Glossary of Slot Machine Terminology with Definitions (2024)

Our slot machine glossary provides the most important terms and definitions in the land-based and online slots industry. Slot machine manufacturers use a lot of industry jargon to describe their games. Players invent a lot of slang terms to describe their favorite and least favorite parts of the global slot machine community.

Bookmark our slot machine terminology, then refer to it when a new word or phrase stumps you. No one can know every aspect of slots at first, so keep these terms and definitions handy.

Key Takeaways:

  • Beginning slot machine players should reference a complete slot machine glossary when they start to play the slots.
  • A good glossary should have the most important terminology. That includes an easy-to-find alphabetical list of terms and a simple definition.
  • Our slot machine glossary includes key terms from the tribal, commercial, online, and mobile slots industries.

RATED

CASINO

SIGNUP BONUS

> > > > >

1

Glossary of Slot Machine Terminology with Definitions (1)

  • 200% Casino Bonus up to $5,000

2

Glossary of Slot Machine Terminology with Definitions (2)

  • 500% Exclusive Welcome Bonus

3

Glossary of Slot Machine Terminology with Definitions (3)

  • 320% up to $3,000

4

Glossary of Slot Machine Terminology with Definitions (4)

  • 250% up to $2,500

5

Glossary of Slot Machine Terminology with Definitions (5)

  • 400% Crypto Welcome Bonus

6

Glossary of Slot Machine Terminology with Definitions (6)

  • 50% Welcome Bonus up to $250 in Free Bets

7

Glossary of Slot Machine Terminology with Definitions (7)

  • $8,000 Bonus + 100 Spins

Where can I find a comprehensive slot machine glossary with the key terms and definitions I need to know?

Read through the slot glossary below. In all, we have 172 terms that players should know when they start betting on the one-armed bandits. Our terminology list includes definitions of the words, along with a quick explanation when it’s needed. Every so often, we’ll update the list when new terms are invented.

Slot Machine Glossary

comprehensive slot machine glossary is organized alphabetically. Whether they play at online casinos or in brick-and-mortar gaming venues, that should help players as they learn how slot machines work.

A

Active Payline: A payline that pays out when a winning combination hits it. To make a payline active, you must bet enough coins to activate it.

Add-On: In a slot tournament, when a player can pay to add more money to their bankroll.

All Ways: A rule where winning combinations can appear on the reels as long as the same symbol appears on the reels going from left to right.

Aristocrat Leisure: The largest Australian slot machine manufacturer. Aristocrat is known for games like Buffalo Slots and Lightning Link and is now a global slot manufacturer.

Auto Spin: Most slot machines now allow players to program automatic spins. These can be 2 to 100 in many cases. You program in the bet size, then watch as the game automatically plays itself. You don’t have to hit “Spin.”

B-BE

Bankroll: The amount of money a slot player has set aside for their slot sessions. This should be disposable income that does not affect the player’s quality of life.

Bankroll Management: A technique that players use to calculate bankroll and use proper bet sizes. It also uses “loss limits” and “win goals” to limit the length of slot sessions, so players lock in winnings and don’t chase losses.

Bet Min: The minimum bet allowed on a slot machine.

Bet Max: The maximum bet allowed on a slot machine. This often means betting 5 coins, whatever the denomination is. Making the max bet sometimes unlocks the largest jackpot size.

Betting (Bet): The amount of money a player stakes on a slot machine spin.

Betsoft: One of the largest online slot producers for offshore casino sites that accept US players.

Betting Ticket: Once a player ends a gaming session, modern slot machines print out a betting ticket. This can be taken to a cashier or a cashout machine to receive paper money.

BI-BR

Big Bertha: The nickname given to giant slot machines placed near the entrance of casinos to attract attention. Named for the original Big Bertha slots back in the 1960s, so-named because they were huge mechanical contraptions.

Big Time Gaming: An Australian online pokies developer founded in 2011. BTG is known for its Megaways slot games, including games like Monopoly Megaways, Slot Vegas Megaquads, and Extra Chilli Megaways.

