The Ultimate A to Z of Slot Machines

Slot machines are among the easiest and most popular casino games, whether you’re playing online slots or good old one-arm bandits in brick-and-mortar casinos. However, there is more to it than simply pulling a lever and spinning the reels hoping to hit the jackpot. 

To master the slots and win big at any online casino, you’ll also need to master some casino terms and slot machine phrases.

A

ACTION: Also called “Play,” this refers to the total amount a player wagers at a machine.

ACTIVE PAYLINE: Payouts will occur if the payline a player has bet on has a winning match.

ANNUITY WINNER: Jackpot winners who choose to get paid out in yearly installments.

AUTOPLAY: A feature on many slots that the player can trigger to spin automatically.

B

BANK: A row of machines placed side by side, often matching a theme.

BANKROLL: The amount of money available to play with. 

BARS: The most common symbol found on reels is marked with the word “BAR.”

BET: The amount of money a player wagers on per spin.

BIG BERTHA: A machine used by casinos as a marketing device to attract attention.

BIG WIN: The highest payout available on a specific slot game or jackpot.

BLANK: A blank space found between the symbols on a reel.

BONUS FEATURE: Reference to an additional feature that awards a win on top of the active payline.

BONUS MULTIPLIER: A game type that includes a bonus prize.

BONUS SLOTS: Specific machines that will award free spins or other bonuses.

BRANDED SLOTS: Themed slots often based on popular TV shows or movies.

BUY-A-PAY-SLOT: A type of slot in which each bet unlocks new potential winning matches.

BUY IN: The fee to buy into a slots tournament. 

C

CAROUSEL: Another term for the Bank.

CANDLE: The small light often found at the top of a slot machine.

CASCADING REEL: Opportunity to double your winnings from a winning combination.

CASHBACK: A feature on some slots that awards players with money back on their bets.

CERTIFIED SLOTS: A type of slot game with a 98% to 100% payout rate.

CICO: An abbreviation for “Coin in Coin out” that tracks the coins in and out of a machine.

CLASSIC SLOT: A term for the earliest slots that featured only 3 reels.

COIN OUT: When you get a two or three-symbol combination that doubles or triples your wins. 

COINS: The currency used by players to make bets at slots.

COIN SIZE: An indicator of how much a coin is worth.

COIN-FREE PLAY: This style of slot machine will pay out tickets instead of coins.

COINS PER LINE: The number of coins allowed or required to play a specific payline.

COINS PER SPIN: The number of coins a player chooses to bet on a single spin.

D

DENOMINATION: The value of each credit played at a specific slot machine.

DOUBLES: A rare occasion where symbols come up two or three at a time for double payouts.

DRAGONFISH: A famous online slot gambling manufacturer.

DROPS: A feature where the symbols on slots fall into place on the reel.

E

EDGE: The advantage that the house (or casino) has over the player.

EXPANDING WILDS: A symbol that expands to cover the entire reel to increase chances of winning.

EXTENDER TOURNAMENT: Slots tournament with Rebuys and Add-ons.

F

FEATURE: A feature in slots could refer to bonuses, free spins and more.

FILL: A slang term for a bag that contains coins that fills a coin hopper.

FIVE LINER: A slot type where the player has the chance to win on five payout lines.

FREEFALL: A feature that creates multiple wins. 

FREEPLAY: Slots that can be enjoyed for free without risking any money.

FRUIT MACHINE: A nickname for slot machines coined in the UK.

G

GAMES PER HOUR: Reference to the number of spins made by a player per hour.

H

HAMMER A MACHINE: The act of playing the same machine or game for a long time.

HIT: A term for a winning spin.

HIT AND RUN: A style of playing slots that involves rotating between machines frequently.

HIT FREQUENCY: The frequency with which a game generates combos or jackpots. 

HOLD: A feature that allows players to hold one reel in place for a spin. 

HOT SLOT: A term for a machine that seems to be paying out more than others.

HOUSE EDGE: The amount the house wins from each of your spins. 

I

INSTANT WINNER: Jackpot winners who get all their winnings paid out immediately.

iSLOTS: Slots that allow player interaction. 

J

JACKPOT: The top prize offered by a particular slot.

L

LINE BET: The total amount a player wagers on the paylines.

LOOSE SLOT: A term for a machine with a high payout rate.

LOW-LEVEL SLOT: A machine with a chair or seat is referred to as a low-level slot.

LOW-VOLATILITY SLOT: A slot that pays out often but only on small to medium-sized bets.

M

MAJOR JACKPOT: The larger payout of a slot that offers multiple progressive jackpots.

MAXIMUM BET: The highest bet allowed at a particular slot per spin.

MAXIMUM PAYOUT: The most you can win from the game. 

