If you find some of the words used in slots games online are confusing you should know that this is perfectly normal. The software companies that make the modern slots are very innovative and they create their own words to describe certain features. In this slot machines glossary you will find the most common words and terms but you can be sure that new ones will pop up as new games are introduced. Sometimes you will simply have to try free slots to get what is meant by stacked wilds, and similar expressions. The best online slots are creative and exciting but you will soon discover that the words used to describe functions and features aren’t all that difficult to decipher.
Bet line – A line that runs according to a specific pattern over the wheels. It is also called a payline.
Bonus – This is money or free spins that the casino will give to you as a new or returning player.
Bonus game – A slot machine can have bonus games where you can win more money. To get to the bonus game you will usually have to get a certain amount of bonus symbols. Bonus games can be free spins or a new game structure with a specific mission.
Coins – You will play with coins and these will have different sizes, for example 0.01, 0.20, 0.50 and so on. You will also see that you can put a certain amount of coins on each bet line.
Coin win – When you win coins it is called a coin win.
Hit – When you get a winning combination on a spin.
Minimum bet – The smallest bet you can make on the slot. It will be influenced by the smallest coin size.
Maximum bet – The biggest bet that you can make on the slot. It will be influenced by the smallest coin size and how many coins you can bet per bet line.
Pay line – The same as bet line, a line that runs over the reels and that pays out when you get a winning combination on it.
Payout – This is the money that you win on the slot machine.
Payout percentage – This is the percentage that the machine is set to keep. It means that for every $100 a certain sum will be paid out but it DOESN’T mean that you will get a certain sum per every $100 that you bet!
Pay table – This table will show you how much every winning combination pays.
Progressive jackpot – This is a jackpot that grows every time a player makes a bet on the game. It can become huge when the game is tied to a network with many more slot machines that will contribute to the same progressive jackpot.
RNG or Random Number Generator – This is something built into every casino game and the RNG ensures that all results are random and unpredictable to prevent cheating.
Reels – A slot machine can have 3, 5, 7 or even more reels. The reels spin and they have symbols that will line up and hopefully form winning lines. There are also modern slots with a different structure where you won’t see the traditional reels but rather falling symbols.
Scatter – This is the symbol that will reward you with free spins.
Wild – This is a symbol that can replace the other symbols to create winning combinations. It will rarely substitute for scatters and bonus symbols.
Author
Gavin Lenaghan
Gavin writes on a wide range of subjects, including articles and reviews about online casinos, slots, bingo, poker, and sportsbooks. He has considerable expertise in the games, customer service, and other aspects of today’s leading gambling and betting portals.
