How to play online slots
Learn how to play online slots to take full advantage of spinning the reels for huge wins. Whether you’re a slot enthusiast or a total novice, you’ll find helpful tips in our expert how-to-play slots guide.
How online slots work
Online slots have similar mechanics to traditional slot machines found in land-based casinos. You stake a real money wager to spin the reels and receive a payout if you match symbols on an active payline.
All online slot machines use a random number generator (RNG) to randomise the outcome of each spin, ensuring players have a fair chance at winning. That said, it’s important to consider slot volatility and return-to-player (RTP) percentage when playing slots online, as these indicate how frequently it will hit and the likelihood of a payout.
How to play slots online
Slots are one of the easiest games to play, making them popular with South African players. Learn how to play in a few quick and easy steps:
Visit any of our recommended online casinos accepting players in South Africa and register a new account. You must provide your personal details and submit a copy of your government-issued ID when you sign up.
Deposit with an accepted payment method. If you opt-in to claim a bonus, ensure you meet the minimum deposit requirements.
Check out the games lobby and select the slot you want to play.
Launch the game and study the paytable to find information on bonus features, symbols and payouts.
Adjust your bet amount and spin the reels. Some games also offer an auto-spin feature, allowing you to specify the number of times you want the reels to spin without tapping ‘Spin’ every time.
Tips on how to play slots for beginners
Slots are games of chance, so there’s no way to guarantee a win. However, there are steps you can take to extend your bankroll and maximise the playing experience. Read our expert tips to play slots like a pro:
Play in demo mode
Playing slots for free will help you familiarise yourself with gameplay and hone your skills without risking real cash.
Study the paytable
The paytable is a handy guide containing essential information on payouts, prizes, symbols, and more, which will help your understanding of a slot game.
Look for high RTP slots
Theoretically, slots with high RTPs pay out more often. Look for titles with RTPs of 97% or higher to increase your winning potential.
Play penny slots
Penny slots are ideal for beginners, allowing you to spin the reels for as little as R0.01.
Claim a casino bonus
Take advantage of casino bonuses, which can help boost your bankroll, award free spins and extend your playing time on your favourite slots.
Play 17,500+ online slots for free
Slot terms explained
Understanding slot lingo will help you become a better player. Check out this practical guide to popular slot terms below:
| Slot term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Autoplay | A feature that allows you to spin the reels consecutively without pressing the ‘Spin’ button. |
| Bonus games | Gameplay features or mini-games that let you win additional prizes. |
| Free spins | A reward that allows you to spin the reels for free. It’s often triggered by landing three or more scatter symbols. |
| Multipliers | When your winnings are multiplied by a set amount. |
| Paylines | A line on which symbols form a winning combination to provide a payout. |
| Paytable | It contains vital information about symbol values, paylines, and bonus features in a slot game. |
| Reels | The vertical columns on a slot grid displaying various symbols. |
| Return to Player (RTP) | A statistical estimation of how much of your stake is returned when playing slots over time. |
| Volatility | Volatility indicates the frequency and size of payouts on a slot. |
Slot symbols explained
Online slots feature an array of symbols that match its theme. You’ll find standard and bonus symbols in slot games, all of which have a predetermined value. Learn more about the types you’re likely to come across below:
Standard symbols
Standard symbols are typically classic and traditional icons such as playing cards and suits, fruits, BARS, sevens and bells. In the paytable, they will be ranked in order of their value.
Wild symbols
A wild will substitute for any other symbol (except for scatters and bonuses) to help you hit winning combinations. There are different types of wild symbols, including win multipliers, expanding wilds, stacked wilds, and sticky wilds.
Scatter symbols
Scatter symbols trigger bonus features such as free spins rounds. You usually need at least three scatters to activate the bonus, although the exact number will vary from game to game.
Bonus symbols
You’ll find bonus symbols in games with multiple special features, such as Gonzo’s Quest and Quick Hit. These symbols typically trigger mini-games or gamble features like Hi-Lo card games and ‘Click Me’ bonuses.
Types of online slots
There are thousands of online slots available at real money casinos in South Africa, many of which can be divided into the following categories:
Classic slots
These games resemble retro slot machines found in brick-and-mortar casinos. They are typically played out on a 3x3 grid and have few bonus features, offering fast and simple gameplay.
