Online Slots Real Money vs Free Slots
Online slots are by far the most popular casino game amongst Canadian players, online and off. There are hundreds of variations of slot games, and providers are constantly releasing new online slot games for players to try.
Now, players across Canada can play slots for real money or for free at multiple licensed online casinos!
What are Online Slots?
Online slots are digitized versions of the games found in land-based casinos. The online versions come with additional features to make the games more exciting.
Slots online are available in various themes ranging from simple fruit to complex ancient history, to your favourite movie or TV show.
Playing Online Slots for Free
Playing free slots is one of the best ways to find out exactly which types of slots you enjoy, and learn about the features, all risk-free. Since you’re not risking any money, you have nothing to lose! Most online casinos in Canada will offer free slots, but you will need an account before being able to access them.
Is it Safe to Play Slots Online in Canada?
Slots are 100% safe as long as you’re playing them at a licensed online casino! We also encourage players to practise responsible gambling.
Different online casinos in Canada have in-placed responsible gambling tools for online slot enthusiasts. This allows you to set limits on how much you can win or lose and helps you keep track of your spending.
Are Online Slots Legal in Canada?
Ontario iGaming requires providers to obtain a license from the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario before they can offer their slots to operators.
Online slot players in Canada can also play online slots on overseas gambling sites licensed by regulatory bodies like the Malta Gaming Authority.
The online casino needs to be legally registered and licensed to accept players in Canada.
Are Online Slots Fair?
Every online casino in Canada uses Random Number Generators (RNG). Thanks to RNG, online slots are safe to play. The randomness in the system ensures every player has an equal chance of winning when playing.
Why Play Slots Online
Right off the bat, we can think of a few reasons why it’s a better idea to play slots online rather than go to a land-based casino.
Take a look below!
| Online Slots | Slot machines (Land-based Casino) | |
|---|---|---|
| Play from your home | ✔ | ✖ |
| Variety of games | ✔ | ✖ |
There is a wide variety of online slots with different themes and various exciting features. The rules are more straightforward, and the games have better odds than offline slots.
To top it off, online slots are convenient, and you don’t need to deal with large crowds of slot players like at a land-based casino.
Types of Online Slots in Canada
Online slot games come in various themes with plenty of exciting features. Some online slots even have progressive jackpots and tournaments players can participate in.
3-Reel Slots
The classic three-reel online slots are based on slot machines found in land-based casinos. They are easy to play, and matching combinations make wins.
5-Reel Slots
These slots are an improvement of the three reeled slots. The five reeled slots are developed using advanced programming and are more exciting. They have more reels.
7-Reel Slots
These online slots are scarce, and the number 7 is associated with luck, according to numerologists.
Classic Slots
These are the most popular and simplest online slots. They commonly use symbols like lemons, cherries, Liberty Bells, Lucky 7s and poker high cards.
Players can bet as low as 10 cents!
Video Slots
These are more advanced compared to the traditional slots. Players can activate the game using a digital button, and most of them have multiple paylines.
3D Slots
3D slots are modern online slots, which come with enhanced graphics, excellent soundtracks and colourful animations to match the games’ themes.
Progressive Jackpot Slots
A jackpot refers to the most significant win any casino can offer its players. Slots can either have fixed jackpots or progressive jackpots.
A fixed jackpot is a specific figure that any player can win. The figure doesn’t change until a player wins the jackpot. But, with a progressive jackpot, the figure keeps on increasing until the jackpot is won.
These games have higher rewards but longer odds. Divine Fortune is one of the most popular progressive slots in Canada and was created by NetEnt back in 2017.
Megaways Slots
These are online slots that use the Megaways technique developed by Big Time Gaming (BTG). The number of symbols on each reel changes with every spin, so winning combinations change randomly with every spin.
Megaways usually have thousands of different winning combinations, which is what makes them so unique t the gaming industry.
Cluster Slots
Cluster pays online slots are five by six reeled slots developed by NetEnt. Winning combinations need four or more matching symbols on the reels.
Multi Payline
Multi payline slots offer players various winning chances. Paylines can be straight, horizontal and diagonal. Depending on the game, the paylines can be as high as 25.
6 Steps to Master the Game of Slots
1. Read our reviews
We have very detailed reviews on various online slots. Our thoughts are comprehensive, covering every aspect of the slot games and giving you tips on how to increase your winning chances. Here are some of our most popular slot reviews you can check out:
2. Watch out for volatility
Volatility in slot games refers to the level of risk associated with the game.
