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Do All Slot Machines Have The Same Odds?

Slots come in all shapes and sizes. There are classic slot games, Megaways, Cluster Pays, Progressive Jackpots, and Slingo, to name a few. Offering a wide range of slots tends to make them a popular casino game category, and they can be played both online and in brick-and-mortar casinos.

But do all slot machines have the same odds? Read this King Casino blog post to find out!

We’ll discuss the different slot themes, number of reels, volatility, Return to Player (RTP) rates, and more!

Are All Slot Machines The Same? 

No, all slot machine games are not the same – and that’s what can attract so many players! 

There are many things that make a slot machine stand out, including its theme, number of reels and paylines, payback percentage (RTP), volatility, and bonus features. No two slot machines are the same!

Many slot machines offer excellent graphics, animations and sound that make them entertaining to play. They also have a variety of themes, so there’s something for everyone. Some of the most popular slot themes you’ll find in an online casino include:

  • Fruit slots: Many players choose to play fruit slots as they can invoke a sense of nostalgia, being reminiscent of the old-school fruit slot machines. Some of these games include Fruit Shop, Tiki Fruits and Juicy Fruits.
  • TV and Movie slots: There are many slots based on popular TV shows and movies that may appeal to players. These include Deal or No Deal and Game Of Thrones.
  • Mythology slots: Fantasy slots with mythical creatures and ethereal graphics can be great. These include The Hand Of Midas, Ring of Odin and Rise of Olympus.
  • Adventure slots: Slots with an adventure theme are some of the most played. These slots can be quite entertaining and often offer fun bonus features. These include Bonanza, Amazon Queen and Secret Of The Stones.
  • Animal slots: Cats, dogs, pigs, tigers, elephants, you name it; there is probably a slot themed around that animal. Some animal slots you can play include Buffalo King, Silver Lioness 4X and Flamingo Paradise.

There are so many more themed slots. At the new casino site King Casino, we have made finding your favourite themed slots easy for you! You can sort your search by theme to find and play numerous online games.

As well as slot machines being different by theme, each slot can stand out based on its number of reels and paylines. Most slots have 3 or 5 reels, and the number of paylines a slot machine has can differ greatly. 

Paylines are very important in slots. To get a potential payout, players need to match a number of symbols across a valid payline. You can see each game’s win lines via the paytable or game rules. 

Often payline wins start from left to right, but in some slots, you can win both ways. Here are some of the most common types of payline slots:

  • Single payline: Single payline slots have just one payline. This is a straight line that runs across the reels. Classic slots with 3 reels typically have just one payline.
  • Multi-payline: The majority of slots are multi-payline slots. These slots can have anywhere from 3 to 100 paylines and even more! Multi-payline slots are modern, generally offering possible bonus features that give players plenty of chances to try and land a win.
  • Ways to win (winning ways): Ways to win slots are slots with a unique system. There are so many ways to win because matching symbols need only land on adjacent reels starting from the leftmost reel to form winning combinations. The minimum number of ways to win is usually 243, and they can range into hundreds of thousands!

However, it’s important to remember that all games are different and may come with different rules. But you can always check the paytable or rules for more information.

Another thing that makes each slot machine different is the number of bonus features. Some online slots are jam-packed with entertaining bonus features, while some are simple and classic and just have the basics you need for a straightforward game. Here are just a few of the features you may find in slots:

  • Wild Symbols: If there’s one feature that slot machines are most likely to have, it’s a wild symbol. Wild symbols can typically replace all other symbols (except special symbols like scatters) to potentially help create a winning combination.
  • Multipliers: If you find a slot with multipliers, you could potentially see your wins multiplied by x2, x3, x10, x100, or more, depending on the game.
  • Scatters: Most modern online slots have scatter symbols. Typically, landing at least 3 scatters in the same spin activates a bonus feature, such as a Free Spins feature. Scatter symbols usually pay anywhere, not being required to land along a payline.
  • Free Spins feature: Lots of online slots offer Free Spins features. This feature is usually triggered by landing 3 or more of a certain symbol. Once you trigger the feature, you receive a number of Free Spins. The number of Free Spins you receive depends on the slot game and feature rules.
  • Cascades: Some slots have cascading or tumbling reels, which is a unique feature. This feature means that if wins are made, the symbols that made the win disappear. Then, new symbols take their place. Allowing for the chance to land several wins in a row!
  • Pick ‘Em Bonus: One common bonus feature is the pick ’em bonus feature. Typically, once you activate this feature, you are taken to a new screen. You then pick from some items offered on the screen to reveal a potential prize. Prizes could be multipliers, cash values or other bonus features.
  • Jackpot: Jackpot slots can be appealing due to the big potential prizes available. Activating a jackpot varies from slot to slot. You may need to land a certain number and type of symbols or complete another bonus feature. Often, slots have different levels of jackpots available, including mini, mega and grand jackpots.

Slots machines can also offer different volatility levels and Return to Player percentages. Let’s talk more about them below.

Do Certain Slot Machines Have Better Odds? 

Yes, some slot machines do have better odds than others. The easiest way to determine the odds of a slot machine is to look at the Return To Player (RTP) percentage. The RTP is a theoretical percentage of how much a slot machine pays back to players over time.

A slot’s RTP is displayed as a percentage. For example, the popular slot Fluffy Favourites has an RTP of 95.30%. The RTP is easy to find and can be found in the slot’s paytable. If you’re unsure, take a look at our game reviews, we have the RTP of every slot clearly labelled at the bottom of our posts.

Knowing the RTP of slots can help you understand which ones have better odds. The RTP is the amount of money taken in by a slot game that it pays back to players over time. It’s an average calculated by the developers across a large sample of spins, as such results seen by players may not reflect this. The slot may pay out less or more in smaller samples.

The industry average for online casino slots’ RTP is 96%. So, the higher the RTP, the more the slot is paying back out to players in the long run.

However, remember that this is a theoretical indicator, and due to the random nature of slots, there are no guarantees.

How Do You Pick A Winning Slot Machine? 

There is no way of picking a winning slot machine, as all slots pay out randomly. However, there are a couple of things that you can look out for.

One thing you can do is pick slots with a high RTP. The higher the RTP, the more the slot pays back out to players on average. So, when choosing a “winning” slot machine to play, look for slots with above-average RTPs of over 96%.

Another thing you can do is look at the volatility of a slot machine. Volatility is an indicator of a slot’s theoretical behaviour; it describes the slot’s win frequency and size.

Slots with low volatility are likely to land wins more often than higher-volatility slots but of small amounts. And on the other hand, slots with high volatility tend to land wins less frequently than lower-volatility slots, but they are likely to be more substantial. 

Low volatility slots include Starburst, Bloodsuckers and Da Vinci Diamonds. Slots with high volatility include Book Of Vikings, Chilli Heat Megaways and Gonzo’s Quest Megaways.

Again, volatility is a theoretical indicator. Due to slot outcomes being random and unpredictable, results may differ in practice. Please gamble responsibly and only bet money you are comfortable losing.

*All values (Bet Levels, Maximum Wins, etc.) mentioned in relation to these slot games are subject to change at any time.