Slot machines are nothing new in Michigan. There have been slot games at the state’s various casinos for decades.

Between the 26 casinos in the state, there are more than 31,000 slot machines available for play. Standard reel games, progressive jackpot machines, and immersive 3D experiences are all available within the borders of the Great Lakes State.

Book of Ra slot and its series are one of the most played slot machines that first became as popular in online casinos as it was in land-based casinos. It was developed by Novomatic. In 2021, online slots real money remain the most popular casino games in the world. With thousands to choose from, it’s difficult to find a great slot machine and a good online casino to play at. In this guide, we’ll give you the necessary background to get you started and soon, you’ll be playing online slot games like a pro.

That number is set to explode, however, as online casinos join the party. Thanks to a bundle of laws passed in late 2019, Michigan casinos can open virtual versions of their gaming floors to appeal to Michiganders in both peninsulas.

In the sections below, you will find the most relevant resources about slot machines in Michigan. We have all the latest news, information, and bonus offers for how best to attack the one-armed bandits, both live and online.

Best casinos with real money slots in Michigan

Best online slots in Michigan

Play free online slot machines in Michigan

Michigan casinos expected to offer real money slots

Online slots vs. live slot machines

You may be wondering why you should play online slots when you can spend your money on the live versions just fine. As it turns out, there are several key reasons why you may want to give the virtual iterations a look.

Availability

Except for dedicated cardrooms, every gambling establishment in the country has slot machines. Furthermore, many of these locations are open 24 hours a day. So, to claim there is greater availability online might seem to strain credibility.

However, online slots cannot break down and unless the site itself crashes, you can always access your favorite game.

Online slots are unhindered by weather, time, or location. Michigan snowstorms can easily make the trip to the land-based casino treacherous and foolhardy, but there is no travel restriction online.

You also never have to wait for your turn to play. Even if a single game has hundreds of people playing it, there will always be a seat for you.

Affordability

Everyone has a different financial situation and tolerance for risk. Some people have no problem betting significant portions of their disposable income on gambling games. Others, like the former world’s richest man, Bill Gates, are uncomfortable with the thought of losing much at all.

However, land-based slots are usually not available on a tight budget. Even so-called penny slots typically require bets of 50 cents or more on each spin.

Virtual slots have no such limitations. You can truly play for pennies online, and there are usually several options for doing so.

On the flip side, there is generally no issue with playing high-limit slots online, either. The range of available bet sizes is quite large and accommodating.

Game looseness

In gambling parlance, a slot machine may be described in terms of its “tightness” or “looseness” from time to time. A tight slot machine is one that is reluctant to pay out, while a loose machine does the opposite. The slot machines at McCarran Airport, for example, have been known to be some of the tightest in Las Vegas for many years.

However, as a general rule, online slots tend to be looser than their real-world counterparts. It is common for online slots to publish their return to player (RTP) percentages, and those figures usually exceed the percentages from an average land-based slot.

A typical online slot machine will pay out 95% of its wagers or more. In other words, for every dollar wagered, a player can expect to receive 95 cents back.

By contrast, it isn’t uncommon for land-based casinos to have percentages below 90%. Though it may not seem as though 5 to 10 cents will make that much difference, it’s a huge discrepancy when multiplied by the aggregate total amount of wagers.

Playing free online slots In Michigan

Another feature of online slots is the ability to try them out for free. You’d be hard-pressed to find a live casino allowing you to play for fun on one of their machines.

However, most online casinos have both demo and real versions of their slots available. Players who enter the game’s demo mode will find they have been supplied with a quantity of play money to use for betting.

Now, in most cases, this play money resets every time you visit a new game. So, there’s no sense in trying to hoard your winnings.

The big advantage of playing for free is you can try out slot games before you invest any of your funds. Most people have their favorite slot games based upon themes, features, and layouts, so free play can be a terrific way to find the one for you.

It is also possible to play slots on sweepstakes sites for play money. Sites like Chumba Social Casino and Luckyland Slots have specific currencies, called gold coins, that are designed only for entertainment purposes.

Like the demo versions on true online casinos, the play money sides of sweepstakes sites allow you to try things out without any risk to you. However, unlike the demo versions, you can stockpile the gold coins in your account. Though it’s relatively easy to secure more gold coins in a pinch, it can be a way to keep score about which games are worth your time.

Playing real-money slot games in Michigan

You may not be accustomed to gambling online, so it’s key to understand how playing on a real-money slot in Michigan works. Playing for real money is usually a superior experience to playing for free because there are elements of danger, excitement, and possibility involved.

No deposit bonuses

Before you do anything else, check this page for any no deposit options at your site of choice. Many online casinos offer free bonus dollars or site credits to new players as a way to welcome them to the site.

If any of these types of bonuses exist, we will have the details here. Also, we may be able to inform you about some offers you can’t find elsewhere.

