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Can You Really Win at Slots?

Simon Young - Lead Editor at Casinofinder
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Simon Young
Lead Editor at CasinoFinder
Lead Editor at CasinoFinder
Simon Young - Lead Editor at Casinofinder
Biography
Simon Young, our lead editor at CasinoFinder, brings a wealth of experience from his days as a national news editor and his role as Lead Editor at PokerStars. With a career that beautifully blends journalism and online gaming, Simon crafts top-tier, insightful content that Canadian players can trust.
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Latest Update:
Nov 26, 2024, 12:26 pm
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Most Canadian casino enthusiasts will ask themselves if it’s possible to win at slots. Happily, the short answer to the question is yes, you can – but there is no sure-fire way to guarantee it.

Slots have become more complex over the years, so it’s important to understand how they work to get the most out of them. This article gives you a whistle-stop tour of slot gameplay and suggests some slot machine tips to help you get the most out of these exciting games. 

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Overview of Slot Games

Slots have come a long way since the first one-armed bandit was invented in 1895. Even then, these simple games proved to be a huge hit with players. When slots moved online, the variety and number of these games exploded. Now, you can choose from thousands of online slots, and there are many themes and mechanics to enjoy.

You can still find plenty of classic three-reel slots to play. However, software providers continually push technological boundaries and introduce new and thrilling features.

Many video slots have advanced mechanics, such as bonus games and the Megaways feature. Studios will continue to add to these innovations and exciting themes, so there’s plenty for slot fans in Canada to look forward to.

Can You Really Win at Slots?

Yes, you can win at slots. But they are games of chance, so there’s no way of influencing the outcome. Slots are designed to be random, so each spin is independent of all other spins.  

However, we have some slot machine tips that can help you find the best slot. There are no guarantees of wins in slots, but smart play can help you get the most out of your playing experience.

When choosing a slot, select one from respected providers like IGT or Hacksaw Gaming. Also, you should choose games that have mechanics that you enjoy, like Megaways or cluster pays. Other factors to consider are RTP and volatility, which can affect the frequency and size of wins.

Best Online Slots

Mega Moolah slot mockup

Mega Moolah

RTP: 93.42
Software: Microgaming
Genre: African
5/5
Learn more
Reactoonz slot mockup

Reactoonz

RTP: 96.51
Software: Play’n GO
Genre: Space
5/5
Learn more
Divine Fortune slot mockup

Divine Fortune

RTP: 96.59
Software: NetEnt
Genre: Ancient Mythology
4.2/5
Learn more
Buffalo King Megaways mockup

Buffalo King Megaways

RTP: 96.52
Software: Pragmatic Play
Genre: Western
4.1/5
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Big Bass Bonanza mockup

Big Bass Bonanza

RTP: 96.71
Software: Pragmatic Play
Genre: Fishing
4.8/5
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Fire Joker slot review mockup

Fire Joker

RTP: 96.15
Software: Play’n GO
Genre: Classic
4.6/5
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Gates of Olympus slot mockup

Gates of Olympus

RTP: 96.50
Software: Pragmatic Play
Genre: Ancient Mythology
5/5
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Gems Bonanza slot mockup

Gems Bonanza

RTP: 96.55
Software: Pragmatic Play
Genre: Adventure
4.4/5
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How Slot Machines Work

Slot machines are quite complex computer programs. They use a range of technology to produce fair and random results.

01

Random Number Generators (RNGs)

RNGs are computer algorithms that generate random numbers, which the slot program uses to create unique outcomes. RNGs are independently tested by third parties such as eCORGA to ensure that the outcomes are random and fair. In slots, the results of one round will not affect the next round, and RNGs help create that independence. So, if a machine has not paid out for a while, it does not mean a win is due any time soon—each spin has the same chance.

02

Return to Player (RTP)

RTP indicates the average return that a player will receive from a slot. This means the slot will return that value over millions of spins. But bear in mind that this is a statistical average. The amount you win or lose can vary greatly. However, games with higher RTP do give players a better chance of success in the long term. 

