Online slots are by far the most diverse casino game category. That is the reason why millions of players from all around the world are fond of these games. Thanks to their massive diversity, the gaming experience is never dull. What’s even better, is the fact that online slots are powered by the latest HTML5 technology, meaning that they are optimized for mobile and desktop use, hence, they can be accessed at any time and place.

Game providers are always innovative and are looking to make the most unique slots every chance they get. That is what I wanted to discuss in this article. I’ll be taking a look at all of the major types and variations of online slots available. The diversification will help you figure out what are your personal preferences, so let’s dive into the details.

Standard and Progressive Slots

The first categorization of slots depends on the featured jackpot. As you surely know, slots are known for providing decent jackpots with small bets. There are two main types of jackpots – progressive and standard/fixed.

If you are playing a progressive slot, you will see that the jackpot has several levels and the maximum exposure keeps increasing over time. Progressive slots are known for being highly volatile and they have higher bet limits.

On the other hand, fixed/standard slots are online slots that feature a jackpot, but their maximum exposure is fixed.

Low, Medium and Highly Volatile Slots

Speaking of the volatility rate, that is the next diversification of online slots. The volatility rate is an indicator of how often the jackpot drops and how high the bet limits are. With that being said, there are three main types of slots:

• Low volatile slots
• Medium volatile slots
• Highly volatile slots

The math here is simple – the higher the slot’s volatility rate is, the higher the jackpot exposure will be. However, it will not drop often. On the flip side, the lower the volatility rate is, the less rewarding the jackpot is, but it drops far more often. Additionally, the higher the volatility rate of the slot is, the higher the bet limits will be.

Slots with a low volatility rate are the perfect pick for newbies, whereas high-rollers are fonder of slots with a high volatility rate. Classic slots feature a low volatility rate, whereas progressive slots have a high volatility rate.

Due to the fact that medium volatile slots feature rather decent jackpot rewards and they drop often, they are the most popular category.

The Theme of the Slot

One of the things that set slots apart from the other casino games is the fact that they have countless themes. That brings diversification to a whole new level. Game providers have come up with various types of themes and some of the most popular ones are:

• Aztec
• Wild West
• Adventure
• Jungle
• Irish Luck
• Fruity
• Ancient Egypt

Some other themes that you can come across quite often include jungle, oceanic, nightlife, money heist, as well as slots that are themed based on movies, TV series or some types of sports.

Payline Systems

Categorizing slots based on their payline system is rather interesting. Up until recently, there were three types of slots, depending on how you form winning combinations. You could come across slots that pay left to right, right to left or both ways.

However, online slot providers got bored of these three systems, which is why they decided to come up with something new. Hence, Big Time Gaming invented the Megaways system where each spin can result in up to 117,649 paylines. ReelPlay invented the Infinity Reels system where the number of reels and paylines keeps increasing as you form winning combinations.

Finally, NetEnt came up with the Cluster Pays system where instead of forming winning combinations from left to right, right to left or both ways, you form clusters of at least 5 winning symbols.

Most recently, Big Time Gaming also introduced the Megaquads payline system.

Classic, Video Slots and VR Slots

The most general slot diversification is between classic slots, video slots and VR slots. Classic slots are usually slots that have a 3×1 or 3×3 layout and do not include any bonus features. Video slots, on the other hand, feature various grids and include newer payline mechanics. Additionally, they are usually packed with in-game bonuses such as free spins, bonus rounds, Wild symbols, expanding symbols, jackpots, etc.

Finally, VR slots are a rather new invention that is set to take over the online gambling industry in the near future. As the name of the category itself suggests, players require a VR set to play a certain slot.

Number of Reels

The final slot diversification that I am going to talk about concerns the number of reels. A majority of slots feature 3 or 5 reels, but as I mentioned earlier, providers have become extremely innovative in the recent period, which is why you can come across slots that have 6, 7, or even 8 reels. Infinity Reels slots can have more than 10 reels, making the gameplay all the more exciting,

There are plenty of things that make slots the best games at every online casino. First off, they are packed with in-game bonuses such as free spins, jackpots and bonus rounds. Not only that, but they are extremely diverse as they vary depending on their theme, payline system, number of reels, type of jackpot, etc.

Not only that but slots are known for having a decent Return to Player (RTP) rate. As you know, RTP represents the stakes that players receive back over a certain period. The higher the RTP rate of the slot is, the higher the returns are. RTP is one of the main factors that indicate the quality of a slot which is why I’ve come up with a list of my 5 favourite slots with the highest RTP.

Blood Suckers (NetEnt) – 98% RTP

The first slot on the list is Blood Suckers by NetEnt. This game is among the slots with the highest RTP rate in history as it is clocked at 98%. Blood Suckers was released back in 2013 and proved to be a massive hit thanks to the fact that it is extremely simple to play.

It comes with a low volatility rate and has a 5×3 layout, meaning that once you access it, you will see a grid containing 5 reels and 3 rows. Additionally, Blood Suckers has 25 paylines on which you can form winning combinations and there are three in-game bonuses – the Wild symbol, free spins and bonus rounds.