All that is usually required is your sign-up for the site through our secure link. Occasionally, the site may also require that you enter a promotional code in a specified box while you are registering.

Once you’ve completed registration, you will find the funds waiting for you in your newly-created account. Generally speaking, casinos will offer amounts between $10 – $25.

It is usually not possible to withdraw this money directly, however. You will usually have to wager through it and get returns from the machines first, but that’s probably not an issue, since you came here to play, anyway.

Depositing and playing

Once you’ve completed the use of the bonus money (if any), you will need to deposit funds into your casino account to continue playing. As you did for no-deposit bonuses, please check our site for any deposit matches too.

For bonuses of this type, the online casino pledges to match a portion or all of your deposit amount, effectively doubling your money (or some of it, anyway). The simple entry of a promotional code while you deposit could be worth hundreds of extra dollars.

Since the casino depends on your contributions to survive, it will certainly have several different methods of depositing available.

Typically, an online casino in Michigan will have the following deposit options:

• Credit or debit card
• Electronic check
• Electronic wallet (PayPal, Skrill, etc.)
• Play+ Prepaid Card
• Bank transfer or wire transfer
• PayNearMe vouchers
• Cash at the land-based casino cage

Of course, every site’s offerings are different, so check with the cashier before you fall in love with any particular site.

In general, you should be able to withdraw your funds with many of the same options. However, some of the methods (like PayPal) might require you to use them for your initial deposit before you can withdraw to your account.

Once you have your cash on site, you are ready to go. Please be aware that the speed of play associated with online games is much faster than real life. Although this difference is not as dramatic as for table games or poker, online slots can put you into the hole quite quickly.

Take your time, and practice good money management to prolong your experience and give yourself a chance to win. Otherwise, playing your favorite online slot might be a rather short chapter in your online gambling experience.

Progressive jackpots in Michigan

A progressive jackpot slot is one of the most exciting types of slot games in Michigan. One spin of the reels could net you enough money to live comfortably for the rest of your days.

Some progressive jackpots on slot machines rise into the millions of dollars. However, a typical progressive jackpot prize is usually between $10,000 and $20,000. It’s not enough to retire, but winning a five-digit score will brighten anyone’s day.

Some progressive machines are linked with each other in terms of feeding the jackpot pool. So, players in multiple locations and on multiple games could be contributing to the same kitty.

On the one hand, this fact increases the number of people “competing” for the same prize that you want. However, the sharing of pools causes them to grow faster since they have more sources of income.

Machines don’t always come with a single progressive jackpot, either. Some slots have several of them, and they are classified according to their prize levels.

Typical strata for these kinds of situations are mini, minor, major, and grand prizes. The chances of winning each jackpot also reflect their prestige levels. It is much more likely to grab a mini or minor jackpot than one of the higher prizes.

There are a couple of things to keep in mind when you’re playing a progressive jackpot game, however. The first is the jackpots and regular payouts come from the same source: the cash players stick into the games. You won’t be able to win as much on “typical” payouts if the game has to hold some payouts back for the jackpot.

Second of all, some non-progressive jackpot games can come with extremely high prize opportunities. Even if they’re not feeding into a central system, you can win jackpots many thousands of times the value of your bet.

What kinds of slot machines are available in Michigan?

Slot machines have come a long way from the days of clunky reels. Today’s machines have a variety of shapes, sizes, layouts, features, colors, and modes of play that make any trip to the casino or online casino in Michigan a diversified experience.

However, most slot machines can be categorized in terms of their mechanics. These are the types of games that you’re likely to encounter:

• Three-reel: These are the most basic and traditional style of game and have mechanical reels that actually spin.
• Three-reel with bonus: Simple games with an obvious focus on an ancillary game feature, such as Wheel of Fortune.
• Five-reel: Although the extra reels add complexity, these machines are very similar to their three-reeled cousins and still use actual reels.
• Five-reel with video: This type of slot is the first to do away with actual reels by electing to display them as computer-based graphics. These games can also come with bonus features that appear as a new screen on the game.
• Multimedia: The most advanced type of slot that functions with touchscreens, 3D visuals, and a fluid reel structure. Multimedia slots are often the most highly-featured games in casinos due to their visual and auditory appeal.

Few slot machines, particularly as they grow more sophisticated, come without a theme these days. Most of the games you’ll see will have full dressing to reflect their themes, from Greek mythology to popular bands, and will seek to immerse you in their worlds as completely as possible.

Taking advantage of rewards programs

Most casinos, whether they are live, online, or both, feature rewards programs. These schemes seek to reward customers for their loyalty and play through the awarding of points, perks, and otherbenefits.

Slot players are almost always going to be able to participate in these programs. Frankly, the long-term profitability of a slot player leads many casinos to roll out the red carpet for them.

Whether you plan to play seriously or not, you should always investigate the reward program at a new casino, both live and online. Most of them come with extremelygenerousoffers for first-time applicants, and you can put yourself in line for some delightful benefits. Common reward perks include comped hospitality, increased levels of service, or exclusive gameplay opportunities like tournaments and free play.

