The definitive list of slot machine terms you encounter when playing online slots games for real money. It is also useful to learn these phrases and their meanings if you ever go to a brick-and-mortar casino. It helps have a great casino experience.
Save this list and come back to it when you see a new term on a slot review.
- The Coin Slot™ Guide Series by Museum of the Game is a set of 34 short booklets dedicated to the understanding and care of specific machines. Written by Dick Bueschel, a typical volume runs about 40 pages in length.
- The Coin O Mania slot machine has sailed straight onto our favorites list. Designed in a cartoon style, it’s a pirate-themed slot that introduces you to a treasure-hunting couple across five reels. Their parrot and wooden ship are two of the other symbols that must be matched across 50 lines.
Slot Game Terms A – Z
Jump to the Slot Definitions in Alphabetical Order
Slot machine (def. A coin-operated machine, especially one for dispensing soft drinks, cigarettes, candy, etc.
List of Slot Machine Terminology with Definitions
This glossary includes popular words that every game uses and some you might have never seen before. Learn what a progressive slot is, the difference between a free spin and free play, and all about those tricky pay tables.
A 1,024-way machine is similar to a 234-way game but with an extra row of symbols. The five reels with four columns create an exponential amount of new paying combos.
A 234-way machine pays out when symbols appear on any of the reels in any position. Symbols count toward winning combinations as long as they are adjacent.
3D Video slots are graphically intense slot games with depth in their imagery to give a three-dimensional effect.
A 3 reel slot machine has three spinning columns of symbols.
A 5 reel slot machine has five spinning columns of symbols. This type of game seems to be the new standard for online slots.
A 6 reel slot has columns of spinning symbols. These games usually have additional features.
Action is the total amount that a slots player bets in a certain period of time. This number is used for some bonus offers and when clearing wagering and rollover requirements.
An active payline is “turned on” and pays a prize if a winning combination lands on it. Many machines let you activate and deactivated paylines to adjust the wager.
All ways machines have paylines that create winning combinations from left to right and right to left.
An annuity winner takes their prize in payments instead of a lump sum. This option isn’t available online.
Autoplay and autospin features let you set a wager and number of spins for the machine to complete automatically. You can usually cancel autoplay after any round.
Bars are classic black slot symbols with “BAR” printed on them in white. They are often the lowest paying and come in single, double, or triple stacked versions.
Basic slots are three-reel machines with a single payline. The prize is always the same, and there are no special features.
The bet is the amount that a player wagers on a spin.
A “bet one” setting adjusts the wager to one single coin of the selected denomination per spin.
A bonus feature, or bonus game, offers free spins, additional wilds, or another big win potential. Find instructions on how to activate the feature in the game’s paytable.
A bonus round is an in-game event where players make specific decisions to earn extra prizes.
Buy a pay refers to payouts that a player gets only if there is a certain wager amount per spin. It’s important to take notice of this as the jackpot sometimes won’t be available unless you’re betting a certain amount.
Buy a feature grants access to certain bonuses or special modes if a player is wagering a minimum amount per spin.
The candle is the light on top of a physical slot machine at a casino. You can use it to call over an employee if there is an issue, or if you hit the jackpot.
A carousel is a bank or group of slots that are together on a casino floor.
Cascading wilds convert other symbols in a slot game into more wilds, allowing for massive or concurrent wins.
A classic slot machine has three reels and only a few paylines. These machines often use vintage symbols like bars, bells, fruit, and 7s.
Coins are the total amount of cash you have in a slot machine at any given time.
The coin size is the value assigned to each coin or credit when you’re betting at a slot machine. These can be as small as 1¢ or large as $100. This amount gets multiplied by the number of paylines to calculate the total bet.
A coin slot is a physical hole where you put your coins to fund the machine. Finding a coin slot is becoming rare with digital machines, although some casinos still offer physical quarter or penny games.
The collect button allows players to cash out their remaining credits from the slot machine.
Comps are complimentary prizes, drinks, food, or spins offered by the casino for loyal players.
Columns are the vertical lines of symbols that spin. This term is used interchangeably with reels.
Coin Slot Machine Slang Crossword Clue
Credits are the unit used after you insert money into a slot machine. A credit indicator is usually near the bottom of the slot machine or screen.
The denomination is the value of a single coin on a slot machine. Some machines allow the player to change the coin amount. A carousel of slots in a brick and mortar casino will usually be the same denomination.
Demo mode, or practice mode, gives you a “fun balance” to play a slot game. You can not win real money, and your balance doesn’t carry over.
Expanding wilds are a unique type of wild symbol that grows beyond a single space. Dragon quick hits slot machine. These often fill the entire reel they land on, creating more winning potential.
