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Comparing Online and Land-Based Slots

March 05, 2008 By: admin Category: online slots

Slot machines are now the most popular games played in regular casinos. More money is paid out to the players of slot machines than to the players at all of the table games combined. Slots are also becoming extremely popular online.

The slot machines played at casinos are similar to the games that are played online. Casino slot machines contain computer chips that have a computer program on them, which runs the machine. And of course online slots are run by computer programs too. They work exactly the same way. Instead of the program making the wheels spin and lights flash, the online version creates pictures of reels and flashing lights.

Odds and Payouts

Although both versions of slots are run by the same types of computer programs, there are some differences. For one thing, online slots are set to pay out a higher percentage of the money received from the players. Online gambling sites are able to do this because it costs less to run a gambling site than it does to run a casino.

Since online casinos do not have to pay for the expensive slot machines or repairs to keep them running, they are able to pass those savings on to their customers. They also save by not having to purchase or rent an extravagant building to house the casino in. They don’t need as many employees either.

Online gambling sites are also driven to keep the payouts high due to competition. Since there are many online gambling sites, customers can choose the sites the offer the best experience for the customer. Land based casinos often do not have a lot of competition, except for those in famous gambling cities such as Las Vegas.

Playing at Home

Real casinos have distractions, such as flashing lights and noises that can interrupt you while you are playing. When you play online, you are in control of the environment in which you are playing. You can play background music if you like, and relax in your favorite chair while playing.

When you go to a regular casino, the casino controls your environment. In order to encourage you to stay longer, they keep the lights bright and make sure there are no clocks. Some land-based casinos even pump in oxygen to help you feel more awake so that you don’t realize how late it is getting.

Online casinos don’t have to worry about trying to keep you at the casino. They know that it is convenient for you to come back whenever you feel like it. If you want to order a pizza and come back, the game will still be there when you come back.

Loyalty Bonuses

There are some slot machines, both online and off, that offer loyalty bonuses to players. The longer you play, the more loyalty points you earn. You can win extra money by earning a certain number of loyalty points. The downside of this at a regular casino is that if you have to leave the machine, someone else could get on it before you get back and earn the rewards for your loyalty bonus.

This doesn’t happen with online slots. If you take a break and come back, you will still have your loyalty points when you return.

Comps

In a regular casino you can earn points for comps when you play. These points can get you free drinks or other items. Online casinos also offer this sort of rewards program. They allow you to earn prizes such as cash, holidays or luxury items. Many online gambling sites also offer welcome bonuses to new players.

When you sign up at an online gambling site, you can often get free credits or matching bonuses, where the casino doubles your starting deposit. You’ll never have this happen at a land-based casino.

Safety and Privacy

Most online casinos are safe. The ones that aren’t are usually closed down quickly. It is easy to get information about websites online, so there is no need to worry about whether a casino is legitimate. You can just check them out. There are websites that review online gambling sites. You can look for a review to find out whether the online casino you are thinking about signing up for is legitimate.

Legitimate casinos are careful to use encryption to protect their customers’ billing information and other sensitive data. This information is always transmitted over a secure server. We only list casinos on this site that use encryption to protect the players’ personal information.

Unlike land-based casinos, you will never be asked to leave an online gambling site because of the way you are dressed. You won’t have cameras watching your every move. You won’t even be asked to leave for winning too much. Online casinos are very competitive and must treat their customers well in order to stay in business.

Variety of Games

Although many casinos have a lot of slot machines, there are usually many groups that contain all the same type of machines. Since there is a limited amount of space at a casino, there can only be a limited number of games.

When you play online, the variety is unlimited. There are no space restrictions, so casinos can offer hundreds of different varieties of slots. For example, 7 Sultans Online Casino has 144 different varieties of slots. And you never have to wait for a machine because everyone can play the same game at once if the want to.

