How online slots work: reels, paylines and features

Where a result comes from

A slot uses a random number generator to settle each spin. One spin has no relationship to the one before it, and nothing accumulates between them.

The parts of a slot

• Reels — the columns that spin and stop on symbols.
• Rows — how many symbols are visible across.
• Paylines — the lines used to judge a combination.
• Paytable — the game's own screen listing symbol values and feature rules.

Plenty of newer games drop paylines entirely and count clusters of symbols instead. Either way, the paytable is where that game explains itself.

Features you will meet

• Wilds substitute for other symbols.
• Scatters typically open a bonus round.
• Free spins run without a further stake.
• Multipliers increase the value of a result.
• Bonus buys let you pay to enter a feature directly, which costs considerably more per press than an ordinary spin.

What volatility describes

Volatility describes the shape of a game's payouts. Lower-volatility games tend to return smaller amounts more often; higher-volatility ones return less often but can pay more when they do.

The volatility and return figures for any given game are set by its studio and shown in the game's info screen. We do not restate them here — read them there, where they are authoritative.

Setting the stake

Work backwards from the budget rather than forwards from a feeling.

1. Decide the budget for this session.
2. Decide roughly how many spins you want out of it.
3. Divide one by the other. That is your stake per spin.

If the answer is below the game's minimum, that game does not fit this budget. Change the game, not the budget.