EGM is an acronym for “Electronic Gaming Machine.”
A feature is any additional bonuses, free spins, and side games that you can unlock with certain winning combinations.
A fixed jackpot is a set amount a player wins if they hit the jackpot combination. This is the traditional payout in slot machines, also called a flat-top slot.
A free play slot lets you try the game without risking any real money. The best online casinos offer this with their demo mode.
Free spins are opportunities to spin the reels and win prizes without having to wager. You earn them during game features or with some casino bonuses.
The gamble feature gives you a chance to double your previous winning spin’s prize.
To “hit” is to complete a winning combination on an active payline.
The hopper is the area below the reels of a physical slot machine used to catch winning coin payouts. These days, most slots use ticket vouchers.
The jackpot on a slot machine is the highest possible award. Quite often, players can only hit the jackpot at max bet.
A line bet refers to how much a player is wagering on a single slot machine line. This amount determines the payout if the player hits a winning combo.
A loose slot machine has a higher than average return to player (RTP).
Gta 5 how to always win slot machine. It doesn't require you to pony up big bucks or buy expensive made up slots winning systems.Since slot machines and fruit machines are games of chance where the casino has an advantage over you, to figure out how to win every time.You can do something different though. You should not approach them thinking that you need to find the right strategy to win big every time you play.Because that's not going to happen.If you are new to the game and concepts like ' Return to Player' (RTP), ' winning odds' and ' paylines' sound foreign to you, you better go back to the basics and learn how to play. How to Win at SlotsThe secret to improving your winning chances is rather simple.
The max bet is the highest amount of credits that a player can wager on each spin. On most slots, there is a bet max button to adjust the wager to the maximum automatically. Sometimes the jackpot is only available when playing at the max bet.
Mechanical slots are traditional, older machines, and have physical reels that stop behind a glass revealing symbols. These generally have fewer paylines than a video slot and predominantly feature 3-reels.
The min bet is the smallest amount a player can wager on one spin. Usually, it’s one credit for one payline. It could be as little as one 1¢.
Mobile slots have intuitive touchscreen controls for phones and tablets. Play them right in the web browser of your mobile devices.
Multi-line slots have many paylines. Each line increases your wager and drastically boosts your chances of winning.
A multiplier is a feature or symbol that significantly increases your winning payouts. For example, a 3x multiplier triples your win.
A nudge slot has symbols that move up or down once the reel has stopped. They provide additional wins and an added excitement to slot titles.
Numbers are symbols commonly found on the reels. The 7 was a traditional symbol, but now you can find 9, 10, J, Q, K, and A regularly.
Slot machines are known around the world as one-armed bandits. This slot machine slang originated because they have a lever, or one arm, and are programmed to take money from players.
The payback percentage is the total amount a machine pays out over time. This term is used interchangeably with RTP.
The payline is a line, or pattern, that a winning combination needs to land on to win a prize. It can be straight, diagonal, or zig-zag in many directions.
The payout is the amount you win when you hit a winning combo. This number is affected by your wager, the symbols, and any active multipliers.
The paytable is a page or section that outlines how much you can win on a slot machine. In addition to payouts, it shows the symbols, rules, and how to activate and use bonus features.
Penny slots have wager options as little as 1¢ per pay line. These machines are popular since they provide extended entertainment with little risk.
Pokies is the Australian slang term for slot machines. They may also refer to them as pokie machines.
A progressive jackpot slot has a grand prize that grows with each spin until it is won. Their payouts often reach hundreds of thousands of dollars.
The random number generator determines where a slot machine’s symbols land. It is based on a mathematical algorithm that allows for genuinely random placement on each spin.
The reels on a slot machine are the columns that contain various symbols.
A reel stop refers to each position on the reels.
A percentage of the total wagered money that the machine pays back to the players. This number is calculated over thousands of spins.
Rollover and wagering requirements are the total amount a player must wager to clear a bonus offer.
Rows are the horizontal lines that symbols fall on.
A scatter symbol awards the player with a payout and often unlocks a bonus round or special feature.
The second screen bonus is a special feature that takes you away from the basic reels and to a mini-game with a different format.
The “select lines” button allows you to activate or deactivate paylines. It affects your wager and likelihood of hitting a payout.
Shifting wilds, or sliding wilds, are like expanding wilds, but they grow horizontally across multiple reels.