Practice Games

Online casinos offer practice games so that you can get a feel for the games before you play. This also allows you to find out if your computer has any issues running the game before you trying playing for real money. It is especially important to try a free game first if you have either a very old or very new computer, or if you are using a dial-up account to connect to the Internet.

The Best Slot Machine Games

March 05, 2008 By: admin Category: online slots

Slot machine games are very popular, and there are many great varieties for players to choose from. Some of the hottest slots designers have developed new games that are taking the gambling industry to a new level. There have been upgrades added to some of the most common games, such as Big Money Cheese Caper, Leprechaun’s Gold 2: Gettin’ Lucky, and Free Spin Frenzy.

Robin Hood’s Sherwood Treasure is a new game that is part of a series of four-reel games designed by one of the top designers. This is a great game for anyone who wants to rob the rich and win money for yourself instead.

In one new game, you travel through dangerous mountains and avoid avalanches and storms until you go through the ring of fire. This game is called Four Ring Series. This game has bonuses of free spins, credits and more. The Jackpot Stampede offers you a chance to win really big.

Some of the newest games include A Fistful of Dollars, Wild Shot and Wanted. With such great names, who can resist giving them a try?

Reel Power is a game of penny slots that offers amazing wings. This game allows you to purchase reels rather than pay lines. This is a great game for beginning or advanced players. The combinations appear in almost every spin.

Legendary Goals is a football-themed machine. This is great for football players and their fans. The multiple pay line machines are great for those who want to increase their payouts. Some of these machines allow you to buy two lines per credit with up to 50 lines. If this sounds like fun, look for Nerds Gone Wild, Bowling Night and Money Honey. These games offer bonuses as well.

If you still can’t decide which games to play, try starting with Cartoon Jackpot Link. These games are based on cartoons such as Blondie, Rocky and Bullwinkle, and Betty Boop. The jackpots start at $100,000.

There are hundreds of different varieties of slots, so no article could ever cover all of them. The best thing to do is get out there and try some of them. Play the games and decide for yourself which ones you like the best.

Some Tips Regarding The Slot Machines

March 05, 2008 By: admin Category: online slots

Tips for Playing the Slot Machines

Playing the slots can be a lot of fun, and if you’re lucky, you might just win big while you’re at it. Here are some tips to help you enjoy the time you spend playing the slots.

When you are playing the slot machines, you should always play the maximum number of coins. This will allow you a chance at the largest payouts. Many slot machines pay a bonus at the highest prize level if you play the maximum number of credits. This is especially true if you are playing progressive slots.

If you are playing video slots, you should make sure you understand the pay lines. Some machines have as many as 25 pay lines. If you are playing the maximum on these machines, you will be paying for each line that you play, but you can also win a payout for each line if they show a winning combination.

You should not sit at the machine zombie-like and just keep feeding more coins into the machine. Pay attention to what you are doing. If the machine is not winning after several spins, you might want to think about moving on to another machine.

Make sure you understand the bonus rounds so that you know what needs to happen for you to win a bonus. Winning in the bonus rounds can help to increase your winnings significantly. Sometimes whether you win or not is based on whether you pick the right suit of cards. Find out what you need to do to win the bonus in the game you are playing.

If you are playing slots at an online casino, you should always download the software rather than playing directly online. Many online gambling sites offer Flash games, which can offer faster play than other types. However, Flash and Java can cause problems on some computers. For this reason, the download version of the game is usually the best bet.

A Glossary of Terms for Playing Slots

March 05, 2008 By: admin Category: online slots

If you are going to be playing slots, you should learn some of the terminology used in the game so that you’ll understand what’s going on.

Some machines offer bonuses.  This is a special feature that is only offered on certain machines.  If you get a bonus, you might get extra credits or you could get extra spins.  Extra spins will give you an additional chance to win.

The candle is the light on top of the slot machine.  It will flash if you have won and need to be paid.  It will also flash if there is a technical problem with the machine.  Whatever the reason, its purpose is to attract the attendant’s attention to the machine.  The term carousel refers to a group of slot machines that are all in the same area of the casino.