Here are some excellent high RTP games for players in Canada:

  • Immortal Romance
  • Money Cart 3
  • White Rabbit
03

Volatility (Variance)

Volatility indicates how often you can expect a win on a slot and what size it might be. Variance is a measure of the deviation of payouts. 

Slots are generally classified as high, medium, or low volatility. One of our top slot machine tips is to check a slot’s volatility. High-volatility slots offer bigger wins but with longer waits, while low-volatility slots suit players who prefer less risk and get smaller wins more often.

Tips for Winning at Slots

Here are a few slot machine tips to help you maximize your enjoyment of these games:  

Choose High RTP Games

As we explained above, the RTP of a game gives you an idea of the return you can expect from your funds. Games with a high RTP can offer better returns over the long term. You can find the RTP of a game by viewing the game information button in the game panel.

Understand Slot Volatility

Volatility is another key factor that can affect how you win at slots. You should select slots with a volatility level that suits your playing style and bankroll. For example, if you don’t like waiting a long time between wins, a low-volatility might be the right choice.

Play Progressive Jackpots for Big Wins

Progressive jackpot slots can offer fantastic wins; some have delivered life-changing wins over the years. These slots have jackpots linked over networks. Every time a player bets on the slot, a portion of their winnings goes towards the jackpot. However, you may have to make higher bets to be eligible for the jackpots.

Make Use of Free Spins and Bonuses

Many online casinos have excellent bonuses and promotions. Some of these bonuses include free spins on selected slots. So, you can use the free spins to spin the reels and see if you get lucky. But don’t forget to read the terms and conditions, as wins from free spins often come with wagering requirements.

Manage Your Bankroll

Good bankroll management is vital to playing any game at a casino. You don’t want to get carried away and chase your losses, losing more than you can afford. Some of our slot machine tips can help you manage your bankroll effectively, like choosing slots with the right volatility level. Many casinos provide players in Canada with tools to help them manage their bankrolls. Tools like deposit and loss limits can help prevent you from overspending.

Set Limits and Play Responsibly

Whenever you’re playing casino games, it’s vital that you set sensible limits on your spending and follow responsible gambling principles. Following these principles allows you to enjoy gambling without worrying about spending too much.

Popular Slot Strategies

Even though slots are games of chance, there are strategies you can use to enjoy your playing time. Here are a few of our top slot machine tips and strategies:

01

Flat Betting Strategy

The flat betting strategy can make it more likely that you’ll win in the long term. This strategy states that you should bet the same amount on every spin. This can lengthen the time you have to play and helps preserve your bankroll during long playing sessions.

02

Progressive Betting Strategy

If you use this strategy, you increase your bet with every win and decrease your bet with every loss. By using the progressive betting strategy, you can capitalize on winning streaks and reduce your losses in losing streaks. However, you must be cautious when you use this strategy, as there’s a risk of chasing wins too aggressively and betting too much. 

03

The 5-Spin Method

This method was devised by the Youtuber ‘Professor Slots.’ He states that you should only play up to five spins on a slot and then move on if you don’t win. The idea is that when you keep moving on, you will eventually find ‘hot’ slots that offer a better chance of winning. 

Although there is no such thing as a ‘hot’ slot, this method can help prevent losses because you’ll take a break from each slot and won’t chase your losses. 

04

Volatility-Based Strategy

Choosing a slot based on its volatility can be a helpful way to find a slot that matches your style of playing. It can also help with bankroll management. If you play low-volatility slots, for instance, you may receive more frequent small wins, which help to balance losses.

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Maximizing Casino Bonuses for Slot Play

Using casino bonuses can help answer the question of how to win at slots. Here are a few tips on how to use them.

Welcome Bonuses

These bonuses are designed to thank new players for joining the casinos. The bonuses often comprise a match deposit bonus and free spins. You can even find no-deposit bonuses, where you don’t have to deposit at the casino to claim the bonus. 

Reload and Ongoing Promotions

There is a wide range of other types of bonuses at online casinos in Canada that can offer extra value to your slot sessions. 

Reload or cashback bonuses, for example, give you some or all of your deposit back. It’s worth keeping a close eye on the casino’s bonuses and promotions so you’ll know when any attractive bonuses are released.

