Source: PxHere
Online slots have been part of the casino world since the turn of the century and they haven’t stopped evolving in that time. These games are still simple to play but what are the different ways of winning that can be achieved on them?
Land a Group of Matching Symbols
The vast selection of slots online means that you can choose from many varied games with just about every theme you can think of. Titles like Lil Sphinx and Cleopatra Cashpots show that the Ancient Egyptian theme is still going strong. Fishing is another popular subject, with the likes of Fishin’ Frenzy and Big Bass each having a series of games adding to a successful original.
What they all have in common is the idea of trying to get a matching combination of symbols across a payline. Whether the symbols show pyramids, fish, buffalo or something else, that’s the same basic way of winning that slots have always used from the very early days until now. Check each slot’s rules to see the amount paid for each combination and everything else you need to know.
Trigger a Jackpot
Progressive jackpots offer a type of win that isn’t linked to getting a combination of symbols. This prize also works differently, as it isn’t listed for a fixed amount. Instead, it climbs steadily as people play the game, before paying out when someone triggers it. A fixed jackpot works similarly but the amount that can be won never changes.
Many jackpots are simply paid out on a random basis when you land a special symbol or combination of symbols that can occur on any spin. A few slots have a bonus round or mini-game that you need to complete to earn the jackpot. This can be seen in the Jackpot King range of games from Blueprint, where players need to collect crowns in a mini-game to claim one of the top prizes.
Enter a Bonus Round
Bonus rounds often give a different type of experience, as you move away from the base game to try a mini-game. The free spin rounds are the simplest approach, as they typically work almost like the main game with a few extra features such as added wilds.
A pick-me bonus used to be one of the main features on slots, but they aren’t as common now as they once were. This feature involves a selection of objects being located on the screen and the player chooses one to find out what prize is hiding behind it.

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Get an Instant Cash Prize or Fill a Prize Meter
Instant cash prizes fit in neatly with the fast and random nature of slot gameplay. They are awarded for getting special symbols or can be given at any time when a special event like a modifier occurs. This can also be done through a special symbol collecting others with cash amounts on them. Oink Oink Oink by Playtech has a section where bonuses can be won by spinning a prize wheel.
Filling a prize meter is all about collecting certain symbols or getting a sequence of wins. The meters usually have a set of prizes marked on them for you to get as you progress, giving you gradually larger cash amounts or more useful features. This can be sampled in Reactoonz by Play’n Go, where a meter is charged by win until one of four modifiers is unleashed.
These varied ways of winning reveal how the online slot market has grown and developed over time while retaining much of the simplicity that has always been one of its main characteristics.