Slots sites are designed to be fun, and that’s what we promise of each site we feature on Nifty Bonuses! 

However, there’s a lot going on behind the scenes that make a slots site truly great and worth playing.

We’ll explore each of the factors that make a great slot site below. 

Welcome offers

Welcome offers are an integral way for slot sites to entice new players. 

Some of the most common welcome offers you'll come across are:

  • No wagering - this means whatever you win is yours to keep without having to wager anything to withdraw it. You can read all about no wagering slots in our guide.
  • High percentage bonus offers - these are common welcome offers and can be as high as 200% or even more! 
  • Bonus spins - sometimes these can be included within a welcome offer.
  • Combination - some sites combine bonus spins and high bonus offers as a welcome offer.

Types of Slots

When it comes to retaining players, it’s all about the game range slot sites provide. Welcome offers attract players, but the range and quality of games keep them returning. 

Classic slots

Classic slots are the most similar to the original real-life slot machines and provide players with a fun but simple game.

These are also known as three-reel slots and are an excellent choice for new players as they’re easy to learn how to play.

Jackpot slots

If you’ve got big cash prizes on your mind, you’ll want to focus your attention on jackpot slots. As the name suggests, these slots offer some of the biggest cash prizes you can win across online slots.

There are two types of jackpot slots; local and progressive.

Local jackpot slots

The prize from a local jackpot slot comes only from players making bets from a single casino. This means the jackpot will not be the biggest you’ll come across, but you will have more chance to win it. 

Progressive jackpot slots

You can win millions of pounds on progressive slots. The prizes are substantial because it grows as players place bets. However, progressive slots are played across networks, meaning your chances of winning are much smaller than local slots.

Mobile slots

Playing slots on the go has never been easier now slot developers and sites are keeping up with the times, understanding that we often have a mobile in our hand.

These slots have been specifically designed to work on ios and android devices and other available tablets by the same software companies behind your favourite slots games. The best place to find mobile slot games are through mobiles casinos. 

Classic, video and progress slots are all available to play on mobile slots.

Software

The first thing to know about online slots is that the site hasn’t created the game they host. High-tec software developers have created these. 

Hundreds of slot games exist; however, only a few software developers are behind them.

Some of the top companies dominating the industry, alongside the most popular games they create:

  • Eyecon - Fluffy Favourites, Stampede, Sugar Train
  • Gamesys - Double Bubble,  Monopoly City Spins, Zen Garden
  • IGT - Da Vinci Diamonds, Kitty Glitter, Pixies of the Forest
  • Microgaming - Game of Thronesâ„¢, Jurassic Parkâ„¢, Terminator 2â„¢
  • Netent - Gonzo’s Questâ„¢, Lost Relicsâ„¢, Starburstâ„¢
  • Nextgen - Merlin’s Millions,  Pillars of Asgard, Reign of the Mountain King
  • Novomatic - Lucky Lady’s Charm, Sizzling Hot, The Dolphin’s Pearl
  • Play N Go - Cat Wilde and The Lost Chapter, Gigantoonz, Rise of Olympus, 
  • Playtech - Age of The Gods, Frankie Detorri’s Magic Seven, Green Lantern, 
  • Pragmatic Play - Leprechaun Song, Queenie, Wolf Gold
  • Quickspin - Book of Duat, Cash Truck, Crystal Prince 

Games are forever evolving and advancing, and software developers need to be on top of the game to keep up with the player demand and the competition.

Therefore you’ll not be surprised that not only are new slot games coming out on a monthly, even weekly basis, but the quality of the design and gameplay is also significantly increasing. 

Once you start recognising the software developers behind your favourite slot games, you can search to see what other slot games they create that you’ll most likely enjoy.

Promotions

It’s not uncommon for slot sites to regularly promote offers for existing players; these include bonuses and free spins. However, it’s not always about cash prizes, but they’re certainly still worth checking out.

Tournaments

One way to expand on your gaming experience is to enter tournaments. These are less appealing to players looking for a simple game. However, those with a competitive streak will get their kicks here.

