A slot machine with a poor payout. Original slot machines that have three reels and can have more than one payline. This term should not be confused with slots at a land-based casino, because online casinos use classic slots as well. The value of each credit a player receives for their wagers. Slot Machine Glossary. The slot machine is by far the most popular and profitable casino game, and with slot machines dominating the online, mobile, and social markets, there’s been a resurgence in interest in the one-armed bandit. This glossary covers terms used by slot players and the slot machine industry. One Armed Bandit — One of the most popular slang terms for a slot machine. The moniker refers to the mechanical lever that players used to pull while playing. Over time, the machine would rob them of their money. One Liner — A game that only has one reel.

1. The pay table is the section of the slot machine (usually at the top) that lists all pertinent information about payoffs. It includes the payoffs for each winning combination; any bonus features, and if the max coin bet pays any bonus. Payouts are quoted in number of coins.
2. Slots Terms: Common Slots Expression From Around the Globe. Slot games have been around for quite a while now. Over the years, we’ve seen different variations of slots in terms of number of reels, payout lines, themes, and much more.

Slots have become the most popular form of gambling in both online and brick-and-mortar casinos across the world, and one of the reasons for this surge in popularity is the fact that they’re so easy to use. Anyone, with any level of skill, can begin playing immediately in order to vie for the jackpots these engaging games pay out.

However, while the game is easy to pick up, there are a fair number of terms that you need to pick up in order to increase your odds of winning. Here are some of the most common definitions you’ll want to be aware of:

Annuity Winner

Some slot machines payout jackpots in annuities over a number of years.

Bet

This term should be pretty self-explanatory. The bet is the amount of money that you’re wagering each time you play. Betting more increases your chances of winning more, though you can also place bets on different pay lines to increase your odds of winning.

Bet Max

The maximum amount that can be wagered on a single bet.

Bonus Game

An outcome including a wild symbol, which allows players to receive a free spin.

Coin

The currency denomination used to play. Generally, they’re known as virtual coins for online slots.

Cold Slots

A slot machine with a poor payout.

Classic Slots

Original slot machines that have three reels and can have more than one payline. This term should not be confused with slots at a land-based casino, because online casinos use classic slots as well.

Denomination

The value of each credit a player receives for their wagers. For example, dollar slot machines are known as dollar denominations.

Free Spin

An extra spin that a player earns on a bonus slot machine.

Fruit Machine

Fruit machines are the UK version of slots. They have special rules that may not be found on American and other European slots.

Hit

The term when the player wins a slot.

Hit and Run

A player that only plays a slot machine once if they don’t receive a payout.

Hit Rate

The odds of a player hitting a winning combination. The hit rate may also be referred to as the “payout rate.”

Hold Percentage

The percentage of money that the house holds back from players. In general, this is expressed as a statistical average.

Jackpot

The most valuable prize a player can win.

Multi-Denominational

These slots allow players to make bets with several different denominations of currency.

Multi-line

A slot machine that allows players to place bets on multiple pay lines.

Near Miss

An outcome that is very close to the pay line the player bet on or another winning combination.

One-Armed Bandit

A term often used to refer to any slot machine. The term originated thanks to the pull lever found on early-generation physical slot machines (the machine’s “arm”), and because players can lose a lot of money if they bet for too long.

One Liner

A slot machine with a single reel where players only need to line up three symbols to create a winning combination.

Pay Line

The line of numbers and symbols after the reels are spun. The player places a bet on one or more pay lines before spinning.

Payout

The winnings that a player will receive if the pay line they bet on is displayed. The payout varies by slot machines and isn’t always set by the number of possible pay lines.

Progressive Jackpot

A slot machine that has a jackpot that increases over time.

Progressive Slots

Several slot machines together which share the same jackpot.

Progressive Ticker

In a progressive jackpot, this ticker informs the players what the current payout for a jackpot is.

