Playing slots online is one of the easiest and simplest forms of gaming, but that doesn’t mean it’s impossible to make the odd mistake here and there. In fact, there’s plenty of common errors that might surprise you when it comes to playing slots online (for more tips and tricks, check out OnlineCasinoGems).
You should never be expecting to win when playing slots, a jackpot here and there is always nice, but the numbers don’t lie. With an average chance of winning of 35/2, the slots actually have some of the worst odds in the casino.
However, by making sure you’re all caught up with the information, you can maximise your chances of winning and minimise your chances of losing more money than you’d like to.
Want to gain that all important edge? Here are 7 of the biggest mistakes people make when playing slots online…
1. Playing without a strategy
One of the biggest errors we see in the game of online slots is the complete lack of strategy when playing.
Of course having fun should be the main priority when going out and looking for slots, but having a strategy to maximise your chances of winning doesn’t exactly hurt the bankroll. There’s plenty of different choices to make.
Whether you’re opting for the lowest-denomination machine possible, the ‘bet max’ method or any other new age strategy, it’s never bad to find one and stick to it – you never know, it might just help you rake some winnings.
2. Ignoring bankroll management
Bankroll management is another key area that always seems to be glossed over or completely missed by most online slot players.
A management plan works to prevent money disappearing at a rate of knots from right under your nose. If you don’t have one, you’ll likely see your pennies disappear in a matter of minutes and be shocked at the fact.
Setting up a bankroll plan isn’t tricky and should only take a few moments. There’s numerous different ways you can create a plan with the division of bankroll by the number of days you’re planning on playing as the most common of the bunch.
Say you put $100 in as your bankroll and want to play for 5 days this week, simply split this down to $20 per day and avoid going over the set limit to prevent large losses.
Whenever you win, it’s happy days, set the original wager to the side (granted this is more difficult in online play) and use the winnings to keep playing. Once you’ve hit that magic set number, it’s time to log off and head onto the next part of the day.
3. Avoiding reading the game help file
Playing slots is easy, but what you might be missing out on when you’re playing online is the small print that you can find in the game help file.
Open this and you might be a little shocked to see the rules on the site you’re playing may be a little different to what you were expecting. Online casinos often have the habit of ‘accidentally’ not making the rules for specific slots clear.
For example, in a game where you’re betting the minimum and hit the jackpot, you may have thought you’d be getting the full payout. Sounds reasonable right? However, some sites require you to bet the maximum to be in with the chance of claiming the big old jackpot.
Sneaky.
4. Avoiding reading the terms and conditions
Falling under the same category comes the terms and conditions with bonuses and wagering requirements often firing in awkward caveats and awkward specifics to prevent you from claiming what you may think you were entitled to.
Online casinos are notoriously bad for this with the use of wagering requirements to prevent you from claiming the full deposit or slots sign-up bonus. Some sites have cottoned on that new players aren’t too keen on the awkward requirements and have started offering no-wagering requirements as a selling point, but these are few and far between.
Long story short, check the wagering requirements to avoid being disappointed!
5. Failing to find the slots’ return to player (RTP)
Last but not least of the paperwork comes the slots return to player (RTP).
This is the figure that tells you the percentage of each wager a player can expect to get back in the long run. This works out as an average, so it won’t be dead-on for you, but will give a pretty good idea what you should be expecting to win (or lose) in the long run.
Pick the highest percentage for the best chance of winning back the majority of your money and avoid those with low percentages – the closer to 100% you can get the better.
6. Only playing the bit time progressive jackpots
It’s no surprise that it’s always tempting to play the games with the biggest payouts, but under close inspection, they might not always be the best idea if you’re trying to go for the long run.
The jackpot money that you’re playing to win comes from the players, so the more players that play the game, the more money piles into the jackpot and the more money people lose as a collective. I’m sure you know the deal by now – lots of people need to lose a little for one person to win big.
You’ll be in a much better position to chase the games with smaller jackpots if you want a higher chance of winning – the jackpots aren’t as good but with fewer players, it’s far from a bad shout.
7. Overplaying the slots
Last but not least comes overplaying the slots – a potential disastrous error that we’ve all made at one point or another.
Every seasoned slot player should know when it’s time to call it a day. Once the dedicated bankroll is depleted and the online slot jackpots been hit, it’s your cue to get out of there.
Errors always seem to come following a big win, people become careless and unwarranted confidence is apparent. This isn’t poker, when you’re winning you should quit while you’re ahead, trust me, you’ll thank yourself later.
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