“Which slots should I play?” is a question we’re often asked by both new and seasoned players. The reason is usually quite simple: they’re bored. They’re looking for something new but familiar enough to dive right in. Here’s how, starting with the most obvious:
Look For The Biggest Prizes
Most people play slots to go for the jackpot. But don’t just look for the progressives, which are often significantly less than the top prize. For example, Divine Fortune at Golden Nugget Michigan had a progressive jackpot at $72,688 at the time of writing this article. Meanwhile, Divine Fortune’s max payout is $350,000 – or nearly 5x the progressive.
Find The Best Odds
A slot’s return to player (RTP) percentage is the average amount of money that a player can expect to keep. For example, an RTP of 96% means that the average player keeps $0.96 for every $1.00 wagered on the game. That is no way a guarantee, but it is an accurate representation of a slot’s odds. If you’re looking to play for longer within your budget, then look for the highest possible RTP.
For slots, a good RTP is 96% or higher. For table games like blackjack and French roulette, you can find RTP as high as 99%, so keep that in mind if you’re looking for the best possible odds. Because slots offer the chance to bet a small amount and win a huge payout, it usually doesn’t have great odds compared to other options.
Consider The Volatility
Volatility is how often a slot typically pays out a win. It has nothing to do with the RTP percentage, which is how much money the player keeps on average. Slots usually pay out on the payline value rather than the overall wager, which means you can win less than you bet.
Still, a win’s a win – and winning feels good. If you want payouts as often as possible, look for low volatility slots. If you want slots that don’t pay out small amounts as often, you can wait for the big bucks on a high volatility slot. And if you want something in the middle, many slots offer medium volatility as well. You can also find medium-low and medium-high volatility.
Base It On Your Interests
Tons of slots are more or less the same, with wild and substitute symbols, a free games feature, and a six-figure top prize. The way gaming studios differentiate often comes down to the theme, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. If you like to fish in your spare time, you have access to tons of fishing slots. If you’re a sports fan, sports-themed slots are among the most common options. And if you like the fantasy genre, you may have the biggest variety of all.
If you’re bored with the same old slot but like the RTP and volatility of a go-to favorite, there’s a very good chance you can find essentially the same game but with a different theme. This keeps things familiar while still breaking up the monotony, the best of both worlds.
Check Who Makes Your Current Favorites
Online slots are made by gaming studios, which all have a catalog of slots. If you like the look and feel of one option, chances are you’ll like something else that the gaming studio created.
For example, BetRivers Casino allows you to filter by gaming studio. If you like Chili Chili Fire from gaming studio Konami, you can click the gaming studio’s logo to see all its other games, such as Dynamite Dash, Lotus Land, and Gypsy Fire Quick Strike.
See What’s Connected To Bonuses And Promotions
Here are some of the most common online casino bonuses in Pennsylvania, Michigan, New Jersey, and West Virginia related to playing slots:
- Bet-Match Offers: BetMGM is running a game of the week promotion right now for Cash Eruption, where you can get $10 in freeplay for wagering $20 on the slot. This promotion invites players to try out a game knowing that they’ll receive free playing credits for doing so.
- Extra Loyalty Points: Golden Nugget is offering 2x Golden Points on their game of the week, Jin Ji Bao Xi Endless Treasure, where players get twice the loyalty points for playing a select game.
- Slots Tournaments: Online casinos will often host leaderboard prize pools, where players bet on select games to earn points. The players with the most points at the end of the promo period receive a piece of the prize pool, which is often six figures. At Golden Nugget, you can opt-in for The Oasis $300K August Race, and the top player gets $50,000 in betting credits.
- More Unique Offers: For slots promotions, the possibilities are only limited by an online casino team’s imaginations. At DraftKings Casino, you can bet on select slots before the end of the Olympics for a chance at having the best payout-to-bet ratio. If you do, you’ll receive free betting credits.
While all online casino players should check the promotions page regularly, that’s especially true for slots players. Slots are the type of game most commonly paired with a promotional offer.
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