How to play slots online for real money
High payouts, welcome bonuses, and trusted security are some of the things you should look out for when playing online slots.
Why play real money online slots?
Online casino sites are getting better and better, offering an ever-increasing range of games to choose from, some based on traditional casino games, and others offering something completely different. You can play from the comfort of home, or on the move anywhere you like.
Online slots work much like traditional slots in a land-based casino, but there are a few differences and several things to consider when choosing where to play online slots.
One difference – and one of the attractions of online slots – is the return to players percentage, or RTP. The RTP is an estimate of how much money wagered on a slot is paid back in winnings over time. Basically, the higher the RTP, the more chance you have of winning money back as you play.
For online slots the RTP is often between 95-97 per cent. That’s much better than most land-based slot machines which can have an RTP as low as 75 per cent. Online casinos have lower operating expenses than land-based casinos and this is how they are able to offer more chance to win money. Because they have lower expenses to cover, online slots have a clear advantage in offering more attractive rates of return.
There are many providers of online slot games. Some of the best-known names, such as IGT, Evolution Gaming, Bally, Aristocrat, and WMS, are continually releasing new games, and often pushing the envelope for what can be done in a game. This means there’s a constant supply of new online slots to try. Some of the most exciting games offer lots of bonus rounds, and multiple payline combinations.
How to stay safe playing online slots
Trust is still a major issue when playing online slots and we recommend playing on games offered by licensed online casinos. These offer trustworthy online slots from the best developers and the fact that they are licensed by a local regulatory authority means you are guaranteed that the game is fair.
Not only should you be concerned about the fairness of the game, and that you have a fair chance of winning, but also that your personal information is kept safe. Again regulated online casinos have to follow strict data protection regulations that dictate how they can use your information.
Regulated online casinos make a lot of money offering fair games, and it’s in their interest to maintain their positive reputations. As such you can be confident that games offered by the major providers will not be rigged – in fact, online casino operators spend a lot of money testing their games to ensure they are fair and these tests are an obligatory part of the requirements they must meet to earn and keep their licences for offering online gambling.
We recommend spreading your play over different online casinos, but sticking with licensed operators.
Claiming bonuses for online slots
Bonuses are one of the big draws with online slots, since they give you many extra chances to win cash, and there are more types of bonus in online slots than in other kinds of games. For starters, most online slots will offer a sign-up bonus. Shop around because sign-up bonuses vary widely between different online casinos. Often it involves matching the amount of your first deposit.
Then there are basic slot bonuses, which can be awarded for anything the particular online slot decides and will have a deadline for use. Sometimes there are seasonal bonuses to coincide with specific seasons or holidays. Reload slot bonuses are a fraction of a deposit amount, and many online casinos also offer referral slots bonuses to players who refer friends to the casino.
So don’t join the first online casino you see, shop around and see what welcome bonuses are being offered.
Choosing your stakes on online slots
It’s possible to play online slots for free, but if you online slots for real money, you have the chance to win serious money in jackpots. A big win is no guarantee and most of the time you’ll pick up a few pounds, dollars or euros here and there, but some online slots offer jackpots in the millions.
First you should choose your stakes. One of the great things about online slots is that there are games for all budgets, whether you want to wager €2 or €20,000. Choose an online slot with stakes that you’re comfortable with.
How to deposit and withdraw money from online slots
Like any digital platform, trust in the payment system is important. Most online casinos will offer various options for making deposits and withdrawals, and they may sometimes depend on legislation in each particular country. In some countries, credit card deposits are not permitted, but you will likely be able to deposit using debit card or digital payment wallets like Neteller or PayPal, or even crypto currencies such as Bitcoin. You’ll find that the minimum deposit is often much lower than with land-based slots, again because online casinos have lower expenses.
The winnings are credited to the account and once they’ve accumulated above the minimum withdrawal limit, they can be cashed out via the same methods as used for deposits.
The best online slot sites
So that’s how to get started playing online slots. Now you know how you can win money on online slots, it’s time to choose your online casino. Remember, like we said, be sure to shop around. Some of the most popular online slot sites are: Mansion Casino from Playtech, Betway Casino, which is popular for its Microgaming slots, Casumo, PlayOJO, which has no wagering requirements, and Casino.com.
