Online Casino Slots Strategy (Video to Progressive Jackpot)

A large percentage of people think that there isn't much strategy in the slots genre, but the reality of the situation is that using the best slot strategies available can increase your average payout rate. On top of that, they can help you to have a better overall experience, and that's why we recommend that all fans of this genre use them in their real money play. In what follows, we'll give you some of the top strategic approaches and give you some ideas to pick and choose from to add to your own online casino play.

Written by Amanda Evans 10 minute read
strategizing in slots

What is a Slot Strategy for Online Casinos?

Choosing the top slot strategies is all about maximizing your chances of coming out ahead as much as reasonably possible in whichever ways you can. Many players don't realize how much choice you actually have in this realm because the genre as a whole is thought of as being purely based on chance. While that's true regarding the outcomes of individual spins, you can still make decisions that can boost your average payout rates.

Top 10 Online Casino Slot Strategies That Work in 2024

We have put together a list of what we believe to be the best online slots strategies overall. While you do not have to use every single one of these every single time that you play, we strongly recommend picking from these to find the ones that fit into the titles that you enjoy and how you like to play. With so many to pick from, we think virtually all players can find something here that will help them in their game.

1. Choose the Right Slots

Game selection is by far the most important strategy in 2024. In fact, it's the first thing that you should always consider before you play if you want to boost your chances of winning. No other tip or trick is as critical as this one because it can be the difference between coming out ahead, breaking even or being in the red once your sessions are over. In what follows, we'll give you a list of a few different types of titles to choose from and what you can expect from each.

  • Classic : These are typically three-reel titles in an older style with few features and a focus on one or two mid-level jackpots.
  • Video : This is a broad label for a huge range of different kinds of games that focus on having at least five reels with numerous bonus round opportunities.
  • Megaways : A video slot style innovated by Big Time Gaming, this type offers randomized number of symbols on each reel while always using the "all ways" payout approach.
  • Progressive : Progressive jackpots in these titles increase in size over time as people play before eventually paying out a large sum at random to a real money player.
  • Bonus Buy : It's hard to beat a Bonus Buy game if you want to focus on features because they allow you to purchase your way straight into a bonus round.

2. Choose High RTP Titles for Increased Winning Chances

No matter if you're in Las Vegas or playing on the Internet, there are some secrets in the casino online world, but the idea that different titles have different RTP levels is not one of them. With RTP, you get an idea of the percentage of wagers that are paid back to players in winnings, on average, so playing a higher RTP is a great slot strategy for obvious reasons but understand that these games are usually boring to play. In what follows, we'll give you an overview of some of the titles in this genre with the highest RTP levels available to make it easy to pick out something to start with.

Slot RTP Software Play At Mega Joker 99.0% Net Entertainment 888 Retro Reels Extreme Heat 97.5% Microgaming Royal Vegas Blood Suckers 98.0% Net Entertainment Kingdom 1429 Uncharted Seas 98.6% Thunderkick Zodiac Jackpot 6000 98.9% Net Entertainment Captain Cooks Devil's Delight 97.6% Net Entertainment Golden Tiger Alaxe in Zombieland 98.0% Microgaming Jackpot City Kings of Chicago 97.8% Net Entertainment Yukon Gold Supernova 97.05% Microgaming Quatro Starmania 97.87% NextGen LeoVegas

3. Understand Volatility (how it impacts on slots strategy)

Volatility is a measure of how severe and frequent you can expect your swings to be, and they're one of the ways that beginners can sort through the titles that don't have the play style they might prefer. If you'd prefer a smoother experience with minimal swings, then targeting low volatility titles is a high-rated slot casino strategy that you'll want to follow to improve your experience, for example. Likewise, titles with a progressive jackpot tend to have a much higher volatility level. Most players will play high volatility slots for the biggest wins. Down below, we'll look at the pros and cons of each type of experience.

  • Pros and Cons of High Volatility Slots

    • Higher top jackpots
    • Higher volatility levels with bigger wins
    • Action is the focus
    • Low stakes players can win sizable amounts
    • Less wins per spin
  • Pros and Cons of Low Volatility Slots

    • Smoother experience
    • More relaxing
    • Play with larger bet sizes
    • Variety in numbers of paylines or winning ways
    • No progressive jackpots
    • Big wins aren't typically available

4. Practice Different Strategies with Free Slots

A great way to figure out the greatest casino slot strategies for you is to practice with free online slots. You can play tons of popular games with no risk in a free demo mode with no download required so you can learn all the slots rules. Along these lines, you can play for fun in your web browser no matter which type of computer you use, and you can even get in practice spins on your smartphone or tablet with a mobile browser app and no registration required.

