Basic Slot Terms
Denomination – (Also “denom”) The denomination is the monetary unit your bet is based on, e.g., 1¢, 10¢, $1. Most slots offer multiple bets based on the same denom, e.g., a 1¢ slot may allow you bet 60¢, $1.20, or $1.80 per spin.
Bonus feature – A separate game you can play on a slot, usually for larger win. A common bonus feature is free games.
Handpay – A single win of more than $1,200 that must be paid by an attendant. Handpays are reported to the IRS and are taxed.
Line hit – A win based on the alignment of symbols on the reels of a slot machine. New slot players may unwittingly ignore these, but they can be large ($1K) even outside high limits.
Volatility– A “low-volatility” slot pays via frequent line hits. A high-volatility slot such as Buffalo or “Dragon Link” may require getting a bonus feature to pay a large amount.
Slot Glossary
A
Advantage slots (n.) – Slot machines that supposedly provide the player with a statistical advantage compared to other slots machines. These include slots where the progressive jackpot is labeled as “Win before…” or where a specific number of wild symbols are guaranteed if you get the bonus. There’s much made of “advantage slot” players, but we haven’t seen any evidence that they win more than anyone else.
B
Backup spin (n.) – Playing after getting a bonus or large pay out in hopes of hitting another big pay out. From what I’ve experienced, this is for slots that don’t reset the reels after a large win which “clears” the reels. This makes it more likely someone won’t be frightened away by seeing the reels from an earlier win.
Bankroll (n.) – The money you have set aside to gamble. Ideally, you go to a casino with a small amount of money, build it substantially, then use your winnings to continue playing. IMHO Jackpot Judo is the best YouTube channel explaining bankrolls and bankroll building because he demonstrates how he goes about it.
Bankroll building (n.) – Strategically attempting to increase the money you have to gamble so that your beginning capital (money you brought with you) remains untouched. Generally, YouTubers will recommend playing low-volatility slots to achieve this.
Bet (n.) – How much money you are risking per spin of a slot machine. A slot bet consists of a denomination (e.g., 1¢, 5¢, $1, etc.) and a multiplier (e.g., 60, 120, 180, etc.). A 120 credit multiplier at a 1¢ denomination = $1.20 per spin.
Bonus feature (n.) – A separate game you can play on a slot, usually for larger win. A common bonus feature is free spins.
Buy a bonus feature (n.) – An option that guarantees a player will get play the slot machine’s bonus feature. This doesn’t guarantee a large payout, and from what evidence I’ve seen and experienced it will likely be quite the opposite.b
C
Candle (n.) – The small light on top of a slot machine. It lights when an attendant is needed or there’s a problem with the slot. It can be activated by the player.
Class 2 slot machines (n.) – Slot machines based on bingo. While these slots may appear like Class 3 (“Vegas-style”) slot machines based on a random number generator (RNG), they are still bingo.
Class 3 slot machines (n.) – Also called “Vegas-style slot machines”. These are based on a random number generator (RNG) which goes through as many as 1,000 random numbers a second.
Coin slot (n.) – A slot machine that accepts physical coins or tokens. These have become rare, but there’s a certain charm to using them—the same charm as churning butter or changing your own motor oil.
Cold [slot] (adj.) – used to describe slot machines that are not paying.
Comps (n.) – Free rewards offered by casinos to players based the amount of money they gamble.
D
Dead spin (n.) – a non-paying reel spin
Demo mode (n.) – When a slot isn’t being played, it will sometimes show prospective players how the game works or what the bonus looks like.
Denomination (n.) – Often shortened to “denom”. The monetary unit your bet is based on, e.g., 1¢, 5¢, $1, $10. Some slots allow you choose from multiple bets on the same denomination, e.g., a 1¢ slot may allow you bet 60¢, $1.20, $1.80, etc. per spin. The number of options can be overwhelming for new players. On the popular Dragon Link slots, there are 6 multipliers for each of the 6 denominations, so 36 possible bets.