The free spins mode is triggered when you land at least 3 Scatters on the reels. Scatters are represented by the Vampire Bride and once you trigger the bonus feature, you will receive 10 free spins. The interesting part about it is that a multiplier is also present during free spins.

Rainbow Riches: Pick ‘n’ Mix (Barcrest) – 98% RTP

Rainbow Riches is one of Barcrest’s most legendary releases and that is why the provider decided to keep the trend going. Rainbow Riches: Pick ‘n’ Mix is one of the sequels of the original title and this game comes with an RTP rate of 98%, the same as Blood Suckers.

Rainbow Riches: Pick ‘n’ Mix features 5 reels and 3 rows as well as 20 fixed paylines on which you can form winning combinations. The game’s volatility rate is medium, meaning that its jackpot drops often, so you can expect decent winnings here.

The best part about this Barcrest title is the fact that it comes with quite a few interesting bonus features:

• Pots of Gold
• Cash Crop
• Road to Riches
• Magic Toadstool
• Free spins

These bonus features make the gameplay all the more exciting and even though Rainbow Riches: Pick ‘n’ Mix was released in 2016, Barcrest made sure that it meets the industry’s latest standards and that is why it is optimized for mobile use.

White Rabbit Megaways (Big Time Gaming) – 97.7% RTP

Big Time Gaming is known for inventing the Megaways feature in which each spin can result in up to 117,649 paylines. White Rabbit Megaways is a product of that type as this entertaining slot comes with an RTP rate of 97.7%.

Thanks to the Megaways feature, the number of rows can be between 2-7, while the number of reels is 5 and the number of paylines is set at 16,807. There are a couple of interesting bonus features that are included in White Rabbit Megaways, such as the Bonus Wild, free spins and the Feature Drop option.

Thanks to Feature Drop, players can purchase free spins in the game.

Zeus Lightning: Power Reels (Red Tiger) – 97.7% RTP

My fourth slot on the list is a Greek mythology-themed game by one of the world’s most reputable game providers – Red Tiger Gaming. Zeus Lightning: Power Reels is a 7-reel slot that features 30 paylines on which you can form winning combinations.

It also comes with a high volatility rate, meaning that its maximum jackpot exposure is pretty high and set at 4,500 x the stake. There are 9 featured regular symbols, divided into low-paying and high-paying categories.

The Wild symbol, which substitutes regular symbols, will help you form winning combinations whereas the Scatter symbol is the key to triggering the free spins mode in the game.

Big Bad Wolf (Quickspin) – 97.3% RTP

Finally, we have Big Bad Wolf, an online slot by Quickspin that also has a relatively high RTP rate as it is set at 97.3%. This is a rather old release as it hit the market in 2012, but thanks to the numerous great features and unique gameplay, Big Bad Wolf remains a popular choice to this day.

Its volatility rate is medium and there are 25 fixed paylines on which you can form winning combinations. Additionally, its layout consists of 5 reels and 3 rows and both Wild and Scatter symbols are featured.

As for the bonus features in the game, we have Swooping Reels, free spins, as well as Moon symbols. Multipliers in Big Bad Wolf are featured and they can boost your winnings. Thanks to the popularity of this slot, Quickspin has come up with a few sequels, one of which is Big Bad Wolf Megaways.

I’m sure that, if you’re reading this, you’ve got a registration to at least one online casino, right? Okay, let’s do a little bit of a practical experiment! And I’m serious, I really want you to do this experiment on your own, as you’re reading this, okay? It’s very easy – all you need to do is log into your casino and check out the slots section. Most online casinos have a couple of slots that they put front and center, featuring them and pushing them in the faces of their players. I want you to tell me how many of these slots are licensed (or, in other words, based on an existing property – “Game of Thrones”, “South Park”, “Avengers”, something like that). I don’t need an exact number, just a rough estimate. Go ahead and check them out, I’ll wait. Did you check them? Well, if my hunch is correct, most of the featured slots there were licensed, weren’t they? Don’t worry, I’m not psychic or anything – this is quite common! In fact, if you look at the reviews of the most popular UK casino sites, you’ll notice that the same thing happens pretty much everywhere – the featured slots are almost always licensed. But why?

Well, there’s quite a lot of reasons for that, honestly. In the world of branded products (which slots are), licensing is nothing new – the most popular products often tend to carry a brand name. We’re talking “Ghostbusters” drinks, “Star Wars” cookies, “Game of Thrones” coloring books… Any product you can think of, the most popular version is either licensed or has been around for decades and has a long-standing connection with consumers. Hell, even the most popular movies coming out these days, like all those Marvel movies, “Power Rangers” or “Transformers” are all licensed properties (even if in Marvel’s case the people who created the original material are the same ones who are also making the licensed product, which is rare), and, in the case of “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them”, we’re getting five movies based on eight movies based on seven books. Damn! All that for a little extra popularity? You better friggin’ believe it!