5. Use Free Spins and No Deposit Casino Bonuses

Keeping yourself from having any risk while still potentially having a real money reward is a good approach in virtually anything, and it's actually a solid slot strategy online. The main ways to do this are with free spins promo options and no deposit bonuses. If the idea of building up a bankroll from scratch appeals to you, or if you're just on a budget and want a chance to win something without any risk, these deals can be a good way to go. However, there are other good bonus options, which we look at below.

Casino Bonus Bonus Terms Ruby Fortune 40 Free Spins for $1 $1 min deposit, 200x wagering requirement Zodiac 80 Free Spins for $1 $1 min deposit, 200x wagering requirement Captain Cooks 100 Free Spins for $5 $5 min deposit, 200x wagering requirement Quatro Up to 700 Free Spins $10 min deposit, FS for 7 days (up to 100/day), 200x wagering Jackpot City 80 Free Spins for $1 $1 min deposit, 70x wagering requirement

6. Understand the Payout Table

One of the best tricks that we can teach players that will help them to decide if a particular title is a good fit is to learn how to read a pay table. This will seem like just a list of numbers to you at first, but you can use them to assess the approximate volatility and other aspects of what the experience is likely to feel like. For example, if there are a lot of low payouts without many high ones, then you probably have a low-volatility game.

7. Choose Games with Special Bonus Features for More Wins

Bonus features give you more opportunities to win a wider range of prizes, and focusing on games that have the types of features that appeal to you is a critical slot casino strategy that's necessary for having the best experience possible. For example, wild symbols will always lower the volatility and increase the hit chance per spin with all else equal. Many players don't know how wide the range of available bonus rounds and features can actually be. Below are the most common.

  • Wild Symbols : These substitutes for whatever symbol will give you the best payout on a per-line or per-way basis.
  • Free Spins : Many types of free spin features exist, but what they all have in common is giving you extra chances to win by spinning the reels with no cost.
  • Multipliers : This feature multiplies your wins by a given amount, which is sometimes applied within a randomized range.
  • Re-spins Features : You'll see the reels spin again at no cost, sometimes with certain positions or reels held in place to increase your chances to win.

This is not the complete list of features you'll find so be sure to visit our slots rules page to get the full list and explanations.

8. Use Online Slots Betting Options

The most effective betting strategies at slot casinos aren't necessarily concerned with the difference between playing for a penny or a dollar. Instead, they're more concerned with making sure that you're getting the best RTP per spin that you can. For example, this can include playing with all available paylines activated. Additionally, there are sometimes side bet options that increase the average RTP, but keep in mind that this is typically in exchange for increased volatility as well. By choosing your betting options correctly, you can maximize your chances to come out ahead.

9. Try Progressive Jackpots for the Biggest Wins

In our reviews of the different places to enjoy slots, we have found over and over that the largest wins always come from progressive jackpots. As such, many players are incredibly interested in these titles if they are focused on chances for big payouts over everything else. Down below, we have put together a selection of some of the highest paying progressive slots. If big winning potential is what you care about the most, then the best online slot game selection strategy for you will start with picking from games like these.

  • Mega Moolah

    Mega Moolah : Produced by Microgaming, now Games Global, this 25-payline title has a 93.42% RTP before its four progressive titles are accounted for, and you can play for as little as $0.25 per turn. Its largest payout is always worth $1 million, but it has clocked in at $20.1 million before, which was the largest online progressive jackpot ever in history at the time.

  • Mega Fortune

    Mega Fortune : The biggest progressive available from Net Entertainment is Mega Fortune with its wealth-based theme and $1 million minimum top prize. It previously held the world record with a top win of about $19.5 million before that was broken by Mega Moolah, and its 96.6% RTP with average jackpot values included and $0.25 min bet size are both impressive.

  • Wheel of Wishes

    Wheel of Wishes : Also by Microgaming, this game ties into their WowPot progressive with a minimum $2 million prize. This jackpot also holds the record for the largest win online at about $42.1 million. The average RTP comes in around 93.34% depending on the jackpot values, and you only need just $0.10 per round to play.

