How to Play Slots for Beginners

Slots can be a fun way to spend your time, but there are a few things you need to know before playing. If you’re wondering, is it hard to learn slots? Then you’re on the right page.

In this guide, we’ll not only show you how to play online slots but also list the best platforms in the US offering this type of casino game.

Moreover, we’ll discuss the differences between different types of slots and talk about popular slot strategies. Read on.

Best US Casinos with Online Slots

Before we show you how to play slots online, we want to list the best casinos in the US offering online slots.

The below platforms were hand-picked by our team of experts, and all are licensed in the US. Feel free to explore the list and select a site that best meets your needs.

Select your state
Michigan
New Jersey
Pennsylvania
West Virginia
All States
Get a 100% Deposit Match Up to $1,000 in Casino Credits and $25 on the House
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Visit BetMGM.com for Terms and Conditions. 21+ years of age or older to wager. MI, NJ, PA or WV only. Excludes Michigan Disassociated Persons. All promotions are subject to qualification and eligibility requirements. Rewards issued as non-withdrawable site credit, unless otherwise provided in the applicable Terms. Please Gamble Responsibly. Gambling Problem? 1-800-270-7117 for confidential help (MI), 1-800-GAMBLER (NJ, PA & WV).

Get a 100% deposit match up to $2,500 sign-up bonus +$2,500 Reward Credits®
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Play $1, Get $100 In Casino Credit
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100% up to $1,000 + an extra $20 as bonus on the house!
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100% up to $500 + 500 Bonus Spins
Benefit
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$10 No Deposit + $300 Matched
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Up to $100 real cash back
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Daily free slots available
Unique ongoing promotions
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100% Deposit match up to $500 + 100 Bonus Spins
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Get 24 Hours of Casino Losses back up to $500 - CASINOBACK
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A 3-part welcome offer with up to $1,500 + 50 FS for grabs!
A collection of popular online slots
A lucrative welcome bonus
Licensed and registered in New Jersey
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Basics of Slots

Video slots are the most popular type of casino games on the web, and every online casino features dozens (and sometimes hundreds) of slots from various game developers.

Nowadays, slots have various grid structures and offer a wide array of bonus rounds and other features. Every slot has a unique theme it covers, so it’s important to find the slots with the themes you like.

Still, every video slot follows the same structure: you make a bet, spin the reels, and wait for the outcome.

If the reels align in such a way to make a valid combination of symbols, you’ll receive a reward depending on the payout of the symbol you matched, as some symbols are more lucrative than others.

Slot machine anatomy

Video Slots vs Mechanical Slots

Mechanical slots are called that because their system relies on mechanics rather than electronics. Of course, mechanical slots aren’t part of online casinos, but some casinos do feature these so-called vintage slots, which look like mechanical slots in every aspect except their underlying structure, which determines the outcome. Mechanical slots usually have just three reels and a small number of symbols, with no bonus features available.

Video slots, on the other hand, are getting more complex, faster, and more engaging.

Is it Better to Play Slots Fast or Slow?

If you’re a new player who isn’t used to the mechanics of the video slot you’re playing, it’s better to start playing slowly and understand how the game works with every spin. However, if you’re playing a game you have a lot of experience with, using features such as auto-spin to speed up the game may be useful.

However, pacing doesn’t affect your chances of winning, as slots are primarily games of chance. If you are looking for tricks on how to win on online slots, unfortunately there aren’t any.

A fast pace can, on the other hand, encourage you to play beyond your means. More rounds per minute means more potential losses. It is recommended that you set a loss limit of an appropriate amount that you are comfortable with potentially losing.

How to Play Slots Online for Money

The process of playing slots for real money isn’t different from playing land-based slots, but there are a couple of extra steps. Here’s a short overview of how to play slots online for money.

How to play slots online for beginners

Where to Play Online Slots

Online slots are the most popular type of online casino games, so basically, every online casino features them in their game portfolios.

However, you don’t want to select just any casino to start playing games, as many are not licensed and are even rigged. That’s why we selected the best casinos for US players and included them on this page. You can even read our reviews and see which online slots they offer.

States Where Online Slots are Legal

Online slots are legal in all states that legalize online casino gambling.

At the moment, you can play online slots in the following states (please note that the last two have quite a limited offer at the moment):

New Jersey

new jersey seal

Pennsylvania

pa state seal

Michigan

Michigan State Seal

Check Out Our Other Slots Guides

If you want to play online slots, doing some further reading on beginners guides to slots and researching other online slots guides could be useful to get the best possible experience. It’s also a good idea to learn more about slots strategies and understand the rules to master this type of casino game.

Please bear in mind that there are many slot variants, and some online casinos are also experimenting with offering live slots.

FAQ

📝 How do slot machines work?
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Visit BetMGM.com for Terms and Conditions. 21+ years of age or older to wager. MI, NJ, PA or WV only. Excludes Michigan Disassociated Persons. All promotions are subject to qualification and eligibility requirements. Rewards issued as non-withdrawable site credit, unless otherwise provided in the applicable Terms. Please Gamble Responsibly. Gambling Problem? 1-800-270-7117 for confidential help (MI), 1-800-GAMBLER (NJ, PA & WV).