Game types
- Fixed paylines
- Wins pay along set lines across the reels, such as 10, 20 or 25 lines. A line only pays if matching symbols sit on it, usually from the leftmost reel.
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- Ways to win
- No set lines. Matching symbols pay on adjacent reels from left to right, wherever they sit. The number of ways is the product of the symbols showing on each reel, so a 5x3 grid has 243.
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- Megaways
- A mechanic where each reel shows a random number of symbols on every spin, so the ways to win change each time. Counts reach 117,649 on six reels with up to seven symbols each.
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- Cluster pays
- Wins come from groups of matching symbols touching horizontally or vertically. Paylines and reels do not matter, only the size of the group.
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- Scatter pays
- Also called pay anywhere. Symbols pay when enough of them appear anywhere on the grid, usually 8 or more, with no need to touch or line up.
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Features
- Free spins
- A bonus round of spins played without staking more, normally triggered by landing a set number of scatter symbols. Many slots can retrigger it for extra spins.
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- Multipliers
- Values such as 2x or 100x that multiply a win. They can sit on wilds, on random symbols, or build up across a cascade or bonus round, and several can be added together.
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- Cascading reels
- Winning symbols are removed and the ones above drop down, with new symbols filling the gaps. This can chain several wins from a single spin. Also called tumbling or avalanche reels.
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- Sticky wilds
- Wild symbols that stay locked in place for following spins instead of disappearing after one.
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- Expanding wilds
- A wild that grows to cover more positions, often a whole reel, when it lands.
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- Jumping wilds
- A wild that moves to a new position between spins or between cascades rather than staying put.
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- Hold and win
- A bonus where money or bonus symbols lock in place and a respin counter resets each time a new one lands. The round ends when the counter runs out or the grid fills.
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- Respin
- An extra spin, often with some symbols held, that is awarded by a specific feature without a new bet.
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- Super bonus
- A stronger version of the slot’s own bonus round, for example one with more scatters, a higher starting multiplier or Super free spins.
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- Gamble feature
- An optional choice to risk a win, or a bonus, on a side game such as a card colour guess or a wheel. It can multiply the amount or lose it.
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Bonus buy and bets
- Bonus buy
- Also called feature buy. Pay a fixed multiple of your bet, commonly 50x to 500x, to start the bonus round straight away instead of waiting for the scatters.
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- Ante bet
- An optional higher stake, such as 1.25x or 2.5x the bet, that raises the chance of triggering the bonus. Also called a bonus bet or bonus hunt.
- Super spin
- A paid single spin that guarantees something in the base game, such as a multiplier symbol, instead of buying the whole bonus.
Stats
- RTP
- Return to player. The share of all stakes a slot pays back over a very large number of spins, shown as a percentage. It describes the long run, not any single session. Many slots ship in several RTP versions and the casino picks which one runs.
- Volatility
- Also called variance. Low volatility pays smaller wins more often. High and extreme volatility pays less often but with bigger swings and bigger top wins.
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- Max win
- The most a single round can pay, written as a multiple of the bet. When a round reaches it, the round usually ends and the win is capped.
- Hit frequency
- How often a spin pays anything at all, as a percentage of spins. A win can still be smaller than the bet.
- Grid
- The reel layout written as reels by rows, for example 5x3 or 6x5. Megaways slots have a changing number of rows.
Symbols
- Wild
- A symbol that substitutes for the regular pay symbols to complete a win. It usually does not replace scatters or bonus symbols.
- Scatter
- A symbol that triggers a feature, typically free spins, when enough land. On most slots it counts wherever it lands rather than on a line.
- Bonus symbol
- A special symbol that starts a bonus game, such as a wheel or a hold and win round, rather than free spins.
- Money symbol
- A symbol that carries a cash value, usually a multiple of the bet. Seen mostly in hold and win bonuses.