Generally considered one of the most popular games at either a land-based or an online casino, video slots have gone from strength to strength over the past couple of decades and new players that are just stepping into an online casino landscape could struggle to fully understand it.
But it’s only as long as they don’t try them out themselves.
Initially targeting at women and senior players, slots have evolved and within the online universe sit at the pedestal as undisputed leaders of casino entertainment.
Even though they are quite easy to play there are some crucial aspects that need to be taken into consideration and the list of ultimate seven critical things you should know before playing online video slots is right down here.
1. Are you Playing for Fun or for Money?
Set your priorities first and determine whether you just want to hit the reels to pass time or you want to try win some cash. Preferably in larger sums. The first category does not have to worry about anything we have to say in this article, but money-motivated players should pay attention to the type of game they want to choose, volatility and the bet amount.
The most lucrative slots out there are the progressive video slots which boast a jackpot that generates money from a pool of players linked together. One of the most popular progressive slot games is Microgaming Mega Moolah, responsible for creating a good number of millionaires thanks to its whopping wins.
As for the volatility – this term refers to thje amount of risk involved in a specific game. The high-volatility slots equal higher risk but also higher rewards. These games will not offer payouts as frequent as you’d like but they do offer more significant reards than low-volatility slots.
Ultimately, after you’ve chose a game to play at, make sure to always bet maximum number of lines as that’s the only guarantee that you’ll be challenging for the maximum payout in a specific game.
2. Platform Compatibility
Having identified that one game that you find attractive enough in terms of gameplay appeal and in terms of potential winnings, you need to make sure it’s compatible with your platform.
If you plan to play on your desktop computer and laptop, make sure to check the technical specifications and make sure your operative system will be supported for that game. Most top-notch game developers such as Playtech, NetEnt or aforementioned Microgaming are creating cross-platforms games these games which is great news, especially knowing that most of them will be available of mobile devices as well.
3. Slot Features
Different video slots have different features incorporated within and this is another highly important aspect to consider before making a definite pick on a slot game you want to play for money.
Free Spins are the most common of features, whereas high-payout slots tend to include different types of multipliers that can increase your potential winnings significantly. The best ones will have both free spins and multipliers in different combinations for lucrative payouts. A great website of Money Slots is one place where you’ll find reviews of many video slot games online with detailed descriptions of their slot features.
4. Choosing a Casino
Selecting a casino to play at is arguably even more important than selecting a game you want to play.
The endless sea of online gaming offers plenty of gambling venues, some of which are better than others. Some of them, for that matter, should be completely avoided. Recognizing a trustworthy online casino is not that difficult though. You can always ask around for a recommendation with some of the more experienced gamers or check for reviews online.
But once you’ve handpicked your potentially ideal candidate, simply scroll to the bottom of the page and check whether that particular venue holds a gambling licence from a respectable industry authority such as the United Kingdom Gambling Association for instance.
Ultimately, make sure that it will work in a country you are coming from and that gambling in general is legal and regulated over at your place.
5. What’s the Payout Period?
A good casino will always have a relatively short payout period and that’s another aspect to take into consideration. You want to steer away from online gaming venues that will keep prolonging the payout period or seemingly avoiding to cash you out overall.
While you’re at it, make sure to check what’s your casino’s average percentage payout as well. Often disregarded and taken too lightly, these numbers will reflect the percentage of player’s wager being returned as winnings during a given period. They are usually monitored monthly by independent industry experts such as eCORGA.
6. Which Withdrawal Methods Are Available?
New players would often hurry to get their reels rolling and would forget to check the most elementary aspects one of which definitely is a withdrawal method.
Online casinos usually accept all sorts of banking options starting from the usual ones such as debit or credit cards, Master/Visa. The better an online casino the more banking options will be available. Different eWallet services such as PayPal, Neteller or Skrill are always more than welcome, whereas the emerging trend of cryptocurrency such as Bitcoins now has online casinos seriously rethinking their strategies.
7. Always Practice for Free Before Playing for Money
Once you start depositing and betting your hard-earned cash on video slots, there’s no going back. Therefore, you need to make sure that your chances of winning as high as it gets. A simple way to do this is to start by playing for free – get acquainted with a game of your choice, learn it’s features and gameplay – before you start playing for money.