There are many articles that claim to know how to beat online slot machines. The secrets to win - they say - is to practice, work out the mechanics, alternate how much you bet, and other generic advice. While it does make sense to know how an online slot machine works, this does not give you a better chance of winning.
In fact, pretty much all online slots are games of chance. This means that the outcome is completely random. You press the spin button and see what happens. No skill involved.
But what is true is that you can boost your chances of winning while playing online slot games. We’ve picked out 3 strategies which you can use to help you try and beat the slots. Unlike other guides, we’ll explain exactly how each strategy works and how you can do it.
Most casino bonuses do have wagering requirements. This is bad as they payout bonus money instead. This usually takes ages to convert into real money. And it’s highly likely that you’ll lose your entire bonus money before that happens - resulting in you winning nothing. But you avoid all this at casinos without wagering.
Of course, paying out real money straight away is quite a big risk for a casino site. As it legitimately gives players a better chance of cashing something out. So you might think these sites are rare.
But you can actually find a no wagering casino quite easily. That’s because more sites within the past few years have decided it’s worth taking on this risk if it means attracting more players to their site.
So not only is this strategy the best way to beat slot machines online, you also have a decent number of casinos where you try it out.
That’s because - no matter what the wagering requirement is - they will still give you an extra chance of winning something. Even if the chance of doing so is low.
The best case scenario is a no deposit bonus. This is when you’re given a bonus as soon as you sign up - without a deposit being needed. You can then play for free to see if you can convert your bonus into real money.
Most no deposit bonuses are given in the form of free spins. As the name suggests, these allow you to spin a slot machine without using your own money to bet. Most free spins have wagering requirements - especially those given with no deposit required. So the chance of cashing out is low. But you also haven’t paid to play.
If you do decide to make a first deposit using your own money, then it’s very likely you’ll be given bonus money on top. The best case scenario here is that you are able to use your own money first. Anything you win will then be paid as cash. So if you do manage to win something, you can simply give up the bonus money and withdraw the real money.
However, if you lose your cash then the bonus money acts as a second chance. Of course, this second chance is going to be more difficult to cashout because of the wagering requirements. But it’s still gives you an outside shot.
All slots are rigorously tested before they are released. As part of this process, an RTP (return-to-player percentage) is calculated. It describes how much the slot in question is expected to payout in the long run. For example, if you bet 100 on a slot which had an RTP of 97% then it would be expected to pay back 97 as winnings.
This percentage is based on the slot being played a huge number of times - often hundreds of thousands of spins. So you shouldn’t expect it to be accurate when you play. But choosing a slot that is theoretically supposed to payout slightly more over the course of millions of spins is not a bad idea.
Most online casinos allow you to set limits. This can be a limit on how much you can deposit, a limit on how long you can play for, or similar. We recommend utilizing these whenever possible. If not, decide on a deposit and time limit yourself before you play.
Gambling should be a source of entertainment so always play with fun in mind.
A lot of countries have fully regulated online gambling with dedicated authorities. This means any casino that wants to operate within their borders has to be approved by the authority first.
Here are a few examples of online gambling authorities:
So make sure to check which casinos are licensed for your location before playing.
Although depositing money into an online casino is usually instant, that’s not always the case when withdrawing.
This generally isn’t anything to be suspicious about. It’s just that casino sites are obliged to check for fraud and other criminal financial activity as part of their license requirements.
But this does mean that it can take a while to receive your winnings. And this annoys a lot of players - as you can expect.
So our best advice is to look for sites that payout quickly on average. Or have the fastest possible payout time. For example, an instant withdrawal casino uses specific payment methods that transfer you the money very quickly once your request has been approved - sometimes in real time. These are the kind of slots sites to look for.
Of course, a disclaimer. You should not expect to receive every single withdrawal in rapid time. That’s because it might take longer for the casino to check certain payouts. If this is the case, try to be patient. The customer support is also available to provide updates if you really need them.
In fact, pretty much all online slots are games of chance. This means that the outcome is completely random. You press the spin button and see what happens. No skill involved.
But what is true is that you can boost your chances of winning while playing online slot games. We’ve picked out 3 strategies which you can use to help you try and beat the slots. Unlike other guides, we’ll explain exactly how each strategy works and how you can do it.
