The Best Online Casino Slot Games For South African Players
Those that have ever played casino slots, be it on the casino floor or online, will be able to tell you that when it comes to casino slot games, they are by no means the most strategic casino games available to players today, so why the enormous appeal you may wonder?
Apart from offering some incredibly lucrative big jackpot winnings, the flashing light and sounds of casino slots have somehow always brought a very real sense of instant excitement to casino floors all over the world. For online players, today’s casino slots come jam-packed with huge jackpot winnings, incredibly entertaining themes, exciting game-play features such as free spins, scatter symbols, and wild cards, and some of the best new-age graphics one could find anywhere online
Whatever the appeal, casino slot games are probably one of the biggest drawcards to any great casino, and for a would-be first-timer, the first stop to the wonderful world of online casinos.
Join us as we unpack everything you need to know about online casino slot games, from how they work, what to look out for, which slot games to play, and so much more.
The History Of Casino Slot Games
The Casino Slot, more notoriously referred to as “The One Arm Bandit”, can be dated as far back as the early 1890s, its home of which was the bustling epicenter of Brooklyn, New York. Believe it or not, the very first known casino slot machine was based on another very popular casino game, Poker. Across pubs and bars around Brooklyn, customers would insert a nickel into a machine with a simple lever and 5 drums containing 50 card faces, the aim of the game was simple, pull the lever and hope to get the best possible poker hand.
At that time there was no direct payout from the machine itself, so the bar or pub would subsequently reward the player with a free beer or cigar, the prize was very much determined and agreed upon by the individual establishment. To ensure that things remained at random, the drums would be rearranged every so often by the establishment owner.
There was one challenge to the very early setup of the slot machine, there were just far too many different winning combinations in Poker for the machine to automatically payout against all possible winning combinations. In 1899, a gentleman by the name of Charles Fey from California created the liberty bell, a far more simplified version of the earlier slot machines. The Liberty Bell comprised of 3 spinning wheels, made up of a total of 5 possible symbols, the aim was simple, win by lining up 3 of the same symbols across the 3 rows
Fast forward to the ’60s, Bally Manufacturing later renamed Bally Entertainment, developed what was considered the very first electromechanical slot machine, rightly named “Money Honey”. What made this particular machine revolutionary lay in its ability to automatically payout up to 500 coins without the need for an attendant. It was the success of this version of Bally’s machine that led to the increased demand for electronic games, and subsequently the steady phasing out of the once-popular side lever mechanic.
When it comes to today’s modern version of the traditional slot machines these are what are now referred to as video slot machines. Video slots are characterized by their digital screen display as opposed to the traditional reel and lever system. Video slots were first introduced in California towards the late ’70s, but the first production units were rolled out originally in Las Vegas. It was the Las Vegas strip that then catapulted the popularity of slots to every other casino operator both near and far.
Today’s modern video slot machines carry with them a vast array of incredibly realistic graphics, fun themes, and of course, more reels than ever before. From pirate ships to the depth of the jungle, 3-reel to 6-reels, and a range of different pay-lines, today’s casino players are most certainly spoilt for choice.
How Do Casino Slot Games Work?
Casino Slots in their truest form are fairly simple in their design, they involve a set of columns, also known as Reels, which run vertically from left to right, and rows, which form what is called the pay lines, which run horizontally from top to bottom. The objective of any casino slot game is simple, try to match up the same symbols or sequence of symbols set out in the game’s pay lines in order to win. Of course, as casino slot games have progressed, especially with the new online video slots, the complexity of the games themselves has evolved, however, the concept of winning remains the same.
Casino Slot Game Reels
As mentioned, the columns that you see running vertically from left to right on a slot machine are called reels, if you had to physically open up an old-school slot machine, you will see that these reels are in fact individual wheels, even when playing online the wheel concept is the same, just digital. Classic casino slot games will usually have either 3 or 5 reels in total, however, thanks to new online versions of slot games, casino slots can now accommodate for more Reels than ever before.
Casino Slot Game Symbols
On each of the individual slot reels you will find a set of symbols, now these symbols will always vary in type and style depending on the theme of the game, the number of symbols per game will also vary drastically, some games can carry 5 symbols in total, other 20.
To better understand the variations of symbols, take the below ancient treasure-themed slot game Gonzita’s Quest by Red Tiger for example, within this particular slot game players will see 8 different clay faces and stone masks as symbols that can appear across the reels within the game.
No matter what the theme or style of the game, each of the reels within a slot game will carry the same type and number of symbols, so if you have a 5-reel slot game for example made up of 5 different symbols, each of the 5 reels within the slot game will have the 5 same symbols within.
Online Casino Slot Scatter & Wild Symbols
The growth of online casino slot games has brought with it many exciting evolutions to the traditional symbols and reels we have come to know and love. When playing online casino slot games, players can now expect some special gameplay features in the form of scatters and wild cards. These scatters and wilds are symbols that can randomly appear on any reel within the game, and when they do they can substitute for any other symbol.
Casino Slot Pay Lines
The rows you find on a slot machine are essentially what will determine the winnings, rows can also differ in number, some slot machines have 3 rows, whilst others have 5, again, like with Reels, online casino slot games have now provided the opportunity for slot games to feature more rows and pay lines than ever before. When you read that a slot game is a 3×5, it means that that online slot game has 3 reels and 5 rows.
The pay line is the line that matches up the combination of symbols across the reels to determine if your combination is a winning combination or not. Paylines can either be single-line or multi-line.
