Standard Video Slot Features You need to Know

In the iGaming universe, there are over 10,000 online video slot games floating around the Internet. While many of these online casino games come from the development studios of top software developers like Microgaming, NetEnt, PlayTech, and Real Time Gaming, just as many come from small developers. It's an industry where there is plenty of room for software developers of all sizes to create games and compete for business.

What all developers have in common is they create video slot games that come with standard features that should be recognizable by players worldwide. As you prepare for your first venture into the world of online casino gambling, it will benefit you to know what to expect. With that in mind, let's take a look at the standard video slot features you will encounter and how you can use them to enhance your online slot-playing experience.

Reels & Rows - The Game Matrix

Each video slot will come with a certain number of vertical reels and horizontal rows. The reels and rows form what is often referred to as the game-playing grid or matrix. Common configurations are 3X3, 4X3, and 4X4. Over time, software developers have been upping the ante by creating game-playing matrixes that might include as many as 5-6 reels and 7-9 rows. As you might imagine, the number of possible payouts will increase as the number of reels and rows increases.

Note: Some modern-day slots have no reels or rows, instead delivering results over what is referred to as a floating matrix. It's quite amazing how this technology works to deliver results.

The Pay Lines

The amount you get paid for certain matrix configurations after an initial spin is determined by a pay table. As part of that pay table, the number of potential pay lines per spin will be indicated.

In the "old" days of fruit slots, a 3X3 matrix with 3-5 pay lines was common. As software development technology gave game developers more resources, the number of available pay lines on newer video slots started increasing. First, it was 10 pay lines that became the standard before a new standard was set with 20 pay lines. Today, the most common configuration might well be a game-playing matrix of 4 reels and 3 rows, creating 25 pay lines up to as many as 50 with another row added.

If you encounter a game with "Megaways" in the title, prepare yourself. You are about to encounter a matrix that has 4+ reels, 4+ rows, and potentially 1K-2K pay lines. You won't see them all on the pay table, but they will be there.

Will more pay lines increase the likelihood of you winning money? Sadly, the answer is no. It will increase the frequency with which you will get some kind of return, but many of the returns will be small. The frequency of a return is referred to as the slot's volatility factor. Frequent but low payouts would be considered low volatility. Less frequent returns with higher payouts would be considered high volatility. Everything else would be considered medium volatility.

The Symbols

Each slot has symbols that when aligned based on the slot's pay table will create payouts. The symbols are quite often created in conjunction with the slot's overall theme.

In most cases, you will encounter four (4) types of symbols as follows:

• Low-paying standard symbols (create the lowest payouts based on certain configurations)


• High-paying standard symbols (create the higher payouts based on certain configurations)


• Wild symbols - serve as connecting symbols that typically act as any other symbol except the slots scatter symbol to create more wins


• Scatter symbols - often hold the key to unlocking special features like free spins and interactive bonus games
  

Some games have multiple wild symbols and or scatter symbols. That is exactly why you should read the rules that control every video slot before you make your initial wagers. Knowing the rules with prevent misunderstandings and ensure you know exactly what each slot has in its offering.

Other Features of Note

As you look a the face of each video slot, you will encounter additional features that will help enhance your game-playing experience. Here are a few of these additional features that might interest you.

The information button - Usually indicated by a big "I", the information button leads to key game-playing information. It's here that you can review the rules, look at the pay table, and see what certain configurations will return. It's also where you'll get complete descriptions of the available bonus features and how they work. The "I" button is a must-press button before spinning the reels for the first time.

Spin value selection buttons Before each spin, you'll want to decide how much money you want to invest in that spin. You can change the number with every spin if you want. The amount you wager will ultimately determine how much you get in returns with a successful spin.

Note: Spin values could be based on the number of pay lines or the spin as a whole. Make sure you know the rule so you'll know exactly how much you are wagering on the spin before you press the "spin" button.

Fast-play Button - It can get a little boring to have to keep hitting the "spin" button each time you start a new spin. The software developers have created the cure. Every video slot has a "fast-play" feature that allows you to preselect the number of consecutive spins that you want to be initiated automatically. The choices typically range from 10 to 100 spins. If you wish to abort the process anywhere along the line, it's very easy to turn off the feature. Should you run out of money before the process has been completed, it will automatically stop.

Understanding the Return to Player Percentage

No two video slot games are the same, especially when it comes to how easy it is to win money playing a particular slot. Amazingly, there is a way you can compare slots to determine which ones pay better.

Before release, each licensed video slot has to be audited by a data auditing firm like eCOGRA or STS. The purpose of the audit is three-fold:

• Confirm that all results are random and flow properly through a random number generator (RNG)


• To ensure the slot is fair and cannot be manipulated


• To establish the slot's "Return to Player" percentage (RTP)
  

By definition RTP is a term often used in casino parlance to describe the percentage of all wagered money a slot machine will pay back to players over time.

To clarify, RTP represents how much of each dollar you wager that you can expect in gross returns over an extended period of play. It also defines the online casino's advantage on each video slot game.

Example: Let's say you select a slot with a stated RTP percentage of 96%. That means you can expect to get 96% percent of everything you wager on that slot over a long period. It also means you can reasonably expect to lose 4% of your bankroll if you play that particular slot for hours. This is why you might need a little luck if you want to win money playing online video slots.

Conclusion: You are now equipped with enough basic information to get started as a recreational online slot player in the U.S. Have fun. However, you should never gamble with more money than you can afford to lose without causing future problems. As a rule of thumb, your bankroll should never exceed what you have after paying bills and putting something aside as savings.