VIP and Loyalty Programs

These programs reward players for continuing to play at the casino. Some are open to all players, but some are invite-only.

The programs can offer benefits like access to VIP events, comp points, cash prizes, and exclusive bonuses. Some casinos in Canada offer programs tailored to frequent slot players.

Slot Game Features to Watch Out For

Slots have many fun features that can add to the thrill of playing them. If you want to know how to win at slots, you must understand the main features. 

Wild Symbols

Wild symbols usually substitute for other symbols, except for the scatter and other special symbols. When a wild lands, it can help to make winning combinations by substituting for a winning symbol. In some slots, there can be multiple types of wilds that have different functions within the game. For example, you can have walking wilds that move across the reels, making winning combinations as they go.

Scatter Symbols

These symbols can usually land anywhere on the reels to trigger bonus rounds. You can look at the game information to find out how many scatters you need to land to trigger a bonus round. However, it’s often three or more. 

Often, if you land more than the required number of scatters, you’ll be rewarded with additional benefits. In some games with respins, for instance, additional scatters can award more respins.

Multipliers

Multipliers can be found in most slots and can enhance your payouts. They can be part of the base game and sometimes the bonus games as well. Some multipliers only multiply your total bets, but others can multiply your wins or total bets. The value of the multipliers varies between games and can also be different within a game.  

Bonus Rounds

Software providers always look for ways to make the gameplay in slots more varied and exciting. One way they can do this is to add bonus rounds and mini-games. Some of these bonus rounds can dramatically increase your chances of winning bigger prizes.

These rounds are usually triggered by features in the base game, such as landing the correct number of scatter symbols. When triggered, the rounds can offer free spins, multipliers, cash prizes and more. Multiple levels can be completed in the round, which offer increasing benefits at each level.

Cascading Reels and Megaways

Two of the most innovative slot mechanics are cascading reels and Megaways. When a winning combination happens in a slot using cascading reels, the symbols that form the win disappear, and new symbols drop from the top of the reels, giving you a shot at another win. The Megaways mechanic was developed by BGT, where the number of symbols on the reels differs on every spin, giving many more ways to win – sometimes over 100,000.  

Mobile Slots: Playing on the Go

Players in Canada often play at online casinos using their mobile devices, so it’s vital that casino sites work well across devices and are easy to access.

Benefits of Playing Slots on Mobile

There are many benefits to playing casino games online. For one thing, you can play from any location as long as you have a good connection. This means you can play even in quite remote places as the games adapt to any screen size. Many top casinos in Canada also offer iOS and Android apps so that you can download the correct app for your device.

Exclusive Mobile Bonuses

Many online casinos offer specific bonuses and promotions for mobile users. If you’re considering downloading a casino app, it is worth checking the promotions to see if an offer is available. The bonuses can include free spins, reload bonuses and more. 

Common Myths About Winning at Slots

Online slots have been around for over two decades now, so it’s only natural that a few myths have developed about them. In this section, we’ll debunk some of the most common myths.

Myth: Slots Are Due for a Payout

As we explained above, online slots use computer algorithms called Random Number Generators (RNG) to create the outcome of each spin. These RNGs ensure that each spin is completely random and independent of other spins. So, slots don’t payout on a schedule. They pay randomly, which the RTP illustrates.

Myth: Higher Denomination Slots Pay More

Some high-stake slots do offer higher prizes. However, the size of your bet has no bearing on the outcome of a spin. So, betting a higher amount doesn’t change the likelihood of winning. Therefore, your chances are the same on a high denomination slot with an RTP of 96% as they are on a low denomination slot with an RTP of 96%.

Myth: Slots Pay More at Certain Times of the Day

Slots don’t have timers, so they aren’t influenced by the time of day. The games are also not influenced by the casino traffic or how many times they’ve been played that day. Each spin on a slot is independent of previous spins, so every time a player spins the reels, there is the same chance of winning as there was on previous spins.

