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UK Online Slots Online Casino Gems

Online slots are arguably some of the most loved and played games in the UK. A recent survey intimates that 80 percent of UK players play slots when they patron an online or brick-and-mortar casino. Not just that; 40 percent of those surveyed said these lively, colorful games are their favorite attraction at the casino.

These findings don’t come as a surprise to us, which is why we’ve compiled this complete guide to playing online slots in the UK. Slots are, by design, games of chance, but your probability of winning often comes down to your personal strategy, bankroll management, and game plan.

Read on to learn more about slot games and discover just why UK players can’t get enough of them. Look ahead for tips on how to select not only reputable UK online casinos but also fantastic slot games, plus how to win at them.

Why Online Slots Are So Prevalent in the UK

There are a ton of reasons why online slots are so popular among UK players. Here are the top ones:

- Variety is the name of the game

The UK is the European capital of online gambling, and slots (or pokies as they’re better known) are the main attraction. All of the best UK online casinos offer a dizzying variety of slot games for players to choose from, including video and classic variations with lots of different themes, graphics, and animations.

- Super-easy to play

Slots are a game of chance, so luck plays a big role. Whether you’re a novice, intermediate, or seasoned player, you don’t need a lot of skill, experience, or even money to get started. Once you have learned a few rules and gameplay, you’ll be ready to spin the reels and hope that the Lady Luck will favor you.

Most of the instructions are delivered on-screen as you play, making it easy for UK players to take advantage of bonus rounds and special features. Another good thing is that you can choose from a wide array of simple, three-reel, or five-reel slots. On the other hand, veteran players can dwell on multi-reel, multi-payline slot games, so there’s something for everyone.

- Offers the best of comfort and convenience

As a UK player, you don’t have to visit high-street casinos to get some slot action. With gambling sites and mobile casinos, you can play slots from the comfort of your own home or on the go. This makes slots easy and convenient to enjoy.

- You can potentially win big money

Slot games are not only fun and easy to play, but you also stand a chance of winning huge progressive jackpots that balloon with each play. If you do a Google search of “the biggest casino wins,” you’ll soon realize that most of them were won on progressive slots.

- Powered by top-rated providers

The UK's online gambling market is one of the most established in the world. It’s served by top-tier software providers like BetSoft, Microgaming, NetEnt, Playtech, Yggdrasil Gaming, Evolution Gaming, and NextGen Gaming, just to name a few. That means UK players get to choose from the crème de la crème.

- Lucrative slot bonuses

A generous welcome offer, deposit bonuses, and ongoing promotions are a must for any noteworthy online casino in the UK. This is especially true when it comes to slot machines, where casinos provide lots of bonuses and free spins. These are amazing for building your bankroll and a great start to your slot gaming experience.

- Affordable meets excitement

You don’t need to break the bank to enjoy online slots. There are slot games for every budget and playing style. Unlike online poker, it’s not about big bets and show-downs; slots are more suitable for leisure and casual play. And that’s probably the single biggest reason that online slots are so prevalent in the UK.

Is There Any Strategy to Slots?

There’s something of beauty about online slots. An expertly built slot from a good developer like Microgaming, NetEnt, or IGT normally sports user-friendly gameplay, fantastic graphics, beautiful animations, and lots of bonus features. However, slot machines are wired to give some advantage to the casino, hence the house edge.

The house edge corresponds conversely to the RTP (return-to-player) of the slot. Both often vary depending on the provider, the casino, and the slot itself. Don’t forget that slot wins are determined by random number generators, making it a complex game and for which it’s difficult to create a winning strategy.

As such, there’s rarely any tried-and-true strategy for winning at slots out there. You could say slots are games of neither skill nor strategy. Your odds of winnings are influenced largely by the RTP, which is presented as a percentage.

For instance, a highly popular slot game like NetEnt’s Starburst has an average RTP of 96.1%, which gives the house an edge of 3.9%. In layman’s terms, that means you’ll theoretically win $96.1 back for every $100 wagered.

However, the RTP doesn’t reflect the actual reality of playing slots. That’s because other factors do play a role in determining your winning chances, such as volatility, the number of paylines covered, bet amount, and even pure luck, all of which make it more difficult to develop an accurate strategy for a particular slot game.

Can You Win Money on Online Slots?

The direct answer is yes – you can win money (good money, in fact) when you play online slots. But there’s no single-best strategy you can use to guarantee wins.

