lots, like many casino games, have a lot of terminology to understand. Do you know your wilds from your scatters?
That’s what we’re here to help with, as we’re setting out eight of the most important Slots terms that every player should know. Whether you’re playing a three-reel fruit machine or a game like Eye of Horus Jackpot King, you’ll want to understand these key terms.
1) Reels
Starting off with the most basic building blocks of a slot game – reels. These are the vertical columns that spin when a player initiates a game.
Each reel has a series of symbols on it, with those symbols determining the outcome of the spin. The number of symbols on a reel varies from game to game, and so do the designs of the symbols.
How many reels a slot game has also varies. Classic Slots will generally have three reels, while more modern designs feature between five and seven.
2) Payline
In many slot games, the payline is the line where a matching combination needs to land in order to trigger a payout. Classic slot games only featured one payline – the central horizontal line – but these days, there are games with hundreds of potential paylines.
Paylines don’t just have to be horizontal, but they can be vertical, diagonal or even zig-zags. How many paylines are in play may also depend on the player’s wager, with more activated on a larger wager.
There are also Slots that don’t use paylines at all, using different systems to determine matching combinations.
3) Symbols
These are the images displayed on the reels. In addition to standard symbols, Slots may feature special symbols that can have different impacts on the outcome of a spin.
The design of the symbols in a slot game is generally tied to the theme, but many games still use playing card suits or faces as basic symbols.
4) Wild
One type of special symbol is known as a wild. These can act as substitutes for other symbols within a matching combination, allowing for a payout to still occur.
Some wilds may even expand, covering an entire reel, in certain Slots to increase the chances of forming matching combinations.
5) Scatter
Another special symbol, scatters, actually have varying effects depending on the game. What they have in common is the fact that they don’t need to land on a payline to activate, as long as a set number of them appear on the reels.
6) Return to player (RTP)
This is a percentage that’s listed on a slot game’s information page. It shows the average amount that the game is expected to return to players over a long period of time – literally millions of potential spins.
7) Volatility
Volatility is another key piece of terminology that differentiates slot games. This gives players a gauge of the relative risk level of a game, with low volatility meaning more frequent but smaller payouts, whereas high volatility means larger payouts less often.
8) Progressive jackpot
Unlike fixed jackpots – which remain the same – a progressive jackpot grows over time. A fraction of every wager placed on a linked slot game goes towards the jackpot, allowing the total to climb into the hundreds of thousands or more.
There are still plenty of other bits of Slots terminology to understand, but this list should give any player a solid idea of the most important terms.
