Spin to Win: Exploring the Diverse World of Online Slots

Online slots are a hugely popular real money casino game partially because you don’t need to spend ages learning rules and strategy. Just pick a fun-looking game, place your bet, and pull the lever – and that’s it! But there are more titles out there than grains of sand. In this guide, we’ll break down different slot genres and their most popular games.

How to play slots

Why Casino Players Like Online Slots?

The Liberty Bell is considered to be the very first slot game, and dates back to 1894. Today, slot games are hugely popular, and enjoyed by millions of players at online casinos around the world.

One of the main attractions of online slots is, casino players are forever chasing big paydays. And no game makes this easier than slots. Unlike table games, you don’t have to learn pesky rules – who has time for that stuff, anyway?

Decisions are non-existent. You don’t waste brainpower figuring out whether to hit or stand, raise or call, or where to place your bet. All a slot asks for is how much you want to bet, then you pull the lever.

But while slot gameplay is super simple, there are scores of game types to choose from at the best online casinos. From classic 3-reel fruit machines to seven-figure jackpot slots, there are titles for every gamer.

In this guide, we’ll break down every slot variant. Let’s get started!

Classic 3×3 Slots

When one thinks of Vegas, classic slots are usually top of mind. With few exceptions, they feature fruit, anchors, BARs, and 7s, all contained in a 3×3 grid.

Modern video slots can be more complex, with detailed graphics, overwhelming bonus rounds, and thousands of ways to win.

Classic slots reject this nonsense. These games only have a handful of paylines – in fact, some only have one. And with no long, drawn-out animations, you can get to know the outcome shortly after you hit the spin button.

Want to experience a blast from the past? These classic slots will satisfy your hunger for gaming nostalgia:

  • Fire Joker
  • Break Da Bank
  • Sevens And Bars
  • Double Diamond
  • Route 777

Modern 5×3 Slots

Classic slots can be fun – nostalgia often is. But the 3×3 format was doomed to fail. As video slots grew in popularity, gaming studios began using a 5×3 grid.

These games began to emerge in the 1990s. At that time, most slots lacked variety, as they stuck to tried-and-true symbols (fruit machines, jokers, etc.). But as technology rapidly improved, developers began to create games based on different themes.

Egyptian explorers, Norse gods, and characters from your favourite movies/TV shows have all had slots made about them. But this wasn’t the only thing that changed – with a 5×3 game, it’s easier to hit winning combos, as more paylines are available. And with a bigger grid, inserting gameplay features like free spins and bonus rounds became much easier.

Below, we’ll list some of the most popular 5×3 slots out there:

  • Thunderstruck
  • Book of Dead
  • Starburst
  • Gonzo’s Quest
  • Immortal Romance

You can enjoy all these video slots and more at Leovegas Casino.

Progressive Jackpot Slots

There’s no thrill quite like hitting a massive spin. But the resulting windfall probably won’t change your life.

But take down a progressive slot jackpot, and it just might. Here’s why: every time you (and thousands of other players) spin a progressive slot, a portion of each wager goes into a collective pot.

As days, weeks, and months go by, the jackpot swells. Eventually, someone (hopefully you) nails the prize-winning spin, taking home a six figure sum!

How do these prizes get so big? The biggest games aren’t limited to any one casino – companies like Microgaming, Pragmatic Play, and others draw jackpot money from players on hundreds of sites.

Want to pursue big bucks? Below, we’ll list the most popular progressive jackpot slots on the internet:

  • Mega Moolah
  • Divine Fortune
  • Mega Money Wheel
  • Aladdin’s Lamp
  • King Cashalot

For just £1 you can grab 80 free spins from Zodiac Casino to try to win the Mega Moolah jackpot!

Megaways Slots

Modern 5×3 slots were a giant leap forward from classic slot games. But eventually many players got weary of these titles.

While they were better than classic slots, 5×3 slots are still prone to dry stretches. The average player likes winning often… even if that win is less than their initial wager.

So in 2016, Big Time Gaming, an Australian gaming developer, released the first Megaways slot. Unlike conventional 5×3 slots, Megaways slots did away with paylines, opting for a dynamic system that changes with every spin.

Additionally, some Megaways games “destroy” winning symbols. This causes the symbols on top to fall, resulting in additional wins. Finally, not all Megaways slot grids are the same. With different shapes, some games offer more than 100,000 ways to win.

Want to try something different? Here are some of the most popular Megaways slots on the web:

  • Big Bass Bonanza Megaways
  • Mammoth Gold Megaways
  • Gonzo’s Quest Megaways
  • Monopoly Megaways
  • Gorilla Gold Megaways

888 Casino is a great site with a massive selection of Megaways titles.

Cluster Pays Online Slot

Cluster Pays are a totally different type of slot game that doesn’t have ANY traditional paylines. Instead you win by forming a group of 4 or more symbols that are attached either horizontally or vertically anywhere on the reels. Many of these games also include cascading reels, so the symbols that are clustered will payout and disappear, leaving space for the remaining symbols to fall and create even more clusters!

These are our favourite Cluster Pays slot games:

  • Aloha Cluster Pays
  • Star Clusters Megaclusters
  • Rainbow Riches Cluster Magic
  • Viking Runecraft
  • Jammin’ Jars

If this sounds up your street then we recommend trying out BetVictor Casino with their large range of innovative slot games.

Your New Favourite Slot Is Out There

There are countless thousands of slots on the internet – and that number grows daily. You could play new games every day and never try them all.

Game developers release new slot games every single week, and if you want to find the very latest titles then there is no place better than a new online casino.

You may also be interested in taking part in some competitive online slots tournaments, where casinos offer extra prizes with special community events.

BonusFinder Tip

Figure out what slot games you enjoy. Do this, and you'll make the most of your online gaming sessions.
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Editor BonusFinder UK

Rob McLauchlan is a gambling expert who has spent many years as a professional poker player. Currently, Rob is sports trading with a speciality in betting in-play on Tennis and Football.

Rob uses his experience in sports trading and professional poker to research the UK market and find the best value casino bonuses, and free bet offers for BonusFinder.