That’s not to say you should only rely on luck. There are a handful of measures you can take to dramatically improve your odds and enhance your wins. For starters, pick slot machines with low house edges (which translate to higher RTPs).

The lower the house edge, the more prizes the slot pays out. Ideally, you should stick to slot games that have an RTP in the 95-98% range, where you’ll find player favorites like Mega Joker (99%) and Bloodsuckers (98%).

Another tactic to boost your winning chances is to increase your bet size a bit, so you can land more lucrative prizes like jackpots. Likewise, you must cover as many paylines as possible. Most pros also study the paylines inside out, practice their bonus rounds, and take advantage of other special features.

When all’s said and done, all slot players have an equal chance of winning. So, if luck is on your side, you can definitely land big money. A wise slot player, however, knows how to manage their bankroll, when to quit, and pick an ideal slot game.

How to Play Online Slots in the UK

No one can deny that slots are easy, exciting, and super-fun to play, which is why they’re so popular among UK gamblers. Whether you’re an advanced player or an amateur, you must take the following steps to ensure an excellent online slot gaming experience.

Step #1: Pick the right casino site to play online slots

The UK internet gambling market is a slot mecca. There are literally thousands of gambling sites competing for your business. Unfortunately, you’ll find the good, the bad, and the ugly of the bunch. That’s why you need to put on your investigative hat.

The best UK online casinos are generally known for:

Superb software and games – Expect high-quality, exciting slot titles from the big names in the industry, such as Playtech, Microgaming, Play ‘N GO, IGT, BetSoft, NextGen, Elk Studios, Yggdrasil, NetEnt, and Evolution Gaming. They also blend in top-notch slots from mid-tier and little-known developers like 1X2Gaming, Quickspin, Novomatic, Ash Gaming, Barcrest, Thunderkick, and Playson.

Licensed and regulated – All reputable gambling sites in the UK hold a gambling license from the UK Gambling Commission. Some even double up with another license from Malta Gaming Authority, Alderney Gambling Control Commission (AGCC), or e-Curaçao.

Fast and free payouts – With the best online casinos, you should be able to get your payouts instantly or within a few hours. Withdrawals are usually processed without a fee.

Superior customer support – Great online casinos take player matters seriously. Their customer support team is usually professional, friendly, and available to offer help 24/7 via multiple channels.

Mobile casino – You’ll be hard-pressed to find any leading online casino in the UK that doesn’t provide a mobile casino that’s smooth, slick, and easy to use. Most offer an Android and iOS version of the casino.

Impregnable security – You’ll find SSL encryption technology and other protocols that ensure your personal data and money are always in safe hands.

Third-party testing – It’s now standard (and recommended by the UKGC) that all gambling sites have their games and software regularly tested, audited, and validated. Independent testing labs like TST, ECOGRA, and IST provide unbiased audit results, which are then made public by the casino.

Lots of promotions and bonuses – The best casinos go above and beyond to entice UK players with lucrative welcome bonuses, free spins, and ongoing rewards.

Fair RTP – Again, the average RTP will tell you the level of difficulty when it comes to winning at the casino. You’re in a better position of winning if the casino has a fair RTP.

Step #2: Select your slot of choice

Once you have chosen your preferred online casino, all that’s left is to sign up, deposit, and play …. not quite there. The next step is to pick the right slot game for you. Here are to pointers to consider when choosing the perfect online slot game:

• Be wary of obvious choices. The moment you land on a casino site, you’ll notice that some slots are advertised more aggressively than others. Huge, flashing banners on the right, left, and center. That should ring up your sixth sense – after all, the casino is in the business of making money!
• Pick slots with higher RTPs. By now, the reason behind this choice should be obvious. The greater the RTP, the more prizes the slot pays out. If the RTP of a particular slot isn’t shown by the casino, search engines are your BFF.
• Be sure to check the variance of the slot game. The variance or volatility is a measure of how frequently the slot pays out. A low variance slot pays out more often but the wins are typically small. On the other hand, a high volatility slot pays out bigger wins, but far in between.
• Try to avoid branded slots. Most slots branded after celebrities, TV shows, films, music bands, and whatnot tend to have a very high house edge.
• Read online reviews. Research and due diligence will save you a great deal of heartache. If players seem to complain about a specific slot, you’d be wise to skip it, as well. Instead, pick slot games that have been tried and proven to be fair and safe by real players.

