Real Money Slots Features: 101

Online casino slots have come a really long way – and we mean really long way! Look at all of the new features you’ll find: free spins, bonus rounds, wild symbols, multipliers – none of these were present on the old Liberty Bell machine. For that matter, neither were scatter symbols, progressive jackpots or multiple paylines. Today’s online slots have so many features that it can all be a little overwhelming to make the most of each spin if you’re a beginner.

You don’t want to miss out on any potential wins by not understanding the game. That’s why we’ve made this 101 on the top online slot features. In the few short minutes it will take to read this, you’ll be introduced to all of the bells and whistles, so you’ll be able to play new online slots with confidence at Cafe Casino. Let’s start with one of the first features to become popular with slot players…

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Wilds

The oldest “one-arm bandits” were poker-based slot machines, so it makes perfect sense that wild symbols would be introduced at some point – even if the poker theme (for the most part) was abandoned long ago. But all online slots still bear the marks of these early origins, like in the form of wilds.

Just like the Joker in a deck of playing cards, a wild symbol allows you to complete a winning payline at the slots. Wilds will appear at random, and depending on the game, some will appear only on certain reels, often the second, third and fourth reels when you’re playing a five-reel slot.

With online slot machines getting more sophisticated over time, there are now several different types of wilds you may encounter, such as:

• Expanding Wilds: When an expanding wild shows up, it will grow in size to cover the entire reel it appears on. This generates significantly more possible wins.
• Stacked Wilds: Stacked wilds appear as super-sized icons, or they show up in stacks of two, three, four or five, and depending on the game you’re playing, they can appear on multiple reels.
• Sticky Wilds: These are wilds that remain fixated in place for additional spins.
• Shifting Wilds: A close cousin to the sticky wild, but instead of staying in place, a shifting wild moves one space horizontally across the reels with every spin, until it disappears.

Wilds become even more powerful when you play a slot that already features multiple paylines. The classic one-arm bandits had just one payline, across the center reading from left to right, but almost all of today’s games have more than one payline; many have up to 243. New games can get a bit dizzying when you combine those different paylines and wild symbols, so you could always consider starting with something simpler (like 777 Deluxe) if you’re new to slots, then tackle the more complex games when you’re ready.

Multipliers

Slots multipliers take whatever amount you’ve won in a spin and multiply it by a certain factor (2X, 3X, and so on). This often happens during a Free Spins round; some games allow you to choose a smaller number of spins with a higher multiplier attached, or a higher number of spins with a lower multiplier. Other games will give you a multiplier anytime you win a prize using a wild symbol.

On rare occasions, you might find a slot with a bet multiplier. As the name implies, this feature will multiply the size of your wager (at no cost to you) before the spin is completed, rather than the prize amount on a winning spin. Watch out as well for progressive multipliers, which get larger and larger when you string several winning spins together.

Bonus Rounds

These just might be the best of the newer slot features. Most of our slot games have some kind of Bonus Round feature, where you get to play a special mini-game if you land the right combination of symbols. These are fairly simple (but very fun!) games, like choosing one of five doors to open, each door with a random prize behind it. But thanks to ongoing improvements in video technology, some modern slots feature skill-based bonus rounds, where your prize goes up the better you play the mini-game.

Progressive Jackpot Slots

If you want to land the biggest prize possible, play jackpot slots. These jackpots start at a certain amount, called the “seed” amount, then they grow in size with every spin until someone finally wins. Once that happens, the progressive resets to the seed amount and starts growing again. Progressive jackpot slots are therefore a great way to win real money, and lots of it, because the jackpot is fed by everybody playing online slots on our site.

Generally speaking, progressive jackpots are awarded at random once a spin has been completed, but some are triggered only when you win a bonus round, and others are offered as a payout for landing the top winning line. These jackpots can grow incredibly large, too; six- and even seven-figure progressives have been seen at Cafe Casino. Make sure to consult our terms and conditions for maximum payouts at Cafe Casino.

So, if you want to play slots for real money, progressive jackpot slots are the way to go. Learn more about playing for real money by reading our full guide here.

Free Spins vs. Real Money Slots

Free slots are exactly what they sound like! When you play online slots, free spins give you a chance to win big money at no additional cost. In other words, when you choose a game that includes free spins, no-deposit jackpots become a reality.

This is where scatter symbols (so called because you don’t need to line them up) usually come into play. The newer five-reel games might give you 15 free spins when you reveal three scatter symbols, 20 free spins for four scatters, and 25 free spins for the maximum five scatters. In many cases, your free spins will come with a multiplier attached. What’s a multiplier? Glad you asked.

Congratulations! You are now up to speed on the most important online slots features you’ll encounter. Our games are even more fun to play when you’re on top of the latest developments, so check out our treasure trove of game guides here at Cafe, brush up on your slots knowledge, and most importantly, enjoy our online slots casino.

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