Wild shootout slot machine online. A great example of just how far this customization can go is Wild Shootout, a game developed by WMS. Available at many social online casinos through the Play4Fun Network, this machine uses six reels, each one larger than the last. Combine that with a Western theme, and you have a game that can generate plenty of excitement for lucky players. Wild West Slot Machines. The Wild West was renowned for being one of the roughest and toughest places on the planet, and never a day went by where there wasn't a shootout, or a town being robbed by outlaws. Of course, there was also plenty of time for a good old game of poker and a few sexy saloon girls, whilst some just enjoyed admiring the wildlife and the beautiful sunsets. The Wild Shootout slot machine is a Williams Bluebird 2 slot machine. This game features stunning graphics and sound with a Bose sound system. A great addition for any home or casino floor. Williams Bluebird 2. Wild Shootout Slot Machine Bonus & Retrigger. FrankGarrettt. Location: JACK Thistledown Racino, Bet: 80c I've only ever really played these games on Facebook, not in an actual casino since most of them are set to $1 minimum bet locally. Wild Shootout is powered by theReel Boost game engine made popular with the Zeus III game. A unique 6-reel layout offers players 192 ways to win each spin, and WILD symbols in the bonus will nudge to create WILD reels.
Skill-based slots bonuses test your skill in a mini-game and award you a higher prize for better performance.
Slant top slot machines are wide and short games that save space. They allow the player to have a more immersive experience, particularly on video slots.
The slots club, or player’s club, is a VIP program for loyal players to earn comps and other rewards. They are often tiered systems that provide additional services as you progress up the ladder.
The arm on the side of a slot machine is called the slots lever.
A slots tournament pits players against each other with a set time limit or number of credits. The player with the best score at the end of the tournament wins additional prizes or free play credits. You join these games with a buy-in or invite.
Slots types include progressive slots, 3D games, Video machines, and titles with bonus features.
A spin refers to a single round on a slot machine.
A slot machine with staggered payouts offers a larger payout when you bet more coins.
The symbols are the images, numbers, and bars on the slot machines reels. Each symbol has an associate payout, and some unlock special features.
Tight slots are machines with low RTP and are not in the player’s favor.
The total bet is the amount wagered based on your current settings. The coin size and number of active paylines get multiplied to calculate the credits per spin.
A game with unique reels may not use a traditional column layout. The reels may be in a hexagon, tower, or side-scrolling display.
Slot machine variance refers to a game’s consistency. A low variance has frequent smaller prizes, and a high variance has larger, but less frequent, wins.
Video slots, unlike mechanical slots, have no moving parts. The spinning reels are simulated on a screen with amazing graphics and sound effects. All online slot games are video slots.
Instead of listing several paylines, a game might list a specific number of ways to win. This number could be 234 – 1,024 different winning lines.
A wild slot symbol substitutes for any other symbol in the game (except for scatter or bonus symbols) to help you create a better winning combination.
A wild multiplier is a feature that positively affects the payouts of combinations that include wild symbols.
A win happens when you hit the correct combination of symbols that appears on an activated pay line.
Winning both ways means a paying combination can occur from left-to-right or right-to-left.
A zig-zag payline moves in a crooked line across the rows and columns of the reels. There are often some very interesting payline layouts.
Use This List of Slot Machine Terminology to the Fullest
Who knew slot machine terminology was so involved? Now you have a one-stop-shop for all the slot machine slang you could ever need.
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Slot Machine Glossary FAQ
Below are some common questions we get regarding various slot machine terms.
A progressive jackpot slot machine has a growing grand prize that continues to climb until a player hits it. These tend to reach life-changing amounts in the hundreds of thousands of dollars.
What is the arm on the side of a slot machine called?
The arm on the slot machine is the slot’s lever. You pull it to spin the reels. Many games now use a button format, and the lever is just for show.
Coin Slot Machine Slang Dictionary
What do you call slot machines that pay out more often?
Slots machines that payout often are known as loose slots. They have a higher return-to-player (RTP), so you stand to win more often.
Paylines, sometimes just called lines, indicate the direction and location a winning combination must land to award a prize.
At one point, the Aria in LasVegas had a machine where you could wager $5,000 on a single spin.
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If in our mobile slots reviews your not sure of an abbreviation or word we use to describe a feature like RTP (return to player rate) or payline, then this is where you will find the answers. Our slots dictionary covers a wide variety of slot machine terms related to online and mobile slots alphabetically ordered.
243 Ways to Win: Whilst most mobile slots have a maximum amount of ‘paylines’ a 243 ways to win slot will have no paylines at all. Instead the symbols will pay out from left to right, if the symbols are anywhere on the reels, in order. So to get three of a kind, you’ll need to get a symbol on reel 1, 2 and 3, anywhere you like. A good example of a 243 ways to win slot is Voila!