Step #3: Learn the rules, paytable, and lingo

As with any casino game, slots have a unique set of terminologies. While it’s not necessary, it pays to learn the lingo, such as:

• Reels - Columns or drums that spin inside the slot
• Min Bet - the minimum amount you can wager on a single spin
• Max Bet - the maximum amount you can bet on a single spin. There’s usually a Max Bet button incorporated into the gameplay.
• Paylines - A series of lines that run across the reels on the slot to form wins.
• Symbols - These include scatters, wilds, playing card symbols, and other icons that populate the spinning reels.
• Bet Amount - This allows you to select the amount to wager on the next spin.
• RNG - Random Number Generator, an algorithm that helps ensure the outcome of each spin is truly random and not rigged.

The slot lingo is vast, so be sure to learn as you graduate into a veteran player.

You must also go through the instructions that make up the rules of the slot game. Similarly, take a closer look at the paytable. This is a table that lists the RTP and all of the symbols and their worth.

Step #4: Play free games first

Before plunging into real money play, you must practice, learn the rules (plus more lingo), and familiarize yourself with the gameplay. You can do so on the free-play version of the actual slot you have chosen.

The good news is that you don’t have to login into the casino site. You can practice as long as you want. You can fiddle with gameplay features, such as auto spin, max bet, multi-lines, and so on. You can tweak bet size, paylines, and winning combos.

Step #5: Choose bet size

It’s always important to ease into the game. Start with small bets and then increase the size of stake per spin as you gain more confidence.

Step #6: Start spinning

This is where the magic starts. Simply tap or click the “spin” or “auto-spin” button.

Slot Machine Strategy Guide

Online slots are heavily reliant on chance, but there are some strategies you can follow to boost your odds of winning. Follow these tips to put yourself one step ahead of the casino:

- Stick to reliable casinos

Only play slots at trustworthy, reputable, and legitimate UK online casinos. If in doubt, read our reviews and ask for recommendations.

- Stakeout bonuses

Thanks to the house edge, odds are already stacked against you. Your best shot at winning is to claim bonuses, free spins, and other rewards to play on the house.

- Keep your eyes peeled on bonus rounds

Always look out for lucrative bonus rounds and other rewarding features. This is where you will find jackpots and free spins.

- Know your paylines inside out

Slot games can have a single payline or multiple payline. Knowing the ins and outs of the slot’s paylines means understanding your odds of winning.

- Don’t ignore classic slots

Simpler slot machines are known to have higher RTPs. Sometimes it’s worth trying the classics, even when that brand new slot title sure looks enticing!

- Opt for slots with smaller jackpots

The chances of winning smaller jackpots are dramatically higher than those for snagging a multi-million mega jackpot.

- Pick slots with the highest RTPs

This one is now a no-brainer tactic. Slots with higher RTPs are more winnable than low-RTP counterparts. It’s that trivial but true.

- Keep an eye on your bankroll

Always set win and loss limits ahead of the game. This way, you can know when to quick, so that you don’t lose a fortune chasing losses.

The Different Types of Slots in the UK

In the UK market, you’ll find at least 4 distinct types of slot games. They range from the classic 3-reel games based on early slot machines to all glamorous video slots packed with multiple bet-ways and bonus features.

Three reel classics – these are old-school slot games designed based on the original fruit machines. They feature wild symbols, lucky horseshoes, and an assortment of standard aces. The player has to line up 3 matching symbols on the same payline. Just set the bet size and spin away!

Multi-Payline and Multi-Reel – These more advanced slot games provide the player with multiple paylines to play across several reels. In most UK online casinos, you’ll find multi-reel slots with 25-50 paylines.

Video slots – This is the digital version of the all-dancing and all-singing classic slot machines, also known as fruit machines. They tend to follow a specific theme, such as themed gameplay, themed background, themed symbols, and so on.

Progressive Slots – If it’s your wish to land fortune-changing wins, you can’t do better than progressive slots. What makes them stand out is that they feature a progressive jackpot, which is a huge, ever-expanding jackpot that releases at random to one lucky punter. Progressive slots are usually interconnected across several slots on the same casino and network of casinos.

Bottomline

Online slots are some of the most prevalent casino games in the UK, all thanks to their ease of play, exciting bonus features, lucrative bonuses, and progressive jackpots. The best online casinos offer a wide variety of slots, including three-reel classics, riveting video slots, progressive slots, multi-reel, and multi-payline slots.

As a game that’s reliant on chance, winning at slots is a matter of player discipline. You must set a betting budget, win limit, and loss limit. When a losing streak is breathing down your neck, it’s important to know when to quit and bet only what you can afford to lose.