Read this oddschecker guide about video slots and how to play with them. Claim exclusive offers and win at casino slots with no deposit bonuses or free spins no deposit!

Apr 13 2025, 6:05pm | 12 min read

If you’re just getting started exploring casino games online, you’ve probably found that there are lots of video slot machines. Video slots are some of the most popular games available to play online right now – and with thousands of them available, it’s often difficult to narrow down your choices.

But what are video slots exactly? In this guide, we’ll explore how to play video slot machines, how to win at video slots, and which machines are the most popular. By the end of this article, you’ll have a clear idea of why these games are so huge right now.

What are video slots?
What type of video slot machines exist?
What strategy is best to play video slots?
FAQs: What are video slots?

What are video slots?

Video slots are casino games based around the classic fruit machine setup and mechanisms. In these games, you usually have at least three reels and three rows of symbols that you spin. At the end of the spin, if you match any symbols on a payline, you can win a prize.

Of course, over the years, there have been huge advances made in video slot design. Now, you’ll find games with more rows and reels – such as Almighty Buffalo and Dancing Drums – which aim to extend gameplay and make things more interesting.

Specifically, video slots are slot machine games that are designed either for the web, or for standalone machines in casinos and gaming centers. Unlike traditional fruit machines and slot games, video slots run on software – there are no physical working parts. It’s a bit like playing a video game with a slot theme.

That said, there are plenty of video slots out there that borrow from old-school slot mechanics. Games such as Big Bass Bonanza, 9 Masks of Fire and Razor Shark all clearly take inspiration from traditional games.

It’s easy to assume that all video slot games work the same way and have the same features. That’s not the case! There are numerous video slot game developers out there – such as Microgaming, IGT and NetEnt – that have led the way for innovative slot game design online for decades.

What’s more, keep in mind that even among the most popular games with the most frequent payouts, the odds of winning when you play slots are always going to vary. Even if one video slot tells you that it has higher payout percentages than most, there’s never any guarantee that you’re going to win.

Keep this in mind when you play slots for the first time. Don’t chase wins or hunt down bonus features and know when to stop playing with careful bankroll management.

So, before you assume that classic titles such as Big Bass Splash, Immortal Romance and Wolf Gold are going to give you the same video slot experience every single time, let’s run through a few of the different types available.

How to play video slots

Let’s quickly run through how to play video slots. Remember, the style and setup of each game varies, so just take this as a general guide:

First, set your bet amount. You can normally do this by using arrows on the main play screen.
Choose how many paylines you’d like to play on, if you can. In many games, paylines are fixed, while in others, the number of paylines that appear will change from spin to spin.
Read the game’s paytable, which, again, is available from the main play screen. The paytable tells you how much you could win depending on different symbol combinations, and how bonus features work.
Click or tap the spin or play button and the reels will spin. Once they settle, they will tell you if you’ve made any winning combinations and if you’ve won a prize.
Sometimes, you can unlock bonus features such as free spins rounds. If you line up the right symbols to do this, the bonus feature will launch and play out.

Most video slots are now completely mobile-friendly. This means that they’re designed specifically for casino apps you can use on smartphones and tablets.

Now that you know how to play video slot machines, let’s take a closer look at the different types out there currently.

What type of video slot machines exist?

Not all video slot machines are created equally. There are many different ways to play these games online, and it always pays to read their paytables carefully before you start.

Here’s a quick breakdown of some of the most popular and common types of video slot machines, both online and offline.

Standard or classic video slots

As mentioned, there are plenty of video slots that follow the traditional slot machine template. These games usually give you a simple play grid with reels and rows, and a range of symbols to look for.

In these games, you’ll typically need to look for ‘Wild’ symbols, which can replace other symbols on paylines to create winning combinations. In many cases, there are also bonus rounds you can unlock with ‘scatter’ symbols, which give you free spins or multiplier opportunities.

These games are some of the easiest to get into if you’re new to video slots. Some of the most popular video slots following the standard template include Sugar Rush, Da Vinci Diamonds and Book of Dead. In-person video slots that are popular with players include Double Diamond and Ultimate Fire Link.

Some classic video slots take the basic template and add some fantastic twists. For example, the iconic Starburst lets you play from left to right and right to left. Cash Eruption, meanwhile, has a creative symbol mechanic while still borrowing from traditional game templates and aesthetics.

Megaways and multi-line games

Megaways is just one brand of multi-line video slot games available to play online. These games expand the usual format of three to five reels and give you tens of thousands of paylines per spin. In some cases, these games change the number of paylines available on each spin.

This means that you never really know what to expect, and that, hypothetically, there are lots more ways to win compared to traditional video slots. That said, the odds and volatility of these games are still uncertain. Just because one video slot has more paylines than another doesn’t mean that it’s going to be easier to win at, or that the odds are better.