Rewards programs should never come at any extra cost to you. It’s not advisable to make reward program status a goal, but there’s no reason not to be earning points in the background if you were planning to play, anyway.

Michigan slot machine laws

Michiganders have been able to play slot machines in some capacity for several decades now. The first machines began to show up in 1984, and the state has never been without the devices since.

Part of the movement towards slot machines across the Great Lakes State came from some of Michigan’s many Native American tribes. After opening their first locations in 1984, seven of Michigan’s tribes operated under the radar until gaining their compacts with the state government nine years later.

After it became clear Michigan was to be a gambling state, state lawmakers authorized the introduction of three casino properties in Detroit. The 1996 Michigan Gaming Control and Revenue Act paved the way for the commercial properties that occupy the Motor City today. All three properties have slot machines.

The list of casino properties with slot machines swelled over two dozen in the next 20 years. Then, in 2019, Michigan passed a series of gambling expansion bills related to online gambling.

One of those bills set up the possibility of online casino gambling in the state. Needless to say, slot machines are part of that authorization.

Can I own a slot machine legally in Michigan?

Yes.

Slot machines are fun pieces of machinery. For homeowners, they can be a centerpiece of quirky interior design, a point of pride in the man cave, or simply another option in the game room.

However, because slot machines are associated with an activity as strictly regulated as gambling, their ownership is also subject to a heavy legal burden. Some states outright ban citizens from owning them.

Thankfully, Michigan is not one of them. According to Michigan Compiled Statute 750.303, a person may own a slot machine under two conditions:

• The machine is 25 years old or older
• The machine is not used for any gambling purposes

While the time restriction invalidates the purchase of flashier slot machines for now, the statute of limitations will run out soon enough. If you already have an older slot machine in mind that you want to purchase, there are numerous suppliers more than happy to accommodate you.

Michigan casinos with slot machines

Michigan is home to 26 land-based casinos. Three of them are commercial locations in Detroit, and the rest are tribal casinos spread across the state. Every one of them has slot machines onsite.

These machines are top-of-the-line devices, too. There are plenty of Class III machines from developers like IGT, Bally, and Aristocrat.

You can win big, too. Slot titles like Wheel of Fortune and Lightning Link offer the chance at tens of thousands of dollars or more on a single spin.

Most casinos feature a range of bet sizes on their machines. There are options for spinning from 1 cent to $100 per lever pull or button push.

With so many opportunities, it can be difficult to keep them all straight. So, here are all the casinos with slot machines in Michigan.

List of casinos in Michigan with slot machines

Good luck!

Before you start to play online slots for real money, there are a few things to know before chancing your luck or spinning random slot machines without a clue of what’s needed to win the real money playing the slot machines – you know, withdrawable cash you can transfer to your bank balance?

When you play online slots at a real casino, you’re not playing on some random mobile app imitating a real money casino. Real money slots are engineered with precision and tested for randomness. The randomness is what gives online slots players the thrill… and the slot machine will be much easier on the eyes as they’re designed to keep people gambling at online casinos. The allure of being able to win real money instead of fictional coins is what the buzz is about.

Spinning the reels on the games for real money repeatedly, accruing some progressive wins, the occasional big money win, but more so, regular smaller sums of money that keep you spinning real money from your main account balance on some of the best online slots. Real money, USA casinos have no shortage of games to play slots for real money with some terrific jackpots up for grabs.

In fact, some of the best online casino gaming sites have thousands of players online simultaneously, affording them the ability to let players win real money playing in tournaments that drop big prizes by the hour. Yes… hourly jackpot slot machines can be found at some of the nation’s best online casino platforms that have a good chance for players to win real money, occasionally from a free bonus, on slots, and without having to continually deposit.

Top Online Casinos For Real Money Slots

There is a knack to playing slot games to keep your real money balance in your account net positive! It just takes a little strategic planning on occasion to keep it that way by playing with bonus money online, spread across multiple casino platforms. Most have the same slot machines anyway so it doesn’t make a difference where you play. You can win real money playing at any online casino, but you’ll have a far better chance with the more popular ones that can afford to dish out bonuses more frequently.

The key thing to remember is to keep things fun!

The reels on the online slot games are based on pure luck due to the random nature of online slots at casinos. However, with dozens of casinos with hundreds of real money slots available to play 24/7, all vying for your custom by giving away bonuses and free spins, you can spin at plenty of places with the house’s money to win real money that goes right into your withdrawable balance.

Letting players play slots with free bonus funds is how the casino attracts customers. The catch with every real money casino is that you need to wager multiple times what they give you as play money to try to win real money before you can withdraw it.

Unless that is, you win real money online playing the slots, in which case, you can withdraw it, or consider it free play using your winnings to spin the slot machines for longer.