The coin hopper is a term for the large tray at the bottom of the slot machine that the coins fall into.  You can take your winnings out of the hopper and put them into a drop bucket.  The drop buckets are usually stacked on top of the machine or off to the side.

The credit meter shows how many credits you have.  If you are winning, hopefully this number will be larger than what you started with.  EGM is an acronym that stands for electronic gaming machine.

If someone is waiting for a hand pay, that means they have won the maximum payout of the machine and they must wait for an attendant to come to the machine they are at to pay them.
After the slots have paid out, a hopper flips is a document that records the coins in the coin hoppers.

Low level and slant top slots are machines that have stools for the players to sit on.  If a person has the optimal play, he has earned a high payback percentage on the slots.

The term pay line refers to the line that the combination must fall on in order to win.  Pay lines can be horizontal, vertical or diagonal.  Some machines have as many as fifty different pay lines.  Rollup refers to the sound the machine makes as it totals the winnings.

There are many other terms that you will hear when playing the slot machines, but these are the basics.  If you hear someone say something that you don’t understand, ask an attendant what it means.

Payouts in Slots

March 05, 2008 By: admin Category: online slots

If you love playing the slots, you are not alone.  The slot machines are one of the most popular casino games.  They are loved by people of all ages and backgrounds.

The most important thing to consider when trying to decide which slot machines to play is the payback percentage.  Unfortunately, most casinos do not post this information for you to see.  You can try asking the casino employees if they know which machines offer the best payout percentages, but they might not be able to tell you.  The closer the payout percentage is to 100%, the better the machine is.

If you are playing video poker, it is possible to determine the percentages based on the number of possible card combinations.  You can find pay schedule tables for many different video poker machines online.  Just print them out and take them with you, then check the pay schedule posted on the machine and compare it with the tables you printed to see if you can find a match.

For other slot machines, you will probably have a harder time finding the loose machines.  One thing you can do it pay attention to which machines you have seen winning.  Another thing you can do is choose machines that are located in high traffic areas.  Casinos often put their best machines near the restaurants, on the main aisle or near the cashier.  They do this to increase the chances that other people will see players winning and decide to play as a result.

If you are playing online slots, you can research the payout percentages offered by a casino through online gambling review websites and through auditing companies.  The auditing companies have reports that detail the payout percentages for each game.

The first slot machines were mechanical, so you could figure out the odds by using the number of reels and the number of different symbols to figure them out.  But today’s slot machines use computers with an unknown number of possible symbols, so it is impossible to determine the odds.

Many casinos have a house edge around 9% for slot machines.  That means that 91% of the money received from the slot machines is paid back out.  Of course, you would never play slots if you were guaranteed to get 91 cents back for every dollar you put in.  That would be crazy.

Instead, slot machines pay out money in large chunks in order to attract players.  You are more likely to play if you have a chance at winning more than you put in.

In some casinos, the managers have changed things around to throw off the experienced players.  Once they realized that people knew that the most profitable machines are usually in high traffic areas, they moved the machines around and put low-paying machines in those areas.  The best thing to do is be observant.  Watch to see which machines seem to win most frequently and use those machines.

Tips for Playing the Slots

March 05, 2008 By: admin Category: online slots

When you are playing the slot machines, there are some tips you should keep in mind.  First of all, you should play all the lines that are offered on the machine in order to get the best payouts.  If you don’t play all of the lines on a progressive machine, you will never have a chance at winning the jackpot.  You have to play all of the lines to win the top prize.  If you don’t want to bet that much at once, find a machine with a lower denomination.

Some machines have larger payouts than others, and some pay out more frequently than others.  It’s a good idea to pay attention to which machines seem to pay out more so that you can play those machines more often in the future.

Even though slot machines are supposed to be completely random, and there are checks in place to make sure that they are random, you will still hear from experienced players that slot machines are very streaky.  What this means is that a machine can go a long time without a win and then win several times in a short period of time.

