Slots Online: What’s the Buzz All About?
The traditional three-reel fruit slot machine dates back to the 1800s when a man named Charles Frey invented the Liberty Bell. Today’s Slot games have changed considerably but are still considered some of the best casino games. Online Slots are also highly popular, giving players a chance to play whenever and wherever they want.
Due to their popularity, game providers have created a vast variety of online Slot games that feature different themes. Some favorite online Slots include the wild western-themed Sticky Bandits, the Jurassic World Slot game and the exciting Mega Moolah progressive jackpot slot. It doesn’t end there, as users can find games based on Game of Thrones, Family Guy, the Phantom of the Opera, Guns N Roses and much more.
Regardless of the variation or theme, each online Slots game has the same goal: players are required to match specific symbol combinations in specific shapes to win. If you already know your way around reels, wild and scatter symbols, head over to SmartphoneCasinos who reviewed and ranked the best new slot sites for UK players or else keep on reading to find out how to play in more detail.
Top Five Online Slots Games
If you’re a new online slots player and want to play the game but don’t know where to start, you’re in luck. We at BonusSlots.co.uk have managed to round up the top five slot games for beginners determined by their exciting gameplay, bonuses, promotions and, most importantly, fun factor.
Thunderstruck II
Play with the Norse gods with Thunderstruck II, the sequel to the popular online Slot Thunderstruck. This highly entertaining sequel has it all, including exciting gameplay, visuals, and sound effects and is perfect for anyone who enjoys Norse mythology. It features coloured images of the Norse gods and other characters, such as Thor, Odin, Loki, and Valkyrie, as well as images of Viking ships, Valhalla and symbols resembling Norse runestones.
Thunderstruck II plays like most other online slots games but features slight differences as well as special bonus games and symbols to make the game even more exciting. Betting works differently in Thunderstruck II compared to other games as players are required to choose a single bet. After doing this, players need to watch the game unfold as ethereal music plays in the background.
Scatter symbols take the form of Mjölnor, Thor’s magical hammer, and help players create winning combinations. However, if three or more Scatter symbols appear on the game’s five reels, the Great Hall of Spins bonus game is triggered which allows players to unlock special character bonuses that can be used throughout the rest of the game. Thunderstruck II is a highly addictive slot thanks to its exciting gameplay, visuals, and sound. The huge variety of bonuses that can be earned add to the game’s fun-factor, though some users have claimed they’re hard to trigger.
Thunderstruck II At a Glance
- Reels: 5
- Paylines: 243
- Bonus Rounds: Yes
- Wild Symbols: Yes
- Multiplier: Yes
- Extra Spins: Yes
- Progressive: No
- RTP: 96-97%
Mega Moolah
Microgaming’s Mega Moolah is probably one of the best known online slots available. The animal-themed game is hugely popular, partially due to its progressive jackpot. It features five reels and twenty pay lines with a desert-themed background.
Mega Moolah’s symbols generally feature jungle-related animals such as zebras, giraffes, buffalos, elephants, lions, and even monkeys, which act as Scatter symbols. The online Slot game also features symbols of the letters J, A, Q and K as well as the number 10.
To make things exciting, Mega Moolah features several special slots. If players make a winning combination with the lion symbol, their wins are doubled. In addition to that, landing three or more monkey Scatter symbols will trigger a bonus game in which players can be awarded 15 extra spins!
What most people enjoy about the Slot is its progressive jackpot. A small percentage of every player’s bet is placed into a massive pot until someone is lucky enough to win the huge sum. In Mega Moolah, players can win one of four progressive jackpots within the randomly triggered bonus game. To do this, players must spin a wheel which reveals which jackpot they have won. The four prizes include the Mega Progressive Jackpot which starts at 1,000,000 credits, the Major Progressive which begins at 10,000 credits, the Minor which begins at 100 credits, and the Mini Progressive which starts at 10 credits.
Mega Moolah At a Glance
- Reels: 5
- Paylines: 25
- Bonus: Yes
- Wild Symbols: Yes
- Multiplier: Yes
- Extra Spins: Yes
- Progressive: Yes
- RTP: 94%
Gonzo’s Quest
Gonzo’s Quest is another popular NetEnt online slot. It features 5 reels, 20, and jaw-dropping graphics. Based on the real-life conqueror Gonzalo Pizarro, the aim of the game is to navigate through the Amazon jungle to find the lost city of Eldorado.
Gonzo’s Quest is different from most online slots because it throws away the spinning reels. Instead, symbols fall from the top of the screen, a feature NetEnt calls “Avalanche Reels”. In addition to this, the Mayan-themed symbols explode when made into winning combinations.
The game has a Free Falls Bonus feature which is triggered by landing three Scatter symbols on three consecutive reels, awarding the player with ten extra spins and either x3, x6, x9 or x15 multipliers. Whenever a player is awarded a multiplier or Free Fall, Gonzo reacts with excitement.
Due to the game’s fun bonuses and multiplier features, as well as the unique reel system, Gonzo’s Quest has become hugely popular in the UK.
