Free Slot Machines – All You Need to Know

The online casino experience is one that many players enjoy. For some, the thrill of online virtual slot machines is one that can’t be beaten. Here’s a tip for you: if you want to win, start by playing free slot machines to learn the game.

Online slots can be pretty impressive these days with multiple win lines and several reels, so getting to know the game before you stake your own money is a great idea. How does it work? Let’s check out online slots in more detail.

Learning From Demo Slots

Let’s be honest: the online casino offers you free play with demo money to get you in its grip. They want you to enjoy playing and put some cash in. That’s great, but we want you to have as much knowledge of the game under your belt before you play with your own cash.

The best method is to start by learning one specific slot machine. Then when you get into the routine of playing and winning, you can try your hand with your first deposit.

But take a step back! We also want to tell you about the RTP, about progressive jackpots, about bonuses and about different types of online slots and how to play them for profit. There’s a lot you can learn from playing demo slots, but you need to know what you’re looking for if you’re going to gain the knowledge you need to win. 

Before we move on to talk about the RTP and what else to look for when you take advantage of your free slot games, let’s have a brief look at the evolution of the slot machine, and why they are particularly popular with online players.

Where it All Began 

You may know that the original slot machines were first seen in saloons and casinos across the USA in the late 1800’s. These simple yet – to the gambler – exciting machines involved a few reels that needed to be matched to get a win. Seeing the potential, innovative entrepreneurs began building ever more complex and inviting machines to entice the players. The same is happening now, with regard to online slots, as we shall explain later on.

The ‘One-Armed Bandit’ had been born and spread beyond the US as a way of giving people an entertaining game that could win them some money. Whereas the original machines required the winner to ask for his or her winnings from the person behind the bar, a new generation of machines that paid out automatically soon appeared. Beyond the use of digital electronics the machines you play in a bar, club or casino now are much same as those early electronic slot machines.

Apart, that is, from the complex game play that many of them involve. The modern slot machine enthusiast wants more than just a few spinning reels. They want an engaging and involving game that they can enjoy, one that progresses as they play. They want bonus features and potential winnings on the side.

Many physical slot machines now follow a theme or are based on movie franchises, for example. Some are derived from popular board games – Monopoly and Trivial Pursuit spring to mind – while others follow a fantasy or sci-fi theme, bringing additional fun to the player.

The same is true of online slots, with the exception that there is much more in the way of choice and variety, and the game play tends to more progressive, more engaging and often very exciting indeed.

So we arrive at the 21^st century, firmly ensconced in the Digital Age, and the online slot machine is a popular way of spending some free time. But we want to make it more than that for you. We want to make it fun and profitable! Let’s move on from this brief history lesson and talk about why playing free slots is a must if you want to increase your chances of winning.

What to Look for When Playing Free Slots 

An online slot machine differs from the physical variety in that it is more accessible. You don’t travel to it; you can play it anywhere. Most – if not all – current online slots are optimized for hand held devices, enabling you to use them on the move. This level of convenience is a major attraction. But we want to talk about winning money, and it can be done.

The first thing to remember is that every online slot machine – and indeed every online casino game – is designed to make money for the casino. This is why playing those demo slots is of certain benefit. Let’s start by talking about the RTP, which we’ve mentioned a few times.

What is the RTP?

Return To Player (RTP) is given as a percentage. You will find it by searching on the game itself as it is required to be declared by all online casinos. It will always be a figure under 100%, and usually greater than 96%. How does it work?

Let’s say you play an online slot with a declared RTP of 98%. That mean that on average – and it is important to remember that it is an average – for every $100 you bet, you will win $98 back. The machine will be set to average across a number of spins. This will likely be thousands of spins. 

However, as it is an average that does not mean you will definitely lose $2 out of every $100. It means you will do so if you play for long enough. That’s the reason why, with online slot machines (and casino games) it is important to get out while in profit. How does this relate to our subject of free slot games?

You can get an idea of how long you can play before the machine starts to reclaim its losses by playing many hundreds of games for free. This is not an absolute science – you may go hundreds of spins and rack up winnings for free, then put money in and lose it quickly – but it is a reason to play the free games on offer. 

In short, the slot with the lowest RTP rating is the one you are most likely to win on. Remember this though: the better the RTP is for you, the more likely it is you will be playing a game with lower pay-outs than if you choose one with a higher RTP. Now let’s move on to talk about bonuses and game play on online slot machines.

Getting to Grips with Gameplay

The key to improving the likelihood of winning on an online slot machine lies in becoming as familiar as possible with the game itself. If you find an online slot that you play in a physical setting, you will be some way there – but be aware there may be differences in the online version that you need to understand.

As with everything in life, practise makes perfect, and that old cliché could not be more relevant here. What’s the best way to learn a machine? Play it – and use those free slots – and pay close attention to what happens at certain stages in the game. 

Online slot machines tend to offer progressive pay outs and jackpots: the higher the level you reach, for example, the higher your jackpot becomes. It’s important to play a game in demo mode enough to know where this happens, and how to reach the jackpot point. 

We also recommend you learn where certain features come into play – the progressive online slot game may have side pay outs that add to your bank alongside the main game – and make a note of how and when this happens. That note could be in your head or on the page, there’s nothing wrong with taking notes for future reference!

Overall, then, the idea in playing free slots is to learn the game properly before you start to put your money in. It makes sense, and it’s also good fun. Before we give you a quick recap, we want to talk about the future of online slot machines, and mention a couple of game designers to look out for.

The Future of Free Slots 

If you simply enjoy playing free lost machines you can rest assured they are here to stay. Just about every online casino offers demo plays as they are aware that this feature entices new players, along with the start up and in-play bonuses. However, for the serious player – those who want to make money too – it’s worth knowing who designs and makes the most impressive slot machines.

Look for names such as Big Time Gaming. They invented the ‘Megaways’ mechanic for online slots that allows for many possible pay lines over greater numbers of reels. This system is widely used in the best of the modern online slots and brings a new dimension to the online slot world. Also look for Microgaming, who are one of the biggest names in the business, and NetEnt. Those three are the market leaders and where they go, others will follow.

There is a belief that Virtual Reality will play a part in online slots before long but as VR has not been the massive hit it was expected to be in consumer terms this remains to be seen. What we can say is that the enjoyment provided by online free slots is something that will expand rather than diminish as new developments come to the market.

We hope the above has given you a worthy introduction to the world of free online slots, so to finish let’s just have a recap of what we’ve talked about.

A Recap to Finish

If you want to stand the best chance of success when playing online slot machines at a virtual casino the free slots feature is something you need to take advantage of. We recommend you find a casino that offers a game you like the look of or already know and sign up for the free play option. It makes a lot of sense to play for as long as you can, learning the game and its various stages as comprehensively as possible.

Always check the RTP before you start putting your money in and check out the most attractive new player bonuses, so you get the best value out of your slot machine experience. Start playing those free online slots now, you have nothing to lose, a lot to learn and it could lead to winning a decent sized jackpot!