Playing slot machines can feel a bit like learning a new language, as it’s easy to get confused with the various terms involved.
From “spinners” to “fruit machines,” slot machines have their own unique vocabulary in the UK. Whether you’re a beginner or just brushing up on your knowledge, understanding these terms can make your experience more enjoyable.
In this guide, we will break down some of the most popular slang words you’ll come across at the casino or online.
Glossary of Slot Machine Lingo
3 Reel Slot
These are the traditional slot machines with three vertical sections or reels. They’re straightforward to play with fewer paylines, making them ideal for beginners who are just getting started.
5 Reel Slot
With five vertical sections, these slots provide more potential opportunities to win. More reels often mean more symbols and paylines, offering a bit more excitement than their 3-reel counterparts.
243 Ways to Win
Unlike the standard payline approach, these slots provide 243 different ways to land a winning combination, usually by matching symbols on adjacent reels from left to right.
3D Video Slots
These are interactive slot games with advanced 3D graphics, making for a more intriguing and entertaining gaming experience without needing any special glasses.
Active Payline
These are the lines across the reels where matching symbols need to fall to create a win. Some games allow you to choose how many paylines you want to bet on, giving you some control over your gameplay strategy.
Adjacent Pays
This feature allows wins from symbols that are side-by-side on the reels, regardless of their exact position, increasing your potential to win.
All Ways
This slot type offers the possibility of winning with matching symbols appearing anywhere on consecutive reels, providing more potential opportunities than traditional paylines.
Autospin
A useful feature that lets the reels spin automatically for a set number of rounds, saving you from having to click repeatedly and allowing for more relaxed play. This feature is not available in the UK.
AWP Slot Machines
Short for “Amusement with Prizes,” these classic fruit machines offer features like nudges and holds. They’re often found in pubs and provide a blend of chance and strategy.
Backing
This term refers to the amount of money you’re prepared to use while playing slot games. It’s crucial to set limits to manage your spending responsibly.
Bar
A symbol commonly found in classic fruit machines. Often used to represent higher values, they can improve your chances of a bigger payout.
Bet
The amount of money you choose to wager on a spin. Always ensure your bet fits comfortably within your set budget to keep your experience enjoyable and stress-free.
Bet Max
Placing the highest possible wager on a single spin. This option is often chosen by players seeking the largest possible jackpots but manage it carefully.
Bet Min
This is the smallest amount you can bet per spin. Betting the minimum lets you enjoy your game time for longer without overstretching your bankroll.
Bet One
This involves placing the lowest bet possible on one payline, a good tactic for cautious play or when you’re new to slots.
Big Bertha
A nickname for especially large slot machines found in some casinos. These machines are often more visually entertaining than lucrative.
Big Hit
Slang for landing a substantial win or jackpot. It’s that entertaining moment when the risk pays off.
Bonus Buy
Some slots offer this option, allowing you to purchase entry into a bonus round directly, bypassing the need to spin for triggering symbols. This feature is not available in the UK.
Bonus Round
Special features within slot games offer extra chances to win. They are typically unlocked by getting specific symbols and can include free spins or mini-games.
Branded Slots
These are games designed around popular films, TV shows, or characters, providing familiar themes and added entertainment value.
Casino Bonus
Special offers from casinos, like free spins or matched deposits, are aimed at improving your playing experience and adding value to your initial fund.
Cascading Reels
A mechanic where winning symbols vanish, leaving room for new symbols to fall into place, potentially creating additional wins without extra spins.
Cashback
An offer from the casino where you receive a percentage of your losses back. It can provide a little relief after a less successful session.
Cash Out
Refers to withdrawing your winnings from your online casino account. It’s important to be aware of any withdrawal limits or processing times.
Certified Slots
Slot games that have been independently tested and verified for fairness, ensuring they meet gambling regulations set by authorities like the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC).
Classic Slots
These are simple slot games that usually have three reels and traditional symbols, like fruits, reminiscent of the earliest slot machines.
