Slots are one of the most popular casino games around, and since the rise of online casinos, the variety of these has exploded. From traditional paylines to innovative reel designs like Megaways and Cluster Pay, the options available today are diverse and exciting.
In this guide, we’ll explore the different types of online slots you may encounter, how they work, and the pros and cons of each.
Key Takeaways
- Payline Slots: Traditional slots with fixed paylines, perfect for beginners. Simple and nostalgic gameplay.
- Win Way Slots: Offers more flexibility than payline slots by allowing symbols to match anywhere across consecutive reels.
- Megaways Slots: Features dynamic reels with a random number of rows per spin, leading to hundreds of thousands of win ways.
- Cluster Pay Slots: Uses a grid system where matching symbols form horizontal and vertical clusters to create wins.
- Win Anywhere Slots: Flexible grid-based slots where identical symbols can appear anywhere on the screen to win.
- Vertical and Horizontal Pay Slots: A grid-based format where players win by getting symbols aligned either vertically or horizontally.
- Cascading Slots: After a win, symbols disappear and new ones cascade down, potentially creating multiple wins from a single spin.
- Bonus Buy Slots: Skip straight to the bonus round by purchasing an entry, bypassing the base game.
- Progressive Jackpot Slots: A portion of each bet contributes to a growing jackpot that keeps increasing until someone wins it.
- Slingo: A unique mix of slots and bingo, where players aim to complete lines on a bingo card using slot spins.
Payline Slots
Payline slots were the first types of slots created, dating back to the pre-online gambling era. In these slots, wins occur when matching symbols land on a payline—a predetermined line across the reels. The more symbols you match, the bigger the win.
Originally, these slots featured only 3 reels with a single payline, but modern versions often include 5, 6, or 7 reels with anywhere from 20 to hundreds of paylines.
To win, matching symbols must land on the same payline and on adjacent reels, normally starting with the first one. However, some slots allow for “pay both ways” giving you a chance to win from right to left in addition to left to right.
Pros:
- Simple Gameplay: Easy to understand, making them perfect for beginners.
- Nostalgic: Classic 3-reel slots offer a traditional, retro experience.
Cons:
- Limited Flexibility: Wins depend on specific paylines, limiting win possibilities.
- Lower Payout Potential: These slots often have lower payout potential compared to dynamic types like Megaways.
Examples
- Starburst (NetEnt): Pays both ways across 5 reels.
- Mega Joker (Netent): A classic 3-reel slot with five paylines.
Win Way Slots
Win way slots started popping up at online casinos in 2010, evolving from payline slots. Instead of paylines, wins occur when matching symbols land on consecutive reels, no matter where they appear. However, the connection must normally start from the leftmost reel.
The more reels that have a matching symbol, the more the symbol pays. Payouts are also affected by the number of symbols that show up in total on all of the connected reels as this determines how many times you win from the symbol.
The number of win ways is calculated by multiplying the symbols that appear on each reel. For example, if two symbols appear on the first three reels, the total win ways would be eight (2 * 2 * 2). As a result, a single symbol can create a large number of payouts.
While early win way slots had 243, 1024, or 4096 ways to win, modern versions can have hundreds of thousands.
Pros:
- More Ways to Win: No fixed paylines means more chances to win.
Cons:
- Harder to Understand: Calculating payouts is more complex than with payline slots since symbols multiply across reels.
Examples
- Twin Spin (NetEnt): One of the first popular win way slots, featuring 243 ways to win.
- Tiki Runner (Yggdrasil): A modern win way slot, featuring 4096 ways to win and colossal symbols.
Megaways Slots
Megaways slots are identical to win way slots, but with an added mechanic that Big Time Gaming created and trademarked in 2015.
The key feature of Megaways is that each reel can have a random number of rows, which changes with every spin. This means the number of ways to win varies each time you spin.
For example, one spin might feature just two or three rows per reel, giving you up to 500 win ways, while the next could have six or seven rows per reel, resulting in over 100,000 ways to win.
The randomness of the rows means that no two spins are alike, and the potential for big wins is massive when the reels show more rows.