Big Wheel: A bonus game awarded on certain WMS slots. It is a wheel of fortune with slots for prize money and free spins. Some have 500x or 1000x the original bet. Some games refer to it as a gold wheel spin.

Bonus Features: The special features used to attract players. Free spins, multipliers, wild symbols, and scatter symbols are some of the most popular bonus features.

Bonus Game: A special mode triggered by the reel symbols. Bonus games do not require additional bets, but give players a chance to win bonus money. Often triggered by scatter symbols, bonus games often have free spins and multipliers.

Branded Slot: The same as a licensed slot. The theme is based on a licensed pop culture property. Games might be based on the Beverly Hillbillies tv show, Playboy Magazine, Michael Jackson, or The Avengers movies.

C-CH

Candle: The light that goes off when a fruit machine hits. Some candles look like a police siren.

Cascading Wild: When the wild symbol appear, it cascades down the reel — covering whichever reels it hits.

Cashback: Another reward given to people by their slot club rewards. Like a credit card, you’ll get a certain rebate for the money you wager in a casino. It’s the offline equivalent of a reload bonus.

Cash Out: When you want to end your slot session, you hit the “Cash Out” button. The machine prints out your ticket, which you can use to collect cash. This is done with an attendant or a cash machine.

Certified Slot: A gaming machine certified to have a return to player between 98% and 100%. Since players flock to them, the certification is well-marked.

CICO: Coin-in, coin-out. This tracks the amount of money wagered and the amount paid out.

Charles Fey: The San Francisco-based German-American entrepreneur who created the first popular slot machine, the Liberty Bell, in 1895.

CL-CR

Class II Slots: Tribal slot machines. These use Bingo-style gaming to get the result, which makes the games legal under US and state gambling laws. Many players would not recognize the little bingo card in the top corner of the screen, so they look like regular slots.

Class III Slots: Las Vegas-style slot machines. These are found in commercial casinos throughout the United States and the world.

Classic Slots: An early slot machine that used mechanical reels to determine results. These were usually 3-reel machines with limited symbols, because more reels didn’t fit on slots row as well.

Coin: The traditional way to make a bet. Most machines now use electronic payment methods, but the machine adds up the bet by a certain number of coins.

Coin Denomination: A flexible system for betting. Slot machines often allow 10 to 15 different denominations. For instance, a machine might have 1-cent, 2-cent, 5-cent, 10-cent, quarter, half-dollar, dollar, $5, $10, $20, and $100 bets.

Cold Slot: A slot machine that has not paid out in a while. Based on the gambler’s fallacy, this is a slot machine myth.

Comps: Free stuff players receive when they bet a lot of money on the slot machines. Examples of comps are free meals, free hotel rooms, free tickets to shows, and free vacations.

Credit: The amount of money a player has placed in a machine. If you put a $20 into a machine, you start with $20 credit. As the player wins and loses spins, the credit amount fluctuates.

D

Demo Slots: When clicking on an online slot icon, the software asks players if they want to play for real money or “Practice.” Each game has a free version with the same rules, graphics, gameplay, and controls. These are demo slots.

Double Up Slots: Another name for the Gamble Feature. When a player wins money, a feature on the game gives them the chance to go double-or-nothing.

Drops: A special feature where symbols “drop” into its reel placement instead of spinning on the reel. Used for cascading wilds, stacked wilds, and similar situations.

E

EGM: Electronic gaming machine. A legal term for electronic slot machines.

Eight-Liner: Term used for a slot machine-style game in Texas. Eight-liners are found in gas stations and convenience stores. Individual towns and cities can legalize them, but the establishment cannot pay out cash. Groceries, gas, or lottery tickets are often the prizes.

Electronic Slots: Slot machines that use a computer chip and software to determine results. They also use a video screen to display results.

Expanding Wild: Instead of a wild symbol that covers one reel symbol, it expands to cover an entire reel.

Expected Return: Another term for return to player or RTP.

Exploding Wild: When the wild symbol appears, it “explodes” to cover the adjacent reel symbols.

Extender Tournament: A slot tournament with add-ons and rebuys.

