The blinking lights … the animations … the beeps and chimes …whirrs and clunks … slots dominate any casino, both land-based or online. They are easily the most popular casino attraction in history, accounting for 60%-70% of casino revenue.

Like multi-colored parking spaces, they form aisles and alleyways through the maze of a land-based casino, many with wide-eyed players pumping chips into them, immersed in their noisy, thrilling gameplay.

It’s notable that online casinos boasting hundreds of game offerings typically only offer a few table or bingo games, while the rest of that portfolio is frequently stacked with page after page of unique slots. And there’s a reason behind that; people of all ages simply love slots, for the variety, the nostalgia, and the complexity-free fun that slots deliver. With themes from ancient Egypt to popular reality TV shows, and with choices such as 3-reel, 5-reel and progressives (with colossal jackpots), there’s a slot game for every taste.

On the surface, slot games might seem simple; you deposit money, pull a lever (or nowadays push a button). The reels spin and the machine tells you if you won or not.

There’s more to this classic casino game than meets the eye, however. If you don’t arm yourself with the basics of slot gameplay, you could feel lost playing the slots–even if you’re a winner.

This guide tells you everything you need to know about how to play slot machines, including slot machine terminology, gameplay, and betting strategies to get you spinning those reels like the slots pro you can be.

 

Slot Machines: What You Need to Know

Stittman & Pitt, a New York-based company, designed the first slot machine in 1891 as a tavern game. Its five drums featured playing card icons. Bar patrons could play for a nickel, pull a lever to spin the drums, and win automatic payouts if the cards lined up to a winning poker hand.

Of course, because this was a casino game, 10 and Jack, two of the most useful poker cards, were removed from the deck to make it harder to land on a winning hand, thus increasing the “house edge.”

We have come a long way since these first simple machines, with slot themes having since expanded to encompass every genre imaginable.

However, whether mechanical or video-based, physical machines or computer programs, slot games have a few basic aspects in common–and you need to understand them if you want to learn how to play slot machines.

 

It’s All about Paylines 

A “payline” is an outcome of a slot spin that entitles the player to winnings. The signifier of the outcome is usually a specific arrangement of the symbols on the reels.

Old-school mechanical slot machines, especially the three-reel pub games and “fruit machines” (slots with fruit icons, popular in the UK) had only one payline—that is, one winning alignment of the reels. These one-payline machines are called “straight slots.” You can still find them on the casino floor, and they’re favored by old-school players who love tradition.

Modern slot machines, with five reels and digital interfaces that rely on random number generators, often have multiple paylines—in fact, up to 100 or more. Some slot games have as many as 243 winning combinations; these sure have come a long way past a row of lemons!

Since the five reels usually display stacks of three or more symbols, these arrangements can be straight lines, or can zig-zag up and down the rows.

Most paylines have in common a requirement that there be two identical symbols in a row in the winning combination, with the first symbol in the first reel. Variations do exist, however.

Some slot machines only offer fixed paylines. There is a set amount of money you can bet on the slot, with any payline resulting in a win.

Other slots offer adjustable paylines. On these machines, you can pick which paylines you want to bet on. The more paylines you select for your bet, the more “coins” (the unit of slot betting currency) you will need to wager.

 

Coins

In slot games, the term “coin” refers to the minimum unit of wagering available on that machine. Depending on the game, a coin can be worth anywhere from $0.01 (“penny slots”) to $5 (or other unit of local tender).

The number of units a player bets are referred to as “coin in.” How much the player receives on a winning play is referred to as “coin out.”

 

Max Bet

The “maximum bet” or max bet is the most coin you can bet on a spin. Usually, it involves the highest coin bet on all paylines. In some slot games, particularly online slots, the max bet can stretch into hundreds of dollars.

Modern slot games often include a “Bet Max” button, which allows a player to wager the max bet with one click. It’s understandable why casinos would want to make this function easy!

Many slot games, especially progressive slots, only offer players a chance at the top jackpot if they wager the max bet.

 

Bet Level

The “bet level” corresponds to how many coins you have bet, and how many have the potential to win.

If you bet fewer coins, you establish a bet level that entitles you to a smaller payout if you achieve a winning payline.

If you bet many coins, your bet level entitles you to a larger payout if you achieve a winning payline. The higher the stakes of the selected machine, the bigger the windfall if you establish a high bet level.