Pros:
- Massive Win Potential: With hundreds of thousands of ways to win, the payout potential is huge.
- Dynamic Gameplay: The random number of rows keeps the game feeling fresh, with every spin offering something new.
Cons:
- High Volatility: Megaways slots are often volatile, meaning that while big wins are possible, losing streaks can also be frequent.
- Can Be Overwhelming: For those who prefer simpler gameplay, the sheer number of possible win ways can feel overwhelming.
Examples
- Bonanza Megaways (Big Time Gaming): One of the first major Megaways slots, featuring up to 117,649 ways to win.
- Extra Chilli Megaways (Big Time Gaming): Another popular Megaways game with incredible win potential.
Cluster Pay Slots
Cluster pay slots use a grid system rather than traditional reels. This grid is often large, such as 7×7, allowing for 49 symbols to appear on each spin.
To win, identical symbols must connect in clusters either horizontally or vertically. For example, 6 identical symbols landing in a “T” shape would count as a win of six symbols. The more symbols that connect, the higher the payout.
Pros:
- Innovative Gameplay: The cluster mechanic is a refreshing change from traditional slot formats.
- Frequent Wins: More ways to form clusters can lead to more frequent wins, even if they’re smaller in value.
Cons:
- Unpredictable Clusters: The randomness of where clusters form can make wins feel less predictable.
Examples
- Reactoonz (Play’n GO): A well-loved cluster pay slot with unique characters and a ton of bonus features.
- Cluster Tumble (Relax Gaming): Another engaging cluster pay slot with exciting features.
Win Anywhere Slots
Win anywhere slots are similar to cluster pay slots in that they normally use a large grid. The difference is that there are no restrictions on where the symbols need to land to form a win.
As long as enough identical symbols appear, a win is awarded. This can happen anywhere on the grid, without needing to form clusters or line up in any particular way.
Pros:
- Flexible Payouts: Wins can happen anywhere, providing greater freedom in how they form.
- Larger Payouts: Since wins can occur without needing to be adjacent, the potential for larger payouts is often higher.
Cons:
- Can Feel Chaotic: Without a clear structure, the gameplay might feel more random and disorganized for some players.
- Lower Payout Potential: These slots tend to offer lower payout potential compared to more dynamic slot types like Megaways.
Examples
- Sweet Bonanza (Pragmatic Play): A hugely popular win anywhere slot with a fun candy theme.
- Fruit Warp (Thunderkick): A unique slot with no grid at all, where symbols float across the screen.
Vertical and Horizontal Pays
These slots use a smaller grid (typically 5×5) where players win by getting at least 3 identical symbols either vertically or horizontally.
Unlike cluster pay slots, where you can win in any shape, these slots are stricter and only allow for vertical or horizontal connections.
These connections can appear anywhere on the grid, though, so there’s no need to start from the left or the top.
Pros:
- Simple Structure: Clear win conditions that are easy to follow.
- Balanced Gameplay: This type offers a good balance of complexity and simplicity, providing enough variety without being overwhelming.
Cons:
- Limited Formations: Only vertical or horizontal connections pay, limiting the number of ways to win compared to other grid-based slots.
Examples
- Finn and the Swirly Spin (NetEnt): A fun Irish-themed game with a unique spiral mechanic.
- Moon Princess (Play’n GO): A visually stunning game with frequently occurring bonuses.
Cascading Slots
Cascading slots can belong to any of the previously mentioned formats, but they have a special feature that adds an exciting twist to the gameplay.
After a win, the symbols that formed the win disappear, and new symbols cascade down to fill the empty spaces, potentially creating additional wins. This process can repeat multiple times, giving players several chances to win in one spin.
Pros:
- Multiple Wins per Spin: The cascading feature gives you multiple opportunities to win from a single spin.
- Dynamic Gameplay: The cascading feature adds excitement and unpredictability.
Cons:
- Slower Pace: Cascading wins can slow down gameplay, especially with many cascades in a single spin.
- Uncertain Outcome: While cascading can create more wins, there’s no guarantee that it will lead to significant payouts.