3D Video Slots: Typically created by BetSoft gaming these 3D slots are usually graphically heavy with animations. The graphics will give an enhanced depth and the symbols within the 3D slot machines will come out of the screen upon hitting a winning payline.
Active Payline: Depending on the slot it could have 1 or 99 paylines. Paylines are simply where the symbols need to line up in order for the slot machine to pay a prize. You can choose how many paylines you wish to bet on. A payline becomes active if you are betting on it when you spin. Winning combinations only occur on active paylines.
Balance: How much money you have in your account to play with.
Bet Max: The maximum bet (in cash or coins) for the maximum amount of active paylines that a player can bet on a slot machine.
Bet Min: The minimum bet (in cash or coins) for the maximum amount of active paylines that a player can bet on a slot machine.
Big Hit or Win: If this flashed on your screen, then well done! You’ve hit the correct reels and symbols that make up a large win or jackpot combination on a particular slot.
Bonus Feature: These are extra features within the game outside of the standard winning payline combinations. They can refer to mini bonus games like click me or pick me features seen in After Night Falls, or Expanding Wilds like in Super Safari and Free Spins such as the ones found in Jack hammer.
Cashback: A reward given back to a player by a casino. This is usually given in the term of credits or cash to the players account and is based on a percentage of the amount spent at the casino. So if you spend €100 and get 10% cashback, the casino will credit you with €10 once you’ve spent your balance.
Cascasding / Collapsing Reels: Also often referred to as tumbling or exploding reels, this is when the winning symbols ‘explode’ and disappear from the screen. The symbols on top ‘collapse’ down and more symbols ‘tumble’ or ‘cascade’ from above to replace the symbols that disappeared. This can lead to a chain reaction of multiple wins. Famous slots with this feature are Gonzo’s Quest and Pixies of the Forest.
Casino Software Provider: The creators of the mobile casino slots and games we love to play. Net Entertainment, Microgaming and Playtech are all examples of casino software providers.
Cashout: A casinos way of saying ‘I would like the money in my casino balance into my bank account now please.’
Click Me Feature: Can also be referred to as Pick Me Feature, these are a mini bonus games where you have to click on certain symbols or icons to reveal rewards or coin prizes.
Classic Slots: A classic slot typically has 3 reels and between 1 – 5 paylines with no extra bonus features. For example, Lucky7 is a classic slot for mobile. See our list of classic slots for more info.
Coins: Many slot machines will play in coins. 1 coin can equal different coins sizes (see below). The slot machine will ask you how many coins you want to bet per line, changing your bet size. Many machines multiply the win by the amount of coins that you bet per line.
Coin Size: This is how much your coin is worth. Your coin can be worth one penny, which is when the machine has 10 paylines, would make the bet size 10 pennies. If you make the 1 coin 2 pennies, the bet size increases to 20 pennies per spin. If you are betting 2 coins per line, at 2 pennies on 10 paylines, you are betting 40 pennies a spin.
Credits: Another way of saying ‘coins’.
Expanding Wilds: These are special wilds (see below for description of ‘wilds). When this symbol appears on the screen, it will expand to cover the entire reel, creating larger chances of wins. Famous mobile slots with this feature include Starburst and Thunderstruck II.
Free Spins: A slot bonus feature found in many mobile video slots. This is where you get to spin the reels for free. Often activated when finding a combination of 3 or more specific symbols. These usually range from 5 – 25 free spins at a time.
Grid Slot: A grid slot is the name used to describe a game that often features the same number of rows as reels and creates wins using clusters of symbols rather than paylines of ways to win. You’ll find an example of a great grid slot in our Viking Runecraft slot review.
Hit Frequency: Not information that is usually available, this is how often you can expect the slot machine to hit a winning payline. Usually represented in percentages, you’ll see things like 30% hit frequency, meaning you can expect the machine to hit 30% of your total game play.
House Edge: The reverse of return to player rate, house edge is the percentage that the casino will make over the course of the slot machines life time. Typically between 2 and 5 %.
Jackpot: Jackpot slots contain a guaranteed jackpot, this is the maximum win you can make on a single spin. Often referred to as an in-game jackpot, they are not to be confused with progressive jackpots.
Line Bet: How much you bet per active payline.
Megaways: The term Megaways is used to describe the game mechanics created by Big Time Gaming where reels can shift in size, changing the number of rows per reel and in turn the number of ways to win often up to 117,649. You can find out complete list of Megaways slots games along with the best casinos to play.
The mini-games were fun and some new and innovative.Good spin on the Haunted Hotel series. Haunted hotel slot machine game. The story well written, graphics superb, voice overs well done.
