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How to Play Slot Machines
Despite its many pay charts, bonus games, and array of cryptic symbols, the slot machine is one of the easiest casino games to pick up and play. The simplicity of the slot machine is a major contributor to it being the most popular game in every casino.
Find a Casino for Slots
Your first step towards playing a slot machine is to choose a casino to visit. Whether you are interested in playing at a live or Internet casino, there are quite a few options. Online casinos usually offer the highest payouts because they cost less to operate than live casinos.
Online casinos are the best option for slot machines because they offer higher payouts and their slot machines are never full. No matter how many people are playing at a particular slot machine at an online casino, there is never a line.
On top of that, online casinos are safer and more convenient. You don't have to drive all the way to the casino or carry big wads of cash in your wallet. When you collect your winnings online, the money is sent straight to your bank account or mailed to you by check. Read more about finding the best online slots casinos.
Choose a Slot Machine
Once you find a casino to play at, the next step is to find the perfect slot machine for you. At any given online casino there can be up to a hundred different slot machines for you to choose from. The best machines are the ones that offer the highest payouts and accept bets that fit within your bankroll.
If you would like to play at slot machines that offer large jackpots, progressive slot machines are the way to go. These are machines that set aside a small percentage of every dollar wagered at the machine, and put that money into a prize fund. That way the jackpot grows over time until one player hits the right combination and wins the entire jackpot.
The one downside to progressive slot machines is that they usually cost a little more to play than regular slot machines. Most progressive jackpots require you to bet up to a dollar per spin to have a chance at hitting the big jackpot.
If you would rather have a more interactive experience with smaller (but more frequent) jackpots, video slot machines are the way to go. These slot machines have beautiful graphics, crisp colors, and all kinds of entertaining bonus games.
Video slot machines allow you to pick how many paylines you wish to play at a time. Each payline represents an individual bet at the machine. So if you want to play all twenty paylines at a $0.05 machine, you will bet a total of $1 per spin but will have twenty chances to win.
Spin the Reels
Now that you have your casino and slot machine chosen, the hard stuff is out of the way. Every slot machine operates slightly differently, but the general idea is the same no matter where you play.
In an online casino, you click on the slot machine you want to play and then the casino software will take you to that machine. Your bankroll will be listed somewhere near the border of the slot machine and your betting options will usually be listed along the bottom as well.
Next you will want to choose your betting denomination and the number of paylines you wish to play (if playing a video slot). Remember, your total bet per spin will be your betting denomination multiplied by the number of paylines you are playing. You can practice playing slots on this flash slot machine, courtesy of Slots Oasis Casino:
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Live casinos have mostly moved away from coin operated machines and instead operate with a ticket format. These tickets are issued either at the slot machine itself or at a special ticket machine. You insert your money into the machine and then are paid out in tickets instead of coins. This is convenient for players because it eliminates the need to lug around big buckets of change.
Collect Your Winnings
In an online casino, collecting your winnings is as simple as exiting the slot machine window, clicking on the cashier button, and requesting a cash out. You will see a list of options for receiving your money. Pick one of those, follow the onscreen instructions and you will have your money in no time.
When you are finished with the machines at a live casino, all you have to do is take your ticket to the cashier's cage and exchange it for real money. Make sure you bring your ID with you so you can collect your winnings.
Final Word
Never forget the slot machines are based 100% on chance. There are no secret methods to guaranteeing wins or stopping the reels on the right symbols. If you run across someone who claims to know the secrets of winning big at slot machines, pay them no mind. They are just going to try to sell you something that doesn't work. For a few tips on how to decrease the house edge and lose less money, check out our slot machine strategies.
OnlineSlotMachines.org
We like to focus our efforts on our casino reviews and rankings, so our slots section isn't quite as big as it should be. However, one of my friends runs an amazing website about slot machines over at OnlineSlotMachines.org. I recommend you check it out if you would like a broader wealth of slot machine knowledge.