Slot machines have been around for decades and they have always been an instant draw for players whether it was in real-life casinos or in their online versions.
They are very easy to understand and t play, as well as having some entertaining story line, catchy music and gorgeous graphics that keep you entertained for hour upon end.
They are also a way in which players try to make some money. This is much easier said than done because of course the house has their edge.
Even if this margin favours the house by only a couple of percent, this adds up significantly in the long run. Unless you get lucky, you are going to see your funds steadily decrease over the long run after you play hundreds and thousands of spins.
Some people may ask then whether or not playing slots is a waste of time because it doesn’t appear to be profitable in the long run. The answer to this is that there are ways to make consistent money playing slots, you just need to know how you can achieve this goal.
Here are a few ways in which you can stack the odds better in your favour:
Make sure you carefully choose the casino and game
One of the fundamental decisions you need to make when playing online is deciding which casino is the best option for you. First and foremost when choosing to do business with a casino, you want to make sure that they are completely legitimate and that there is no track record of customers having issues when dealing with them.
You should check out a vast range of review sites, as well as looking on forums and social media to see what sorts of experiences customers have had with them in the best. While there are always going to be a few disgruntled customers at any given casino, if there is a regular pattern that keeps cropping up, this should set off warning signs in your head.
Once you know that a casino is trustworthy,then you need to look at what games they offer. You want to have options that suit your interests,as well as presenting a good chance of you to make some money.
To choose slots that give you a better chance of winning, you need to look at their return to player (RTP) percentages. This figure represents on average what chance you have of winning in a slot. If the RTP is 97%, this means that for every $100 that a player puts into the game, the casino will make a profit of 3%.
You ideally want to play slots that have an RTP of about 996%+, with anything under 94% not being worth your while if you are interested in making money.
There are certain games that have rules whereby if you don’t stake a certain amount per bet, the RTP will decrease significantly. This is why you should always read the fine print if you are serious about your slots playing.
Make the Most of Bonuses
Another important factor to staying profitable in the long run while playing slots is to take advantage of any and all bonuses.
When you initially sign up for a casino, you will be able to receive certain bonuses as part of their welcome package. These may be in the form of free spins or you may have your deposit matched with bonus funds.
Always make sure that you avail of these offers, as well as any promotions that they are currently running for established customers. These deals help o give you more of an edge and helps to minimise the losses that you make.
There are all sorts of high roller and loyalty bonuses for players to take advantage of and these may give you the extra percent needed to make you a profitable player in the long run.
Make sure that the Bonus is Right for You
While some offers may seem flashy and lucrative, often times when you read the terms and conditions you will see that the wagering requirements involved will be near on impossible to reach.
If you have €10,000 in bonus funds but you need to wager them 200 times, then you would be better off looking elsewhere at a more modest offer.
At the end of the day, you want to turn these bonus funds into cold, hard cash. This means targeting those offers that have good bonuses, alongside decent wagering requirements.
The key things to look for when deciding which bonus is optimal will be how many times you need to turn over the bonus before it is cashable and how many days you have to do so.
Once these are attainable targets, you should look at the size of bonuses available within the wagering requirements you have set out to see which one fits your budget and goals the best.
Staying Disciplined
One of the most important aspects of playing any casino game in a profitable manner is ensuring that you are implementing proper bankroll management.
This means that you have a set plan in place as to how much you are going to spend on a certain slot. This should not be a significant percentage of your total bankroll.
You should have exit point already mapped out as to when you should take your profits and stop playing, as well as when things are not going so well and the level whereby you should cut your losses.
This means keeping your emotions out of proceedings and sticking to your plan with strict discipline.
Don’t Forget About Volatility
While RTP is the main figure you need to be concerned about when it comes to slots selection, volatility is also an important figure you need to be aware of.
Different slots have different volatilities, with some being high and others being low. Some games may give you wins on a regular basis but they are relatively small prizes, whereas others will have sporadic wins but they will be substantial.
This is why you should aim to play games that have an optimal level of volatility depending on your specific strategy.