There are two strategies that are used to take advantage of streaks.  The first strategy is to try a few spins each in several different machines until you find one that is hitting.  The other strategy is to keep putting a single coin into a machine until it starts hitting, then increase your bets.

It is important to know the payout percentages for the machines you are playing.  These figures will give you an idea of how much money you are likely to lose while playing that machine.  If the payout percentage for the slots at your casino is 95%, that means that 5% of the money put into the slot machines is paid back out to the winners.  The higher the payback percentage is, the less money you are likely to lose.  If the payback percentage is 95% and you put in $100, that doesn’t guarantee that you will get $95 back.  You could do better or worse.  However, over time, it averages out to 95% between all of the people who play slots at the casino.

Here are some tips for getting the best results from playing the slots.

1)  Play at reputable casinos.

2)  Make sure you understand your game.  Investigate various strategies and experiment to find out what works best for you.

3)  Always set a budget for playing, and never exceed that budget.

Different Types of Slot Machines

March 05, 2008 By: admin Category: online slots

Slot machines are growing in popularity among people of all ages.  They are a favorite of many people who frequent casinos.  In fact, they now account for about sixty percent of all gambling revenue in the United States.  You can find slot machines at all of the casinos, and even online.

With all of the slot machines at the various casinos, there are many varieties to choose from if you want to play the slots.  However, all of them fit into two categories, either straight or progressive.  Let me explain the difference.

Straight slots offer a set payout for each prize.  When you look at the machine, you will see the various prize amounts written on the machine.  If it says the top prize is $10,000 then that’s the most you will ever win from that machine.  The jackpot is $10,000, and it will always be $10,000 no matter how many people play the game or how often the jackpot is paid out.

Progressive slot machines are different because the jackpot varies.  It starts at a certain level, and then every time someone plays the machine a little more is added to the jackpot until someone wins it.  There are different kinds of progressive slots, and some of them get larger jackpots than others.

The first type of progressive slot machine is the stand-alone progressive.  This machine is not linked to any other machines.  It has a progressive jackpot that is only for that machine.  Only someone who is playing that machine can win the jackpot, and the jackpot only gets bigger as a result of someone playing that one machine.

There are also progressive slot machines that are networked with other slot machines.  These can range from a few machines networked together within a single casino, to a network of many slots that are located in various casinos all over the country.  When you play on a progressive slot machine that is networked with other machines, the jackpot is shared between the linked machines.

Progressive slot machines sometimes have better odds for the lower prizes, but the jackpot prize usually has very low odds.  The payouts on the smaller prizes are usually lower too, because some of the money that would otherwise have been paid out for the smaller prizes is being held for the big jackpot.

If you want to win the jackpot while playing progressive slots, make sure you always bet the maximum number of credits at one time.  These machines are set up so that you can only win the progressive jackpot if you play the maximum credits.  There is no point in playing the progressives if you are not going to try to win the jackpot.  You could expect a better return on the regular slots if you are playing one coin at a time.

How Slot Machines Work

March 05, 2008 By: admin Category: online slots

Slot machines are one the most fun games you will find at a casino.  It is exciting to put a coin into the machine and pull the handle, then wait to see if you have won.

Slot machines began as a diversion offered by casinos for those who didn’t have the discipline or desire to learn the more complicated games.  These machines appealed to people who didn’t have the patience for learning craps or poker.  All you have to do is put in a coin, pull a level and see what happens.  Anyone can handle that.

Slot machines have grown in popularity until they earned their current position as one of the most popular casino games.  You can even find slot machines in gas stations and grocery stores in some areas of the country.  Over half of the gambling revenues received in the United States comes from slot machines.

The old style slot machines have been replaced with newer and better slot machines that are operated by computers.  The basics of the game are still the same, but these newer machines have buttons that you can press rather than pulling the lever.  They also offer more combinations, and there are some machines that offer large jackpots that get larger every time someone plays until there is a winner.