Multiplier: This is the number that a winning combination will be multiplied by. So if you won 20 coins whilst a a 5x multiplier is active your total win would be 100 coins. Multiplier can either be given out randomly (like in Subtopia) or can be attached to a specific symbol, usually a wild, which multiplies the line bet (such as Avalon).
Mobile Slots: These are casino slot machines you can play at mobile tablet or phone casino sites. Typically created from HTML5 and javascript, you can play mobile slots on your Android, iPhone, iPad, Blackberry or Windows smartphones and tablets.
Online Slots: Typically created using flash this term relates to slot machines that you can play on your desktop or laptop computers. These can be instant play, download needed, or can be played once you’ve downloaded the casino platform onto your computer. They can contain more complex features, graphics and animations than mobile slots.
Payline: A line on a slot machine that you could win on. A payline would need to be active before it will payout. You can typically choose how many paylines you want to bet on a video slot where as classic slots tend to have a single payline.
Paytable: The table showcasing all the possible winning combinations of symbols across the reels and how much can be won per combination. A paytable can also display the jackpot amount and what actions are needed to activate the bonus features.
Penny Slots: These are slot machines where you can bet a minimum of 1 cents or 1 penny per payline. Penny slot machines are good for beginners, players on a budget or those that want long lasting entertainment.
Pick Me Feature: A different term for Click Me Feature used by some casino software providers in their slots. Pick between a selection of image or icons and reveal a cash prize without finding the symbol that stops the bonus feature.
Pokies: Is the Australian casino slang term for a slot machine, which is also referred to as poker machines; hence pokies. These can also be called Aussie slots.
Progressive Jackpot: A jackpot that builds up over time. A portion of each bet a player makes on a progressive jackpot slot goes in to the jackpot amount. The amount that cash be won on mobile jackpot slots can range from thousands to millions and can be hit from any mobile casino at any time.
Progressive Slots: These are slots that contain a progressive jackpot. Some jackpots slots may have up to three progressive jackpots at once. You can see this in the Mega Moolah mobile slot.
Reels: The amount of vertical columns going from left to right within a slot machine. For example video slots tend to have 5 reels and classic slots tend to have 3 reels.
RTP: Return To Player Rate. The amount at which the casino slot or game will return to the players over it’s lifetime. For example if a slot has 96% RTP then for every £1 bet it will return 96p to the players over its entire lifetime. It doesn’t distribute these amount equally, hence why sometimes you win and sometime you lose – sometimes you get someone else’s 96p back, sometimes someone else gets yours.
RNG: Random Number Generator. Slots work based on random outcomes and are hence games of chance or luck. The mechanics behind the slot is a random number generator.
Scatters: These are symbols that pay if they show up anywhere on the reels. They can sometimes act like wilds, multipliers are often trigger bonus features such as free spins and click me mini-games.
Slot Tournament: Casinos often run free slot tournaments. These are often on a single or selection of online and mobile slots games. The winner could depend on the number of spins during the course of the slot tournament or the amount won over a number of spins. Specifics depend per casino.
Slot Type: This refers to the kind of mobile slot. For instance classic slots (Break Da Bank), video slots (Thunderstruck) or 3D slot (Rook’s Revenge).
Spin: The action you take when you press the spin button. This sets the reels turning and once a they stop a spin is complete revealing any winning payline combinations or bonus features.
Symbols: The images or icons that appear on the individual reels. So if you had a 5×3 slot then there would be 15 symbols in view. A classic slot with 3×3 reels would typically have 9 symbols visible.
Variance / Volatility: Two terms meaning the same thing. This basically describes the risk of the slot machine. A low volatility mobile slot will be low risk, paying out often, but little. Your balance is likely to be kept continually topped up. These slot machines are great for players who want their budgets to last and are seeking entertainment. High volatility slots, are high risk. They do not pay often, but when they do… it can be life-changing amounts. These slot machines are far better at chasing the big jackpot win and have a healthy bank balance and the patience to wait for the machine to pay out.
Video Slots: Typically containing 5 reels, these video slots contain animations when winning symbols are found on an active payline. An example would be Foxin’ Wins, where Fox cubs run across the screen turning random symbols wild.
Ways to Win: Ways to Win is the term given to online slot games which usually pay from left to right, but instead of paying on a specific payline, pay for finding the same symbols on adjacent reels, typically 3 or more.
Wild Symbol: This symbol is the joker in the pack. It can substitute the other symbols in the paytable, creating multiple wins on active paylines. These can, and often, come with a multiplier and rarely substitute for scatters or bonus symbols.
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