Random Number Generator (RNG)

Random number generators create random combinations of outcomes based on complex algorithms. They have been used for slots in land based casinos for years, but are used in all online slots as well.

Reels

The wheels on a slot machine. Each reel has different numbers and symbols that make up the pay line.

Scatter

Scatter symbols guarantee a payout regardless of the line they appear.

Slot Club Member

Many casinos offer membership to players. Once enrolled, these members may be eligible for special bonuses.

Slot Schedule

A table on the front of a slot machine that specifies the types of bets that can be placed and the different payouts players will receive.

Slot Type

The type of slot machine that a player is using, which can be basic slots, progressive slots or bonus slots.

Spin

When the wheels of the slot machine are moving, but a pay line hasn’t been reached yet.

Stacked Wilds

A pay line where multiple wild symbols are stacked on each other.

Symbol

The figures that appear on the reels of the slots, which make up the different pay line possibilities.

Taste

The small payouts slot machines often make to keep players excited so they’ll keep betting.

Wild Symbol

A special symbol that will create a winning combination when paired with others like it.

Wild Multiplier

A symbol that is both a wild and increases the payout if a winning combination occurs on a pay line.

Winning Combination

A combination of symbols that can occur, which result in a payout. This outcome can be more casually be referred to as a “win.”

If you’re going to take up slots – whether online or offline – it’s important to familiarize yourself with these terms before playing. Bookmark this page in case you get confused, and come back to it time and time again as you enjoy this fun casino game.

Are there any other slot terms you’ve heard that you’d like to see defined? Leave them below and a member of our staff will respond with our answers:

When you first start playing slot machines online, you can be forgiven for being confused by all the terminology and jargon.

Like all games, slots have their own “language,” or terms, and it’s necessary to understand them if you want to truly master the games and stand the best chance of winning.

Not understanding slots terms can lead to:

• Picking lame games with terrible features and weak jackpots
• Making uneducated mistakes by betting too little/too much or not playing correctly
• Feeling confused by potentially lucrative features and letting that put you off playing an otherwise great game

Don’t worry, though, because we’ve put together this slots glossary to clear it all up. If there’s a specific term you’re confused about or if you just want to improve your general knowledge of slots machines, this page was made for you.

Common Slots Terms and Conditions

All Ways Wins – A slot which doesn’t have specific, set numbers of paylines (see below) but has hundreds of ways to win in every conceivable direction.

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Autospin – If you’re tired of clicking the mouse and want to let your slot play while you kick back and relax (or do other more productive things), you can set a certain number of spins to play automatically.

Bet – Also called a “stake” or “wager,” this is the total amount bet per spin. For example, if you bet at $0.20 per payline and activate 10 paylines, your total bet per spin will be $2.

Bonus Feature – Most modern slots have special mini-games built into them. These are triggered by landing special combinations of symbols. For example, you might get 10 free spins for landing three scatter symbols (see below).

Branded Slots – All slots have a theme of some sort, but some are themed on movies, brand names, or TV shows. The operator typically pays a license fee for this right. For example, iSoftBet has a slot themed on the hit war movie Platoon.

Cascading Reels – This is a built-in special feature some slots have whereby a winning combination pays out and then vanishes from the screen, only to be replaced by new symbols. This can lead to multiple back-to-back wins from a single spin.

Classic Slots – These are video slots themed on the vintage fruit machines you might have found in pubs and casinos 10-20 years ago. They’re typically simple games with few features. Symbols are commonly fruits, bells, and bars.

Coins – These are the currency of slots. Rather than bet cash directly, you bet coins, which have a corresponding cash value. You can alter the number of coins you bet per line and the value of the coins before you spin, checking it against your bankroll.

Expanding Symbols – Some games have special symbols which expand to cover an entire reel when they land.

Free Spins Rounds – This is a common special feature found in modern video slots. You will receive a certain number of free spins for landing a specific combination of symbols (often three or more scatter symbols). These free spins are for real money, meaning you can keep what you win.

