Within the online casino world, there is one category of titles that has proven more popular than any other, and that is online slots. These titles are amongst the most varied in the iGaming space, each and every one of these coming with its own innovative gameplay blueprint, creative bonus mechanics and distinctive themes. All of these elements combine to make online slots what they are today, with various developers having their own trademark nuances and franchises that have proven especially popular with players.
Here at BoyleSports Games, online slots are a core component of our extensive game offerings, with the ones we house on-site being varied in terms of their overall design. From old-school titles and fruit machine games all the way to the more modernised Megaways and jackpot-infused titles, the collection of online slots we house on-site is vast.
Before delving into any of the specifics surrounding online slots, however, we must first address the question, ‘What are online slots?’. In the simplest of terms, these titles feature reel-based gameplay in which players aim to land symbols in a certain manner in order to trigger prizes. Despite the formulas these games utilise being extremely different, this overall concept is something that remains a consistent factor across all different variations.
Online slot games make use of random number generators, more commonly just referred to as RNGs. This technology is what determines the outcome of every single spin within these titles, doing so in a completely randomised manner, hence its name. This ensures that the gameplay of online slots is completely based on luck and chance, with no other external factors impacting a spin result. As a result of this, the gameplay of online slots remains fair, something that is a defining component of these games.
Now that you have a better understanding of what they are, you may be wondering how to play online slots. This can be broken down into a couple of simple steps. To start off with, players must choose their desired title, with this often being the most difficult step due to the multitude of titles that are available.
From here, loading into the game, players will be presented with a number of buttons scattered across this title's play screen. Some of these will be stake adjustment buttons, which are used in order for the player to select the stake they wish to play with for their spins.
After this has been done, locating the spin button is the next step, and upon clicking this, the reels of the chosen online slot can begin to spin. This will introduce new symbols to the respective titles on the playgrid. Each game will have its own criteria for wins to be determined, with a number of matching symbols in the same spin being the most conventional ruleset. Should these criteria be met, this could cause a prize to be triggered, with any potential returns being added back to the players' balance alongside their original stake.
Many online slots will, of course, have their own unique additions that deviate from this blueprint, with this mostly being in relation to bonuses and other transformative game mechanics. Despite this, understanding how to play online slots using the steps mentioned above can be carried over to a majority of titles on the market!
Online slots as a whole can actually be broken down into a whole range of different subcategories, with this simply being due to the fact that the collection of titles out there is so extensive. The approaches certain games take during their design process, however, have allowed different genres of games to be birthed, each one bringing its own nuanced gameplay formulas and definitive mechanics.
Starting off with classic online slots, these are likely the titles many players will be most familiar with. These are the games that have been directly inspired by traditional slot machines and one-armed bandits, taking more conventional approaches to their overall gameplay design. 3x3 and 5x3 play tables are somewhat the standard when it comes to these online slots, with them often coming coupled with lower payline counts than some of the other subgenres we will touch upon shortly.
Despite them all abiding by the same design blueprint, more or less, each and every one of these still manages to provide its own unique experience, with this primarily being down to the themes each of these boasts. Fruit machine imagery is commonplace with these online slot games, with various backdrops setting each game apart from one another. Even with their more classical approaches, this does not mean that these do not feature bonuses; however, these tend to be more straightforward, including things like wild symbols and free spins rounds.
When it comes to Megaways slots, on the other hand, these negate all of the classical conventions in the online slot games mentioned previously. This is all thanks to Big Time Gaming's titular mechanic, which is able to completely transform any release in which it is implemented. In essence, this could take a standard playgrid and increase its layout up to 6x7 in size, with this changing with each and every spin of the reels. On top of this, these games often feature payline counts up to 117,649, a number that has become somewhat synonymous with this genre of online slots.
Megaways slots were amongst the first titles to popularise the cascading mechanic, too, with this becoming an especially popular style of bonus that many other online slots have since gone on to adopt. If any combinations happen to appear on the playgrid in these titles, the symbols that are involved disappear from the reels fully. In their place, new ones could fall onto the playgrid and fill the empty segments left behind. Coupled with the everchanging play table layouts, these games feature gameplay that is much more dynamic.
Another subcategory of online slots that has proven especially popular amongst players in recent times is jackpot slots. These titles have simple mechanics included in them that could see additional prize values added to play. These could be triggered completely at random in play or by meeting some predetermined criteria, with the prizes these boast coming in a range of different formats.
