Slots Glossary
Learn the terms for playing slots - comprehensive Slots Glossary.
C
Chips
Chips are coins of different colors and different denominations used at casinos. As a player at the online casino, you will encounter virtual chips instead.
Coins Per Spin
This is the number of coins that can be played on a slot machine per bet.
The term is interchangeable with 'coin size'.
Credit Meter
This records the money inserted into the slot machine and displays the number of credits remaining.
D
Double Machines
These are slot machine which pay out double the prize when the multiplier symbols appear in a winning combination.
The name may be misleading it is possible to win triple or quadruple on a double machine.
Doubler
Some slot machines offer a double multiplier symbol which will double the size of your prize when it appears, hence the popularity of machines offering this feature. The doubler symbol is frequently referred to as a 'multiplier' and is displayed as '2x'.
F
Five Reel Slot
This is a slot machine with five reels rather than the traditional three reels. More reels means that it is harder to hit the jackpot but the jackpot will be bigger.
Flat Top
A slot machine with a fixed jackpot amount, unlike progressive jackpots, the prize of which constantly changes.
Fruit Machine
Slot machines in the United Kingdom are commonly referred to as 'fruit machines' based on the fact that many UK slot machines reel symbols are fruit.
H
Hit (Slots)
A win on the slot machines is known as a 'hit'. It is well known that machines which offer a higher jackpot usually have a lower hit frequency.
Hot Slots
A 'hot slot' is a slot machine which pays out more than its standard payout percentage as indicated on its chart.
M
Multi Line Slots
These are slot machines which award a prize on more than one payline. Traditionally, only the center horizontal line was the payline, however, on a multi line slot there may be diagonally or even vertical paylines.
N
Near Miss
A 'near miss' is the frustrating experience of playing on a slot machine and when the reels stop spinning, you see that you were one reel symbol away from winning the jackpot.
O
Onesies
The term applied to slot machine players who choose to play only one coin per spin. This means that onesies slot players are often not in the running to win the jackpot as most slot machines require the player to make the maximum bet to qualify.
P
Payline
A straight or zig-zagged line on a slot machine where symbols must line up for a win. Slot machines usually have up to 9 paylines, though video slot machines may have many more.
Poker Machine
The Australian term for a slot machine and typically has 5 reels.
Pokie
This is a colloquial Australian term for a slot machine.
Primary Jackpot
The biggest prize to be won on a slot machine for players who hit a specific combination as indicated on its pay out schedule.
Progressive Jackpot
By linking together machines, online casinos are able to form a large jackpot (the highest payoff), one that grows progressively with every game played. Progressive jackpots can be found for slot machines or video poker, typically, but also for other casino games, including poker, blackjack, roulette and others too. The constantly changing progressive jackpot meter is usually showcased on the front page of the casino.
Only players who wager the maximum credits qualify for the progressive jackpot and it is won only with the highest payoff combination, e.g. a royal flush in video poker. Once a player wins the jackpot, the jackpot resets to a preset minimum level and starts climbing all over again.
Progressive Slots
Progressive Slot machines are a popular feature, with the jackpot amounting by having a group of linked slot machines. Slots linked across online casinos must be operated by the same software, owned by the same machine maker, with jackpots really hitting sky-high sums of millions of dollars.
R
Random Number Generator (RNG)
The Random Number Generator (RNG) is the basic engine that powers Slots. Modern Slot machines are computerized, with the combinations determined randomly by the machine's software, without any human involvement. The RNG generates numbers at a high rate, and the timing of when the lever is pulled determines the outcome. An advanced RNG will be as random as possible, never repeating the number sequences.
Reels
Before computer-generated slot machines, reels were the cylindrical spinning discs which displayed the symbols on their outer rim. Nowadays, whether you win or lose is determined by a computer's random number generator and not these mechanical wheels.
Re-spin
Re-spin or Respin is a feature of some online slot games. The re-spin feature allows you to pick a certain reel to spin again after a play, in an attempt to line up symbols in a winning combination.
Featured at Microgaming slot games.
S
Secondary Jackpot
These slot machine jackpots are hit more frequently than primary jackpots and do not payout such large prizes.
Slots
Slots, or Slot machines, are gambling machines that operate by inserting coins into a narrow opening and pulling on a lever, or in online Slot machines simply pressing a button. Slot machines are simple to operate and little strategy can be applied.
When at the Slot machines, you are in the hands of luck. As such, Slot machines are arguably the simplest casino game available and one of the most popular ones too.
Straight Slots
Straight slots, in direct contrast to progressive slot games, have a set amount as the first prize. Straight slots also go by the terms 'flat tops' and 'static slots'.
Symbols
Symbols are the pictures and numbers that appear on the reels of slot machines and the objective is to stop the reels with a particular arrangement of symbols.
V
Video Slots
Video Slots are the most complex and advanced of the Slot machine variants, with as many as 40 paylines and video game quality visuals and audio.
W
Wild Symbol
A wild symbol can substitute for any other symbol to complete a winning combination and may also serve to multiply your winnings.
A wild symbol on a slot machine is a like a joker symbol in card games.