1. Activate bonuses with no wagering requirements
The single best way to try and win real money from online slot machines is to use casino bonuses that do not have wagering requirements. Anything you win while playing with no wagering bonuses is paid out as real cash straight away.Most casino bonuses do have wagering requirements. This is bad as they payout bonus money instead. This usually takes ages to convert into real money. And it’s highly likely that you’ll lose your entire bonus money before that happens - resulting in you winning nothing. But you avoid all this at casinos without wagering.
Of course, paying out real money straight away is quite a big risk for a casino site. As it legitimately gives players a better chance of cashing something out. So you might think these sites are rare.
But you can actually find a no wagering casino quite easily. That’s because more sites within the past few years have decided it’s worth taking on this risk if it means attracting more players to their site.
So not only is this strategy the best way to beat slot machines online, you also have a decent number of casinos where you try it out.
2. Other bonuses & free spins
So casinos bonuses with wagering requirements aren’t great. We stand by that. But we also think they are still worth taking if there’s no alternative.That’s because - no matter what the wagering requirement is - they will still give you an extra chance of winning something. Even if the chance of doing so is low.
The best case scenario is a no deposit bonus. This is when you’re given a bonus as soon as you sign up - without a deposit being needed. You can then play for free to see if you can convert your bonus into real money.
Most no deposit bonuses are given in the form of free spins. As the name suggests, these allow you to spin a slot machine without using your own money to bet. Most free spins have wagering requirements - especially those given with no deposit required. So the chance of cashing out is low. But you also haven’t paid to play.
If you do decide to make a first deposit using your own money, then it’s very likely you’ll be given bonus money on top. The best case scenario here is that you are able to use your own money first. Anything you win will then be paid as cash. So if you do manage to win something, you can simply give up the bonus money and withdraw the real money.
However, if you lose your cash then the bonus money acts as a second chance. Of course, this second chance is going to be more difficult to cashout because of the wagering requirements. But it’s still gives you an outside shot.
3. Play high RTP slots
Our final strategy is to play slot machines online that have a high RTP. This one is - admittedly - the least useful strategy of the three. But it’s still worth doing if you can.All slots are rigorously tested before they are released. As part of this process, an RTP (return-to-player percentage) is calculated. It describes how much the slot in question is expected to payout in the long run. For example, if you bet 100 on a slot which had an RTP of 97% then it would be expected to pay back 97 as winnings.
This percentage is based on the slot being played a huge number of times - often hundreds of thousands of spins. So you shouldn’t expect it to be accurate when you play. But choosing a slot that is theoretically supposed to payout slightly more over the course of millions of spins is not a bad idea.
Important things to remember
If you do decide to give any of these strategies a go then there are a few useful things to remember.1. Gamble only what you can afford
By far the most important is to only play with what you can afford to lose.Most online casinos allow you to set limits. This can be a limit on how much you can deposit, a limit on how long you can play for, or similar. We recommend utilizing these whenever possible. If not, decide on a deposit and time limit yourself before you play.
Gambling should be a source of entertainment so always play with fun in mind.
2. Only play at licensed sites
Another thing that’s very important. Although the internet has made it much easier to play slots games these days, there are many sites that are downright shady. Luckily, there’s a pretty easy way to avoid these - by only playing at casinos with a proper license.A lot of countries have fully regulated online gambling with dedicated authorities. This means any casino that wants to operate within their borders has to be approved by the authority first.
Here are a few examples of online gambling authorities:
- UK’s Gambling Commission
- Sweden’s Spelinspektionen
- Spain’s Dirección General de Ordenación del Juego
- Netherlands’ Kansspelautoriteit (in Dutch)
So make sure to check which casinos are licensed for your location before playing.
3. Try to play at casinos that payout fast
This tip isn’t as important as the other two. However, it’s one of the most talked about - and criticized - aspects of playing casino online.Although depositing money into an online casino is usually instant, that’s not always the case when withdrawing.
This generally isn’t anything to be suspicious about. It’s just that casino sites are obliged to check for fraud and other criminal financial activity as part of their license requirements.
But this does mean that it can take a while to receive your winnings. And this annoys a lot of players - as you can expect.
So our best advice is to look for sites that payout quickly on average. Or have the fastest possible payout time. For example, an instant withdrawal casino uses specific payment methods that transfer you the money very quickly once your request has been approved - sometimes in real time. These are the kind of slots sites to look for.
Of course, a disclaimer. You should not expect to receive every single withdrawal in rapid time. That’s because it might take longer for the casino to check certain payouts. If this is the case, try to be patient. The customer support is also available to provide updates if you really need them.