It is possible to meet the wagering requirements of bonus funds as most slot machines contribute 100% of your stakes to your wagering requirements. By using more of the casino money in your bonus funds, you can play games for real instead of the free spins in demo play. To get your real money balance into a healthy state where you can withdraw after meeting wagering requirements… that’s going to take a little know-how and that’s what’s covered here.

What’s Covered in This Guide for Playing on Real Money Casinos

• Understanding the types of online casinos (Fiat/regular casinos online and bitcoin/cryptocurrency casinos )
• The types of bonuses offered by casinos that usually contribute 100% to your wagering requirements
• The different types of jackpots there are
• How to figure what your actual chances are of winning real money is at an online casino and/or land free games on slots online (RTP and game volatility)
• The biggest software developer names in the gambling industry – knowing these lets you play online slots made by the same company sharing the same progressive jackpots.
• Tips for keeping your gaming fun, thrilling and rewarding + hopefully, a profitable pastime too!
• Useful tips to keep gambling safe when you’re playing at some of the best online casinos that know the right psychological triggers to press that make sure you’ll be happy to come back to spin the reels again. Familiarize yourself with the Responsible Gaming tools casinos provide before you start playing online slots in real-play mode!

Discover Where the Real Action is With Online Slots

Online slots are one of the most misunderstood forms of gambling because there’s really no strategy you can use to try to game a casino. Everything spin comes down to luck.

Better yet, the randomness of online slots is transparent. You can click into the slot games information and see the RTP (return to player) and the payout win lines as well as get explanations on how the jackpot features are triggered in addition to the in-game features of each online slot. Some are triggered randomly, others by landing three or more scatter symbols.

A slot machine with more features triggers more frequently. These types of slot machines are referred to as low volatility slot games and are best suited to casual gamblers who want to keep playing real money for longer. If you play slots with lower volatility, the wins are small but incremental. Higher volatility slot games have fewer features, triggering less frequently but pay higher winnings. These are better suited to high-rollers.

And yes, similar to brick and mortar casinos, it is possible to become a whale at the online slots, spinning huge amounts per spin to win big. That’s the riskiest play method on slot machines but the win – real life-changing these prizes can be. More on this to come…

The gist of managing your casino balance when you start playing online slots is to understand how the slot machines work. As much as it’s down to luck, there’s a higher chance of continuing to win real withdrawable payouts when you play different slot games, at the same casino, and preferably with bonus funds available to give you a higher probability of landing a win.

The more you know about the video slot games before you play real money, the better equipped you’ll be to win real money. Online casino players have a huge selection of slot machine games with various volatility. To win money playing the games, it sure helps to know a thing or two about the RTPs, progressive jackpots, bonus features, and random mystery features that can be triggered within almost all of the online slot machines.

As is the case with all slot-based casino games, it’s not a case of staking higher to win bigger. The core challenge is staying on the slot games long enough to trigger the in-game feature. The vast majority, if not all the real money slots have at least one feature.

The fun really begins when the bonus features are triggered.

Some online slot games trigger a bonus feature when you land three or more bonus symbols, whereas others can have the bonus feature AND additional free games that can trigger by landing three or more scatter symbols. There are also random features on some slots, which is, as it sounds, random. It can happen on any spin and multiple times per session.

Some of the Leading Software Companies Behind Real Money Slots

Before playing real money at any casino, online or offline, it’s handy to know the biggest players in the industry. These are the companies that make the slot games, and the more slot machines and games they have in their portfolio, (most of which contribute towards jackpots), the more players there are, meaning more money is being staked. The more players play online slots, the more contributions go into the jackpot prize fund. The most popular slots online are the ones the majority of people gambling on slots continually play because they keep the real money balance of their accounts funded with smaller wins.

A list of the best-known slot machine game developers:

• Realtime Gaming (RTG)
• BetSoft
• Rival Gaming
• Saucify
• WGS Technology (WGS)
• Vista Gaming
• Endorphina
• Slotland

For a site to be considered among the best online gambling sites, many of their online slots will be from the list above.

Whenever you load a slot game at an online casino, while the game loads, you’ll notice they are branded not just by the casino but by the software company. An online casino only host slot games. Software developers make the games and license them to the casino. That’s why you’ll find the same slot machines to wager real money on at multiple casino gaming sites. That being said, some real money casinos do have exclusive games.

An online casino can white-label slot games from developers that let them host the games exclusively with their branding for only their own customers to play online at the casino. With most slots online though, branding is for the software company. This is how players become more familiar with the names behind the games, rather than the casinos where they can deposit to play games for real money.

Pay attention to the online slot games you like to play because many of the slot machine games are similar in style and the number of features they have too. If you like a game by RTG, chances are, you’ll like to play the other online slots made by the same company. Likewise, you may find yourself playing BetSoft games, which most are considered higher volatility – a term you’ll learn about shortly…

Before that…

Real Money Vs. Free to Play Slots in Demo Play Mode

Both free to play slots and pay-to-play slots for real money at an online casino are designed for entertainment purposes. The price you’re paying on the real money slots; think of it as a premium for an enhanced gaming experience, but with a chance of winning real money instead of fantasy coins.