F

Feature: A special game or bonus that gives players another way to win. Includes interactive games, free spins, multipliers, and pick-and-win games.

Feature Bay: Allows players to pay to access a slot’s bonus round. Similar to paying for loot boxes in video games.

Free Games: At online casinos, the same as free spins.

Fixed Jackpot: The top prize on a game. Also called a flat-top prize, these have a set amount and never increase.

Free Play: Free spins offered by casinos for players who sign up for the slot club.

Free Spins: The ability to win money without making a bet. Many slot machine designers call these “free games.”

Five Liner: A classic slot machine with 5 paylines.

Fruit Machine: A term for a slot machine mostly used in the United Kingdom. Often found in pubs, these are so-called because the reel symbols are fruit.

G

Gamble Feature: A special feature on a video slot that allows players to go double-or-nothing on a prize they just won. It’s a 50/50 chance to double your jackpot, but at the risk of losing the whole prize.

Gambler’s Fallacy: Also known as the Monte Carlo fallacy, this is the belief that events are less likely to occur in the future if it has occurred more often in the recent past. This fallacy exists only when results are truly random.

Games Per Hour: The number of spins that a slot machine can play in an hour. Some slots can sustain 500 games per hour.

Grid Slot: Instead of having reels, the game uses a grid of symbols with various winning combinations. Another way to avoid paylines, usually with cluster pays instead of winning lines.

H

Hammer a Machine: Playing a single slot machine for an extensive set of time.

Handpay: Slot term for a jackpot large enough that the casino pays out in cash. The player must sign paperwork declaring the win to the IRS or other tax officials. Handpay sizes vary from jurisdiction, but often are $600, $1200, or even $5000.

Hit: A slang term for a winning spin. Hits can be small ($0.20) or huge progressive jackpots.

Hit and Run: Quick gaming sessions where the player cashes out after receiving a small win. They move on to another slot machine quickly.

Hit Frequency: A percentage statistic that describes how often a slot machine provides a winning spin.

Hold: The casino’s term for the house edge. If a game has a 5% hold, that means it pays back 95% of the bet to the player (on average.)

Hold Percentage: Another way to express the house edge or casinoa advantage. Expressed in percentages, it is the portion of the wager the casino keeps.

Hot Drop Jackpot: A feature at online casinos where random jackpots happen through the day. Some have a Hot Drop jackpot every hour. When these happen, they are called “drops.”

Hot Slot: A slot machine that seems to be paying out frequently. Based on the gambler’s fallacy, this is a slot machine myth.

House Edge: The casino’s advantage in a percentage amount. If a game has a 3% house edge, then you can expect to lose $3 for every $100 wagered on the game.

I

International Game Technology: IGT is the largest slot machine manufacturer in the world. It is known for MegaBucks, Wheel of Fortune, and countless other branded slots.

Instant Winner: A slot machine that pays out a jackpot as soon as the player hits “Spin.”

iReels: Interactive reels. A feature by Bally that led to their innovative U-Spin feature. The first game to use it was Cash Spin.

i-Slot: An interactive slot. This is a slot machine that features characters, storylines, and narratives that change based on players’ decisions.

J

Jackpot: The largest payout on a slot machine. Slots can have fixed or progressive jackpots.

K

Konami: A Japanese slot machine designer. Konami began as a video game designer.

L

Lever: The arm used to spin the reels on mechanical slots. The reason slots were called one-armed bandits. Some modern electronic slots have a lever, though it’s no longer necessary.

Liberty Bell: The first popular slot machine invented by Charles Fey in 1895. Others built machines as early as 1893, but the Liberty Bell gained widespread fame.

Licensed Slot: A slot machine theme where the designer licenses the rights to pop culture intellectual property. Examples include movies, TV shows, comic books, or famous musical acts.

Light & Wonder: The new corporate name for Scientific Games (SG). Owner of famous slot manufacturers like WMS and Bally Technologies.

Lightning Link: Slot game from Aristocrat which contains four games. All of the games have a Grand Progressive jackpot, adjustable bet levels, and the hold & spin feature. The games include Tiki Fire, Happy Lantern, Moon Race, and High Stakes.