Cluster Pays
A system where you win by forming clusters of matching symbols touching each other rather than needing them to line up across a payline.
Coin Slot
Originally, this was the space where coins were inserted to play a slot, but in online play, it refers to credits being used.
Cold Slot
A term used when a machine hasn’t paid out recently. Players may believe these machines are less likely to win, but it’s important to remember that outcomes are random.
Collect Button
In physical machines, it allows you to cash out your winnings. Online, it’s often an icon used to exit a game and secure your winnings.
Comps
Short for “complimentary,” these rewards from casinos can include anything from free meals or hotel stays to playing credits based on how much you play.
Credits
The virtual currency is represented in a slot game, indicating how much you can bet and what you have left to play with.
Demo Slots
These are free versions of slot games that let you play without risking any real money, a perfect way to learn the ropes or test the waters with new games. This feature is not available in the UK.
Denomination
Refers to the value of coins or credits you choose to bet. This can range, allowing you to set a comfortable betting level, such as 1p or £1 per line.
Double Up Slots
These games come with features that let you double your winnings through a gamble option, like guessing the colour of a card, offering an extra level of excitement.
Drops
Instances where a game suddenly pays out significant amounts. They’re unpredictable and an exciting aspect of slots.
Expanding Reels
A special feature where the reels can grow, offering more symbols and potential winning combinations, adding an exciting twist to gameplay.
Feature
This is an extra option within a slot that provides new ways to win, such as bonus symbols leading to mini-games or free spins, typically triggered by landing specific combinations.
Feature Buy
It’s another term for Bonus Buy, where you can pay to enter a feature round without landing the usual trigger symbols. This feature is not available in the UK.
Free Spins
A popular bonus feature where you get a certain number of spins without having to wager your credits, yet still allowing you to win real money.
Fixed Value Slots
In these games, the coin size and number of paylines are preset, meaning you have less to decide before playing, making it simple and straightforward.
Five Liner
Describes a slot game that features five paylines, providing a balance between simplicity and more chances to win.
Fruit Machine
A traditional term for British slot machines, often including fruit symbols and mechanical features like holds and nudges.
Gamble Feature
An opportunity to increase your recent winnings by wagering them on a side game, typically a simple guess-the-card game.
Grid Slots
These slots use a grid format instead of reels, often with features like cluster pays to create a more interactive experience.
Hawking
Watching a machine in the hope it’s about to pay out based on perceived patterns, though the randomness of slots makes this ineffective.
Hit
A term for landing a winning combination on a spin, whether it’s a small prize or something more significant.
Hit and Run
A strategy of playing slots for short periods and quitting once you’re ahead to help preserve your winnings.
Hit Frequency
The rate at which a slot machine produces winning combinations. It can range from frequent smaller wins to larger but less frequent ones.
Hold
A feature that allows you to “hold” or keep one or more reels in place for the next spin, improving your potential for a winning combination.
Hold Percentage
The percentage of all money wagered on a machine that the casino expects to keep in the long term, with the remainder going back to players as wins.
Hot Slots
Slots are perceived as currently paying out more frequently; however, it’s essential to remember that each spin’s results are entirely random.
Hopper
Traditionally, the part of a slot machine holding coins. In modern online slots, it symbolises the availability of funds or credits.
Icons
These are also known as symbols, which appear on the slot reels and are key to creating winning combinations.
Instant Winner
Games or features where you win a prize immediately, often without needing extra spins or conditions.
i-Slot
Interactive slots that incorporate storylines or skill elements with traditional slot play add another dimension to your gaming experience.
Jackpot
The largest prize a slot game offers typically requires specific conditions or symbols to win.
Jackpot King
A type of progressive jackpot network available on several games, offering potentially substantial wins.
Lever
The mechanical arm on older slot machines pulled to spin the reels. In modern games, this is done via buttons or touch commands.
Line
Refers to a payline where matching symbols must appear to win. The number of lines varies across slot games.