Playing online slots at a real online casino is far different from the types of slot imitation machines you can download to your phone that mimics free gambling slots. When you play online slots, the graphics are far superior and you can, at most online casinos anyway, access the demo play mode.

Demo play accounts are there to give you a little taste of what the game is like before you play for real money.

Now, in demo mode, you can play online slot machines using fantasy seed money to let you test the waters. The money in the balance is not real, neither is the money you win in demo play.

The minimum stakes on demo play mode are higher than the minimum stake you’d start with when you play online slot machines. This is likely to show you the bigger prizes possible. Just remember to do the math as it’s unlikely you’ll spin for the same per stake when you’re playing real money online.

To calculate the reduced winnings of casino games before you play real money with a reduced wager on the same slot machine, work out what the multiple of your win was by dividing the amount won by the amount staked.

As an example, spinning slots online in demo play mode at $20 per spin that pays out $300 is equal to a 15x stake win. (300 / 20). After playing in demo mode, if you liked the look of the online slot and wanted to play real money from your main balance, the demo wins aren’t really representative of what you’d likely win when wagering real money playing slot machines.

In the games for real money, using the same example used earlier of a 15x win but with a much lower stake of $0.50, the $300 win on a higher stake would reduce to 15x $0.50, which would be $7.50. Not quite the big money wins you may have expected. In that respect, the demo games are part of marketing.

When you calculate the money won in demo play and work out what multiple of the stake it was, you’re able to determine what the slot machine is likely to pay when you play real money. It’s just a multiple of your initial stake.

Naturally, the demo plays are there to entice players to play for real money, which is why there are higher stakes – they show you the higher wins – if you land them.

On that note, even the best online casinos cannot prevent players from going overboard by overdoing it on the wagering. While the games are designed for entertainment, there is a risk of them becoming too entertaining that it can lead to problem gambling.

Problem gamblers, despite being wildly profitable for the casino, are just as much a problem for the business and most will do what they can to help their customers stay in control.

They can’t do it all though. The best protection requires both the casino and the player to work together. Most casinos have “responsible gaming” policies, although the tools provided do differ depending on the real money casino you play at. A rundown of what’s available is provided later, but for now..,

Take heed of these…

5 Things That Can Help You Continually Feel Excited on the Real Money Slots Instead of Stressing Over Losses

1. Familiarize Yourself with the Game Controls

This sounds face-palming obvious, but you’ll quickly notice when you load any online slots games, the stake is not set to the minimum.

Some do; most don’t.

If you fire on the auto-spin function that’s available on most slot casino games, you could be wagering more than you’re comfortable with, only noticing when you see your balance drop faster than you expected.

When you’re playing online slots for real money, pay particular attention to the stakes if you’re using the auto-spin function. Some slots online have multiple menus that can make it tricky to see what your stake is, although you can set your loss limit relatively easily. Staking higher just means you’re more likely to reach your loss limit faster.

Make sure you look at the “total bet” amount and not the stake per line. Slot machines are multi-line games. Spinning at $1 per line can be a total bet of $15 or upwards.

2. Don’t underestimate the power of breaks

When you’re on a winning streak, it’s easy to keep going. Keep an eye on your time, because online slots are designed to immerse players – keeping them spinning the reels on the slot machine. If you can keep your bankroll healthy, you could easily spend hours at a time.

3. Never push your luck too far

Anyone to have ever won huge wins on real money slots is likely to be a long-term player. It’s extremely rare for someone brand new to online slots to hit a huge jackpot win. Long term gamblers have ups and downs. Throughout history, people have won huge sums at casinos. The vast majority put it right back.

If you’ve hit a dry run for a while, and then find the reels on the casino games start flashing, alarms ringing, features triggering galore… it’s only natural you’ll think – about darn time! The money you put in is finally coming back.

Know this though…

A few decent wins can be just the incentive for you to push your luck too far and continue spinning on the hopes of winning a jackpot. There’s a higher likelihood you’ll drain your real money balance before that happens. And winning it back, don’t even try. Chasing losses is when gambling starts to become a problem.

Some you win, some you lose. Only bet what you can afford. Never with the need to win real money. Always remember, at the heart of online gaming, it’s entertainment.

4. Maximize the Casino Money to Boost Your Chances

The majority of online casinos have their ways to keep players coming back to spin the slots online. That can include free spins, bonus play, cashback, loyalty programs, and cash match bonuses among other specials run periodically. The more online casinos you’re registered with, the more offers you’ll get. That can be a good and a bad thing, depending on how well you manage your account (s), including your personal finances.

