Online slots continue to grow in popularity, but what can players do to beat them?

Casinos love slots. They make most of their money from slot games, whether they are land-based or operating through the internet. This is despite the fact online slots often have head-spinning amounts of cash up for grabs in the form of jackpots, especially for progressive games.

But beating the slots is still possible – here is our guide to the best way to do this.

Use bonuses and promotions

Online casinos have a lot of competition these days. New sites are being launched all the time, so it is harder than ever for them to attract users to sign up for an account. What this means is that there are more bonuses, offers and promotions available to use than ever before. This is great news for anyone who is trying to beat the slots at online casinos.

Often, free spins are packaged into a generous welcome bonus for those who sign up. Check the terms and conditions, however, as they might include things such as a maximum win limit. Wagering requirements also have to be taken into account. For those who are new to online slots, this is a term that indicates bonus money has to be bet a certain number of times.

Before this happens, it will not be possible to withdraw the money as real cash. A high wagering requirement in the terms and conditions might just mean that the offer is not worth taking at all.

Choose carefully when playing online slots

Among the most reliable ways to beat the slots is simply to pick the right games. After all, slots are not equal and some of them offer better value to their players than others. The value offered by a slot can be seen in a term called RTP, which means the return to player. RTP is calculated over a large number of spins and shows the average amount of money that users can expect to be returned when playing a particular game.

RTP of 97 per cent of above is generally considered to be very good value in the world of online slots. On the other hand, players will find it a lot harder to beat the slots if they pick a slot that has bad value, which is usually thought of as 94 per cent or lower.

The difference between 97 and 94 per cent might not sound like a lot, but it makes a surprisingly large difference, especially for those players who intend to spin the reels a high number of times.

Pay attention to the jackpot

Most players who sign up for an account with an online casino are ultimately hoping that they are fortunate enough to scoop the jackpot. However, going for slots with the highest jackpots is not necessarily going to be the right move.

This is due to the fact that higher jackpots are always going to be a lot harder to win. It might sound like an obvious thing to point out, but it is easily forgotten when players see a jackpot that is promising a life-changing sum of money.

By contrast, a lower jackpot might not feel quite as appealing, but it is much more likely to be won. And let’s be realistic – any jackpot is going to lead to scenes of wild celebration.

Walk away at the right time

Online slots are designed to be addictive and it is easy to lose track of time when playing. But just as with all gambling games, the only true way to beat them is to know the right time to walk away, banking whatever money has been made on online slots so far.

There are always going to be good and bad runs of luck when playing online slots. However, it is vital to remember that the outcome of a single spin of the reels is 100 per cent down to luck. Unlike other games that can be played at online casinos such as poker and blackjack, slot players have next to no impact on whether they win or lose. Each spin of the reels is also independent from each other due to the fact that a slot uses a random number generator – RNG for short – which ensures the outcome is always fair.

RNG means that even if a player feels like a slot is close to paying out, this is just not true.

It might seem like the jackpot is just around the corner, but it is impossible to know when a big win is going to be triggered, so quitting while you are ahead is usually going to be a smart move.