Are there strategies to win slots, or is it pure luck? 

Success and failure are, for many of us, credited to factors entirely outside of our control. Let’s consider luck in its purest form – both the good, and the bad. The nature of luck was once given up to goddesses, like Fortuna who reigned over fortuna brevis (fleeting luck).

Anyone who considers the nature of luck has, at some point, looked to a deity and counted their blessings. Playing slots its of course a competition with unforeseeable chances. A lot of players have lost their good luck in the process, with consequences that hold valuable lessons. But half of the fun is venturing into the unknown, and that’s probably what brings you to wonder how to win slots online.

It’s human nature to see big jackpots advertised and assume that someone has to win it, right?

The Evolution of Online Slots

Today’s slot machines are derivative of those finely crafted art nouveau Liberty Bell slot machines in late 19th century San Francisco salons. It’s kind of crazy how many times luck-chasing players over the decades have gotten their thrills – and, in some cases, big hauls of cash – with a simple motion: Pulling down a lever.

Nowadays, land-based slots have made their way online. The best online casinos have a variety of slot machines with themes that mimic Vegas. But the premise of winning online slots is the same: With a single motion, you set reels in motion and say a little prayer. It’s just no longer a physical lever connected to mechanical contraptions, rather a digital spin button.

Online gaming still requires the same timeless strategies to win at slots. If you keep your wits about you and dive into concepts like advantage plays (APs) and Return To Player (RTP) you can play smarter. That being said even the smartest players who hit slot machines have to relinquish control over a game’s outcome, and count on their luck.

It may be pure coincidence when you win, but keeping in mind probabilities can help you when playing slots for real money.

Winning at online bingo isn’t all luck – there’s a little bit of math involved. Although volatility is part of all casino games, understanding how the random number generator (RNG) picks a number and results in a symbol is the first part of putting together a winning online slots strategy.

Random Number Generators (RNGs) and Pay Tables in Online Slots

Every time you hit the spin button, slot machines begin a complex internal process to generate a set of numbers and assign your symbols accordingly – that’s decided on a formula containing the probabilities of any particular value being selected. Although some people swear by patterns in slots, the numbers are truly generated at random.

Those probabilities are also assigned pay tables.

Pay tables can be previewed on many slot machines; these include what combination of symbols are required for you to win and get paid.

You might have heard of payout frequency in slots. This refers back to those probabilities in the RNG. You’ll have better odds of hitting certain values, and machines with a high payout frequency means your slot machine is more likely to pay out a prize based on a certain combination of numbers and symbols – although the money you win would be smaller with machines that have high payout percentages.

The payout ratio is agnostic to the time of day you’re playing, the time of month, how many other players have used the slot machine that day etc.

To wit: Higher volatility machines have a lower payout frequency, and let’s say there are a hypothetical 100,000 number values to choose from by the RNG – only one of those numbers would be assigned to a big jackpot, and the likelihood of winning it is low regardless of when you choose to play. Gaming sites where people play slots / bingo for real money like BingoVillage are highly regulated, so you can enter knowing our slot machines have a consistent payout ratio. RNGs are designed to meet the preset payout frequency.

If you hit bonuses several times in a row, it’s truly random… but if you said a prayer to Fortuna before the winning streak? Hey, we can’t speak to the divinity in something like that, but we can tell you a few things to consider when trying to win slots online.

Can You Make A Good Living Playing Slots Online?

If you’re wanting to win at online slots with any consistency, you may be wondering if it’s possible to develop a routine which gives you a better chance at winning in order to turn pro.  

Let’s get right to it: Professional gambling is an endeavor not for the faint of heart. When considering making a living playing slots you should consider that pro gamblers report their winnings to the IRS as income – no different than day traders on the stock market. They might have learned how to play slots & bingo for real money at an early age, progressed into professionalism and called it a day at their university. More than likely, though, people who play bingo for real money and invest their time learning the ins and outs of poker or slots all have one thing in common: fortuna brevis.