5. Never, Ever… Spin Drunk!

Gamblers aren’t known for their rational decision making. They could be gambling on a $0.50 stake, lose $100, then decide to spin 20 times at $5 stakes to win back the initial $100 loss that could then double the losses.

The intoxicated gambler is a different beast completely. Rational thinking goes out the window, and the bank card gets swapped for a credit card. On that note, if you can’t afford to play real money online – don’t! Don’t play with other people’s money either because you can land in a lot of debt if it gets out of control.

The simplest way to keep things within your control is to keep your wits about and you do that by only playing the real money slots when you aren’t necking glasses of your favorite drink or throwing back shots.

Always remember that it is real money online casinos are spinning the reels with.

A good casino games session is one that doesn’t actually cost you, in other words, you win back at least what you put in. Even better is to win real money from the free play that can be used to play slots online without needing to deposit.

One way to keep your deposits to a minimum is to understand how to maximize your play money by using the casinos’ bonus offers.

All About Deposit Bonuses

Every real money casino has incentives for new and existing customers. More so for new customers but they have loyalty programs to care of their regulars too.

Bonuses are never free money though. Think of them like coupons you can use only at that casino.

A Quick List of the Best Online Bonuses to Win Real Money at the Casinos Without Consistently Needing to Deposit

1. Cash Match Bonuses

A cash match bonus is expressed as a percentage and is often 100% of your first deposit. There will be a ceiling on these offers because, without them, you could, in theory, deposit thousands, take it back, and play with the casino bonus funds to win big on the real money slots. That would not be profitable for the casino!

100% matched deposits are often limited to between $300 to $600. In addition, some online casinos can have tiered matched bonuses where they’ll match your first deposit entirely, 50% on your second deposit and a lower cash match on your third deposit.

Each offer will always have a ceiling limit attached to it.

Look for the “Opt-In”n button before you deposit for the first time at any real money casino. Some can be sneaky by making them tricky to find with no notices on the deposit page telling you about promotions you could be eligible for.

When an opt-in is required, you will forfeit the cash match bonus if you don’t opt-in and likewise, if you need to use a code when depositing, find it and use it, or you’re most likely going to lose it. To win real money online by gambling on a slot machine, make sure you take advantage of bonuses consistently. Once you start spending money online at a casino regularly, they often give you free games. Granted, it may only be ten to twenty spins on minimum stakes, but it can help you get funds into your main balance to continue playing for real money online.

2. No Deposit Bonuses

Very few of the better-known gaming casinos offer no deposit bonuses because they are one the most expensive promotions for them to run. When you’re likely to see these are with new casinos as they have a goal of increasing the number of players registering.

These offers will have the strictest terms attached to them, and one of those is usually a really high wagering requirement. It’s more likely a no deposit bonus will require you to wager 60x to 100x the bonus. In practice, a $20 no deposit bonus could see you needing to stake $1,200 to $2,000 before you can withdraw.

Other types of bonuses can have the option of cashing out winnings you’ve won on the real money slots using the bonus funds, on the condition of forfeiting the remaining bonus balance. There’s really only one scenario when you would want to forfeit a bonus and that’s if you win a decent amount of money online from gambling.

Some of the online casinos will always wager your real balance first, and when that account is empty, it’ll then use your bonus funds for gambling at the casino. Bonus funds are always handy to save you from having to deposit.

Naturally, if you win a decent amount of real money online, (meaning, your winnings actually go to your main balance), at any casino and you’re going to have to lose it before you can use your bonus funds, you’d be as well cashing out and getting rid of the bonus altogether.

3. Free Spins WITH No Deposit Bonuses

Now we’re talking!

Casinos tailor their bonuses to match the interests of the customers they want to attract to their platform. A casino with a huge amount of video slots will use the standard bonuses such as no deposit or cash match bonuses AND add on the free spins or free games option because that’s what slot players want. The free spins. It’s why the game developers include a free spins feature in a number of their games.

You’ll also have free games rewards and incentives being announced by casinos when a new game releases on the platform. These are often based on staking your real money balance on a particular slot game, such as stake $10 on [insert new video slot game name] and receive 20 free spins or a similar offer.

The free spins are usually at the lowest stake the game can be played at. Still, it is possible for the casino to award free spins and then the slots to trigger a free spin feature during the game-play.

Free spins features on the real money slots are the in-game bonus feature. Free spins awarded by the casino are only promotional and aren’t any different from gambling on the regular slots machine before the feature play triggers.

4. Sticky Bonuses

Sticky bonuses are one of the most annoying bonuses a casino can offer players because you really hard win real money. Online gaming sites have these frequently. The sticky bonuses get their name because the bonuses get stuck in your account and can never be cashed out. A non-sticky bonus has the option to withdraw the money won playing the casino games – on the condition of the remaining bonus funds being forfeited.