Lightning Link Evolved: Also called Lightning Dollar Link, a new version of Lightning Link that features Checkered Flag, Chica Bonita, Corrida de Toros, and Kung Fu Master.

Line: Another name for a payline.

Linked Progressive Jackpot: The same as a networked progressive jackpot. This is a network of machines that feed the same accumulated jackpot.

Local Area Progressive Jackpot: Slots networked with other slots in the casino. These jackpots do not grow as fast as a wide-area progressive jackpot.

Loose Slot: A machine with a high payout percentage, giving a player a better chance at a winning session.

Low-Level Slot: A slot machine cabinet that has a built-in seat.

M-ME

Mega Moolah: A progressive online slot game from Microgaming. Mega Moolah has produced the most Top 10 jackpots in online slots history.

MegaBucks: A Nevada-based progressive slot machine from IGT. MegaBucks Slots are a wide-area progressive jackpot that has produced most of the Top 10 jackpots in land-based slot machine history.

Megaclusters Slot: A type of cluster pay slot machine from Big Time Gaming out of Australia. When a winning combination hits, the winning symbol splits into four smaller symbols — giving a chance for large cluster wins. Examples include Vegas Rush, Diamond Fruits, Cyberslot Megaclusters, Millionaire Rush, Kluster Krystals, and Star Clusters Megaclusters.

Megaways Slot: A type of “Ways to Win” slot machine with a massive number of ways to win. Instead of 243 ways to win or 1024 ways to win, these games have 100,000+ ways to win. Examples include Monopoly Megaways by Big Time Gaming, Gonzo’s Quest Megaways by Red Tiger Gaming, Divine Fortune Megaways by NetEnt, and Power of Thor Megaways by Pragmatic Play.

Mechanical Slot: A slot machine before the inception of random number generators. Instead of using software for results, the machine used mechanical reels. Also called classic slots.

MI-MU

Microgaming: Online slot machine developer that’s been in business since 1994. Microgaming claims to be the oldest online slot provider, but it’s certainly one of the most widespread.

Mobile Slot: Slot games played on a mobile smartphone. Uses gaming software to power the game, which is available on iPhone, Android phones, or other mobile devices.

Multi-Spin Slot: A game that offers multiple sets of reels. Four sets of reels are common, but multi-spin slots can have up to nine sets of reels.

Multi-Tiered Progressive Slot: A game with several independent progressive jackpots. Four jackpots are common, though other numbers are possible. A four-tiered jackpot includes a Mini, Minor, Major, and Grand Jackpot.

Multiplier: A game feature that multiplies the prize money by a factor of 2 or more. A 3x multiplier increases the prize by three times its normal amount. Multipliers can go as high as 50x or 100x the original prize.

N

Near Miss: When a slot reel nearly aligns but doesn’t hit. Near misses are perfect for the Nudge feature.

NetEnt: Net Entertainment is a leading online slot designer. Based out of Sweden, NetEnt began as a part of Cherry — a land-based slot producer. NetEnt is known for good graphics, branded games, and million-dollar jackpots.

Networked Slots: Slot machines that have their jackpots linked. Used for progressive slots, this allows the jackpot to grow quicker and larger. Can be land-based slots or online casinos, where gaming machines are linked across multiple casinos.

Nickel Slot: A slot machine where the bet denomination is 5 cents.

Number Symbols: The lowest level reel symbols. These display the ranks in a deck of cards: 10, J, Q, K, and A.

Nudge Slot: A game that allowed a player to push a nudge button to move the reel one spot to create a winning combination. The player had only a certain number of nudges. These are less popular now.

O

One-Armed Bandit: Longstanding term for a slot machine. So-called because mechanical slot machines had a level to pull, making the machine look like it had an arm. Also, slot machines tended to take players’ money.

Onesies: A slang term for betting only one coin per spin. This often fails to unlock the biggest jackpot.

Online Slot: Slot games played on a desktop computer or laptop. Uses gaming software to power the game. Often available at online casinos.