Currently, the market is oversaturated with products – there’s dozens of people who make cookies or toilet paper, for example. It’s especially bad when, due to laws, regulations or just common sense, you are unable to make your product that much different from the product of someone else. So how do you still make people invest in YOUR version as opposed to your competitors? Licensing is a great way to do exactly that. As you may have noticed, most slots are fairly similar to each other due to very strict gambling laws which are active in places like the UK. As a result, people tend to be more attracted to a slot with a name they recognize, like “Game of Thrones”, rather than something that sounds utterly boring and foreign to them, like, say, “Bratislava Bingo 2: Electric Boogaloo”. Slot developers have noticed that, so they generally place bigger budgets and more effort into slots that are licensed, knowing that they’re going to be more popular than the rest. Players catch on, realize that most licensed slots are better than the rest, and start playing even more of them. It’s a bit of a closed circle, honestly, and one that casinos have very much taken advantage of by placing licensed properties front and center.

So that’s why licensed slots are featured in so many online casinos – they tend to be better than the rest, and players flock to them like ants on sugar. It’s not like non-licensed slots are discriminated against (some non-licensed ones, like “Mega Moolah”, are still among the most popular choices), it’s just that most players generally prefer the properties they’re familiar with and know will be better-made than the rest. There’s nothing really wrong with that.

Real money gambling online is a huge industry so, as you can imagine, the competition between the operators and the game providers is fierce. This, of course, is great for us, the players, as we get to enjoy the results of this competition – bigger bonuses, more promotions, more and better games, including more and better slots. For a slot junky like me, this is more than perfect!

There are hundreds upon hundreds of slot games on the Internet, offering us many different features, such as different number of paylines, progressive jackpots, multipliers, free spins, bonus games and wilds. Also, every slot has its own theme which can be based on movies, TV series, computer games, board games, comic books, events, music artists, famous people, stories, fables and more.

The quality of the individual online slot games is also different and is usually based on the software provider that has developed them. For example, the games offered by Playtech and IGT might be numerous, engaging and very popular, but they don’t shine with the best graphics. Microgaming is yet another major casino software developer, one of the first ones actually, and they have games of different quality – the older ones are, naturally not very good-looking, but their new ones such as Jurassic Park and Game of Thrones look truly amazing. Still, when we’re talking about the quality of the graphics and animation of a slot game, there’s no one that can compete with NetEnt.

The slot selection of NetEnt might not be that impressive in numbers (around 200 individual title as opposed to Microgaming’s 800+ and Playtech’s 500+), but trust me when I say that they offer the best-looking casino games in the world! Obviously the philosophy of the software house is quality before quantity. This is why most of my favourite slot games are developed by exactly this operator.

The first slot that comes to mind when I want to play something interesting, entertaining and also profitable is the popular NetEnt slot Gonzo’s Quest. This slot differs quite a bit from the rest as it features avalanche-style falling stones instead of spinning reels. The uniqueness of the game is precisely what attracts me to it. Another NetEnt slot that I just love playing is Aliens. I like that the visuals of the slot resemble a lot the computer game and the fact that there are three levels while playing. Of course, these two are just the tip of the iceberg – there are dozens of other exciting slots powered by NetEnt which I simply love playing. Some honourable mentions would be Starburst, South Park, Mega Fortune, Jack and the Beanstalk, Scarface, Spinata Grande, Space Wars, Jack Hammer, Dead or Alive, Blood Suckers, etc.

Of course, there are many great slots that are developed by other providers as well. Some examples: Book of Ra by Novomatic, Tomb Raider, Mega Moolah, Game of Thrones and Jurassic Park by Microgaming, Monty Python’s Spamalot, Spiderman and Big Blue by Playtech, Millionaire Genie by Random Logic. The moment I get sick of playing a certain slot or feel that my luck has been exhausted there, I switch to another game and the more I play the more new and exciting titles I find and add to the list of favourites.

Hey guys, Boy of Blue here. Welcome to my blog which I plan on dedicating to my favourite pastime – playing slots on the Internet. Here, I will collect my knowledge about the game and share with you my opinion on the different slot variations I’ve tried. And, trust me, they are hundreds! Also, I might throw at you an occasional tip, so that you that you avoid some of the many mistakes I’ve made while trying new slot games and new casinos and help you guarantee yourself better chances at winning, so make sure you come back regularly!

So, why ‘Boy of Blue’, you might ask? Well, this has been my online nickname ever since I remember and I’m not even sure how I got it. This is also the screenname I use at the online casinos that require you to add one, especially when playing live-dealer games, not that that happens very often, after all, there are no live-dealer slots!

Anyways, soon you can expect my first article, which I really hope you enjoy and find at least a bit useful. But before that a disclaimer: I am by no means a casino expert, a mathematician, a casino wizard or anything of the sorts. I’m simply a guy that really enjoys playing slots and has done some research on the topic. All the information I share with you is based on my personal experience, on what I’ve read and on the data I found on the Internet. If you find any mistakes or inconsistencies, I am more than willing to correct them immediately, but I assume no responsibility about what you do with the information you find on this site.

Other than that, I can only wish you a pleasant and profitable journey in the land of online slot machines!