When you are playing slot machines, if the pictures or numbers displayed after you spin match the winning combination, then you will receive the payout for that combination.  In many cases, the slot machines being used today accept credits instead of coins.  You can play with more than one credit at a time to increase the amount you win when you get a winning combination.

Slot machines are continuing to grow in popularity, mostly because of the huge jackpots now being offered.  These jackpots draw in many new players all the time.  Like the lottery, they offer a chance, however slim, for someone to go from being broke to rich from one little stroke of luck.  However small the chances are, many people cling to that little bit of hope that maybe they’ll be the next big winner.

Basic Slots Strategy

March 05, 2008 By: admin Category: online slots

If you’re going to play the slots, you should have a strategy.  You need to put some guidelines in place for yourself before you start playing so that you can increase your chances of walking away with some money.

The first rule of playing slots is that you should never play until your money is gone.  It’s no fun to lose everything you have.  Decide ahead of time how much you will risk, and leave when you reach your limit.  This will keep you from spending money that you shouldn’t be spending.

There are books you can order that claim to offer secrets and strategies, but most of them are not worth buying.  The main reason that most people leave the casino broke is because they don’t quit when they’re ahead.  They always think they can win more, so they keep trying.  Eventually, they lose everything they’ve won and then some.

Being greedy will only lead to losing.  Remember that the casino has an advantage, so if you are ahead you are not likely to stay there long if you keep gambling.  Once you get ahead, you should stop.

You should establish limits before you start playing.  Decide how much money you are willing to lose, and don’t play any more than that.  If your loss limit is $200 and you win $500, that doesn’t mean you have $500 more to spend.  Keep the $500 and use it to buy yourself something nice.  Only spend the $200 you had originally planned on spending.

If you want to make your money last longer, play the lower denomination slot machines.  Your $200 will last a lot longer on the 25-cent machines than it will on the dollar machines.  Playing the lower value machines can give you a lot more enjoyment for the amount of money you are spending.

Remember to have your win goals and loss limits set before you start to play, and then stick to them.  This is the most important rule of gambling, whether you are playing the slots or any other game.

How To Have Fun Playing Slots

March 05, 2008 By: admin Category: online slots

Part of the fun of playing the slots is the chance that you could slip a coin into a slot machine and win hundreds of coins as a payout.  Why wouldn’t you want to take a chance at something like that?  Once you have won, you can take your money and have some fun with it.

When you are playing the slot machines, you don’t always have to play the maximum amount.  It is just fine to put one coin in each machine if that’s how you want to play it.  Most people believe you have no chance at winning if you only play one coin at a time, but that’s not true.  The only time it matters is if you are playing on the progressive machines.  If you are playing for a progressive jackpot, you need to bet the maximum because if you don’t you will usually not qualify for the jackpot.

If you want to increase your odds of winning at the casino, play the machines that are marked certified.  These slot machines offer a 98% payback rate, so you are likely to win more if you win.  Certified machines usually have flashing neon lights around them to draw attention to them, so they are easy to find at the casino.  If you are not sure if the machines are certified, ask.  The casino employees should be able to tell you.

The slot machines of the past earned the nickname “one-armed bandit” because of the handle that had to be pulled to make the reels spin.  Those are a thing of the past but most slot machines still have a lever you can pull if you want to do it the old-fashioned way.  You might prefer pushing the button after awhile though, because your arm will get sore from pulling the handle.

If you’re playing online, look for the wild-pay slots.  These slots often win twice or three times as often as the regular slots.  There are many other varieties of slots online as well.  You’re sure to find something that will appeal to you.

Most slots players average about 500 games per hour.  This rate can change depending on whether you are inserting the coins manually or using credits.  Regardless of how quickly you play, you will enjoy playing the slots.  They are a lot of fun, whether you’re playing online or at a casino.