P

Payline: One of the winning alignments on the slot reels. Some paylines are vertical, horizontal, diagonal, or a combination of alignments. Original slots had 1 payline, but common payline numbers for games now are 3, 9, 15, 20, 25, 30, 50, and 100.

Paytable: A list of winning combinations that shows players how to win. Printed on the side of mechanical slots, these often now appear on the video screen when a player hits the information button (“i”).

Penny Slot: Gaming machines that allow players to make one-cent bets. A general term for EGMs used by low rollers.

Pick-and-Win Game: Interactive game where you pick a prize or make a choice to determine how much you win.

Playtech: Another early online slot developer. Playtech began operations in 1998.

Poker Machine: The common name for a slot machine in Australia. Aussies tend to called them by a nickname: “Pokies.”

Pokies: The nickname for a slot machine in Australia.

Progressive Jackpot: The top prize of a game, these prizes increase every time a spin happens and the top jackpot is not triggered.

Q

Quarter Slot: A slot machine where the bet denomination is 25 cents.

R

RealTime Gaming: Often known as RTG, it is the oldest online slot design house in the offshore gaming market. Founded in 1998 in Atlanta, RTG now operates out of Costa Rica.

Rebuy: In a slot tournament, a rule that lets players buy another bankroll once they bust out (go broke.)

Reel: The spinning wheel full of symbols located on a slot machine’s screen. Most games have three reels or five reels, though 6-reel and 7-reel slot machines are common.

Reel Symbols: The icons found on reels that unlock wins. If the symbols align in the right order, the player wins a prize.

Reloader Tournament: A slot tournament that allows multiple rebuys when the player busts out.

Respins: When a free spin mode allows players to re-trigger more free spins, it’s called the respin feature.

Return to Player: Often called RTP, this is the expected payback when you make a bet. If a slot has a 97% RTP, you can expect to win back $97 of every $100 wagered. Due to volatility, the actual payback amount is uncertain.

Rival Gaming: One of the most popular online slot developers in the US gaming market. Provides slots to offshore online casinos that accept play from Americans.

Rows: The number of horizontal lines on a slot machine. Three, four, and five are the most common number of rows. For 5-reel slots, the grids would be 5×3, 5×4, and 5×5.

SA-SK

Scatter Pays: A special symbol that triggers a random jackpot. They’re called scatter pays because they can appear anywhere on the reels, but trigger a prize.

Scatter Symbols: A special symbol on the reel that triggers bonus games. They’re called scatter symbols because they can appear anywhere on the reels.

Scientific Games: A lottery company that bought longtime slot manufacturers like Bally and WMS. SG also bought Shufflemaster. Now known as “Light & Wonder.”

Screen: The video board used to display reels on electronic slots.

Second Screen Bonus: The prize money won in a bonus game. The main game stops and a second screen appears. This often includes an interactive bonus game, but might include free spins.

Skill-Based Slot: Skill gaming machines are slots designed to act more like video games. Designers create skill slots to attract millennials and Gen Z players, who prefer an element of skill in their games. Legal in Nevada and New Jersey, but not every state.

Skill Bonus: A newer feature which allows players to collect bonus money based on their skill at the game. A part of skill-based slots.

Skill Stop: A feature that lets players choose when the reels stop, introducing an element of skill into the game.

SL-ST

Slingo: A combination of slots and bingo. The player spins reels, hoping to match the numbers on a grid. If the player fills out the bingo grid, they win.

Slot Club: A player rewards program people can join to receive comps, cashback, and other rewards. The player places their slot club card in the machine to record bets. Volume play unlocks rewards.

Slot Host: A casino employee who handles the needs and concerns of slot players. Called an attendant in the old days.

Slot Talk: When the player exchanges information with the slot host or attendant.

Slot Tournament: An event where players pay an entry fee and get the same number of coins to bet. The winner is the player with the most winnings in the allotted time. Online casinos have slot tournaments these days.

Sound of Rain: The sound made by coins falling out of the mechanical slot machines. Most electronic slots do not pay in coins anymore.

