The online casino gaming industry has flourished in recent years, seeing significant growth across the globe. It has been forecasted that the online casino gaming industry will grow to reach a worth of $127 billion by 2027 as new and upcoming technologies enable more people than ever across the globe to access their favorite games online.
One of the most popular casino games has been online slots, which have developed significantly in recent years. Today’s slot machines are a far cry from the first slot games that were available in pubs and bars as large standing machines with fruit symbols. While these machines still offer a sense of nostalgia, the convenience of being able to access slot games from anywhere and at any time has extended the slot game market to a wider range of people.
Looking to get into slot games? Below, we’ll walk you through an easy to digest guide on getting started with online slot gaming.
Choosing a provider
Today’s online casino market is highly saturated with providers who are all competing for customers. As such, it can make it incredibly confusing for new players to find a site to go with. It’s important to choose a reputable site such as Megaways slots, ensuring that the site is licensed and has a good reputation.
Some of the ways to ensure this include reading other customers’ reviews on games and the overall user experience, as well as checking where the company is registered and ensuring they have a license to operate in that location.
Some other factors to consider when choosing a provider include:
Payment options
It’s important to consider whether the site offers a range of payment options, including ones that offer enhanced security measures. Such payment options can include
- E-Wallets like Paypal or Venmo
- Visa credit and debit
- Apple Pay or Google Pay (although the amount you can spend is often limited)
- Cryptocurrency
Online slot sites that offer cryptocurrency payments like BitCoin are a great option as this is one of the safest and most convenient payment methods. Unlike traditional payments, these payments do not need to be authorized by a central banking authority and are therefore much quicker to process. In addition, they are harder to track and offer the player a greater sense of anonymity.
Site security
It’s essential to ensure the site has adequate security measures to avoid falling victim to a cyber attack. Such things to look out for include ensuring the site has an up to date SSL encryption by clicking the padlock in the search bar. You should also ensure there are adequate security measures for your account, such as adequate password settings and two-factor authentication.
Sites that do not have these measures in place are a greater target for hackers and fraudsters who could carry out financial fraud or identity theft.
Usability
If you’re selecting a site while on a desktop device, be mindful of whether the provider offers a good mobile gaming experience too. To do this, navigate to the site on your mobile or tablet too and check if everything displays correctly. You could also check to see if the site has an app too, as this makes the mobile gaming experience even more streamlined and enjoyable.
Slot game terminology
When entering the world of online slots, there are often a lot of terminologies used that can seem confusing. Below we’ll cover some of the basic terms that you will need to know.
Reels – Reels appear horizontally across the gaming device and contain different icons known as symbols. Most classic slot games will have 3 reels.
Paylines – A payline is a pattern that can make a winning combo in the game. A payline has rows running from left to right across the slot reel and can have symbols in one row or alternating rows.
Rows – A row runs vertically, and each game can have 3 or more. A combination of specific symbols in one row will give you a payline, although paylines can go in different directions too.
Wild symbols – A wild card can substitute any card to give you a winning card in poker, and it’s very similar in slots too. In slot games, wild symbols will give you boosted winning opportunities.
Scatter symbol – Scatter symbols are rare to land in slot games and prompt bonus rounds where you can gain free spins.
Multiplier symbol – A multiplier symbol increases your payout by 2x, 4x or 6x. Although popular in online slots, these are still rare symbols to land.
Making the most of bonuses and promotions
One of the best things about playing slots online is the number of bonuses and promotions available. Many sites offer promotions for new players, such as no deposit games or free spins when you sign up. No deposit games are great for trying out a site without having to commit to it if you don’t like the games or user experience.
There are also many bonuses available, depending on which game you choose to play on the site. Some games may have more bonuses than others, while other games could offer in-game bonus features which make it all the more exciting.
Overall, getting started in the world of online slots can seem overwhelming when there are so many different providers out there. However, by following the above advice for how to select a reputable provider, as well as familiarising yourself with the basic terminology and looking for games that offer the best bonuses and promotions, you’ll be sure to be hitting the jackpot in no time.
