How Many Lines Should You Play On Slots?

Thanks to the internet which led to the rapid evolution of slot games, players have more game options than ever!

These days, slot games come in all shapes and sizes, ranging from classic fruit machines to Megaways slots, which can offer thousands of different ways to potentially win or more!

While this may be a good problem to have for some slot enthusiasts, it can also make choosing which game to play a bit tricky, especially if you are a novice and still trying to figure out which slot games you may prefer to play.

In this King Casino blog post, we want to clear any potential payline confusion you may have, including what exactly paylines are in slots, whether you should play multiple paylines, or if it matters how many lines you play. Read on to learn more!

What Are Paylines On Slots?

Before we get into the nitty-gritty of how many paylines you should play on a slot, we must first explain what they are. Think of a payline as a roadmap to your possible wins. Generally, to get to a specific win amount, you need to line up a certain number of matching symbols across a valid payline in a single spin.

However, this might not always be the case because there are many different kinds of slot games. But you can always refer to the paytable or game rules to see how winning combinations can be formed in a specific game.

Essentially, paylines are predetermined ways or forms in which symbols should line up on the reels in order to trigger a paying winning combination. For example, let’s say you are playing the Big Bass Bonanza slot game. The regular symbols that can appear on the reels include the usual card royals ranging from 10-A, fish symbols, tackle boxes, dragonflies, fishing rods and floats. 

To form a winning combination, you must land three to five matching symbols across a valid payline, starting from the leftmost reel, in a single spin. However, floats can award wins for just two matching symbols.

This basically means that even if you have three, four or five matching symbols on the reels but they are not across any valid paylines, you will not have a winning combination. You can usually view the slot’s paytable to see the pattern of paylines. This is because paylines are not typically visible on a slot’s reels. If they were, the game might appear too cluttered, and it could be difficult to see the spin results.

Depending on the slot game you are playing, the number of paylines can range anywhere from one to over a million. And, theoretically, the higher the number of active paylines, the more likely your chances of making a winning combination. 

But remember, slots are chance-based games, and nothing can ever be guaranteed. Generally, the Random Number Generator (RNG) is the deciding factor, as it randomly determines the outcomes or symbol combinations on slots. This makes regulated slot games completely random and fair for players.

So, whether you are playing a one million payline (also known as ways-to-win) slot, or a single payline slot, your chances of winning are based on the outcomes of the RNG.

Should You Play All Lines On A Slot Machine?

As games can offer both fixed and adjustable paylines, a common question tends to be whether or not to play all lines on a slot machine. Well, the answer to this depends on your playing preference.

This is because if playing adjustable payline slots, you could choose to play all of the paylines or just a few, and this can affect your bet amount. For example, if your chosen slot game has multiple adjustable paylines, such as the Book of Dead, your wager may increase with every payline you may decide to activate. 

But this is usually not an astronomical increase. For example, in the Book of Dead slot, you get up to 10 paylines and a minimum bet per line of £0.01, making betting on all 10 paylines a minimum of £0.10 a spin.

Some players may prefer to play these types of games, and others may prefer fixed payline slots. Fixed payline slots mean that you do not have to adjust the number of active paylines. They all remain active throughout gameplay.

This means that you would wager a fixed amount that covers all the possible paylines. It works the same as an adjustable payline slot; the only difference is that you can not choose the number of paylines you want to remain active or play.

If you are playing a Megaways slot game, the number of ways-to-win can change. For example, you may get 243 way-to-win on one spin, and the next has up to 117,649. This is because Megaways slots typically allow for 2 up to 7 symbols to land on each reel, and each spin can have a different random outcome. The spin results can affect the number of possible ways-to-win. 

Usually, Megaways games do not offer adjustable paylines because of the Megaways mechanism. So, these games can typically be played as a fixed payline game, and winning combinations may be formed by landing a certain number of symbols across adjacent reels, starting from left to right. 

Although, this could potentially change depending on the game. You can always check the paytable to learn more about the game’s paylines or winning ways and read how winning combinations can be formed. An example of a popular Megaways slot is the Rainbow Riches Megaways game.

Does It Matter How Many Lines You Play On Slots?

Yes and no. Yes, because how many lines you play on may affect the size of your bet, and no, because while they may potentially increase your chances of forming winning combinations, the odds of winning are the same as they are on any slot due to the RNG.

A popular belief amongst pay by mobile slot players is that you may win more money if you play on more paylines. But this is not entirely true. Again, the RNG chip is responsible for ensuring that every outcome of a slot machine is random and not influenced by any outside factors, including how many paylines you are playing on.

So, how many lines you should bet on should be a personal decision that is not influenced by popular myths.

Conclusion

You might have heard that more lines mean more money, but this is not the case. Instead, you may end up losing more money because, like all casino games, new online slots are built-in with a house advantage, which means you are more likely to lose than win in the long run.

Additionally, keep in mind that slots use a RNG, so the results will be the same regardless of how many lines you are playing. But, if you prefer to play slot games with multiple paylines, we have a selection of them here at King Casino that you may try, including some of the best Megaways slots, such as the following titles:

• Genie Jackpots Megaways
• Great Rhino Megaways
• Shamrock Holmes Megaways
• Madame Destiny Megaways
• Diamond Mine Extra Gold Megaways

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