RTP (return to player). The share of all money wagered that a slot is set to pay back over a very large number of spins. A 96% RTP game is set to return $96 for every $100 wagered, over millions of spins. It says nothing about one session. More in our RTP guide.
RTP versions. Many games come in several RTP settings, and the casino chooses which one it runs.
Volatility. How a slot’s wins are spread out. Low-volatility games pay small amounts often. High-volatility games pay less often, but the wins can be much bigger. Some providers rate it on a scale, such as 3 out of 5.
Max win. The largest win the game allows on one spin or bonus round, shown as a multiple of the stake. A 5,000x max win on a $1 spin is $5,000.
Hit frequency. How often, on average, a spin returns any win. A hit frequency of 25% means about one spin in four pays something.
Layout. The grid of reels and rows, such as 5x3 (five reels, three rows) or 6x5.
Paylines. Fixed lines across the reels. A win needs matching symbols along one of them, usually from the leftmost reel.
Ways. Instead of fixed paylines, matching symbols on adjacent reels pay from left to right in any row. 243 ways (5x3) and 1,024 ways (5x4) are common.
Megaways. A ways system where the number of rows changes on every spin, so the number of ways to win changes too.
Scatter pays (pay anywhere). Wins count when enough matching symbols land anywhere on the grid, not along lines.
Wild. A symbol that substitutes for others to complete wins. Some wilds carry multipliers.
Scatter. A symbol that triggers a feature, usually free spins, wherever it lands.
Free spins. A bonus round of spins that don’t cost a stake, often with extra features.
Hold and Win (Hold & Spin). Bonus symbols lock in place and the other positions respin. Each new bonus symbol usually resets the respins. The round often includes fixed jackpots.
Cash-on-reels. Symbols that show a cash value on the reel and pay it when collected.
Bonus buy. An option to pay a set price to go straight into the bonus round. It isn’t offered at every US casino.
Progressive jackpot. A jackpot that grows with every bet until someone wins it, often shared across several games or casinos.
Slingo. A mix of slots and bingo. Each spin marks numbers off a 5x5 card, and completed lines move you up a prize ladder.
Sweepstakes casino. A site that uses two virtual currencies, one of which can be exchanged for cash prizes. A growing number of states ban them. See our state law tracker.
Sighting. In our calendar, a record that we saw a game in a licensed US casino lobby, with the state, the casino and the date.