Free Spins Bonuses – These are free spins offered by the casino and are not a game feature. They are a promotional offer given by the casino which may or may not require a deposit, depending on the offer.

Fruit Machine – These are the old-school slots you will have seen in pubs and casinos back in the day. Classic slots are often themed on these.

Gamble Feature – Some slots offer the ability to double up on what you win. You might be asked to predict the color of a random card drawn from a deck or the result of a coin toss. You can lose, of course, which is the downside of this feature.

Jackpot – The top prize a slot offers for landing its highest-value combination. For example, you might win 5,000x your bet size for landing five dollar symbols on an active payline.

Max. Bet – Each slot has a maximum amount you can bet per spin. This can range from $20 to thousands of dollars, depending on the game.

Min. Bet – Likewise, all slots have a minimum bet per spin. It’s common for this to be $0.10-$0.20, but it can be higher in some high-stakes slots.

Migrating Symbols – These are special symbols which can move to the right, left, up, or down, depending on the feature in question. They typically appear and move after each spin in a free spins bonus round.

Multiplier – These are a special feature of some slots which multiply wins by a set amount. For example, you might benefit from 8x multipliers in a free spins round. This means all wins will be boosted by 800% for the duration of that feature.

Nudge – This isn’t so common in online slots, but it is a feature of many fruit machines. It allows you to move symbols up or down one position to help create winning combinations.

One-Armed Bandit – These are physical slot machines with an extended handle on the side which you pull for each spin.

Payline – These are payout patterns which pay coin values if you land matching symbols across them. The simplest example is of a payline of three symbols straight across the middle row.

Slots Terms Meaning

Payout – Not to be confused with the jackpot, payouts are smaller-value cash amounts won for landing lower-value symbols in specific combinations or winning bonus features.

Paytable – A table referencing what symbols are worth and what the payline patterns are. Paytables often contain information related to bonus features, too.

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Picking Rounds – These are bonus rounds in which you’ll pick symbols on the screen for cash prizes. For example, you might see five boats on the screen. You’ll get a cash amount for each one you pick. Often has a “killer” symbol which ends the feature.

Penny Slots – Slots for small stakes, as the name suggests.

Pokies – The Australian name for slot machines.

Progressive Jackpot – These are larger, interlinked jackpots which are fed by the bets made on all slot games across a network. Progressive jackpots can reach tens of millions in value.

RNG – This is an acronym for random number generator, which controls the outcome of slots. These are mathematical formulas which ensure the randomness (fairness) of games.

Reels – Slots are typically three-reel or five-reel games. These are vertical columns of symbols which “spin” each time you make a bet.

Rows – These are horizontal columns of symbols. Most slots are three-row games.

RTP – This is an acronym for return to player. Each slot has an RTP, expressed as a percentage, which determines how much of a bet is returned to players over the long run. For example, a slot with an RTP of 97% returns $0.97 out of every $1 bet.

Scatter Symbols – These are special symbols which can trigger bonus features and can often create their own high-value payouts. For example, you might land three scatter symbols and get 10 free spins and a 20x payout.

Spins – We hope this one is obvious. The reels “spin” each time you bet, and new symbols fill the positions on the reels.

Stacked Symbols – Some symbols land occupying multiple rows (often all three). These can create multiple winning paylines when they occur.

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Tournaments – Slots competitions which have become increasingly popular at online casinos in recent times. You can win free spins and cash prizes for finishing in leading positions in these.

Slot Terminals

Video Slots – This is the name for slot machines with animations and special features.

Volatility – This determines how often a slot will pay out. For example, a high-volatility slot will pay less often, but the payouts will be bigger.

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Wild Symbols – These are special symbols which can “substitute” for others to help create winning paylines. They are often high-value symbols. Sometimes winning paylines containing a wild are doubled or even tripled.

Win-Both-Ways – These are games which pay from left to right as well as from right to left.