MEGAWAYS: Where all lines are paylines.

MINIMUM BET: The smallest amount you can bet to play a round.

MULTI-LINE SLOT: A term for a slot that contains multiple paylines.

MULTI-SPIN SLOT: Specific slots that have up to 9 reel sets instead of only one.

MULTIPLIER: A bonus in the game that multiplies your payout.

N

NEAR MISS: When a player misses a win by only one symbol.

NICKEL SLOTS: Slots that are played only with a denomination of a nickel (5 cents).

NUDGE: A button found on some slots that allow the player to push a reel up or down.

NUMBER SYMBOLS: Symbols that pay the least and are commonly represented by 10, J, Q, K and A.

O

ONE-ARMED BANDIT: One of the most popular slang terms for a slot machine.

ONE LINER: A game that only has one reel.

ONESIES: A slang term for playing with only one credit or coin per spin.

P

PAYLINE: Each game’s payout depends on the pattern of symbols that must be matched.

PAYOUT: The amount you accumulate during gameplay.

PAYTABLE: A table displayed on slots that show all the possible payouts and bonuses.

PENNY SLOT: Slots that are played with the lowest denomination of just a penny (1 cent).

PICK TO WIN: A bonus game offered by some slots that is similar to a pick-and-match game.

POKIES: An Australian slang term for slot machines.

PROGRESSIVE JACKPOT: A jackpot that increases over time.

PROGRESSIVE SLOT: Refers to interlinked slots that offer a progressive jackpot.

Q

QUARTER SLOTS: Slots that are played with only a denomination of a quarter (25 cents).

R

RAINING: When a slot machine pays out and it sounds like rain.

REBUY: Feature to re-enter a tournament and start again. 

REELS: Rotating barrels that contain the game symbols that must be matched.

RELOADER TOURNAMENT: Tournament that allows multiple Rebuys. 

RESPINS: A game feature that gives you another spin, usually for free and after a losing spin.

RNG: Abbreviation for Random Number Generator.

ROLL-UP: A suspenseful sound made by a machine when a player wins.

RTP: Abbreviation for Return to Player. A value that you can theoretically get back from all your bets. 

S

SCATTER SYMBOL: A symbol that doesn’t need to be in any order or combination in a spin.

SELECT LINES: The number of selected paylines in one game.

SHORT WIN: A win that doesn’t pay out due to a low denomination bet.

SIT AND GO TOURNAMENT: Tournament with a limited number of players who win a share of the buy-in fees. 

SKILL-BASED GAME: A common bonus round that resembles a video game.

SKILL STOP: Allows players to stop a reel manually. 

SLOT CLUB: A rewards club for players in a casino or online.

SLOT TALK: When players exchange information about a game with a host.

SPECIAL FEATURES: In-game features that offer more opportunities to win or spin again. 

SPIN: The action of spinning the symbols after placing your bet. 

STATIC JACKPOT: A jackpot that is set and does not change. 

STREAKY SLOTS: A slot that is referred to as both “hot” and “cold.”

STRAIGHT MULTIPLIER: A type of slot that can have all winning matches triggered by a single coin.

T

TAKE: An assumption that slots have a cycle during which they will pay out after enough bets.

TICKET: A printed ticket that players receive that can be exchanged for their winnings.

TILT: A term for a malfunction or an error in a live or online slot machine.

TOTAL BET: A player’s total bet amount at a specific machine.

TWO LINER: A type of slot that has two reels, allowing for a potential double payout.

TASTE: A small payout from a slot and the assumption that it will keep the player spinning.

V

VARIANCE: A value that represents the likelihood of winning or losing. High variance = fewer, but bigger, jackpots. Low variance = more jackpots of lower value. 

VOLATILITY: A reference to how difficult or easy it is to hit a jackpot in a specific game.

VIDEO SLOTS: A type of slot with an electronic display that doesn’t contain mechanical reels.

VIRTUAL REEL TECHNOLOGY: A system that allows for more losing and fewer winning matches.

W

WELL: The tray into which coins fall after a payout.

WILD SYMBOL: A game symbol that can be used as a substitute for others in a winning pattern.

WINNING COMBINATION: A pattern of symbols that, when matched, pays out a win.

WIN BOTH WAYS: Traditional paylines go from left to right or vice versa. This allows for wins from either direction. 

Z

ZIGZAG: A winning combination that forms a zigzag pattern on the reels.

#

1024 WAYS: A machine with 1024 winning combinations.

234 PAYLINES: A special game with a high number of paylines that cover every line.

3-REEL SLOTS: A slot game that features 3 reels.

5-REEL SLOTS: A slot game that features 5 reels.

6-REEL SLOTS: A rare game that features 6 reels. 

Time to spin

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