 

Return-to-Player Percentage

The “return to player percentage,” or RTP for short, refers to the amount a player might expect to “win,” or at least retrieve from the game, the more wagers (s)he places.

Most slot games, including land-based and online slots, publish their RTP. Never expect that number to exceed 100%. If it did, the house would lose money on that game, and the house would never field a game like that on a casino floor. They’re in it to make money, which makes sense. You have to admire them for publicly announcing how much money you are likely to lose.

Here’s how RTP works—if a slot game publishes an RTP of 90%, that means that for every $1 you bet, you are likely to take $0.90 home once your gaming session is over. If you bet $100 total, the most likely outcome is for you to take home $90.

Of course, the more bets you place, the more likely your return is to approach this total. If you bet $100 on one spin, you’re actually not too likely to take home $90 on a 90% RTP game. In this scenario, you have a small chance of winning a very large payout … and a high chance of losing every dime of that $100, since you’re betting it on one spin.

On the contrary, if you bet $1 on 100 spins, rather than $100 on one spin, you are much more likely to walk away with the $90 indicated by the 90% RTP. You will lose many of your bets, and multiply your money on a few of the bets. If you bet that $100 in 10,000 one-penny increments, you are even more likely to have your “winnings” approach -10%.

Of course, you could always get lucky with an early win and wind up with more coins in your bankroll than you started with. Some players consider it wise to walk away from the slot machine when they run into this circumstance—known as ”quitting while you’re ahead,” in other words. Due to that 90% RTP, successive wins are very unlikely. You are more likely to lose enough bets to erase your winnings and pull you closer to that RTP of 90%.

House Edge

The “house edge” is the difference between the RTP percentage and 100%. For example, if a slot game has an RTP of 90%, the house edge is 10%.

The house edge is the reason why games of chance are so unpredictable for the player … and such a predictably good bet for the casino. Any one player can end up ahead at any time—at least temporarily.

What makes the casino business profitable is the fact that, despite the potential for a handful of players to win, or even to win big, the casino will get its 10% over the course of every spin made by every player on that machine.

 

Progressive Slots

Many slots games offer a fixed jackpot—a substantial payout that players have a small chance of winning, usually if they make the max bet.

A “progressive slots” game, by contrast, functions more like a state lottery. The more bets are made on a progressive slots game, the higher the jackpot grows. Progressive slot jackpots can get huge indeed, accruing into the hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars.

Of course, the house doesn’t apply every dime of the bets to the progressive jackpot. It keeps a percentage—sometimes a large percentage—of each bet for itself, as part of its “house edge.”

Progressive slots come in three varieties:

 

• Standalone Progressives. The first progressive slots were all “standalone progressives.” Only bets made on that specific slot machine fed the jackpot. Standalone progressive slots are uncommon today and typically feature a jackpot below $10,000.

 

• Local Progressives. The “local” in local progressives refers to the whole casino. A casino may link all of its progressive slots so that every bet made in one of the linked machines feeds into the progressive jackpot. There will be fewer winners, but the jackpot will be bigger. Usually the jackpot is under $100,000, and almost always under $1 million.

 

• Wide Area Network Progressives. Everyone loves a wide area network progressive slot. Bets from slot machines in multiple locations throughout the state feed into the jackpot. Jackpots can exceed $1 million or even tip the scales at $10 million or more. The most popular wide area network progressive slot game is the Megabucks slot produced by IGT.

 

Reels 

Most people can conjure in their minds an image of a slot machine, with three-to-five vertical rows of symbols that spin and (hopefully) align into a payline.

Each of those spinning vertical rows is called a “reel.” Most modern digital and mechanical slot machines have five reels.

While the first slot machines had five reels decorated with playing card symbols, the most popular early mechanical slot machines featured three reels. These machines are sometimes referred to as “three-reel classics.” You can still find three-reel classics in land-based and online casinos, either in digital reproductions or, occasionally, a classic machine.

These machines typically paid out only on a single payline or a perfect alignment of three identical symbols (fruit icons, in the most classic iteration).

Regardless, it is typically easier to achieve a win on a three-reel classic, because the two extra reels in a modern five-reel machine create exponentially more potential winning combinations, despite a modest increase in the number of paylines. Players could bet between one and three coins.

 

Wild Symbols

Wild symbols are similar to wild cards in poker, which can substitute for any other card in the deck if the player needs it to.

A wild symbol can take the place of any symbol in the machine, enabling a player to create a winning payline where otherwise none would have existed.