Gonzo’s Quest At a Glance
- Reels: 5
- Paylines: 20
- Bonus: Yes
- Wild Symbols: Yes
- Multiplier: Yes
- Extra Spins: Yes
- Progressive: No
- RTP: 96%
Starburst
NetEnt’s Starburst is another hugely popular online slot. It features five reels, 10 pay lines as well as a mix of vibrant colours in a fun arcade theme. It’s one of the faster-paced games available, which many people enjoy. Besides, the flashy graphics and fun soundtrack gives the game a cosmic-feeling, something you probably won’t get anywhere else.
Starburst is played like other Slots, in that players are required to bet on specific pay lines before watching the game unfold in front of them. While Starburst doesn’t have extra spins, it does have a fun wild feature. The Starburst wild symbol can only appear on reels two, three and four, and if one or more wild symbols appear, the Starburst Wild feature is triggered.
Upon triggering the special feature, the wild symbol expands to cover the reel that displayed the symbol completely. This reel will be frozen while the remaining reels spin. If a player triggers another wild symbol, the wild symbol will expand to cover that reel too, and the wild feature continues until no new wild symbol is triggered. If players manage to trigger three wild symbols, they can win big sums.
The game is entertaining, exciting and colourful and will provide plenty of fun for new and regular online slot players. However, many players may feel disappointed that the game doesn’t feature extra spins, multipliers or scatter symbols, which usually help players make winning combinations.
Starburst At a Glance
- Reels: 5
- Paylines: 10
- Bonus: Yes
- Wild Symbols: Yes
- Multiplier: No
- Extra Spins: No
- Progressive: No
- RTP: 96.1%
Game of Thrones
Microgaming’s Game of Thrones online slot is based on the popular HBO television series of the same name. It’s perfect for fans of the show and books as it depicts the four most popular Westeros Houses: Baratheon, Lannister, Stark, and Targaryen.
The game starts like regular online slots, requiring players to bet on a pay line before watching the game unfold. As mentioned, it features symbols representing the four houses as well as a symbol of the show’s logo, the Iron Throne, dragon eggs and the letters A, Q, K, and J.
The Game of Thrones slot game has several distinctive features. For example, if a player lands two or more Iron Throne symbols, they will be awarded a random cash prize as high as £1,200 for five symbols. If three or more Iron Throne symbols land, the Extra Spins feature is triggered in which players can choose to select one of the four Westeros Houses, each with their unique features.
Selecting the Baratheon House awards the player with eight extra spins, an x5 multiplier and a stack of three Baratheon sigil symbols. The Lannister House awards 10 additional spins, an x4 multiplier and a stack of four Lannister sigil symbols. The Stark House awards 14 extra spins, an x3 multiplier and a stack of 5 Stark sigil symbols. Lastly, the Targaryen House awards players with 18 extra spins, a x2 multiplier and a stack of 6 Targaryen sigil symbols.
Ultimately, this online slot was made specifically for fans of the show and book series, and we highly recommend they try it out.
Game of Thrones At a Glance
- Reels: 5
- Paylines: 243
- Bonus: Yes
- Wild Symbols: Yes
- Multiplier: Yes
- Extra Spins: Yes
- Progressive: No
- RTP: 96%
If you want to find out more about available online slot games, check out our recommended list here where you’ll find games with various themes and gameplay. There’s sure to be something suited to you.
Why Play Slots Online?
By now you’re probably wondering why you should play slots online over those at real-life casinos. Well, there are several reasons why it’s better to play online, including:
Game selection: Traditional brick-and-mortar casinos are limited by the amount of space they have and the games they do have tend to be somewhat outdated. Online casinos have a much more extensive collection of Slot games that may feature new gameplay or may be themed after a recent Hollywood film. Online Slot games are constantly updating, so you’ll never be bored.
Available anytime, anywhere: This is self-explanatory, but one of the many benefits of playing slots online is that you can play wherever you want at any time. You won’t need to travel down to a real casino to play, and you won’t need to worry about the casino’s opening times either by playing online!
Better chances of winning: Online Slots games have a higher RTP than the machines at real-life casinos. This means players have a better chance at winning with slots online than they do at real-casinos. And who doesn’t want that?
Better prizes and bigger jackpots: Online Slots games also offer bigger jackpots and better rewards. Players are also more likely to find better promotions and bonuses at online casinos compared to those at real-life casinos.
If you’re new to online casinos and online gambling, we suggest you take things slow. Search around for an online casino that offers the best promotions, bonuses, and games. To help you avoid registering at dodgy casinos, we’ve compiled a casino blacklist, so please take a look here before registering anywhere.
Also, we’ve heard repeatedly that people with experience in stockbroking believe they can easily beat the casino. Please remember that gambling, whether online or offline, remains a luck-based activity and unless you play games such as Poker or Blackjack, it is near impossible to foresee the outcome of the game. If you want to learn more about the relationship of gambling and stockbroking, have a look at what the folks at www.casinobono.com have put together.