Your Guide to Real Money Slots in the UK

Much can be said about slot machines. They are perhaps the most popular casino games ever, at land-based and online ventures alike. Probably the first thing that pops into your mind when you hear ‘casino’ are the flashing lights and ecstatic sound effects that only slot machines can produce. On top of all that, they can bring you surprising amounts of cash with even a small bet.

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But to be able to fully enjoy slots, and make some money off of them, you need to understand how they work, what their features are, and what are the ways to win. That is why we’ve prepared this article for you. We will attempt to summarise all that is important about slot machines, so you can be prepared when engaging in real money games.

Game Overview – Everything You Need to Know About Slots

‘Fruit machines’ have been around since the end of the 19th century, and their amazing popularity spawned hundreds, if not thousands of variations of the main game over the years. Perhaps too many for any man to categorise. Well, we will give it a try.

Types of Slot Machines

Everyone is familiar with the old-fashioned 3-reel slot machine – the one with the fruits and the bells. It is regarded as a classic, and not too long ago it was the only type of slots available. Nowadays, however, the modernised 5-reel version has taken over both online and real casinos. It offers a lot more variety in terms of combinations, and that gives manufacturers the possibility to add more bonus features, themes, and game mechanics. Of course, 3-reel slots are still around – but the majority of players prefer their 5-reel counterparts for the reasons stated above.

Slots can also be categorised by the type of jackpot they offer – they can be either progressive or non-progressive. A jackpot is progressive when it grows as the players bet more and more on the game. The progressive jackpot can be accumulated from the people playing on that machine/online game only, or from bets all around the software network – it all depends on the casino’s policies.

Of course, casinos can come up with as many categories for their slot games as they want – and they do. This is what keeps the game fresh and the players coming back for more.

How to Win Real Money on Slot Machines

You probably know the basics of how slot machines work – but we will cover them anyway, in case you have not played a single game yet. The game features 3 or 5 reels covered with symbols, and there are pre-determined patterns from left to the right across the rows – also known as paylines. You spin the reels and hope to get 3 or more identical symbols across a payline to win something. The amount which you win is determined by the paytable, which should be available for viewing at a convenient place. Each slot machine has its own paytable, so it would be wise to familiarise yourself with it before starting to play.

What sets one slots game from another is the theme and the additional symbols that may or may not appear. Here are two of the most common special symbols that you will come across while playing:

• Scatter – If you get two of those, even outside of the payline, you will win some small reward. If you manage to get three of them at the same time, you will get a special gift – a free spin or a bonus level

• Wild – This symbol serves as a substitute for all other, except for Scatter. This way you have a bigger chance to get matching symbols and win big.

Bonuses, Free Spins & Multipliers

The bonus features are one of the most exciting parts of any slots game. Since they vary between games, you can never know what you will get. Your bonus can simply be free spins – but some games can even have entirely different levels intended to reward the player.

Another possible reward is the re-spin – this is an additional spin that is executed once certain conditions are met. We need to also mention multipliers, which give you the opportunity to increase your winnings several times in some situations. A game that in our opinion is a great showcase of this feature is Gonzo’s Quest. The multipliers there can reach up to 15x!

Settings & Quality

As far as adjustable settings go, each game is different. Playing around with those settings will personalise your gaming experience and make it feel just the way you like it. Some options are available in almost all modern slot games. For example, you can set the amount you want to spend per spin by adjusting ‘bet level’ and ‘coin value’. There is also the extremely helpful Auto Spin button, which eliminates the need for constant clicking. You can set the auto spinning to stop once certain conditions are met – like reaching a certain amount of money or some reward.

The Quick Spin option is also very helpful if you are looking to get free spins or other bonuses faster. This, in combination with the Auto Spin button, is the best way to wager your welcome bonuses. The whole process will be considerably faster and require much less effort from you.

The rest of the usual adjustable settings do not have that much of an impact on the game. We are talking about switching the sound on or off, or changing the visual quality. The variety of those options depends on the company that created the particular game – and how old the game actually is.

Leading Developers of Online Slots

Since the industry for online gambling is thriving, there are many companies that develop games and software for online casinos. When it comes to online slots, there are a couple of names that are considered to be the top developers.

Netent: Net Entertainment is widely considered to be the leading casino software developer in terms of quality. In contrast to other companies, their portfolio is rather small, but there is not even a single low-quality product in it. They are responsible for slot games such as Gonzo’s Quest, South Park, Starburst, Aliens, and Twin Spin, among others.

Microgaming: Founded in 1994, this company is the oldest casino software developer. Over the years, they have assembled an amazing portfolio of over 1000 games – most of which are slots. While their older games are not the best in terms of graphics and features, they are more than making up for that with their new releases. We are talking about slots such as The Dark Knight, Jurassic Park, and Game of Thrones.

Playtech: As opposed to other developers who offer separate games for online casinos, Playtech has a different strategy. What they do is create full-blown platforms that operators can make use of – that is why they are perhaps the most popular and used gambling software company of in the world. Their library is quite extensive, although it could benefit from some more mobile games. Playtech are famous for their Marvel Comics-themed slot machines, like Spider-man, The Incredible Hulk, Avengers, and Iron Man. Other popular slot games in their library are Monthy Python’s Spamalot, Gladiator, Little Britain and Rocky.

RandomLogic: This company happens to be a part of the 888 group, which means that it develops games for none other than 888 Casino – one of the best online operators out there. The games they create are of the highest quality and shine with their uniqueness. Some of the slots they created for 888 are Millionaire Genie, Ultimate Universe, Snack Time, Viva l’Italia. We should also mention Pirates Millions, which is the game with one of the highest jackpot on the Internet – £8,888,888!

Where to Play the Best Online Slots

Finding a good online casino where you can play real money slots can be surprisingly hard. Many players make the mistake of signing up at the first place they come upon, as long as the welcome bonus is juicy and the game selection seems okay. However, there are many other aspects that should be taken into consideration – licensure, wagering requirements, regular promotions, deposit limits etc.

If you want a superb slots experience, you need to check out our Best online casinos. Here is a rundown of what they offer for slots fans.

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Conclusion: Are You Ready to Play?

When it comes to slots, playing online has considerable advantages over going to a brick-and-mortar casino. First of all, it is way more convenient – with the technological advancements today, you can have fun with your favourite slots even on the go. Next, the bonuses and promotions available at online casinos are not present at land-based ones. Technically, it is way more profitable to play slots online – the theoretical RTPs there are much higher than those at regular casinos.

So, if you consider getting into real-money slots, visit one of the online casinos recommended by us and give it a try. Odds are that you will like it.