Dragon Link (n.) – Likely the most popular high-volatility slot machine right now. There are multiple versions of this slot, e.g., Autumn Moon, Genghis Khan, etc. The newest version is called Phoenix Link. These slots are unusual in that every machine can take extremely large bets ($125 per spin).
E
EGM (n.) – Electronic Gaming Machine
Expected value (n.) – How much you can expect to be paid back per spin. If you are betting $1 per spin and the Return to Player (RTP) for that machine is 95%, you will lose on average 5¢ per spin if you were to make tens of thousands of spins.
F
Feature (also “Bonus” or “Bonus Feature”) (n.) – A round of playing that is different from normal play. This can include animations, free games, or additional opportunities to win money.
Free play (n.) – Credits available for gambling that don’t cost the player money directly. Sometimes free play is provided by a casino to new or loyal players.
Free spins (n.) – A bonus feature offered on some reel- and video-based slot machines. Free spins can result in a high pay out, just like a “paid” spin. Free spins are particularly valuable if you’re betting high: if you’re betting $10 per spin and get 8 free spins, that’s $80 you don’t have to spend to play.
G
Grand jackpot (n.) – usually the largest of the jackpots on a slot machine. This has been replaced on some slots by a “maxi” jackpot or some other term.
Group pull (n.) – A gathering of people that play a slot machine as a collective using pooled bets. It’s similar to an office pooling their money to buy lottery tickets.
H
Handpay (n.) – A single win of more than $1,200 in the United States. A handpay requires a cash or ticket-based pay out by an attendant. Some casinos can pay handpays directly through a slot machine, but this isn’t yet widespread. Handpay jackpots are reported to the IRS and will subject to income tax when you file your federal tax return. If you win more than $1,200 on a machine over time (e.g., a dozen $100 wins), a handpay is not required.
High-Limit Room (n.) – A room in a casino with slot machines that accept large bets. The largest denomination slot we’ve seen was for $1,000 per spin, but they can be for even higher denominations.
High-volatility slots (n.) – Slot machines that pay infrequent or small line hits; typically these slots require the player to get a bonus feature for a significant win.
Hold and spin (adj.) – Describes a slot machine feature where certain symbols on a reel stay in place while the other reels spin. A well-known example is “Dragon Link”.
Hot [slot] (adj.) – used to describe a slot machine that is paying.
J
L
Ladder betting (n.) – Systematically moving through different bet sizes and denominations on a multi-denomination slot machine. Many people, including myself, do this naturally because of boredom. In my own experience, this can pay, but it may be due to the odds changing in the player’s favor on larger denominations.
Line hit (n.) – A win based on the alignment of symbols on the reels of a slot machine.
Loose slots (n.) – Slot machines that pay more frequently and for larger amounts.
Low-volatility slots (n.) – Slot machines that pay frequent line hits. These slots tend to be one-line, reel-based slots with Double Diamond being one of the most popular.
M
M.A.D. Method™ (n.) – the SlotBears approach to playing slots.
Major Jackpot (n.) – Usually the second highest jackpot, below the grand and above the minor.
Max bet (n.) – The most you can bet on a spin per denomination. Example: You may be able to bet anywhere from $0.88 to $8.80 per spin. $8.80 would be the max bet.
“Martingale” betting strategy (n.) – This is a common method of trying to recover from a loss in poker or blackjack that pay 2:1 (double the bet amount). I’m only adding it because it comes up in gambling chat. The problem with this is that the pay tables for slots are far more complicated than blackjack or roulette.
Here’s how it works:
- You lose a bet
- You double your bet on the next round.
- If you lose again, you double your bet yet again. If you win, you’re even.
- Continue until you’re broke or you win
Minor Jackpot (n.) – Usually the third largest jackpot available on a slot machine, below the grand and the major.
P
Payline (n.) The line that runs across the reels on a slot machine. Symbols must appear on the payline in order for the player to win. Some slots have just one pay line while others have a bewildering 1,024 pay lines (so it’s almost impossible to know why you won or didn’t win).