Line Bet
This is the amount you bet on each payline. It’s useful to manage this according to your budget to get the most from your playing time.
Linked Progressive Jackpot
A jackpot that’s accumulated across several slot machines, online and sometimes in casinos, until it’s won.
Loose Slot
A machine perceived to pay out more frequently, though past results don’t impact the randomness of future spins.
Maximum Bet
The highest wager allowed on a spin. This is often necessary for a chance at the top jackpots but requires careful budget planning.
Minimum Bet
The smallest amount you can wager per spin allows for a conservative approach to your play.
Megabucks
An iconic linked progressive jackpot network known for offering exceptionally large potential payouts.
Megaclusters
A feature that allows symbols to break apart and merge, increasing the potential number of ways to achieve a winning combination.
Megaways
An innovative slot mechanism offering hundreds of thousands of win ways per spin by varying the number of symbols on each reel.
Multiplier
A game feature that multiplies your winnings by a set number, helping to boost your overall payout from a successful spin.
Multi-Line
Slots that provide multiple paylines offering more opportunities to create winning combinations compared to single-line games.
Multi-Way
Similar to games offering all-ways pay systems, allowing combinations across reels rather than specific lines for possible wins.
Near Miss
When symbols almost form a win, creating a sense of anticipation. Remember, each result is based on random outcomes.
Nudge
A classic feature that lets you move a reel up or down one step to create or improve a potential win, often found on fruit machines.
One-Armed Bandit
An old nickname for slot machines, stemming from the lever found on earlier models.
Online Slot
Digital versions of traditional slot machines that you can play on a computer or mobile device, providing convenience and a wider variety of games.
Payback Percentage
Known as RTP (Return to Player), this represents the expected return percentage of your stakes over time a slot is designed to pay back to players.
Payline
Lines crossing reels where matching symbols align to form winning combinations. Slot games vary greatly in the number of paylines they offer.
Payout
The amount of money you win from a spin based on the symbol combinations and your initial bet.
Paytable
A reference chart that shows you all possible winning combinations, their respective payouts, and any special features the game includes.
Penny Slots
Slots that allow you to play for as low as one penny per spin, ideal for players with smaller budgets.
Pokies
A term commonly used in Australia and New Zealand for slot machines, reflecting the global appeal of these games.
Primary Jackpot
The main jackpot in a game, often the largest single prize you can win without counting additional progressive options.
Progressive Jackpot
Jackpots that grow with every player’s bet across the network of linked machines, providing the chance to win substantial amounts.
Random Number Generator (RNG)
A key technology ensuring that slot outcomes are entirely random, making sure each spin is independent and fair.
Random Wilds
Wild symbols appearing randomly to help form or improve winning combinations across the reels.
Reels
Vertical sections that spin and display symbols in a slot game. Most games have three or more reels, each adding complexity and opportunity.
Reel Modifiers
Special features that can alter how the reels behave during a spin, such as adding wilds or expanding reels to increase your winning chances.
Reel Stop
The moment when a reel comes to rest after spinning, determining the outcome of your spin. Online, this is decided by the RNG.
Respins
Some slots offer respins on certain reels or after specific triggers, providing another chance to achieve winning combinations.
Re-Trigger
Activating extra bonus rounds or free spins during a feature, giving you additional opportunities to win.
Rows
Horizontal lines that symbols occupy across the reels. The number of rows can vary and affects the game’s layout and potential win combinations.
Return to Player Rate (RTP)
The theoretical percentage that is returned, on average, to players from the amount wagered over time. It’s crucial for understanding the value a game may offer.
Scatter Symbol
Symbols that can trigger bonus rounds or free spins, often without needing to appear on a specific payline to activate features.
Session Bankroll
The total funds you’ve decided to dedicate to play slots for a session. Managing it wisely is essential for enjoying a sustainable gaming experience.
Skill Bonus
A bonus game where some player skill is required, adding an interesting twist to traditional gameplay.