Popular classic slots:
Lightning Joker
777 Strike
Sunny Fruits
Video slots
Video slots are the most-played games at online casinos in South Africa, boasting high-quality graphics, immersive themes, special effects, and many bonus features. Progressive jackpots, Megaways and penny slots can also be classified as video slots.
Popular video slots:
Blood Suckers
Sweet Bonanza
Gates of Olympus
Progressive jackpots
Progressive jackpots offer you the chance to win substantial cash prizes. When playing these types of slots, a portion of your stake goes towards a prize pool at that online casino or a network of online casinos. Network progressives tend to boast the biggest jackpots, with popular titles like Mega Moolah regularly paying out eight figures!
Popular progressive jackpot slots:
Mega Moolah
Aztec Millions
Penny slots
Penny slots let you spin the reels for as little as R0.01 per payline. These games are perfect for new players learning the ropes and budget bettors looking for low-risk gameplay.
Popular penny slots:
Pirates Charm
Golden Colts
Megaways slots
Leading software provider, Big Time Gaming, pioneered the mechanic, but over 10 providers now develop Megaways slots. These slot games feature a reel modifier, which changes the number of symbols that appear on the reels with every spin to offer big wins. You can find Megaways slots with 470,596 paylines.
Popular Megaways slots:
Gonzo’s Quest Megaways
The Pig Wizard Megaways
Age of the Gods: King of Olympus Megaways
Tips on how to choose the best slots
With thousands of slot games available, choosing the best titles can be challenging. Here are some tips on how to identify the best online slots:
Choose a reputable developer
Play slot games from leading developers like Games Global and NetEnt, which provide premium games with high RTPs and features to boost your win potential.
Learn about RTP
Understanding RTP will help you find a game that suits your needs and increase your chances of winning.
Understand volatility
Volatility, or variance, will give you a better idea of the risk associated with a slot, including how often it hits and what kind of payout you can expect.
Look for bonus features
Play slots with tons of bonus features (multipliers, free spins, wilds, etc), as these are designed to make gameplay more exciting and boost your winning potential.
Playing slots online vs. at land-based casinos
Although online and land-based slots have similar mechanics, the playing experience differs. Here are the key pros and cons of playing slots online compared with brick-and-mortar casinos:
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| ✅ More convenient and accessible | ❌ No social atmosphere |
| ✅ Enjoy tons of bonus features | ❌ Longer withdrawal times |
| ✅ Access a wider game selection | ❌ Risk of playing at unregulated sites |
| ✅ Better casino bonuses and promotions | |
| ✅ Can play on the move from a mobile device |
Playing online slots on mobile
One of the benefits of online slots is that you can play on the go from your smartphone or tablet. You can access slot games from your mobile browser or a native app if your chosen casino has one.
We recommend playing from a mobile casino app, as you can benefit from improved graphics, exclusive promotions, and additional security features like Face and Touch ID. Many native apps are available to download on iOS and Android devices from the App Store or Google Play Store.
Play responsibly
Always gamble responsibly and manage your bankroll to keep gaming fun. Casinos welcoming South African players provide responsible gambling tools to keep you safe, such as self-exclusion periods and time and budget limits. You’ll also find problem gambling resources and links to professional services such as:
Browse more game guides
Check out other popular guides to maximise your playing experience across a range of games at online casinos in SA:
How to play slots FAQs
As slots use RNG technology, there’s no sure-fire way to win at online slots. That said, choosing high RTP slots or games with many bonus features can improve your winning chances.
Absolutely. Sign up with an online casino accepting South African players and deposit real money for your chance to win a cash payout.
You can play slots online and win at any time of the day.
When you land matching symbols on an active payline, you'll receive a payout. The value of your payout will depend on the size of your stake, as well as the type and number of symbols forming the winning combination.
There is no trick to playing online slots, as RNG technology ensures every spin is random. You can’t increase your chances of winning by playing when a slot is ‘hot’ (a game delivering larger or more frequent payouts than other machines) or following other common misconceptions.
High RTP slots are games that will theoretically pay a higher percentage of your stake over time than other online slots.
Yes! Slots use random number generators tested by third parties to ensure that every spin is unbiased and fair.
Courtney has an extensive background in creative and commercial writing across numerous iGaming verticals. As a self-professed lover of slots, Courtney is passionate about the casino and gambling industries. While her writing covers a wide range of topics, slots and bonuses are arguably her favourite gambling subjects.