Spin: The common term on the button that starts a new game. When you hit “Spin,” a new round begins.

Stacked Wild: When wild symbols stack on top of each other on a reel, remaining for multiple spins. This is similar to an expanding wild, though it doesn’t cover as much of the reel (as fast.)

Static Jackpot: A jackpot prize that is rigid and never-changing. Also called a fixed jackpot or a flat-top machine.

Sticky Wild: Instead of a wild symbol that appears for one spin, it sticks on that spot and remains for multiple spins.

Streaky Slot: A slang term for a slot machine with high volatility. These games pay out high amounts, but have dry streaks.

T

Theme: The subject matter that a slot machine contains. A theme might be pirates, ninjas, Ancient Egypt, Greek mythology, Norse mythology, Chinese mythology, sports, or funny animals.

Tilt: Slang term for a glitch, malfunction, or error in a brick-and-mortar slot machine.

Tumbling Reels: In a bonus game, when the reels form a winning combination, they symbols “tumble away.” This makes room for new potential winning symbols.

U

U-Spin: An interactive feature on certain Bally slots where the player uses their finger to spin a bonus wheel with free spins, bonus credits, or a progressive jackpot. Bally games that use the U-Spin feature are Cash Spin, Michael Jackson, Betty Boop, Golden Pharaoh, Vegas Hits, Money Talks, and Roll The Bones.

V

Variance: A term used to describe the payout ratio of a slot machine. Low variance has a lot of small wins, while high variance has a few huge wins.

Video Gambling Machine: Also known as VGMs, these are gaming machines that offer games of chance in bars, restaurants, and truck stops. VGMs can be slots or video poker machines, though slots are more common. Illinois has video gambling machines. The Illinois Gaming Board (IGB) regulates VGMs (number, house edge, etc.), but individual counties decide whether local establishments can have them.

Video Gambling Terminal: The same as a video gaming machine. Referred to as VGTs.

Video Lottery Terminal: Also known as a VLT, this is a gaming machine much a slot. Players can find VLTs in states which don’t allow slots, but do allow Class II gaming machines based on lottery. States with VLTs include South Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, New York, Delaware, West Virginia, Louisiana, Montana, and Maryland. South Carolina once had VLTs, but no more.

Video Slot: Modern slots with video graphics, elaborate animations, possible cut scenes, songs, and evocative sound effects.

Vintage Slot: Another term for a mechanical slot or classic slot machine. In certain US states, residents can buy vintage slots on Ebay and other auction sites.

Virtual Reel: Instead of having mechanical reels, electronic slots have virtual reels. These are animated graphics on a video screen.

Volatility: Another term used to describe the payout rate of a game. Slots with high volatility have a infrequent wins but huge jackpots.

W

Ways to Win: Winning combinations that are not tied to paylines. Instead of using paylines, a slot machine might have 243 ways to win. Aristocrat first used this method, but the ways-to-win have expanded to thousands or tens of thousands of ways-to-win.

Wide-Area Progressive Jackpot: Slots networked with slot machines both inside and outside the local casino. This lets the jackpot grow at the fastest pace.

Wild Multiplier: A wild symbol that doubles as a multiplier. Though relatively rare, players seek out wild multipliers because they can unlock huge non-jackpot prize amounts.

Wild Symbol: A special symbol that substitutes for any other symbol on the reel, which increases your chances of hitting a payline. Wild symbols tend to substitute to any icon but the scatter symbols.

Win: The player matched the symbols on a winning payline and receives a payout. This might be 20 cents or $20 million. A win is the same as a hit.

Wonder 4: A type of slot machine from Aristocrat which contains four popular or classic games. The four games vary from one title to the next.

Wonder 4 Tower: Slot game from Aristocrat which allows players to play one of four popular games. In this case, it’s Wicked Winnings II, Buffalo Slots, Five Dragons, and Pompeii.

Wonder 4 Boost: Slot game from Aristocrat which has four classic games. For Wonder 4 Boost Gold, the games are Buffalo Bold, 5 Dragons Gold, Timber Wolf Gold, and Pompeii Gold.

