A Comprehensive Guide to Playing Online Slots for Real Money
The experts at CasinoSlots.com have been playing slots for over 15 years. We’ve witnessed, and been a part of, the growth of online slots firsthand. Many of us can still remember how confusing it was to play multi-line slots for the first time and how apprehensive we were giving our credit card information to an online casino – hoping our funds were safe and the games were fair.
That’s why we’ve created this in-depth real money online slots guide – to give you the information we wished we had 10 years ago.
Here you’ll learn:
- The differences in playing online vs at a casino
- The safety and legality of playing slots online for money
- The ins and outs of depositing funds and withdrawing your winnings
- How online slots bonuses work – which to take advantage of, and which to avoid
Can’t wait to get started? We’ve reviewed 100+ real money casinos and have listed the top 5 casinos to play online slots for money below.
Online Slots vs Casino Slot Machines – What to Expect
Playing real money slots online or on your mobile device is more convenient than traveling to a casino. Not only do you save a great deal of time, you save money too. Even if the closest casino is within walking distance, you don’t have to get dressed to play online. You don’t even have to get out of bed if you don’t want to.
You can even play on your Android device, iPad, or iPhone while you’re on the go.
If, like most players, you have to travel to a casino, you have the added cost of using a car and gas and / or flying. The closest casino to me is an hour and a half away, so I waste three hours on the road for the round trip, the time it takes to get ready, park, walk into the casino, find the slot machine I want, and the cost of gas to get there and back home.
It easily costs over $100 in gas and time to play at my closest casino. And they don’t give me a bonus to extend my playing time like most online casinos.
When it comes to convenience, live play is no comparison to online and mobile play.
Getting Started: The signup process
Online gambling has changed over the years. Most of the changes are for the good, but even some of the good changes can slow down things for online casinos and players.
Legitimate online casinos take players through a verification process that is designed to prove you’re who you say you are. This is mostly designed to protect the casinos, but it can also offer a level of protection for players.
You may have to send the casino copies of your identification, a utility bill, or other documentation. Some casinos require these when you deposit, but most wait until you request a withdrawal or cash out.
The important thing is finding a safe place to play. The best way to do this is by reading reviews from trusted online sources. This is great news for you, because this site has reviews of the best real money online casinos so you don’t have to try too hard to find a place you can trust.
Online casinos try to do everything they can to keep your details safe. It’s in their best interest to protect their players because if you lose trust in them you’ll go play somewhere else.
Making a deposit
When you get ready to play slots for real money you need to figure out how to get money from your bank or pocket into the casino.
This is one area where online casinos have everything under control. Here’s a list of popular deposit methods. Don’t hesitate to contact the support department of an online casino if you have any trouble. They’ll do everything they can to help you get money into an account.
Deposit methods have a lot to do with where you live. For example, most players can use Neteller, but if you live in parts of the US you can’t.
- Visa and MasterCard – Popular credit cards.
- Neteller – An online wallet that acts as a middle bank between your bank and the casino.
- Skrill – An online wallet.
- Bank Wire – Directly sending money from your bank to the casino.
- Paypal – An online wallet.
- UKash – A prepaid service where you buy a code and then redeem the code to make your deposit.
Once you sign up for a casino account go to the cashier area of the software to find out which deposit options they offer and to start the deposit process.
Withdrawing your winnings
When you get ready to cash out some of your winnings head back to the cashier area and choose a withdrawal method and how much you want to take out.
While getting your money into the casino usually happens fairly quickly, sometimes making a withdrawal can take longer. Depending on the method you use, withdrawals can take from a few minutes to a few weeks. If you use Neteller or another online wallet withdrawals are generally done in a day or less, sometimes in minutes. This varies from casino to casino.
If you use a bank wire or check for your withdrawal it can take longer. If you have specific questions ask the support department for additional details.
Popular cash out methods include:
- Check
- Bank Wire
- Neteller
- Skrill
- Paypal
How online slots bonuses work
One of the best things about playing real money slots online is you can get bonuses when you start playing. You use bonuses to extend your play and give you more chances to hit a big jackpot.
There are several types of slots bonuses. You’ll find information about the most common ones below.
No deposit bonuses
Some casinos give you free money to play their games without forcing you to make a deposit first. Called no deposit bonuses, they’re usually small. Common no deposit bonuses include $7, $27, $50, and $77.
