Players who take their first steps into the online gambling world are likely to find slots appealing. After all, online slot games are amongst the simplest titles you can play for real money on the internet. While any experienced, seasoned veteran of the online casino world will likely already know the ins and outs of slot gameplay, rookies may not be aware that there are certain things they may wish to look out for. This article looks at a handful of things amateur slot players should consider before spinning the reels.

Play Something Fun

One of the most important things to prepare for when playing online slots is defeat. You will lose money when playing; it is inevitable. How you react to losing money is essential. If you find yourself raging following a loss, you can quickly associate gambling as a negative habit. This can lead to frustration and chasing losses. Ultimately, you could end up as a problem gambler, and worse still, end up financial trouble.

Instead, it is far better to play something fun and to look at your slot gaming experience as nothing more than playing games for fun. Should you lose money playing something you are enjoying, you are far less likely to care or become frustrated. If you don’t expect to win life-changing sums of money, you won’t be disappointed if it doesn’t happen.

Check Your Progressives

Progressive jackpot slots have instant appeal. They can often deliver the life-changing sums of cash mentioned a moment ago. However, don’t just play any old progressive jackpot slot. Some should be avoided. Avoid progressives which require maximum stakes and only pay when you land one type of symbol on specific paylines. Why not play randomly triggered progressives? Even then, try and pick one which has a proven record of paying out the biggest prizes with minimum stakes, such as Mega Fortune.

RTP, Variance and Volatility

You will come across RTP, variance and volatility when playing online. The latter are essentially one and the same. Low variance/volatile games payout frequently, but only small sums of money. Highly volatile and high variance games pay out less regularly, but they tend to be bigger cash prizes. Low variance games are ideally suited for players on a tight budget, while highly volatile games will suit players with enough funds to sustain an extended period of losses. As for RTP rates, the general rule is the higher, the better. Aim for slots with an RTP of 96% or higher.

Avoid Buying Bonuses

There are plenty of slots out there which offer you the option of buying bonus rounds and features outright. Often, this service is provided at an extortionate rate. Moreover, software developers may lower the RTP of a base game because of this, raising it when you buy the features.

For every slot game out there, there is always another clone or copycat slot which has the same features and probably the same theme which costs less. If you like the look of a slot, but it has a buy-a-bonus feature, look around for one which doesn’t. You’ll almost certainly find at least one.

Respectable Games, Dodgy Casinos

Just because a slot is renowned as being fair, doesn’t mean that the casino hosting the game is. Some casinos control RTP rates and rig games. Make sure any casino you play at publishes their RTP rates and that they are in-line with industry standards. You don’t want to play respectable slots which have been fixed by a wayward casino. On the same note, you should avoid any casino which is accused of hosting “pirated” slots.

Any good casino will display certificates and licensing details which showcase that their games are audited and tested for fair play. Even cryptocurrency casinos will display a Provably Fair hallmark to show that their games are legitimate. Choose a well-respected online casino like Showlion who are trustworthy and have a great selection of slot games.

Try Before You Buy

Don’t forget; you can try before you buy. As well as reading online slot reviews, players can often find plenty of free to play slots at their favourite casinos. The websites of slot developers will also usually permit you to play their games for free. While you can’t win real money doing this, you can learn an awful lot about a slot before you decide to wager your hard-earned cash on it. Trying before you buy will give you an ideal opportunity to test-drive a slot first-hand, and this is something we always recommend to slot amateurs and seasoned veterans alike.