Different slot games offer different varieties of wild symbols, including:

 

• Random Wild Symbols. Most wild symbols appear at random.

 

• Expanding Wild Symbols. An “expanding” wild symbol lands in its position on the reel, then expands to encompass a whole row of five reels, making it much more likely for the spin to result in a payline.

 

• Stacked Wild Symbols. Some spins unlock “stacked” wild symbols, or a whole reel of wild symbols. Naturally, it is much easier to form a winning payline with a whole reel of wild symbols.

 

• Sticky Wild Symbols. “Sticky” wild symbols remain in position on the reel for multiple successive spins if a player is fortunate enough to unlock one. A sticky wild makes a player more likely to achieve multiple paylines in a row.

 

• Moving Wild Symbols. “Moving” wild symbols are similar to sticky wild symbols, but they bounce between reels. It’s still more likely to create a winning payline or even multiple winning paylines, but a moving wild symbol adds an extra element of chance into the equation.

 

• Straight Wild Symbols. A “straight” wild symbol appears on the middle reel.

 

• Diagonal Wild Symbols. “Diagonal” wild symbols appear on reels 2 and 4. Exciting combinations can occur with a straight and a diagonal wild symbol appearing on the same spin.

 

Scatter Symbols

Not every slot game features a scatter symbol, but many video slots do. You might need one more symbol in a particular position to achieve a payline. If it appears as a scatter symbol in any other position, you might still win because the machine registers it as “scattering” to the right position.

Scatter symbols also commonly unlock bonus rounds and free spins. They typically only appear in video slots, but sometimes also in fruit machines and mechanical arcade slots.

Bonus Rounds

When you play video slots, pushing a button and spinning reels is not the only game you get to play. Video slot designers add extra excitement to the gameplay by offering “bonus rounds,” little games-within-the-game that may offer additional opportunities to become a winner.

Players who bet on enough spins of the reels may unlock a variety of bonus rounds. The sky’s the limit in terms of bonus gameplay, but examples of popular bonus rounds include:

 

• Bonus Games. Certain alignments of symbols may trigger a bonus game, usually aligned with the theme of the slot game. The game may offer the player opportunities to add to their winnings.

 

• Cascades. If a winning spin triggers a cascade, several symbols “explode,” causing the symbols above it to fall into their place and creating more chances to achieve a payline. If the cascade results in a second payline, another cascade may be triggered, with more symbols exploding and falling into place. Cascades present the exciting opportunity for players to achieve multiple paylines on the same spin.

 

• Free-For-Alls. A free-for-all bonus round allows the player to choose multiple mystery bonuses during a specified time limit. Bonuses can include free spins, extra winnings, and multipliers. Beware, though—one of the hidden bonuses may end the free-for-all round before the timer runs out.

 

• Hold ‘n’ Spin. A hold ‘n’ spin round gives the player an opportunity to control the spin of the reels in some way. It might allow them to pick a reel that doesn’t spin at all, or spin a reel faster or slower. As you become a better slot player, you can judiciously manipulate the reels during a hold ‘n’ spin round to give yourself a greater chance of winning the spin.

 

• Multi-Level. Players who win one bonus round may unlock the opportunity to play another, or a higher level of the same bonus round. If you keep winning, the same bonus round can get better and better.

 

• Pick-a-Box. Similar to a free-for-all, “pick-a-box” bonus rounds offer players the chance to pick one of a selection of mystery boxes to unlock prizes and surprises. Some slot games offer multi-level pick-a-box rounds.

 

• Pick ‘Em. If a player wins a certain number of coins or if a certain bonus symbol or arrangement occurs, a game of Pick ‘Em might be triggered. This is a kind of video board game, where players advance a piece around the board with the virtual roll of two dice or spin of a virtual wheel. The further along the board the player moves, the more prizes and bonuses get unlocked.

 

• Scratch Card. Like a video version of a lottery scratcher, a scratch card bonus round offers players the chance to scratch boxes on a virtual card and unlock more winnings, multipliers, and other prizes.

 

• Slider. A slider icon is a symbol that, when unlocked, can be moved from its landing position to a different one. A slider can help a player immensely in achieving a winning payline.

 

• Spin-The-Wheel. A “spin-the-wheel” bonus round allows a player to spin a virtual “wheel of fortune” to win extra prizes and bonuses.