Cashable bonuses
Cashable slots bonuses are the best kind of bonuses when you plan to make a real money deposit. Once you meet the play through requirements (see below) on a cashable bonus you’re free to withdraw any money you have left.
I’m sure many thought all casino bonuses were cashable. Sadly this isn’t the case. Here’s additional information about ones that can’t be cashed out.
Non cashable (sticky) bonuses
More and more online casinos are doing away with cashable bonuses and only offering non cashable bonuses.
When you receive one of these bonuses you can use the bonus money to play but before you cash out the amount of the bonus is deducted from your bankroll.
These are great bonuses if you’re taking a shot at a big progressive or other jackpot, but unless you get lucky you usually won’t be able to cash out much.
Noncashable bonuses still give you extra playing time on your favorite slot machines. Just don’t expect to be able to cash out as much in the end.
How to clear a slots bonus
Each casino has different terms and conditions about clearing slots bonuses. You always want to read all of the terms and conditions of any slot machine bonus before signing up.
The most common condition is you have to wager the amount of your deposit and bonus a certain number of times before you can request a cash out. These are called play through requirements and common ones are 25 times, 30 times, 40 times, and 50 times.
If you deposit $250 and receive a 100% bonus of $250 with a play through requirement of 30 times you’ll need to bet a total $15,000 before requesting a withdrawal. If you play for $1 per spin you’ll need to play 15,000 spins to clear the bonus.
Frequently asked questions about playing slots online for money
How do online slots odds compare to casino slot machines?
It’s a little tricky when you start considering slot machine odds because most casinos and slot machine manufacturers don’t publicize the odds and pay back percentages. We know that land-based casinos have to have an RTP (return-to-player) of at least x%. However, individual slot machines can have a house edge of up to 15%.
Online casinos rarely release details about the exact payouts for their slot machines, but they have much lower overhead than land based casinos so they don’t have to hold as much of an edge. Some claim to payback 97%+, which is hard to find at land-based casinos.
If you factor in the time and cost saving as well as the slots bonuses available, your odds are far better playing online, even if the pay back percentages were identical.
What’s the minimum I can play real money games for?
Online slots players enjoy the ability to get started with low deposits, often $20 or less, and can find machines offering spins for a quarter or less.
You’ll usually have your deposit at least doubled when you play real money slots through a casino bonus.
Online casinos have penny and nickel slots just like land based casinos, but unlike casino slot machines where you’re forced to bet a dollar+ per spin to qualify for a jackpot, many online casinos allow you to qualify for much less.
For example, you can win a Random Progressive Jackpot through any RTG casino without having to bet max. Plus many of these games are 20-line video slots, so you can potentially win thousands of dollars for as little as $0.20/spin.
Can I play high limit slots online?
Just because you can find the lowest possible bets per spin playing online slots doesn’t mean they ignore high rollers.
You can play slot machines online for the same high stakes as in your local casino.
Online casinos cater to high rollers and whales just like land-based casinos do. They know the value of a big player and make sure they offer plenty of high limit slots.
High limit games are the same slots everyone plays. They just allow you to change the denomination and number of coins per line. Some real money online slot machines offer top bets per spin of $125 or more.
How does the variety of online slots compare to Vegas casinos?
Large casinos like those in Las Vegas are filled with hundreds of slot machines. You can walk down the strip and find new slot machines in the casino next door.
But this doesn’t compare to the thousands of different slot machine games offered by online casinos. Large software companies are pumping out new online slots every day.
Popular real money online slots software companies include:
Are there any downsides of playing online?
The only possible downside to playing real money slots online over a land-based casino is you won’t get to enjoy the casino atmosphere. That includes free drinks, buffets, hotel rooms, show tickets, and interaction with other players.
This may be an issue for some players, but when compared to all the other positives about playing online listed above; it’s not much of a down side. Many players don’t care for the casino atmosphere anyway.
Are online slots safe and fair?
Online casinos use random number generators (RNGs) in their software to offer fair slot machines and other games. RNGs are important because they guarantee the randomness of the casino software. Land-based video slot machines use the same technology.
In order to guarantee a safe playing environment for online players, casinos use third party testing companies like iTech Labs to verify their RNG and software fairness.
The truth about certifications
You’ll see many different types of seals of approval and certifications used by online casinos. The problem is that none of the seals or certifications other than a certified RNG means anything to players when it comes right down to it.