  • Jackpot Giant

    Jackpot Giant : Playtech really delivered with the 50-payline Jackpot Giant title with a $0.50 minimum wager and a 94.22% RTP. Its largest win ever was about $11.7 million, which is obviously a life-changing sum of money, and it goes to show that this software giant is competitive in every realm.

  • Joker Millions

    Joker Millions : Developed by Yggdrasil, this title has a 94.3% RTP and only needs $0.25 per spin to qualify. One lucky player was able to nail down a jackpot worth around $8.6 million on this game, the largest win it has ever awarded. If you like classic themed titles in a modern format, this is a video slot that will definitely appeal to you.

10. Adhere to Responsible Gambling Advice and Have Fun

Solid bankroll management and responsible gambling are key components of any slots strategy. You want to always play within your budget and put yourself in a situation where you do not run through a deposit too quickly. Doing so will mean that you're out of the game, and if you can't play, then you can't win. This is why it's typically better to use a more moderate bet sizing and pace yourself over time. We also recommend looking for minimum deposit casinos with generous bonuses.

Dos and Don'ts of Playing Slots Online in 2024

We realize that we've presented a lot of the slot casino strategies available and that it may be overwhelming, especially for new players. To this end, we have put together a simple list of "dos and don'ts" to make it easier to get started. Once you have a foundation and understand what you're aiming for, you can then more easily fit more advanced strategies into your overall approach.

5 Do's to Help with Online Slots Strategy

We show below what players should be aiming for on the most basic level to have the best experience possible. Note that this doesn't necessarily mean taking every single small edge possible, but instead, it balances solid winning chances with other conveniences and best practices.

  1. Understand the Game : Make sure that you know how the game works that you're playing before you get started, especially if it has side bets or a jackpot that you need to qualify for.
  2. Set a Budget : Before making your first real money wager, you should set your budget. This will make it easier to stick to solid bankroll management guidelines.
  3. Take Advantage of Bonuses : Promotions and bonuses can give you a great value by paying you for playing titles you would have been enjoying anyway.
  4. Choose a Reputable Casino : If you want to make sure that the games are fair and that you will be paid promptly, don't play with shady or unlicensed sites.
  5. Have Fun : Remember that the whole reason that you're playing is to have a good time. If you aren't having fun, then take a step back and reevaluate your approach.

5 Don'ts When Playing Online Slots

Sometimes having a good experience is as much about what you do as what you don't do. That's why we have a list of things to avoid in the following that we think players should be sure to pay attention to closely.

  1. Don't Spend More Than You Can Afford to Lose : This is the core tenet that all players should follow when it comes to money management.
  2. Don't Chase Losses : Remember that you begin each betting round with the same position, meaning that you should try to make the best decisions possible.
  3. Don't Play Games You Don't Enjoy : Do not feel pressured to play titles just because they are new, popular or trendy. Stick to what you like.
  4. Don't Sign Up With a Casino Without Checking It Out First : You need to have a look around to see if they are legitimate and if you like what they bring to the table.
  5. Don't Chase Progressive Jackpots : In most cases, progressives have the same chance to trigger on each individual bet. That means there is no advantage to chasing these jackpots.

FAQs

  • Do slot strategies really work?

    Yes, you can increase your chances of winning with these tips.
  • How hard is it to win on slot machines?

    This depends on the volatility of the game, but it's not difficult in general.
  • What is the best strategy for casino slots in 2024?

    Game selection is the most important one to learn. To understand more, we recommend reading our guide on the different types of online slots available.
  • What's the best bonus to claim when playing for real money?

    We recommend large welcome bonuses for real money slot players.
  • What is RNG software?

    This is the program that generates randomness for the games.
  • How important is RTP when learning about slots strategy?

    It's pretty important, but it's not the only factor.
  • Can online slots strategies guarantee wins?

    No strategy can guarantee a win, but you can increase your chances.
  • Can I win real cash using a no deposit free spins bonus?

    Yes, real money wins are available with these promos.
  • How do you win a progressive jackpot?

    Most modern progressives give wins at random or by hitting a particular feature.
  • Does betting the max increase my odds of winning?

    This depends on the game, but in general, it does not affect your chances of winning.
 Amanda Evans
Written by
Amanda Evans - Chief Editor

Amanda has been involved with all aspects of the content creation at Top10Casinos.com including research, planning, writing and editing. The dynamic environment has kept her engaged and continually learning which along with +15 years iGaming experience helped propel her into the Chief Editor role.

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