 

• X of Y. An “X of Y” bonus round instructs the player to take a specific action, like picking a box, for the chance to either win a prize or get a penalty.

Free Spins

Free spins are simply free plays on a slot machine, with a chance to win on some or all of the paylines without betting any coins. Taking advantage of free spins is a great way to learn how to play slot machines.

Many online casinos offer free spins on certain video slot games as part of a sign-up bonus or promotion. Free spins can also be unlocked as prizes during bonus rounds or after achieving a high enough balance of coins.

 

How to Choose a Slot Machine

Learning how to play slot machines can help you choose which slot to play. Whether you walk into a land-based casino or sign up for an online casino, the selection of slot games may be overwhelming at first. With so many options, how do you choose one?

As long as you’re having fun, there is no wrong way to pick a slot machine. Here are some guidelines you can use to make your selection …

Value 

Most slots publish their “return to player” (RTP) percentage. If your goal is to have the longest gameplay session, as well as the best chance of coming out ahead, you might want to pick the slot game with the highest RTP. Most slot machines publish their RTP, either with the machine or somewhere online. If all else fails, try a Google search.

Most slot machines have an RTP between 92% and 97%, but they can be even higher. Ugga Bugga, a video slot designed by playtech, has a whopping 99.1% RTP!

By contrast, other slots have a particularly low RTP. Mega Moolah slots tend to have an RTP in the 88% range.

Consider the minimum coin size. If you have money to burn, go with $1 or $5 coins. If you have a small bankroll or just want it to last, penny slots may be the way to go.

Style 

RTP isn’t everything, though. If you particularly like the graphics, audio, animation, and gameplay of a slot machine, or just like the view from its position within the casino, that’s reason enough to choose it.

Maybe a slot is branded with your favorite movie or musician. Branded slots tend to have lower RTP, but who cares? Remember, slots are supposed to be fun!

Microgaming’s Dark Knight slot game has an RTP below 90%. However, if you are a Batman fanatic (or a Heath Ledger fanatic), why not treat yourself to a spin? With a smart betting strategy, you can extend your gaming session and give yourself a chance to win big, even on slot games with a low RTP.

 

Jackpot Size 

Maybe you don’t think it’s worth your time pumping coins into reel spins without the chance of a big payout. If the presence and size of the jackpot matters to you, make sure to check before you sit down to play.

Some slot games have no jackpot at all. Others have jackpots in the hundreds or thousands of dollars. Progressive jackpots, as mentioned, can have jackpots ranging in the tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, or even millions.

Bear in mind that big jackpots typically mean a lower RTP. That’s just how the math works out for the casino to maintain its house edge.

 

Well-Reviewed

Check websites that review casino games and see what other players have to say about a slot machine you are considering. You may find slot machines to favor, slot machines to avoid, and possibly even tips to get the most out of the gameplay of a particular slot machine.

 

Volatility

One thing to look for in slot machine reviews is the game’s volatility. A slot machine may pay out its RTP over time, but it could swing wildly between being generous and stingy. Even with a public RTP, casinos and game designers won’t necessarily be upfront about the machine’s volatility.

If you catch a volatile machine at a bad moment, you could lose on every spin. If you catch the slot game at a good moment, you could wind up winning again and again.

It’s up to each player to determine their comfort level with a volatile slot machine. Some players prefer consistency; others love the chance to catch a “hot streak.” Regardless, playing a volatile slot machine requires patience and a bankroll big enough to absorb downswings in hopes of catching an upswing.

 

Promotions and Bonuses

You might want to favor a particular slot machine that is offering a promotion or bonus. Many casinos offer free spins as a sign-up bonus or as part of a promotion, but the bonus or promotion may be tied to a particular slot machine the casino wants to promote. Want the free spins? There’s your selection—play the game that offers them!

You can discover a machine’s volatility in the free-spin phase if you take advantage of a bonus or promotion. If the wins are rare and big, that’s usually the sign of a volatile game. If the wins are frequent and small, that’s a sign of a minimally volatile game.

 

Before You Start Playing: Here’s What to Do

If all of this sounds complicated, that is understandable. The best way to learn how to play slot machines is to get your hands dirty by playing.

Of course, that can be expensive. Rookie mistakes can be costly when you’re learning to play slots. To sit down at the machine with the odds in your favor, here’s what you should do beforehand.

 

Study the Rules

Yes, if you wanted to read a book, you would have gone to the library and not the casino. Still, it pays to prepare. Read and understand the game’s guide so you know which paylines you want to bet on. Walk through any video slot tutorials so you know what to expect.