Single-line Paylines
The single pay line is the simplest form of pay line you will find with any casino slot game. Of course, most common during the beginning evolutions of casino slot games, up until about the 1990s, and as its name implies, with a single pay line structure, winning is achieved by simply lining up matching symbols across just one single straight line, usually in the center of the game.
Multi-Line Paylines
The second variation is known as the multi-line pay lines, which are more commonly found with today’s more complex online slots. With Multi pay lines, there is a predetermined sequence of not just single horizontal winning lines, but sig zag winning combinations as well. With a multi-line slot, there are of course far more pay lines or combinations that can be won, some video slots can have as many as 1000+ pay lines. An online casino slot game will showcase the different winning pay line sequences in the game information
Random Number Generator (RNG)
When slot machines first entered the market way back in the 1900s, randomly changing the outcome of slot reels and possible combinations to ensure that “the house did not always win by default”, was manually done by hand, this thankfully has evolved quite a bit since. Today casino operators use what is known as a random number generator, or RNG, to ensure that the results of all online casino slot games are completely random and fair in their outcomes.
The RNG is probably one of the most critical components to not just a slot game, but the entire casino’s operations, this is because, as mentioned, the RNG is responsible for ensuring that a game’s outcome is completely random and rid of any possible rigged outcome that may favor the casino, hence the name for online casino slots as “Games of Chance”.
In online casino slot games, the RNG uses extensive and complicated mathematical formulas and algorithms to ensure that the outcome always remains 100% random and unpredictable. These RNG algorithms are built into the online slot games by the very providers responsible for their development i.e. iGaming software providers who specialise in creating casino games
What is Return To Player (RTP%) In Casino Slots
When a casino orders a new slot machine or looks to set up a new slot game online, the casino will have the choice of the manufacturer, or in the online space, the iGaming software provider. The software provider is responsible for not only designing and developing the game, but also dictating the average percentage that the game is set to pay out in winnings to players, this payout percentage is known as the RTP, or Return To Player.
The RTP is calculated by taking the average winnings that players have experienced across millions of recorded spins across that particular casino slot game, this average is then recorded over a determined period of time.
So why do some slot games have a lower RTP% than others? the answer to this is actually determined by the simple saying “low risk, low reward”. You see, the casino slots that carry a low minimum wagering amount will carry a lower RTP, i.e. low-risk = low reward. Slot games that require a much higher wagering amount per spin will carry with them a much higher RTP %, i.e. higher risk, and therefore, a better reward or return.
Online Casino Slots & South African Sports Betting
South Africa has long been known as a nation that prides itself on its love for all things sports, and naturally, as our love for sports has grown, the opportunity to put our sports knowledge and skills to the test quickly gave rise to what became, and is still, a very active sports betting community.
Despite a long, rich traditional sports betting history, there are no doubts that the rise and advances of the internet, along with events like the pandemic, have accelerated the popularity of established online sports betting sites, today’s punter now has the luxury to access all of their favorite local and international sports fixtures at their fingertips, 24/7.
Things, of course, have not stopped there, not only has the online sports betting space allowed for far more than just your run-of-the-mill odds and bets, but it has also offered the opportunity for punters to get access and exposure to a host of new, incredibly entertaining online games that extend beyond just sports, games that traditionally one would find only on popular casino floors i.e. Online Casino Slots.
How To Access Online Casino Slot Games?
Over the past year, as the demand for online casino-style games has continued to grow, many of our top South African online sports betting sites have expanded their offering beyond traditional sports betting to now include the most popular online casino slots. Players who have active accounts with the likes of Hollywoodbets, Sportingbet, and Supabets to name a few, will have instant access to 100’s of world-class online casino slot titles from the biggest iGaming software providers from around the world.
Accessing the list of online casino games will of course vary slightly from sportsbook to sportsbook, however, all sportsbooks will have both the sports and casino games available under a single site, and you will only require one login in order to access either sports or casino.
How to access online casino games on your favourite sports betting site?
- FIND YOUR FAVOURITE SPORTSBOOK – Find the sports betting site you would like to play at. If you are unsure of who you’d like to join you can visit our extensive reviews and ratings section to find the sportsbook you think would suit your needs best.
- CREATE YOUR FREE PLAYERS PROFILE – Once you have found a sportsbook you’d like to join, the next step is to create your free player’s profile. With most sportsbooks this is very easy and will take you no longer than a few minutes to complete, you can also sign up using your cellphone should that be more convenient
- MAKE YOUR FIRST DEPOSIT – In order to start playing for real money, you will need to make a minimum deposit with the online sportsbook first. Again, there are tons of South African-friendly payment methods you can use to deposit, these will differ from sportsbook to sportsbook.
- CLAIM YOUR WELCOME BONUS – Many online sportsbooks will offer a great welcome bonus that is often inclusive of free spins for many of its newest online casino slot games. When signing up and depositing, make sure you claim any great welcome bonus incentive that may be on offer.
- LOGIN TO YOUR NEW PLAYERS PROFILE – using the username and password you created when you signed up, make sure that you log into your player’s profile. NB: You will not be able to find, or play, any online casino slot game if you are not logged in
- SCROLL THROUGH THE MENU – Online casino games are often slightly different in how they are labeled from sportsbook to sportsbook, for example, casino slot games are referred to as “Spina Zonke” with Hollywoodbets, whereas with Sportingbet you will find these simply under their “casino” tab.
