Slot secrets from the casino’s inner sanctum

Whether its online or in one of the US’s casino hotspots like Las Vegas or Atlantic City, Slot games are the mysterious sentinels of the casino. Apparently complex table games like craps are carefully explained in laborious detail so you are clear on every wager and side bet. Slots, on the other hand, tantalize with vague allusions to mysterious functions like sticky wilds and multipliers. There’s plenty to be discovered in any individual game, but there are also some basic truths about slots that can only be discovered by a little amateur detective work. Here, we will lift the lid on some of them.

Sometimes table games make more sense

In a real world casino, you are first presented with the slot games and then reach the tables in the “inner sanctum”. The same applies at a lot of the real money US gambling sites – online slots invariably occupy the headlines, and new players are gently ushered towards the slots with their free spins as welcome bonuses. Now using your free spins first makes a lot of sense, and even when you are playing with your own money, there are some fabulous slot games out there and some of them have amazing RTPs – more on that in a moment. But to protect your bankroll, spend time on table games, too.

A spin on a slot game takes about six seconds, so you could theoretically get through as many as 600 spins in an hour if you play full-speed and non-stop. Compare that with blackjack at about 50 hands per hour and roulette, about 25 spins per hour, and you can see why it makes good sense to spend some time trying out table games, too.

Try the lesser-known slots for the best return

We mentioned earlier that there are some amazing slot games around with generous RTP. For example, Ugga Bugga from Playtech, Mega Joker from NetEnt and Ooh Aah Dracula all have RTP of 99 percent or more if you bet the max wager each time. You will notice that these are not the most famous titles. Well-know branded slots like Buffalo Gold and X-men look great, but both have RTP below 95 percent. It’s still far better than slots in land-based casinos, where the RTP can be below 90 percent, but nevertheless, keep in mind that even online, RTP can vary quite significantly, and the best deals are often to be found with the lesser-known games.

The rule of thumb

There are actually two golden rules of the casino, and they are inter-related. The first is only to bet what you can afford to lose and the second is that the house always wins in the long run. Casinos are no different to other entertainment businesses. They need to pay salaries and show a profit – if they didn’t, places like Las Vegas and Monte Carlo would be very different places to the leisure hotspots we know and love.