Skill Stop
An interactive attempt where players try to stop the reels manually, although outcomes are still governed by the RNG.
Short Win
Refers to small, regular winnings that keep players entertained and may lead to larger wins over time.
Slingo
A hybrid game that combines mechanics from slots and bingo, offering an entertaining mix of both games’ features.
Slot Club
Casino loyalty programmes that reward you for your slot play with perks like free spins or bonuses, improving your experience.
Slot Host
A casino employee dedicated to helping slot players, offering assistance and advice about games and features.
Slot Tournament
An event where players compete to achieve the highest score within a set time, with prizes for the top performers.
Sound of Rain
The jingling sound meant to mimic coins being paid out, reminiscent of a traditional slot win experience.
Spin
Setting the reels in motion for a chance to land winning symbol combinations, core to any slot game experience.
Streaky Slots
These machines seem to offer a series of wins or losses in a row, though each outcome is truly independent due to randomisation.
Stacked Symbols
Symbols appearing in tall blocks or stacks on a reel, potentially covering it entirely for bigger chances of a win.
Stacked Wilds
Wild symbols that appear in stacks, covering entire reels to help create increased winning opportunities.
Symbols
The images that appear on the reels, determining your winnings based on their combinations and positions.
Three-Liner
Refers to a machine with three paylines, a simple layout that provides concentrated gameplay.
Tight Slots
Machines thought to pay out less often, a belief influenced by variance but still subject to random outcomes.
Total Bet
The total amount of money wagered on a single spin across all active paylines. Managing this wisely helps maintain control over your session.
Trail
A feature game that often involves progressing through a path to collect prizes, adding a layer of strategy and interest.
Tumbling Reels
Similar to cascading reels, where symbols fall away after a win, allowing new symbols to drop down and create further win opportunities.
Variance
Refers to the level of risk associated with a slot game. High variance means infrequent but large wins, while low variance offers smaller, frequent wins.
Video Slots
Digital slot games that display advanced graphics and offer creative features, setting them apart with more interactive gameplay.
Virtual Reel
Digital reels displayed on online slots, offering a wide range of features not possible with traditional mechanical reels.
Volatility
Similar to variance, indicating how much a game may fluctuate in its payouts, affecting the nature of your wins over time.
Wide Area Progressive (WAP)
Progressive jackpots that connect across various casinos, allowing for substantial prizes that accumulate from a wide player pool.
Wager
Another term for placing a bet on a spin, representing how much you’re willing to risk on a turn of the reels.
Wild Symbol
Symbols that substitute for others to form potential winning combinations, a powerful aid in slot gameplay.
Wild Multiplier
Wild symbols that also multiply your winnings by a certain factor, increasing the impact of your successful spins.
Win
The outcome of landing a successful spin, rewarding you based on the symbols and combinations achieved.
Win Multiplier
A feature that increases your prize by multiplying it by a specified number, adding an exciting boost to your winnings.
Win-Both-Ways
Slots that allow winning combinations to form both from left to right and right to left, doubling your chances of success.
Zig-Zag
A pattern some players believe indicates an impending win, though it’s important to remember that all outcomes are based on randomness.
Discover The Best Online Slots Casinos
If you want to explore online slots, finding the right casino is key. At Chief Gambler, we’re here to guide you in discovering the best online casinos tailored to your preferences and needs.
Our carefully curated list highlights online casinos with a strong reputation for reliability, security, and a wide range of slot games. Each casino is evaluated to ensure it meets the stringent standards set by the UKGC. This means you can play with peace of mind, knowing the casinos follow responsible gambling practices and offer fair play.
By visiting our list of top online casinos, you’ll gain access to platforms that offer a seamless gaming experience. Whether you prefer classic slots or the latest video slot releases, you’ll find a variety of games catering to all interests.
Take a moment to check out our recommendations and see which online casino may become your go-to destination for slot games. At Chief Gambler, we believe informed choices can lead to a more enjoyable and responsible gaming experience.
