Video slots are some of the most popular online casino games around for their unique themes, fun gameplay, and inclusion of special features. Despite their widespread popularity, many people still ask us one question; Are online slots rigged? No, they are not, and there are numerous reasons for this which you can read about below.
Online slots work just like the traditional slot machines found at brick-and-mortar online casinos. When playing online slots, you’ll need to spin reels to create winning combinations of three or more matching symbols for wins. To help you, most online slots have numerous special features like Wild symbols which substitute for other symbols to help you create more winning combinations or Scatter symbols which usually trigger a game’s Free Spins mode for even more chances of making wins.
These online slots all use Random Number Generators (RNGs) which determine the outcome of each slot spin. Whenever you spin a slot’s reels, the RNG displays a random sequence of numbers which are then displayed as the landed symbols in the slot. The RNG ensures that every time you spin, the outcome will be different. This means that online slots are unpredictable and, because of this, are not rigged. You can find more information about online slots and how they work here.
If you’re familiar with online casinos, you’ll know that they must be licensed to operate in certain jurisdictions. For example, any online casino offering its services in the UK must possess a valid license from the nation’s regulatory firm the UK Gambling Commission. All online casino games, including online slots, are the same and must hold licenses.
One of the key conditions to a license from the UK Gambling Commission is that all casino games must be fair and true. This means that all of the online casino games offered at a casino website must provide its players with a fair experience and an actual chance of making a wins. This essentially prevents online casinos, no matter the operator, from rigging games in their favour.
In addition to gambling licenses, there are numerous testing agencies which rigorously test every casino game including online slots. These testing bodies are responsible for certifying games and slots, and they analyse every game’s mechanics and algorithm to ensure that they’re safe to play for the customer and completely fair to the customer too. This, combined with the regulatory licenses, all ensure that all casino games and online slots are not rigged.
By now you’ll understand that online slots cannot be rigged if you’re playing at a licensed online casino. However, it’s also important to note that you’re more likely to win at some online slots than others. Thankfully, there are elements of slots that you can check which will hint at how likely you are at making a win. Take a look below to find out more.
Return to Player rates, otherwise known as RTP rates, are values which determine how much wagered money returns to the player. A factor to note about RTP rates is that they are calculated over a very long period of time and cannot be used to calculate how much you’ll win on slots.
However, RTP rates will help you determine just how fair an online slot or casino game is. All game developers and online casino publish the RTP rates of their games within the title itself so you can easily spot how likely you are at making a win in the game.
Generally speaking, the higher the RTP rate the better chance at making a win you have. What’s more, the lower the RTP the better advantage the casino website has over you. So if you’re looking for a fair online casino slot, you should try one that has a high RTP rate.
Online slots all have variance, a term which describes the type of payouts available with a video slot. Most online slots either have high variance in which you can expect infrequent large wins or low variance in which you can expect frequent small wins. Unfortunately, a slot’s variance isn’t as easy to research as its RTP rate since most publishers don’t publish these details.
However, there are some online casino game developers such as Microgaming and NetEnt which detail a game’s variance on their official websites. What’s more, game developer Wazdan, which is known for its unique Wazdan special features, allows all customers to adjust the variance of its games. This allows users to select how they want to make wins through the game and allows players to determine the frequency of their winnings.
There are several things you can do to ensure that you stay away from rigged online slots and do not play them. Take a look below at our best tips of staying safe and only playing fair online slots.
One of the best ways to ensure that you do not play any rigged online slots is by only registering and playing with websites that are licensed by official gambling regulators. For example, anyone residing in the UK should only register with and play at online casinos that hold valid licenses from the UK Gambling Commission.
If you’re unsure of which websites to register with, you can take a look at some of our top recommendations below as well as links to our in-depth reviews where you can learn more about each site.
All of the casinos we’ve listed above are all licensed by the UK Gambling Commission, offer a wide selection of casino games, and accept most major payment options too. If none of our recommended websites does not appeal to you, we suggest you take a look at some of the UK’s top online casino websites here.
What’s more, if you prefer looking for a new casino site for yourself, you can check whether or not a site is licensed by scrolling to the footer of the page and looking for the UK Gambling Commission logo or the logo for any other gambling regulator.
Another great way of ensuring you stay away from rigged games is by only playing titles from well-known and established game developers. Good game developers have a long-standing reputation among online casino players and will not risk releasing rigged online slots or games that do not offer a fair chance of winning.
If you’re new to online casino games, some of the developers worth trying out include Microgaming, NetEnt, Play’n GO, Playtech, Red Tiger Gaming, Yggdrasil, Big Time Gaming, Blueprint Gaming, Playson, Pragmatic Play, and Rabcat among others. All of the developers listed here offer fair games and are completely trustworthy.
While doing this won’t ensure you stay away from rigged games, it can help you work out how likely you are at making a win with a certain online slot. Again, we’ll stress that you cannot work out when you’ll receive a win, only how likely you are to win over a long period of time.
A good way to gauge how good or fair an online slot is is by checking online reviews. Generally speaking, playing an online slot is one of the best ways to find out just how fair a slot is. There are dozens of websites which regularly publish online slot reviews and there are numerous more forums in which gamers share their opinions of various games.
You can read through some of these reviews to determine whether or not an online slot is worth playing and whether or not it may be unfairly rigged. While most reviews won’t be completely factual since they’re based on personal preference, you can gain an insight into a game by doing this.
Similarly to checking the RTP rates, you also try playing games with a variance that works for you. The best way to do this is to find a game that interests you and then head on over to the developer’s website where you can search for the game and potentially find its variance. Alternatively, you can always try playing a Wazdan slot which allows you to adjust the variance to your preference.
Our final tip is that you should avoid playing at overseas online casinos that are unlicensed or sites without a license from the UK Gambling Commission. The reason for this is that unlicensed casinos may offer rigged or pirated games, and you’re more likely to run into problems when playing at these websites. This is particularly important when it comes down to payment options and withdrawing or depositing funds – there’s no guarantee that the site will keep your personal information safe.
What’s more, the site may charge ridiculous fees on you and may not even process withdrawals on time. Finally, playing at an unlicensed or non-UK licensed online casino means that if you do ever run into a problem, you will not be protected.
