Even if you have never played slots, you must have heard the term “one-armed bandit” or seen these games in Las Vegas movies amid the flashing lights and jingling coins.

It’s a well-loved type of casino entertainment that has preserved its popularity through decades and accumulated a rich terminology during this time, especially with the rapid spread of gambling websites.

Let’s puzzle out all the must-know terms to help you start playing online slots with confidence and enhance your gaming experience from the very first spin.

What Is Online Slot Game?

Online slot is a virtual version of traditional casino entertainment popular in brick-and-mortar gambling establishments. These digital counterparts feature the same concept as offline games: the reels with different symbols spin vertically, and if a winning combination lands on the grid, the player gets a cash reward.

Unlike physical machines, web-based slots come with a wider range of themes, storylines, 3D animations, and special features, while it’s also convenient to play them on the go.

From the simplicity of three-reel classics to feature-packed bonus rounds and the allure of potential jackpots, online slots deliver a wide range of fascinating experiences for players.

Terminology of Online Slots

• All-ways-win slot: a game without fixed paylines, meaning that you can hit winning combinations in a variety of ways as long as a particular symbol lands on adjacent reels.
• Auto spin: a feature allowing players to set the reels in motion automatically without hitting a ‘Spin’ button over and over again after each game round. The number of auto spins often varies from 10 to 100.
• Bet: an amount of cash wagered with one spin. There is also a ‘Bet Max’ button to set the maximum stake amount allowed in the game.
• Bonus buy: a feature offered in some slots with the purpose of enhancing the gaming experience by purchasing extra free spins, direct access to a bonus round, or a higher multiplier value.
• Cascading reels: gameplay mechanics which imply that if you hit a winning combination, all the symbols involved disappear from the reels and the new ones fill the empty spaces to create even more combos per one spin.
• Cold slots: a separate category of slots that produce winnings less frequently than other titles.
• Demo: a free version of the game that preserves all its features and functionality but gives you a chance to play without real-money bets.
• Free spins: a bonus feature for spinning the reels without spending your bankroll.
• Gamble feature: allows players to double their winnings if they manage to guess the right outcome in a game of chance.
• Hit frequency: a statistical value telling you how often a game is likely to bring you a winning spin.
• Hot slots: a separate category of titles that pay out more frequently than others.
• Icons: refer to different slot game symbols that may include fruits, letters, numbers, animals, and any other thematic images depending on the slot’s theme.
• Megaways: a specific type of game where the number of symbols on every reel changes randomly with each new spin, producing thousands of ways to win.
• Multiplier: a bonus feature designed to multiply a winning amount by a certain value. For example, a 2x multiplier doubles your payout, and a 10x multiplier increases it 10 times. 
• Payline: defines a specific pattern of how the symbols should land on the reels to form a winning combination and give you a payout.
• Paytable: a guide on how the game pays for hitting different symbol combinations.
• Progressive jackpot: a type of jackpot that grows progressively as players bet on the slot (or several slots connected to the same jackpot).
• Random number generator: specially designed software generating random outcomes in slot games.