Pay table – (n.) How much money a slot machine will return. On older slots, this can be found immediately above the slot reel window. On newer video machines, you’ll need to locate the “Help” or “?” button that shows the game rules.
Penny slot (n.) A slot machine whose only denomination is one cent. As of today, there are still slot machine that allows the player to bet one penny in both Las Vegas (the Horseshoe casino) and in Reno (at the J Resort). 1¢ slots also have the lowest return to player (RTP) of any denomination, but they’re also the most popular.
Pinball (n.) A popular slot machine. The payout in bonus round is determined by an electronic “pinball’ game, where the total pay out builds with each “play” of the pinball. There are versions by other manufacturers which work similarly.
Progressive slots (n.) The jackpot amounts (grand, major, minor, etc.) on a progressive slot machine builds over time. On linked machines, the progressive and is available to anyone playing one of the linked slot machines. Progressive jackpots must be paid out to players or transferred to another slot machine; the casino cannot transfer that money to their own account.
R
Random Number Generator (RNG) (n.) – A computer system that determines the pay out on Class 3 (“Las Vegas-style”) slot machines. With each reel spin, a pseudo-random number is generated. This number corresponds to a pay table which determines the amount the player receives.
Reel slot (n.) – a slot machine with a physical reel
Reel tilt (n.) – Malfunctioning reels in a slot machine that never stop spinning
Return To Player (RTP) (n.) – The percentage of wagered money that will be paid back to players. RTP in Nevada is published by the Nevada stage government. Penny slots have by far the worst “return to player” (RTP) percentages, i.e., they pay back less money than other denominations, but they’re also the most popular. The American Casinos website has an excellent page listing RTP by geographic location and slot denominations.
Roll up (n.) – the dramatic count up to the amount won. I’ve never heard anyone actually use this term.
S
Scatter bonus (n.) – A combination of symbols that can appear anywhere on a (not along a line) in order to trigger a pay out, bonus, or feature. See the screenshot of Cleopatra with the three scatter symbols.
SlotBears™(n.) – an online resource for new slot players started in November, 2024.
SlotDollars™ (n.) – An MGM-branded name for credits that can be converted into free play credits.
Step betting (n.) – Changing your bet up or down supposedly to increase your odds of winning more money. This is easy to do since slot machines often have a row of buttons with multiple bets available at all times (e.g., 80¢, $1.60, $3.20, $6.40, etc.). When I began playing slots, I’d change my bet with every spin because it was a) it was easy, and b) I get bored easily.
T
Theoretical score (n.) – A score calculated from a slot player’s betting habits used by casinos to rank their profitability. Also called a “theo” score. In theory, slot players should have the most accurate theo scores since each slot machine tracks all relevant data: bet amount, bet frequency, play duration.
Ticket In Ticket Out (“TITO” pronounced like Tito Jackson) (n.) – The white slips of paper you get when you cash out of a slot machine. I’ve only heard one person use this term, a host at the high-limits room of the MGM Grand who called to say I’d left a $464 TITO in a machine (an amazing bit of detective work).
Top Dollar (n.) – A popular slot machine. In the bonus, the player is offered up to four different pay out amounts, which can be of wildly different amounts. This slot will offer advice about what to do next “Take Offer” or “Try Again” based on a mathematical formula, however this advice (while mathematically correct) is not always to the player’s advantage.
V
Volatility (n.) – A low-volatility slot pays via frequent line hits; the downside is that these are often simple, physical-reel machines. A high-volatility slot such as “Dragon Link” or any of Buffalo slots may require getting a bonus feature to pay a large amount (20x or more of your bet).
W
Ways (n.) – An alternate method of determining whether the symbols on the reels will pay out, as opposed to lines / paylines. Ways takes into account the symbols on adjacent reels (starting from the left) regardless of their alignment. If specific symbols appear in a specific pattern, the slot will pay.
“Win Before” jackpots (n.) – On certain slot machines, a jackpot must be paid before the progressive reaches a specific amount. It’s not a guarantee, but if it’s very close it may give you a slight edge.
