Getting Started: How To Play Online Slots
The Beginner’s Guide to Playing Online Slots
One of the first questions for any new player stepping up to the reels often is often about how to win at online slots.
It’s a great question, and while there's no guaranteed way of landing winning combinations and payouts on online slot machines, you can still learn a lot about these exciting machines.
Just starting out on your slots journey? We’re here to help at Virgin Games.
Sit back and read on as we take you through all the basics of playing slot games, from matching symbols to jackpots.
Getting Started With Online Slot Games
Ready to play? Here’s everything you need to know before stepping into the world of online slots in the UK…
Try Out Online Slot Demos
Get to grips with the reels by trying out free online slots in demo mode before putting any real cash down.
A free demo mode is available on all our video slots, giving new players a close-up view of the machines and how they work. Learn about the most valuable symbols, find out how to trigger bonus features, and see how winning combinations connect.
We’d recommend testing as many games as possible to work out your top slots to play online for real money. Jump in and give it a go!
Pick a Bet Size
After discovering your favourite game or two from playing our slots in demo mode, it’s important to think about a bankroll before playing the real thing.
Unfamiliar with the term? Let us explain - a bankroll is the amount of money you’re willing to spend on online gaming over a set amount of time. That could be a session, a day, a week or a month.
One way to help with that is by choosing a range of bet sizes that are suitable for your budget. Take a look at casino slots like Cleopatra and Lucky Lady’s Charm Deluxe that can be spun from just 1p.
Head into the lobby after signing in to find the bet sizes for every game in our locker, and don’t forget to set up deposit limits to help with your budget and bankroll.
Start Playing Online Slot Machines
Let’s get going. Once you’ve found a game and decided on a budget and bet size, simply enter the lobby and hit the ‘Spin’ button to kick start the action.
But how do you hit a win on online slots? Read on as we cover everything you need to know.
Winning Combinations
Depending on the type of online slot being played, winning combinations are triggered in different ways. It can be confusing at first, but don’t worry - you’ll pick it up in no time.
We’ll kick things off with the classic paylines…
Paylines
Most slot machines use paylines to evaluate winning symbols, whether that’s online or in land-based casinos.
If paylines are used, wins will only count starting from the left-hand side of the reels. Matching symbols must land in set patterns based on the number of available lines, which can be horizontal, diagonal or even zigzag. Find every payline for a specific game on its information page.
Three identical symbols are normally required to form a win. The more symbols that form a combination, the more valuable the payout will be.
Ways to Win
As technology has evolved, so have slot machines - and this led to many modern games moving away from paylines in favour of ‘ways to win’.
With this mechanic, matching symbols no longer have to appear on a predetermined line to pay out, they just have to land on adjacent reels.
A great example of this is the increasingly popular Megaways slots, which can have over 200,000 ways to win! Reels can change size on every spin to display a different number of symbols, meaning there are more chances to win.
As with payline slots, three matching symbols normally result in a winning combination.
Cluster Pays
Cluster pays games took the evolution of slots to the next level by removing reels and replacing the classic mechanic with a grid.
These machines don’t feature lines, and wins are awarded when identical symbols land in adjacent positions and create a cluster. You’ll usually need at least five symbols to form a cluster, but this can vary in each game.
After the cluster has been paid out, those symbols are generally removed from the grid. This leaves space for new symbols to appear, and potentially generate more winning clusters. So, you could be paid out several times from just one bet! What’s not to like?
How Else Can You Win at Online Slots?
Now you know all the basics about matching symbols, it’s time to go to the next step. There are many ways to win when playing slots online, so here are a few things to look out for.
Online Slot Bonus Games
There are big wins to play for in bonus rounds! These are normally awarded by hitting a certain number of symbols on a spin, such as Wild or Scatter symbols, but they can also be unlocked by hitting consecutive cascades.
Thanks to the rise in video slots, there are a host of innovative bonus features nowadays. Enjoy some free spins, re-spins, unlimited win multipliers, Walking Wild symbols and much more. We’ve got all the info in this blog about bonus rounds.
Progressive Jackpot Slots
Check out our thrilling progressive jackpots, which give you the chance to win some incredible prizes.
There are two different progressive jackpot types to experience at Virgin Games. We have plenty of exciting Jackpot King games from Red Tiger, one of the most popular slot providers in the industry. The Jackpot King Bonus can randomly trigger on any spin on these games, with huge multipliers plus the coveted jackpot to play for.
Next up is our collection of red-hot Daily Jackpot slots, where not one, not two, but three progressive pots are up for grabs! Two of these drop every day, while the Quick Hit award can be claimed several times throughout the week.
Not a high roller? No problem. Jackpots can be awarded on any bet size, but players who use bigger stakes have a better chance of landing the prize.
Check the Return to Player Rate
Be sure to check out all the information in the game lobby before playing once you’ve signed in, including the RTP/Return to Player percentage.
The higher the RTP, the lower the slot variance is. This means you are likely to win real money more regularly, but there is a smaller chance of hitting a big payout from a jackpot, for example.
High variance slots include more valuable prizes, though winning combinations will land on the reels less frequently, and the size of payouts can vary quite widely. It all depends on the type of player you are.
Remember to Gamble Responsibly
We want all players to have fun playing online slot games with us. Our range of Responsible Gambling tools includes session reminders and deposit limits, which will help you stay in control when spinning the reels.
Experience thrilling moments on more than 900 online slots at Virgin Games! Sign up, deposit and play with £10 to get 30 free spins on the classic slot Double Bubble*.