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Online Slot Terms

Online Slots Terms Explained

Old hands at online casinos will certainly know the ins and outs and roundabouts of what this word or that term means. But, any first timer is bound to get a little bit confused when it comes to the difference between a Wild or a Scatter, or what exactly a Multiplier is. This blog post aims to clarify some of the more common terms you’ll encounter when you decide to add online slots to your list of hobbies. Being armed with some extra knowledge will hopefully see you spinning and winning your way to a fortune in no time. Let’s take a little look at what’s what with Online Slots.

Reels

This one might be something of a no-brainer, but the reels are, of course, the heart and soul of online slots. In land-based mechanics, these are comprised of large cylinders which spin independently of one another and hopefully land in such a way that sees a set of symbols landing in a winning combination. With online slots, there is usually a distinction between the classical 3-reel slots (more reminiscent of land-based casinos) and 5-reel video slots. The latter are usually laden with cutting edge graphics and audio, and include some of the features and symbols we will explore in a moment. Such features are usually absent in 3-reel slots as these games focus more on the straightforward landing of specific combinations across the paylines.

Paylines

Again, this topic may appear to be one that should be common knowledge. A payline is, in short, a virtual line that runs across the reels. There are many different combinations of paylines, and different rewards can be won, depending on how the symbols land across the reels. When playing 5-reel video slots, this is where things can get particularly interesting. Not only do the standard symbols come in handy, but the bonus and free spins triggering symbols also need to be looked out for.

Multipliers

As the name suggests, there are symbols which, when landing in a specific combination, will see your winnings multiplied by a certain amount – sometimes as much as x100 if not more. Now, these can either appear in what we call the ‘base game’ (not a bonus round), but more often than not, they appear as part of a bonus or free spins round. During such a round, it’s quite standard for any winning combinations to be multiplied.

Wilds

In a nutshell, a Wild symbol is one that can substitute for any other symbols in a winning combination (usually with the exception of the Scatter – see below). Let’s say, for example, you need to get 5 cherry symbols in a row to hit a winning combination. Landing 3 cherries and 2 Wilds will see those latter symbols substituting for the first and awarding you that very winning combination.

Scatters

These symbols cannot be substituted for with Wilds – unfortunately – and usually a minimum of 3 across the reels will trigger a free spins round. More often than not, the more you land in a combination, the more free spins you’ll win and/or the higher the wins will be multiplied by. Most free spins rounds can be retriggered, which means that if you hit another winning combination of Scatters, the round will begin again – offering you even more chance to win and multiply those winnings.

 
 
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