Some good casinos don’t have certifications and some bad ones have them. It’s more important to find a casino with positive reviews and a safe track record than depending on any of the agencies below. Check the in depth reviews on this site to find the safest online casinos available.
eCogra
eCogra is supposed to be a casino watchdog group promoting fairness and safety. On the surface they sound like a good idea, but if you start digging around they don’t really do anything to protect players that casinos don’t voluntarily do anyway.
PricewaterhouseCoopers
PricewaterhouseCoopers is a big accounting firm that many businesses use to verify financial information. Many online casinos use their services to verify their books, but just because PricewaterhouseCoopers has looked at their books it doesn’t mean they offer a safe environment to play.
TST Global
TST Global is in the testing and consulting business, much like iTech Labs listed above. TST does test RNGs and software, so a certified casino is usually more trustworthy than one that hasn’t been tested, but TST isn’t the only company testing them and this isn’t the only service they offer.
Licensing Jurisdictions
Some places license and regulate online gambling, some make it illegal, and many operate under a gray area. Here’s a list of some popular licensing jurisdictions and what you should know about them.
- Antigua and Barbuda – Many online casinos are licensed here and for the most part these casinos are trusted. But just because they have a license from Antigua and Barbuda doesn’t make an online casinos safe by itself.
- UK – One of the most advanced legal online gambling jurisdictions, the UK has specific laws and guidelines in place and offers one of the safest alternatives for players looking for safe online play.
- Isle of Man – Many think the Isle of Man is part of the UK, but it operates under different laws.
- Kahnawake – A Mohawk Indian territory located in Canada, the Kahnawake Gaming Commission offers online gambling licenses and is one of the most trusted by many players around the world.
- Costa Rica – Many online casinos are licensed in Costa Rica, but they don’t actually offer a gambling license. The country doesn’t forbid the operation of online gambling sites, but they operate under a general business license.
While you always have to investigate any online casino, some need to be looked at closer than others. For example, if a casino is licensed in Costa Rica you need to investigate further. Many good ones are licensed there, but some bad ones are as well.
On the other hand, if an online casino has a UK license the odds are good they’ll be safe because they had to jump through some significant hoops to get licensed.
Is it legal to play online slots for real money?
Most players have no problem playing online slots for real money.
The problem with any legal question is the world has thousands of countries, states, and other jurisdictions and each have their own laws. Some have specific laws making online gambling legal and others have specific laws that make it illegal. Sadly, most don’t have any real laws about it, so players get stuck in a gray area.
Here’s a list of countries that have cloudy or interesting online gambling laws. I’m not an attorney and laws change all the time, but I’ve included a short explanation for each. You can’t use anything on this page or site as legal advice. Always check with a local lawyer if you have any legal questions.
United States
The United States is really screwed up when it comes to online gambling. Some areas have specific laws in place allowing online gambling (New Jersey) and it’s believed by some that online sports bets are illegal everywhere in the country. Currently most states don’t have anything making online casino gambling illegal, but the media often incorrectly states that it is illegal.
I’ve been gambling online for over 10 years without any problems and I don’t know of anyone in the US being charged for playing slots online. Where I live I consider it legal because I have no laws that address it.
I realize this is a little wishy washy, but I’m focused on giving you the best information possible about real money online slots play. This is the best information I have. Once again, I’m not a lawyer but you should be able to play in the US unless you can find specific laws in your jurisdiction that forbid it.
Canada
Canada has over 1,000 different online gambling sites that offer real money play to their citizens, but their laws prohibit any type of gambling at a business that isn’t owned by the government. But the laws don’t specifically mention anything to do with online gambling. Just like in the US, most players in Canada don’t have any problem playing so they plan to play unless the laws change.
The country also has one of the leading licensing bodies for online gambling in the Kahnawake Indian area. This in itself doesn’t make online slots play legal in Canada, but some players use this to make them feel safer playing in the country.
South Africa
Currently all online gambling except sports betting and betting on horse races is illegal in South Africa. No online casinos or poker rooms my legally operate in the country, so you’re not allowed to legally play online slots in South Africa at this time.
India
India has specific laws against online gambling in some states, but nothing in others. Gambling is supposed to be dealt with at a state level, but the national level has items that muddy the waters. The Information Technology Act of 2000 prohibits online gambling, but is ignored by some citizens.
At this time it seems that online casinos are illegal in India, but it looks like you need to be a legal expert to tell for sure, depending on where you live.
Next Steps
When you get ready to start playing slots online for real money, focus on finding the safest and best online casinos for your play. Check the detailed online slots casino reviews on this site to get started right away.