Some of the biggest slot games available with thousands of paylines include Buffalo Blitz, Bonanza and Hypernova Megaways.

Cluster pays slots

Cluster pays video slots give players large grids full of tiny symbols that fill up on every spin. In these games, you usually need to arrange matching symbols together to create a winning cluster rather than a typical payline, which then breaks away.

One of the most popular and most creative cluster pays video slot games is Reactoonz, which has unsurprisingly launched a number of spinoffs.

Flat jackpot video slots

Flat top or flat jackpot slots are games that offer big prizes that never change. These are fixed top prizes that you can play for at any time, and that carry the same odds regardless of where you play it.

Some video slot machines have several fixed or flat jackpots to unlock, which players can strike for by lining up scatter symbols or activating a random event.

Again, the odds of winning flat jackpots will vary, and just because a game has a handful of jackpot prizes doesn’t mean that the odds of you winning them are high.

Some of the biggest flat jackpot video slots we recommend are Fortune Coin, Rich Little Piggies and Gold Blitz. These frequently appear on jackpot slot apps.

Progressive jackpot video slots

Progressive slots have some of the most substantial prizes across the industry. Available both online and offline, progressive prize games let you play for jackpots that grow into the millions.

The reason for this is that progressive video slots are all linked together across different casinos. Anyone playing these specific games at different casinos all have an equal chance at winning the prizes.

Progressive jackpot prizes increase in value as more and more people make bets. Each bet adds to the prize total. In some cases, video slots offer a ‘ceiling’ such as a ‘must win by’ total, which means that the top prize will drop by the time it reaches that amount.

Progressive jackpot slot games we recommend include the brilliant Divine Fortune and Sweet Bonanza.

Some games have progressive sweep slots variations – meaning that you can play them for free at social casinos and sweeps sites.

Bonus buy video slots

In most video slot games, there is a bonus round or feature that you can unlock by spinning the right symbols into view. However, with bonus buy slots, you can buy the feature outright.

This means that you must pay a specific bet amount and risk your potential reward from the bonus that awaits. This can be a highly risky move, and if you’re just getting started with video slots, it’s not something we always recommend.

That said, you can still enjoy playing bonus buy video slots without actually buying the bonus! Games that offer this feature as part of a broader experience include Wanted Dead Or A Wild and Gates of Olympus.

This really isn’t the full extent of the number of different types of slot games out there. There are also Slingo games, for example, which blend bingo and slot gaming together as one.

You’ll also find that there are crash casino games, which aren’t traditional slots, but which let you ‘cash out or crash out’ and decide when you think a specific event is going to happen.

Then, there are also VR slots – games where you can play slots in virtual reality casinos. These games aren’t completely mainstream yet, but they are well on the way.

If you explore slot games and decide that they’re not for you, most casinos offering these games will also have game shows and online table games you can try.

What strategy is best to play video slots?

Let’s be clear – there are no shortcuts or cheat codes for video slots. If you want to know how to win at video slots, the best technique is simply being patient. Regulated games are designed with random number generation (RNG) technology, which means that every outcome on every spin is completely random.

That said, there are a few things you can do if you want to make the most of your games. Here are a few quick tips:

Look for welcome bonuses, free spins packages and no deposit deals at online casinos. Make sure that you read their terms and conditions carefully, of course! These deals can help to boost your video slot bankroll, so you can potentially play for longer without making more deposits.
Practice careful bankroll management. Set yourself clear upper and lower limits for when you intend to walk away from a video slot. Otherwise, you could end up playing irresponsibly and losing money you can’t afford on gambling.
Use your chosen casino’s responsible gambling tools if you’re playing online. Regulated casinos will have tools and support teams to help you manage your money and even restrict your account if you wish.
Look at RTP and volatility. RTP, or Return to Player, tells you how likely a game is to pay out over its lifetime. Volatility tells you if a game is likely to pay out frequently but in low amounts (low volatility), or if it pays out substantial prizes but very rarely (high volatility).
Look carefully at paytables and make sure that you understand how a game works before getting started. Check that you’ve set a bet level you can afford and that you know how many paylines you are playing on.
Check out a range of games from top developers. You don’t have to stick to the same one or two video slots unless you really want to! There’s a chance that one particular game might not suit your play style.

FAQs: What are video slots?

Now that you know how to win on video slot machines, let’s close with a few answers to some commonly asked questions about video slots.

What is the difference between normal slots and video slots?

Video slots are digital games that are designed for online casinos and standalone units in gaming centers. Traditional or normal slots use physical reels and buttons, whereas video slots all take place on screens.

Can a video slot have a jackpot?

Yes! There are many different video slot games that have jackpot prizes. Some have flat jackpots that are fixed, while others have progressive jackpots that increase as long as people keep placing bets.