Sticky bonuses are mostly found with cash matches above 100%. While they can be considered disadvantageous to casual gamers, slot enthusiasts may prefer these as you can get them attached to more than your first deposit, giving you a higher bankroll to play with,. albeit, you can only play the money and can’t take it out. For that reason, they can be used to boost your gambling money without you having to deposit as frequently as you would without them. It is one that can be good or bad, depending on your gambling habits. If you want to play online slots regularly, look for cash match bonuses above 100%. When the casino’s offering to bankroll your play, they will lock their money into your account to make sure they don’t lose.

5. Buying Bonuses to Win on Free Spins

This is a different breed of bonus completely but one you will come across on an online slot with a “Feature Play” option. This is among the latest crazes for the real money slots and it has become popular among some slot players as it lets them forego the grind of constantly spinning on the hopes of triggering a bonus. Instead, you can skip right ahead and buy the bonus feature.

The cost to buy a bonus feature is usually 30-50 times your stake… In other words, the equivalent of spinning the reels thirty times at least.

However, buying a bonus does not guarantee you’ll win more than your stake. You could buy a bonus feature on a Feature Play slots machine for $100 and only win $20. You could also win a lot more, especially on the bonus features on Megaways ^TM slots as those have cascading wins and multipliers too.

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Depending on how much of a bonus you can get, it is possible on some casinos to wager your bonus funds on Feature Play games, at least letting you trigger the feature to see just how much it will pay. As with all bonuses, check the Terms and Conditions as you may find Feature Games that tilt the odds too favorably could be excluded. As you can imagine, being able to buy bonuses with bonus funds could open the Feature Play games to abuse by players. The casinos only offer bonuses to let their players continue playing. If some players only log in for ten minutes, grab a bonus, buy a feature, win and cash out, it’d lose them a lot of money.

Which is why you really need to…

Understand the Restrictions Attached to Bonuses

With every bonus a casino gives you, there will be terms attached. They’re not always made clear and you do sometimes have to click on the terms and conditions link and search the page for the keyword “wagering” because every bonus has a wagering requirement.

About Wagering Requirements

Online casinos have a huge range of games, including table games, roulette, and poker. Most casinos will have restrictions on wagering requirements that stipulate the percentage of your wagering that contributes to your bonus requirements. These are often 100% on the real money slots, but for table games, some can be completely excluded and others only contributing a percentage of your stake, such as 20%.

With most bonuses, whether it’s a no deposit bonus, a cash match, or a sticky bonus, it’s often better to play on the real money slots as those are where you’ll be contributing 100% of your stakes towards the bonus requirements.

Depending on the casino, some of the winnings may be cashed out, but in doing so, you’d forfeit any remainder of your bonus balance. Having a separate bonus play balance with real money winnings transferred to your main balance can let you withdraw some or all of your winnings and leave your deposit funds intact.

Once you know what you can and can’t do with your bonus balance, then it’s a case of finding the best type of slot machine to use the funds to give the best chance of winning real money you can cash out.

For that, a little math comes in handy…

RTP And Volatility on Real Money Slots

When you’re playing for real money, one thing you’ll definitely want to gauge is how risky any slot machines are that you’re considering playing before you start spinning. It’s on the top of the list of things to check before you play.

This is how you can get some insight into the volatility of a game…

RTP stands for Return to Player and it’s just one way to measure the volatility of a real money slot. On slots games, the RTP is represented as a percentage and is mostly above 90% with some of the highest RTP slots offering up to 99% RTP. A couple of these high return slots are Playtech’s Ugga Bugga slot machine and Net Entertainment’s (NetEnt), 3-reel, 5-line slot – Mega Joker.

When you join a casino, it can be helpful to make a list of games that have low volatility and high volatility. Granted, list-making isn’t exactly fun, but when it comes to strategy, it should help you decide which slots to play based on the bankroll you have available.

In terms of what’s considered good and bad for RTP, 94% and higher is reasonable. Anything short of 90% for a real money slot at an online-only casino, is likely to be considered by their regulars as ludicrous and so the slot would likely be discontinued because nobody would play the thing.

That’s until you bring variance into the equation – or volatility as it’s otherwise referred to – and this is where things get tricky, but it’s also the part that adds to the buzz of spinning the reels on real money slots.

If you were to go with RTP alone, it won’t thrill you to know that for every $100 you throw at a slot, you’ll get less than that back.

What’s the point?

Variance is the point and this is a reference to how frequently a machine pays. Real money slots are not programmed to return $95 or thereabouts to players for every $100 played. Instead, the RTP is spread across an infinite number of spins, which could be in the billions. Even spinning the reels 5,000 times will not guarantee you’d get the exact RTP. You won’t. It’s impossible. For that reason, you need to understand the variance factor as it’s this that contributes to how frequently a machine pays out.

• High volatility slots tend to pay out less frequently but with bigger wins.
• Low volatility slots will pay more frequently but with less high wins.

Which is Best?

Neither or both as it’s a matter of preference, or, going with your mood on the day. Some prefer to stick with slots paying frequently, despite the winnings being lower. It’s always a thrill to win. To win big though, that’s going to be on the higher volatility slots with a low(er) RTP.