Myth: You Can Trick or Cheat Online Slots

Some players believe that if they use certain strategies, they can trick or cheat a slot. However, online casinos and software providers work hard to ensure their games produce fair results. Providers use RNGs to produce random results, and their games are independently tested for fairness.

Finding the Best Online Casinos for Slots in Canada

Here’s a short breakdown of the factors that can help you find the best online casinos in Canada to test out your how-to-win-at-slots strategy:

Licensed and Trusted Casinos

We always recommend that you play at licensed and regulated online casinos. These casinos must comply with the licensing body’s safety and security measures. Also, casino licensing bodies offer players some legal recourse in the event of a dispute. Here are three top-rated licensed online casinos in Canada for slots:

01
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  • Sport bonuses and casino bonuses
  • Very wide selection of sports to bet on
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  • Mastercard
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  • Neteller
  • Interac
  • ecoPayz

Payout Speed 1-2 business days

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Licenced by Khanawake gaming commision, Malta Gaming Authority (MGA), iGaming Ontario

02
jeetcity logo
Deposit Bonus

JeetCity Casino

10,000 CAD

4.2/5

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  • Humongous welcome package
  • Nice jackpot slots
  • Exciting tournaments
  • Visa
  • Mastercard
  • MuchBetter
  • BTC-logo-yellow
  • Ethereum-Crypto
  • Litecoin-Crypto

Payout Speed Instant

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Licenced by Khanawake gaming commision, Malta Gaming Authority (MGA), iGaming Ontario

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JackpotCity Casino

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3.1/5

T&Cs Apply

  • Good deposit bonus
  • C$5 Min deposit
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  • Interac
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  • InstaDebit

Payout Speed 1-2 business days

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Game Selection and Software Providers

When choosing a casino to join, it’s a good idea to look at the game providers. Leading providers such as Games Global, Pragmatic Play, and Quickspin are renowned for their excellent slots. 

It’s important to pick a casino with a good range of providers, as some make slots with special features, like the progressive jackpot slots from IGT or Megaways slots licensed from Big Time Gaming. 

Responsible Slot Gaming

When you’re looking for slot machine tips, one of the best tips we can give is always to gamble responsibly. Responsible gambling also affects how to win at slots because it helps you to make better choices when you choose games to play.

Set Personal Limits

Setting personal limits and sticking to them is vital when gambling online. By doing so, you can stay within your financial and time limits, allowing you to relax and enjoy the games. 

Use Tools for Responsible Gaming

Many online casinos offer a range of responsible gambling tools. You should spend some time at any casino you join to learn what tools are on offer. Often, you can set deposit, time, and loss limits. These tools can help you to manage your bankroll more effectively.

Seek Help If Needed

In Canada, there are a number of trustworthy organizations that can assist you if you need help with your gambling. They can offer advice on how to manage your gambling and tools to help you stop gambling. Here are some organizations you can go to for help in Canada:

  • Gamblers Anonymous Ontario
  • Ontario Problem Gambling Helpline – 1-888-230-3505
  • Alberta Alcohol and Drug Abuse Commission Helpline – 1-866-332-2322
  • British Columbia ­ Problem Gambling Information and Referral Service – 1-888-795-6111

Conclusion

We hope this article has helped you understand how to win slots. Although slots are games of chance, by understanding how the games work, you can find slots that suit your style of play and better manage your chances of winning. 

An important aspect of playing slots is to only play at trustworthy and licensed casinos. These casinos offer safeguards to players’ money and personal data. 

One of our best slot machine tips is to check out the bonuses and promotions at any casino you join. Bonuses can offer useful rewards for slot players, like free spins and bonus money.

When you’re picking slots to play, a couple of key factors to consider are the RTP and volatility of the games. We recommend that you look for an RTP of over 96%. The volatility should suit your playing style, whether you enjoy waiting longer for bigger wins or having regular small wins.

Finally, you should always remember to gamble responsibly. Efficient bankroll management will mean you can pace your gameplay and don’t risk spending more than you can afford to lose.

Playing slots can be a lot of fun, and there are thousands of games to choose from. Now that you know more about these exciting and engaging games, sign up at a trusted online casino in Canada and start playing today.