 

Limit your Losses

Planning a visit to a casino should always include a plan to limit losses. This is a key component of responsible gambling.

The first rule of responsible gambling is that when it comes to games of chance, the best motivation to play is the fun of the game and the thrill of the spin.

Don’t treat the casino like a business opportunity. If your night is a failure if you lose money, the casino isn’t the place for you. Win or lose, you should gamble because you enjoy it, not because you think you can beat the house. The house has slugged the odds too heavily in its favor. Whether you lose it all or quit while you’re ahead, in the end the house always wins.

Responsible gambling starts with bankroll management. Two key tactics of bankroll management are betting maximums and loss limits.

 

Betting Maximum

A betting maximum is the maximum amount of money you could lose and sleep soundly that night. However much you are willing to lose, only bet that much.

One way to enforce a personal betting maximum is the “two pocket method.” Fill one pocket with your betting money (again, the maximum you are willing to lose). Whatever money comes out of your bets, put that in a different pocket.

Once your betting pocket is empty, the gaming session is over. If your winnings pocket is fuller than your betting pocket was initially, good for you! If it’s less, oh well. If it’s empty, hey—you only lost what you decided you were willing to lose.

The principle of the two-pocket method is that you don’t place bets with your winnings, only your initial bankroll. If you bet with winnings and your luck turns, you could snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.

 

Loss Limit

A loss limit is a dollar value of losses that triggers the end of the gaming session. At the beginning of the night, you could simply say “If I am down $100 or more, I cut my losses and go.”

A disadvantage of loss limits compared to the “two-pocket method” is that you have little or no chance of ending the night ahead—by definition, the night is over when you are behind.

 

Take Advantage of Free Play

Nothing teaches you how to play slot machines like playing slot machines. Use free spins or (if available) a demo mode to get acclimated with the game and practice different betting strategies.

The disadvantage here is that you might hit a “win” on a demo bet and kick yourself for not having bet money. Remember a key principle of responsible gaming—don’t chase wins. Don’t chase losses either. Just play to have fun!

 

Ready to Play: The Best Betting Strategies

It bears repeating—slots are about as close as possible to a pure game of chance. You can avoid errors by learning the game well, but there’s no real “strategy” you can employ to guarantee a slot machine win. Don’t listen to any snake oil salesman telling you they have a secret strategy to “beat the machine.”

What you can control is your betting strategy. Certain established betting strategies give your gameplay some direction, extend your gameplay sessions, and give you the best possible chance to win. We discuss betting strategies for slots below.

Betting strategies fall into two broad categories:

Positive Progressive Betting Strategies

Positive progressive betting strategies hinge on increasing your bet after a win. The advantage of these strategies is that they limit your losses and only keep you moving forward when you win.

Examples of progressive betting strategies include:

 

• The Paroli System. Choose a unit of betting (one coin, five coins, etc.) and bet that amount after every loss. Double your bet after every win so you can take advantage of winning streaks, but return to the original bet after a loss.

 

• One Half Up. Less aggressive than the Paroli system, One Half Up involves increasing your bet by half, and only after every two wins.

Negative Progressive Betting Strategies

Negative progressive betting strategies hinge on increasing your bet after a loss. The advantage of these strategies is the opportunity to recoup losses with a big win once it comes along.

Of course, the risk is that you lose more often than you win at most casino games, so your bets will get bigger and bigger in search of a win—a great way to go broke.

Examples of regressive betting strategies include:

 

• The Martingale System. This system involves doubling your bet after every loss. The math of this aggressive system works out such that you come out ahead even if you only hit one win after multiple losses. The disadvantage is that you could wind up hitting the max bet for the slot machine. This system is considered very risky.

 

• The Labouchere System. Less aggressive and more popular than the Martingale system, the Labouchere system involves making a list of sequential numbers. Say it’s “1, 2, 3, 4, 5.” You always bet the last number in the sequence. Your first bet will be five coins. If you win, remove the first and last number from the sequence. Now the sequence is “2, 3, 4” and your next bet is 4. If you lose, add a number to the sequence: “1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.” Your next bet will be 6. Do this until every number on the list is eliminated, or until you reach your loss limit or your betting maximum. Make sure to set the last number in the sequence well below the max bet for the slot machine, or you won’t last long in this system.

When Should You Bet the Maximum?