WowPot: Another popular progressive online slot game from Microgaming. WowPot has produced a couple of the Top 10 jackpots in online slots history.

WMS: Williams Gaming. A longtime slot machine produces now owned by Scientific Games.

X

X: The fixed jackpot symbol and the multiplier symbol. If a jackpot has 800x, that means you win 800 times the original bet. If a multiplier has 30x, that means the prize money is thirty times what it otherwise would be. The x also denotes the screen’s grid size so 5×5 means 5 reels and 5 rows.

Y

Yggdrasil: A Swedish online slot developer that launched in 2013. Yggsdrasil is known for great graphics and interesting themes. Games by the company include Vikings Go Wild, Champions of Rome, Rainbow Ryan, Wildbeasties, Niagara Falls, and Ragna Ravens: Wild Energy.

YouTube Slot Channels: Some YouTubers got popular posting slot machine videos. These usually include handpays and other jackpots. Popular YouTube slot channels include Slot Queen, Vegas Low Roller, Slotaholic, Brian Christopher, and Lady Luck.

Z

Zig-Zag: Winning paylines that don’t form a straight line.

Zig-Zag Method: A supposed method of finding jackpots among vintage mechanical slots. The player would zig-zag through the gaming floor trying to find slot machines with reels aligning for a win. Another slot myth.

#

3D Slot: An electronic slot machine whose video graphics have 3-dimensional effects. The enhanced graphics are considered a draw for many players.

3 Reel Slot: A slot machine with 3 reels. Often called a 3-reel classic or 3-reel spinner.

5 Reel Slot: A slot machine with 5 reels. This is the most common slot game these days. Most video slots are 5 reel games.

6 Reel Slot: A less common slot machine. Often, a 6-reel slot is a 5-five reel slot with a bonus wheel game. The sixth reel only appears during the bonus mode.

7 Reel Slot: Another less common slot machine. These offer truly impressive jackpots, so they might become more popular in the future.

243 Ways to Win: A type of slot machine that does away with the paylines. Instead, the game has 243 winning combinations. These proved popular, so newer slots have many more ways to win.

1024 Ways: A slot machine with 1024 winning combinations. Another common ways-to-win slot design.

Slot Machine Terms: A Conclusion

Slot machine design is an ever-evolving process. As more innovations happen, industry leaders will invent more slot terminology. When that happens, we’ll update the glossary above with the latest terms and definitions. Keep checking back for the latest terms, and keep playing the best slots online.

FAQs

What is a progressive jackpot?

A progressive jackpot is a prize that increases every time a bet is placed and the jackpot is not won. It continues to grow until a lucky player hits the winning combination.

What are scatter symbols?

Scatter symbols are special symbols that trigger bonus games or payouts regardless of their position on the reels.

What is RTP in slot machines?

RTP, or return to player, is the percentage of total bets a slot machine returns to players over time. Higher RTP means better chances of winning.

What are wild symbols?

Wild symbols substitute for other symbols to create winning combinations, increasing the chances of hitting a payline.

What is a slot tournament?

A slot tournament is a competitive event where players pay an entry fee and receive the same number of credits to bet. The player with the most winnings at the end wins the tournament.

What is bankroll management?

Bankroll management involves techniques for calculating and using your bankroll effectively, including setting loss limits and win goals to maintain control over your gambling.

Glossary of Slot Machine Terminology with Definitions (2024)
Top Articles
Latest Posts
Recommended Articles
Article information

Author: Msgr. Refugio Daniel

Last Updated:

Views: 5944

Rating: 4.3 / 5 (54 voted)

Reviews: 93% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Msgr. Refugio Daniel

Birthday: 1999-09-15

Address: 8416 Beatty Center, Derekfort, VA 72092-0500

Phone: +6838967160603

Job: Mining Executive

Hobby: Woodworking, Knitting, Fishing, Coffee roasting, Kayaking, Horseback riding, Kite flying

Introduction: My name is Msgr. Refugio Daniel, I am a fine, precious, encouraging, calm, glamorous, vivacious, friendly person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.