The jackpots in question could either be progressive, lending themselves to a network and increasing throughout play based on the stakes wagered by players, or fixed. The latter means that the prize values remain at a set value throughout the play, with these often being determined by taking the players' bet stake and multiplying it by a certain amount. In addition to these more common types of jackpots, there are also ones that come with time limits, with these having to be won within a daily, weekly or monthly time period allocated by the developers. Although simple additions in concept, these prize values add an extra innovative layer to any online slots they make an appearance in.
Moving onto Slingo slots, these are arguably some of the more experimental types of online slot games currently out there. As indicated by their names, these take elements from both slots and bingo games, merging these together to provide a completely nuanced gameplay formula. Instead of landing symbol combinations in these titles, though, players aim to cross off numbers by landing matching ones on a singular spinning reel. Forming full rows of crossed-off numbers either diagonally, horizontally, or vertically in the allocated number of spins is referred to as a Slingo line, and these could correspond to different prize values and bonuses that these games display on separate prize ladders.
As we have already mentioned, cascading mechanics have been popularised in many online slots today, and they are also commonly found in cluster pay slots. These negate the usual payline systems many titles have as a central component of gameplay, instead opting to determine combinations by clusters of symbols landing adjacently to each other in the same spin. As a result of this alternative gameplay approach, these online slot games will often feature larger play grids than most other releases, a factor that has caused them to become fan favourites in the iGaming world.
Due to the range of titles that grace the casino space, understanding what the best online slots are can often be a difficult feat. Consequently, at BoyleSports, we have selected some of the most popular slot series currently out there, all bringing their own distinctive visual aspects and creative gameplay features to the table.
The first of the best online slot collections we will be mentioning is the Big Bass Bonanza slot franchise. This comes from iGaming giant Pragmatic Play, with these releases becoming fan favourites due to the aquatic-orientated theme all entrants in the series boast. With the playtable being submerged in the deep depths of the ocean and featuring a number of fishing-related symbols, it is not just the theme that has proved so popular. With some fisherman wild symbols, a bonus round that could introduce collect mechanics and multipliers, and a handful of fish symbols that could land with prize values attached, there are various gameplay layers in this title.
The next of the best online slots we will mention is the King Kong Cash slot. This original instalment from Blueprint Gaming has birthed a multitude of follow-ups and sequels, all of which focus their theme around the jungle and the animated animal characters that call it home. It's not just the vibrant imagery that has caused this collection of online slots to become such a fan favourite, though; with random modifiers and a multi-layered free spins round, the developers have provided an innovative gameplay formula with this release as well.
Ditching the bustling jungle for a forgotten ancient temple, the Book of Dead slot is currently one of the best online slots out there. Ancient Egypt has proven to be an especially popular source of inspiration for many titles nowadays, and thanks to the era-accurate imagery that Play’n GO has implemented, this title is a perfect example of how this aesthetic can work perfectly in online slot games. With expanding symbols and a multifaceted wild, the gameplay also has a handful of nuances included in it, something which has proven so popular that various spin-offs have been produced following this original release.
Speaking of fan-favourite themes, the North American wilderness is another one that has worked its way into many of the best online slots out there right now, with the Buffalo Blitz slot being just one entrant in this genre. The minds over at Playtech are responsible for this release, incorporating a handful of animal symbols and multiplier wild symbols, all of which pair together seamlessly throughout gameplay. Due to this polished formula, there have been a number of sequels, some of which incorporate jackpot and Megaways mechanics.
The last of the best online slots is the Rainbow Riches slot, which is just one title in the expansive collection of Irish-themed slot games that seemingly dominate the space. It could be argued that this title from Barcrest, however, was one of the pioneers, with this title standing the test of time and remaining a fan favourite for so many years now. With imagery infused with the spirit and folklore of the Emerald Isles and a handful of bonus features which were innovative at the time of release, it is no surprise that this game has spawned its own franchise of titles, too, each building on top of the refined gameplay formula this original established.
The online slots we have mentioned are a perfect example of the diverse gameplay formulas and themes these games can offer. All of these titles, plus a plethora of others, are housed here on our BoyleSports Games site, with the collection of these games being extensive. Whether you prefer classic titles or more modernised releases that feature inventive mechanics and bonus features, all different types of online slots can be found, all of which provide their own unique experience. We even have some dedicated casino bonuses that can be used specifically for our collection of online slot games here at BoyleSports.