Examples
- Gonzo’s Quest (NetEnt): One of the first popular slots to feature the cascading win mechanic, praised for its entertaining gameplay.
- Big Bad Wolf (Quickspin): A lovely cascading slot based on the fairy tale of the three little pigs.
Bonus Buy Slots
Bonus buy slots allow players to purchase access to the game’s bonus attraction where the largest wins exist, bypassing the regular gameplay.
Instead of waiting for the feature to trigger naturally, players can pay a fixed fee to instantly enter the bonus round. This fee is based on the stake you spin with and can range from 30 times that stake, up to 500x or even more.
The bonus buy concept was first introduced by Big Time Gaming in 2017 when this company released the White Rabbit slot. Today, it’s highly popular and found in every other new slot that’s released, with thousands being available.
Pros:
- More Exciting Gameplay: Players can skip the regular spins and jump straight into the most thrilling parts – the bonus.
- Bigger Wins Faster: As the bonus holds the best potential, playing one after another can lead to bigger payouts more quickly.
Cons:
- Costly: Buying into the bonus round can be expensive, sometimes costing hundreds of times the player’s base bet.
- Risky: If the bonus round doesn’t pay out significantly, players may end up losing a large portion of their bet.
Examples
- Tombstone R.I.P (Nolimit City): An extremely volatile slot with a bonus that has the potential to pay a staggering 300,000 times the stake.
- Money Train 2 (Relax Gaming): Known for its unique and entertaining bonus game, which can be bought directly.
Progressive Jackpot Slots
Progressive jackpot slots are slots where a portion of every player’s bet contributes to a growing jackpot. The jackpot continues to increase until a lucky player hits the winning combination and takes home the prize.
With traditional jackpots, the jackpot can be randomly won at any moment. This usually happens in some form of bonus game. A higher bet amount often increases the chance of winning the jackpot but it’s not always the case.
There are also must-drop jackpots that are guaranteed to drop before certain criteria are met. For instance, the jackpot can be guaranteed to drop before the end of each day, or guaranteed to drop before it reaches a certain prize pool.
Pros:
- Life-Changing Payouts: Progressive jackpots can result in massive payouts of several million, changing a player’s life.
- Exciting Gameplay: The chase for the jackpot adds a thrilling layer of excitement to every spin.
Cons:
- Lower RTP: Because part of each bet goes toward the jackpot, these slots often have a lower return-to-player rate than other games.
- Hard to Win: The chances of winning a big jackpot are extremely low, which can be disappointing for players who don’t hit it.
Examples
- Mega Moolah (Microgaming): One of the most famous progressive jackpot slots, with a record payout of over $20 million.
- Mega Fortune (NetEnt): Another popular progressive jackpot slot with huge win potential.
Slingo
Slingo is a unique combination of slots and bingo. Players are given a bingo-style card and a limited number of spins which they must use to generate numbers that are matched on the card and marked off.
The goal is to complete horizontal, vertical, and diagonal lines on the card, which usually carries a 5×5 grid format. In classic Slingo games, more lines mean bigger payouts and that’s it.
However, there are also variations of Slingo where the game round culminates in a spin on a real slot machine. In this case, the reward from the bingo portion of the game can be a guaranteed win with a certain slot symbol.
Pros:
- Unique Blend: Combines the thrill of bingo with the excitement of slots, offering a fresh experience.
Cons:
- Slower Pace: The bingo element can slow down the gameplay, making it less fast-paced than typical slots.
Examples
- Starburst Slingo (NetEnt): A fun mash-up of the famous Starburst slot and the Slingo bingo game.
- Slingo Riches (Gaming Realms): One of the first Slingo games, released in 2015.
Conclusion
With hundreds of game developers competing in the online gambling industry, new ways of playing slots are regularly invented.
From the classic feel of payline slots to the exciting unpredictability of Megaways and the uniqueness of Cluster Pay, there’s something for every player.
The best way to find the game type that best suits your gameplay and preferences is to be curious and explore as many as possible.
Just remember to always gamble responsibly. Happy spinning!