Casinos would love it if you bet the maximum—that’s why most video slots have a one-click “max bet” button. Of course, that’s a quick way to go broke. If you’re tempted to bet the maximum, consider choosing a slot game with a higher maximum.

Betting the maximum on every payline can give you more chances to win, but your winnings will be smaller. Meanwhile, the potential losses will be greater.

The main reason to bet the maximum bet is if you are going for the jackpot. Jackpots are typically only available to players who wager the max bet.

 

What Happens When You Win on a Slot Machine?

Learning how to play slot machines may whet your appetite for a big win. So what happens when you do win on one?

Winning on any given payline you bet on typically results in a return of your coin bet, plus some multiple of the coins bet.

How many coins you get back on a win depends on the payline, with different winning results paying better than others.

In a classic fruit machine, for example, a single cherry might pay back two coins for every one coin bet. Three single bars might pay back thirty coins for each coin bet. Three triple bars might pay back 120 coins for each coin bet.

With multi-reel video slots, the system gets more complicated but it’s still the same in theory—each payline has a set return on your bet if you win. Bonus rounds can add winnings or even multiply winnings.

The coins are usually added to your digital bankroll if you play video slots. Mechanical slots may pay out bets in chips, coins, tokens, or whatever currency the casino uses.

If you win a jackpot, lights or sirens typically announce it, and a casino attendant or employee may come to verify the legitimacy of the win. If you win a huge jackpot (hundreds of thousands or more), a technician may be summoned to make sure that the machine wasn’t rigged to produce the outcome.

Jackpots can be paid out at the cage by cash or check, though larger jackpots may require a check. Jackpot wins online may be deposited to your online gaming account bankroll.

Huge jackpots may incur a 90 day waiting period for payout, as well as the option to accept the winnings as annuity payments.

The annuity may be an attractive option.  Gambling winnings are taxable and hundreds of thousands or millions of dollars in winnings may incur a huge tax liability.

 

Slot Tournaments: How They Work

Sometimes, you will see a section of the casino roped off, with every machine behind the ropes occupied by players betting with furious concentration. You may have just encountered a slot tournament.

Players can enter a tournament by paying a fee, though some tournaments are invitation-only. The rules are usually pretty simple—the casino gives each player a set bankroll, and the player plays it for a set amount of time. This could be as little as twenty minutes, or as long as a month in the case of a few hardcore tourneys.

At the end of the playing period, the competitor with the biggest bankroll takes home the grand prize.

This deceptively simple format belies the strategy it takes to win. Do you bet big in hopes of establishing an early but insurmountable lead? Play the slow-and-steady game in hopes that other competitors will wipe out? There’s no right answer—as is frequently the case in a game of chance!

 

What if a Slot Machine Malfunctions?

No machine is perfect. Malfunctioning slot machines are rare in this age of sophisticated technology, but occasionally both mechanical slots and video slots malfunction. The slot machine may fail when you have money in play—you may even be up!

No player wants a mechanical failure to put their winnings at risk. So what should you do in the rare event of a slot machine malfunction?

Unfortunately, the Terms and Conditions of most online casinos include a clause that the casino is not responsible for winnings lost due to software malfunctions. In most cases, you can’t recover these winnings. You could try filing a claim with the casino licensing authority, but if you agreed to the Terms and Conditions, you probably don’t have much of a case.

If a mechanical or video slot game malfunctions in a casino, a technician may be summoned to review the error. There is a chance a record of your winnings could be recovered and reclaimed, but this is unlikely. Money paid into mechanical slots that malfunction is usually lost.

As frustrating as this is, remember that it is par for the course. Remember, whether you win or lose, “the house always wins.”

 

Conclusion

Slot machines used to be depressing parking spaces for lost souls, mechanically inserting money and pulling levers in hopes of striking it rich. You could forget about VIP treatment for slot players.

The boom in video slots, as well as a revival of classic slot gameplay, have turned this reputation 180 degrees. From animations to marquee themes to bonus rounds, slot machines have exploded in popularity. Casinos can’t afford to dump slots. Now, you can find promotions, tournaments, and VIP treatment extended to top slot players, with popular slot machines commanding a position of respect in the casino.

Learn the ropes, set a strategy, and get down to spinning. Just remember—slot machines are pure games of chance. Once you learn how to play slot machines, you’re in the hands of Lady Luck! But she sure knows how to have fun, and so will you.