Tournaments aren’t only fun to play; they’re also great from a community perspective as you’ll have a chance to interact with other players.

The aim of these tournaments is to score as many points as possible by winning spins.  A leaderboard showcases each player's points and is live so you can keep up to date with how the games are going.  

Each player must pay an entry fee, which is then pooled together to make up the cash prize.

At the end of the game, the player with the most points with the prize money.

Withdrawals and deposits

Payment options across slot sites are improving, and many sites now provide the option of using Paypal and pay by phone bill. These are alongside the usual debit card method that all slot sites have. Please note that slots sites are not allowed to accept credit cards.

Before playing on a slot site, it’s worth scouting out the deposit and withdrawal processing time. It can be off-putting when you want to withdraw your prize money, only to have to wait, in some cases, up to a week to receive it. Delays in withdrawals may also occur if you haven’t set up your ID verification on the account, so make sure to do so before playing.

Sometimes you’ll also pay additional fees for depositing and withdrawing money.

This information should be in the small print, and while it’s not the most exciting thing to read, it’s worth doing so to avoid any surprise charges. 

Security

An online slot site won’t last long if it’s not secure or fair.

Some things to look out for so you can be assured you’re playing on a secure slot site include:

  • Gambling Commission License - all online and offline gambling businesses in the UK must be verified by the GCS. You’ll be able to spot this on a slot site’s homepage, usually towards the bottom, near or in the small print.
  • Random number generator - the algorithm of these is not known. Therefore players are unable to guess, ensuring the fairness of each game.
  • Terms and conditions - ignored more often than not, but worth reading as they’ll highlight any rules, specifically around bonuses and offers, that may otherwise surprise you.

Special symbols

Slot games are all about the symbols - Afterall, that’s the aim of the game.

Aside from the traditional symbols any slot player is familiar with, there are many ‘special symbols’ that may be new to you and are worth getting to know.

Some of the most common special symbols you’ll come across are: 

  • Bonus - this activates a bonus game or spin
  • Multiplier - when this symbol pops up, you’re in for a treat. This symbol will multiply a payout that it helps to form. For example, if you see a ‘2x multiplier’, your winnings double. In some lucky cases, these have shown up as 20x. If you have more than one multipliers when you win, these will be added together, then applied to your win.
  • Scattered - payouts or bonus spins occur when this symbol appears, even if it’s not a winning payline. In some cases, a combination of the two occurs when multiple scatters land.
  • Wild - this symbol is sought after as it has multiple functions. Firstly, it can be used as a substitute for other symbols. In some cases, it can substitute any symbol. This means you could win when your payline didn’t have the chance to otherwise. It can also act as a multiplier.

Slots terminology 

The list of slots terminology is long, and the more you play, the more you’ll quickly pick it up.

We’ve listed some of the most need to know slots terminology you’ll hear most often.

  • Return to player (RTP) - This is the percentage of what money could be won by a player. Slots don’t often list the RTP on the game, but you’ll usually find the answer via a search engine. Understanding the RTP of a specific slot game helps you know whether you should play it or not.
  • Payline - this refers to the pattern a symbol needs to land for the player to win.
  • Stake -  the amount of money you place on a bet.
  • Variance/volatility  - this is the risk of a particular game. The lower this number, the higher the chance of winning smaller cash prizes regularly. The higher the number means wins will be few and far between, but the jackpot is significant. 
  • Video slots - this is another term for online slots.

Small print

Often with online games, the offer seems too good to be true. Fortunately, if you are sceptical, you can read the terms and conditions before committing to parting with your cash. 

Terms and conditions are easy to overlook, but you’re likely going to find out some things you didn’t know that affect how you play before you play.

Some examples of the need to knows that will be in the terms and conditions are:

  • Deposit and withdrawal fees
  • Waiting times for withdrawals
  • Caps on cash prizes
  • Wagering requirements

When visiting a new slots site, take the time to read the small print. Terms and conditions will differ from site to site, so don’t assume that you've read them all when you’ve read one.