One important trick is optimizing your bet value depending on your budget.
If you’re looking for frequent wins, go for low volatility slots; if you want big wins, go for the high volatility slots. Practice responsible gambling by having money management skills to avoid overspending.
- Low volatility slot
Low volatility online slots have low risk. These slots have low but frequent payouts.
- Mid volatility slot
Slots with mid volatility offer a medium risk to the players. These slots have average-sized wins that appear less frequently compared to those of low volatility slots.
- High volatility slot
Online slots with high volatility come with a higher risk. They have huge payouts, but the payouts are infrequent. Some players prefer slots with high volatility because of the possibility of making bigger wins.
3. Pay attention to RTP
Return to Player (RTP) refers to the amount an online slot should pay back to the player. RTP is expressed in percentages.
Online slots with higher RTP percentages offer players higher chances of winning. An online slot with a very high RTP is the Ugga Bugga slot from Playtech, as its RTP is 99.07%.
4. Practice for free!
Thanks to the demo version feature available on most online casinos and slots, players can practise playing for free.
This is a great way to find out which type of slots online you like to play, without spending any money. In our reviews, you will find various Canadian online casinos where you can play online slots for free!
5. Watch streamers play
Live streaming slot play-throughs is an excellent way to learn about slots and play without investing real money. You can also learn gaming strategies from famous slot players.
Twitch and YouTube are the most popular video channels used by slot streamers.
There are many online slot streamers. Among the vast pool of options, you need to pick the best slot streamers to gain the most insight about slots.
Below is a list of the best online slot streamers:
6. Learn the Lingo!
You can’t learn a game without understanding the lingo, so, below we’ve put together a list of the most popular terms used in online slots.
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Payline | The line in which a player will be awarded a payout based on their winning combinations. Players only win payouts on the paylines they wagered on. Slots can have different numbers of paylines depending on the game. |
| Reels | The rotating barrels where the symbols of the game appear. |
| Jackpot | The biggest payout that is possible in certain slot games. You can’t win more than a jackpot! |
| Wild Symbols | The most important symbols in any slot game. They offer a payout if they appear in any part of the reel and can also replace other symbols in the game. However, they can’t substitute the scatter symbols. |
| Scatters | In other games, they can act as multipliers or replace other symbols to form winning combinations. |
| Multipliers | A symbol that will multiply your wins depending on the payline it lands on. |
| Autoplay | A feature that allows you to activate a number of spins automatically, with one click. Usually, these can be set at 10, 20, 50, or 100 spins. |
| Pay Table | Shows all the possible winning combinations present in a slot game. |
| Maximum Bet | Betting the maximum amount and the maximum number of paylines based on the current denomination. |
How Do Online Slot Games Work?
Even though slots have the same concept, they are very different! As we mentioned above, there are all kinds of different types of online slots, varying from reels, themes, and payouts.
Other big differences are wagering amount, paylines and winning combinations.
So, how do they work?
All online slots use RNG software, ensuring every spin for anyone who plays is random. Players need to set how much they want to wager per spin, then hit the spin button.
Most games have the option for autoplay and will let you set limits that stop the spins if you win or lose too much.
How are Online Slots made?
The demand for online slots keeps on increasing! The number of slot developers is also growing, with them releasing new games with exciting features and themes.
As the slots industry in Canada gets more competitive, slot developers are forced to think outside the box when developing new games or upgrading their games.
The following slot developers are the best in the iGaming industry:
- Microgaming: This slot developer has been in the industry for more than two decades and has produced more than 600 online slots.
- NetEnt: it was the first iGaming developer to use Java technology. NetEnt online slots are famous for exciting themes, 3D graphics and incredible soundtracks.
- Playtech: this company is famous for developing Marvel comics-themed games and a variety of online slots.
Play Slots on Your Phone
Some players might argue that playing slots on a mobile device is actually better than on a desktop. And, that could be true, considering most online slots today are optimized for Android and iPhones!
Mobile slots work the exact same as when you play them on the computer.
Some of the best online slots to play on your mobile device include:
Conclusion
Online slots are very popular among casino enthusiasts. We have tried to cover the most important aspects of online slots in Canada in this guide.
You can check our list of reviewed online casinos and pick the best casino to play online slots!