlocking those has certain conditions which are different for every slot.
Some slot games feature Multipliers, which increase the amounts you win several times. They usually add up, so you can expect to reach really impressive sums with their help. A slot that makes excellent use of multipliers is Gonzo’s Quest by reputable developer NetEnt.
There are literally thousands of online slot games out there, and most of them have unique rules, payouts, and features. Before attempting to play any real money slot, make sure you familiarise yourself with it.
Types of Slots
The classic slot machines had only 3 reels, and you can still find quite a lot of them at almost all online casinos. However, in recent years, 5-reel slots have become the more popular variation. More reels mean more paylines, therefore more chances to win. On top of that, 5-reel slots have more options for bonuses, free spins, and other rewards. No wonder they are the preferred type of slots.
We have all heard about the fabulous jackpots people win at online casinos. Guess what type of game you should play to get a shot at them? Slots, of course! There are two types of jackpots that you can win while playing slots – progressive and non-progressive. The latter consists of fixed sums of money that you can win, while the former gets bigger and bigger as players bet more on the game. Progressive jackpots often reach millions, and are the main reason why people play slots so much.
Special Features
Online slots in general feature many handy options that make the game even easier, and frankly, more fun to play. For example, the Quick Spin option can be used to dramatically decrease the time you have to wait for the reels to spin. This is especially useful if you are after bonuses and free spins, as it saves you a lot of time. Another cool option found at most online slots is Auto Spin – what it does is pretty much self-explanatory. You don’t need to click the Spin button all the time, the game will do it for you. You can even set conditions for the Auto Spin to stop – like winning or losing a certain sum of money.
The pesky wagering requirements that you need to complete at every online casino are easily tackled by playing slots. Combining the Auto Play and Quick Spin options will make sure you complete your playthrough in no time. On top of that, slots are usually the only game that contributes 100% towards meeting the requirements.
Leading Developers of Online Slots
Online casinos have really hit a stride in recent years, and today there are more players enjoying them than ever before. This makes the market for casino games really competitive, and there are quite a lot of companies that specialise in developing such software. However, when it comes to online slots, three names always come up as the leading developers of such games.
| Provider | Company | Headquarters | CEO | Workforce |
| Net Entertainment NE AB | Stockholm, Schweden | Per Eriksson | 500 | |
| Microgaming Software Systems | Douglas, Isle of Man | Roger Raatgever | 1000 | |
| Playtech Ltd. | Douglas, Isle of Man | Mor Weizer | 2600 |
NetEnt are the undisputed leader in slots games when it comes to quality. Their catalogue features only a few slot machines, but every single one of them is simply impeccable and a great joy to play. Among their most popular games are titles such as Gonzo’s Quest, Starburst, and Mega Fortune.
Microgaming are hailed as the first company to develop online casino software. They are the company responsible for creating and launching the world’s very first online casino. Their catalogue contains classics slots like Mega Moolah and Immortal Romance, as well as more modern fan-favourites like Game of Thrones.
Playtech are perhaps the biggest and most popular developer of casino games in the world. A big number of online casinos use their software – and it really is exceptional. They are famous for their Marvel-themed slot machines like The Incredible Hulk and X-Men, as well as other great games like Gladiator.
Top Casinos for Real Money Slots
As we already mentioned, slots are heavily featured at absolutely every online casino out there. In fact, they usually comprise most of the game library at any given operator. However, when it comes to real money slots, there are some casinos that really stand out. Here are our top picks for best UK casinos to play slots at.
888 Casino is one of the best casinos we’ve ever played at. In addition to their great collection of over 100 slots games, they have a variety of daily bonuses and a great welcome offer. They utilise software by NetEnt among others, and you will be able to enjoy a lot of great games from this developer’s catalogue, including Gonzo’s Quest and Starburst.
Betway is another casino that we highly recommend. Their library consists of more than 400 slots games, and their welcome offer goes up to £1000! This casino has a variety of Microgaming titles, including Game of Thrones and Mega Moolah.
Ladbrokes sports an equally impressive collection of over 400 slot machines, this time provided by industry giants Playtech. You can play the best Marvel-themed slots, including our favourites – X-Men and The Incredible Hulk. The welcome bonus at Ladbrokes goes up to £600, and there are many daily bonuses to enjoy.
Start Playing Online Slots Today!
Slots are incredibly fun and easy to play, and can win you a lot of money with just a small wager. If you want to start playing with real money, make sure you do it in one of our recommended casinos. Check out our website for more information on the leading developers of online slots and the best games at which you can win big.