If we’re being honest, the fun is in the journey begins and ends with playing the game itself. Since the deployment of those first slot machines in San Francisco, the game of slots has been designed for the player’s amusement. We get it, things can truly get interesting after that first big payout. And with consecutive wins to your name, maybe you’re wondering if you can continue to win slots online with a bit of strategy.

Of course, making a living playing slots means making a profit playing slots – and to obtain pro-status as a gambler we’ve put together five quick tips so you can win slots online.

Tips for Wining Online Slots

Tip #1: The land-based Vegas machines apply the same rules of volatility as online slots. That being said, there’s almost no way to tell when a machine is about to hit a jackpot. The only way to predict is if a slot machine has a progressive meter on display. The machine will have a “Range” – for the purposes of this article, let’s say RANGE: $100 - 500. As soon as a jackpot is hit, it resets at the low number. If you see a machine is at a higher number (let’s say $490) it’s closer to hitting a progressive jackpot than one that’s at a low number (let’s say $190).

Tip #2: The only real strategy to winning slots is understanding standard casino practices, which apply at both land-based and online casinos. The best online casinos like BingoVillage offer great promotions and bonuses with some really fun game variants. Know what promotions are at play, and scheduling your visits accordingly while approaching games with patience, a firm budget and discipline.

Tip #3: To keep winning, you must depend on your casino’s patterns staying the same. But the key to making money in online slots is to do so incrementally throughout the year, especially if you’re just starting out.

Tip #4: Advantage Players (APs). You might have heard of casinos with advantage players exploit existing but relatively unknown rules within a particular game. Going back to tip #1 in this section, you could walk around at land-based casinos only playing machines with numbers near the must-hit progressive jackpot high. Looking at game variants with fixed RTPs (short for Return to Player, or how much value a game provides back to the player) an AP might consider only the highest RTP online slots.

Tip #5: Stick to volatility levels that matches your budget. Slots with big multipliers, like 10x versus a double-diamond machine with smaller wins, have a much lower percentage chance of winning. And each time you play a high volatility game with big jackpots, you have the same odds of winning each spin regardless of if you pay for a single spin versus if you do a hundred spins.

Become A Better Slots Player

To start getting good at online slots, first decide how much money you’re going to play. Split that among sessions. For instance if your budget to play slots is $500 and you’ve decided to play slots for 5 one-hour sessions, that means stopping at $100 during any particular hour.

If you’re wondering how many lines you should play, how many bet multipliers you should play? It’s all tied to your budget. Some games require max bets or for lines to be activated if you’re going to be eligible to win the progressive jackpot. To find that out, find the help button or the rules button – if there isn’t one, be sure to dive through and take notes on your site’s FAQ guide.

Once you’re ready to start trying to win slots online, remember to set a goal.

If your goal is to win a certain dollar amount, enjoy certain number of sessions played within your budget, etc. stick to your guns so that next time you’re ready to play you can keep coming back.

Always look at your denomination for each new game you play. If you don’t manually set your wager or double check your bet size, the default for every spin could be greater than the budget you’ve outlined coming into playing slots. If you want to bet lower, check your site’s user guide. At BingoVillage there’s a lifebuoy (rescue ring) icon that will allow you to change the amount you’re committing to wager for each spin.

The last thing to consider is knowing when to quit. Setting new limits along the way means re-evaluating your winnings, and deciding where to stop. You may have a minimum in mind to decide when it’s enough to cash out. Winning real money in online slots means knowing that games are designed to keep you playing. Every game is truly random, and we can’t stress enough that you’re the one who must commit to being disciplined and fight against the pull to keep aiming for a prize that feels just within reach.

If you find yourself in a mindset where you feel like you’re consistently chasing, cash out and reset and come back later.

Veteran gamblers know to take breaks, even when they’re having fun. After a break you can start low and build your momentum back up without feeling as if the slot machines have taken over and dictating your pace of play.

To win slots online, it’s crucial to know your limits and take breaks when necessary.