The Types of Jackpots You Can Win on Real Money Slots

To add even more of a buzz to the real money slots, some of the leading games developers link their games together to include a jackpot feature. Others integrate a jackpot feature similar to the bonus play that pays more frequently to multiple winners.

• Progressive Jackpot

The progressive jackpot is a huge draw for casino players, despite the odds of landing a jackpot being relatively low! Still, though, you aren’t, or shouldn’t be, paying just to participate because the chance of landing a progressive is slim, which is why the prize money is so high.

Progressive jackpots could be considered as an inclusive side bet. You spin the slot as normal to have the chance of landing any payout, and if you happen to be lucky enough to trigger the jackpot, it’s a massive bonus! In terms of the amount of money you can win playing slots, prizes from progressive jackpots top the list of the biggest prizes available.

The ones best to avoid are those like Aztec’s millions by Real Time Gaming (RTG) that’s been advertising one of the biggest progressive jackpots since 2009 and over a decade later, it hasn’t paid out once. This is a 5-reel, 25-line slot that costs, wait for it… $5 minimum stake. On a slot like this, you’re literally only chasing the jackpot. You’re either going to get really, really lucky and get rich super fast, or you’ll go bust really, really fast, trying to win big.

Progressive jackpots are often divided with a smaller amount paid hourly, a larger pot being won daily and the biggest progressive won very rarely.

• Mystery Jackpots (That aren’t really a mystery)

A number of gaming companies include what they call a mystery jackpot feature, despite the prizes being shown on the screen. Usually, three to four possible prizes, including a mini jackpot, minor jackpot, major jackpot, and the grand jackpot prize pots. The prizes are always a fixed multiple of your stake.

Spinning a $1 stake can have a mini jackpot of $30.00, a major jackpot of $100.00, and the grand jackpot of $1,000. The only mystery there is about these is which one you’ll win.

On real money slots with a mystery jackpot feature, you only need to land one jackpot symbol to be guaranteed a prize. The higher the stake, the higher the wins become. Staking higher doesn’t tilt the odds. It just increases the possible payouts.

How to Win on the Real Money Slots

Face it, we all want to know the secret of how to win at the slots. Truth is, the real focus needs to be on not wiping out your balance.

To win at the slots, like any game, you need to be in it to win it.

More spins for less money makes your credits last longer rather than depreciate faster than you can deposit.

You can chance your luck now and then with higher stakes but you’re best to do that when you’re spinning the house’s money. Not your own money. Real money slots bonuses usually have a high wagering requirement behind them so you need to spin your bonus funds before you can withdraw. If you have thousands, you could play the real money slots with a stake you’re comfortable with. Each slot has different wagers you can choose from. Some as little as $0.10 per spin.

There are various betting strategies you can use on real money slots, but they are only that. A strategy and none will guarantee wins because it is luck you’re counting on ultimately. Even buying a bonus doesn’t guarantee you’ll get back more than you wager.

Know the Trickery of Real Money Slot Bonuses

Casual players are often incentivized to stake real money. Slots are a huge revenue stream for online casinos, capturing as much as 60% of their total profits. That’s despite paying out huge sums in winnings to players. How they make their money is because gamblers tend to win, then stake their winnings again. Until eventually, they lose.

That mindset is ingrained in players from the get-go because the vast majority of casinos offer exclusive bonuses that are effectively like free money. They can only be used on their real money slots. The catch is, you need to wager a multiple of what they give you. That’s to say that if you’re given a $100 slot bonus, there’s usually a wagering requirement attached to the offer stipulating that a multiple of your bonus must be played. In practice, a $100 real money slots bonus with a 25x wagering could need you to wager $2,500 before you’re able to cash out.

Wagering requirements can be hard to get around because you’d need to be extremely lucky to land a big win large enough to cover your wagering requirements and still leave you with a withdrawable balance. One of the most effective strategies at a new casino you’ve registered with and need to meet the wagering requirements is to play multiple real money slots focusing solely on accumulating your winnings.

How these strategy works are by taking advantage of the huge number of slots the casinos have and playing as many as you can. Given the massive choices, there is, it’s unlikely you’ll play them all, so it’s better to have a strategy going into each game for how much you’re prepared to lose, such as 10% of your account balance.

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If you’re starting with a $300 bonus balance, that would be $30 on your first slot. Either lose $30 or win at least 25x + your stake. This could see you staking $0.25 per spin with a target of winning $12.50 + your stake, so you may want to leave that game once you’ve increased your $300 balance to $312.50, then try your luck on another slot. It’s much easier to accumulate lower winnings multiple times than to hit any jackpot or mystery bonus prize.

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And remember, your bonuses are in your account for the time stated, usually 30-days, so you can log out of the online casino you’re playing at and you’ll have the same funds there to spin another day.