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As a slots player you’ve probably heard that you should always bet the maximum coin size when playing slots in order to qualify for the jackpot or ensure that you receive the top payout if you’re lucky enough to hit the right symbols across the reels.

While this is true for some games, it is not the same for all. In fact, some slots don’t penalize players who wager less than the max on each spin so if you’re on a limited budget or want to extend your game play then you should always look out for these.

That said though, there are some slots where you should listen to popular advice and always bet the max. Here we’ll take a look at which three slots variants require this so that you can maximize payouts on your wins.

Major Progressive Jackpot Slots

When playing the major Progressive Jackpot slots with huge payouts like Funky Fruits and Major Millions you will definitely need to bet the maximum coin size. Both have paid out multi-millions to lucky online casino players over the years but you can’t be in line for these sums or the top payout percentages without betting the max. Another thing to keep in mind when playing these types of machines is that you have to play all paylines to win the jackpot. This can get pretty pricey quite quickly as you may need to play up to 20 paylines per spin, so ensure that you have the budget to spend when playing these games.

Progressive Slot Machines with Random Jackpots

If you’re on a tighter bankroll but still want the opportunity to win big, then progressive slots with random jackpots are good options. This is because with these games you can win big on any spin regardless of the amount that you are wagering per spin. Obviously the higher coin size you bet, the higher your chance of winning the random jackpots, but still it’s possible to hit them on lower coin denominations.

3 Reel Slot with variable jackpots

If you’re a player than likes to extend your game play by stretching your slots bankroll out then 3 reel slots are the best machines for you. It is important to be aware of the fact that these slots offer jackpots that increase progressively as you bet more coins. This is why you will often find machines offering a 1000, 2000 and 4000 coins.

The difference between jackpot prizes is determined by the number of coins you are wagering per spin. The difference comes when you bet either 1, 2 or 3 coins per spin respectively, with three coins putting you in line for the 4,000-coin jackpot. So if you’re going to play 3 reel slots like this, you might as well bet all of the coins because there’s more value here.

Avoid tight slots – rather play slots online!

If you’ve been a slots player for a while you’ve probably heard the term “tight slots” in reference to someone losing or a casino’s greed – either way it is associated with the player losing money. In general “tight slots” refer to slot machines with lower payout rates and higher house edges which means that casinos should make more money on these types of machines, but actually they may be hurting themselves by having these slots on their floors or in their games offering.

While lower payouts mean that players lose their money quicker and that can translate into less frequent visits to their favourite casino/s. This results in casinos having to spend money to get these players back by either offering comps or free play. Due to the fact that casinos already spend a great deal of money to attract new players, retention is key and when players lose and play less often, this can mean serious trouble for the casinos bottom lines and offering huge amounts of free play to get players playing disturbs the very fine balance between profitability and loss. This is a huge problem for land based casinos in particular that have very high overhead costs.

Let’s take a look at the factors that have led to tighter slots and challenging land based casino environments in recent times.

The advent of advanced games

Slot machines developers are continually engineering increasingly advanced slots and players can now enjoy graphic and detail rich slot machines with 3D animation, video clips, bonus games and extensive paytables. While all of this does add to the enjoyment of the slot, it has proved to lower the number of spins that players make per hour as the games take way more time to finish than they had previously done and this ultimately means less money spent and lower profits. As such, the house edge is higher to compensate for this.

The popularity of Penny Slots

Penny slots are popular thanks to the fact that they are so cheap and you can enjoy playing a slot for a penny per spin. The problem with these machines is that you get really low payouts and you end up putting loads of credits in on multiple paylines because you think it’s cheap but it all adds up and becomes really expensive anyway.

Players losing more money in a shorter time

We all know that casino games have varying house edges, yet we still want to get decent entertainment for our money and on some slots that just isn’t happening – especially at some of the land based casinos around the world. The tighter the slots are, the more money you lose and the shorter you get to play for and eventually you lose interest and the casinos try to keep you playing with free play offers.

Free Play being awarded to the wrong people

A lot of casinos don’t do a great job of rewarding the right players because free play is usually dependent on how much a player wagers in conjunction with the game that they plays house edge (this is also known as a theoretical win). The problem with this system is that is doesn’t take into consideration players that end up losing their money quickly without getting to play much.

This means that if you put $100 into your favourite slot and lose it all in an hour, but another player wagers $90 on another slot and plays for three hours, they will get more free play than you do. The flaw is obvious here.

As one can see, the brick and mortar casino industry faces a dilemma in trying to keep players playing while not giving away too much free play credit to the wrong players. Tighter slots and penny slots with lower payouts also are not the answer for ensuring repeat business.

That is where online casinos have the advantage – their floor space is not limited and they can literally offer hundreds of different types of slots with varying payout rates without having to worry. They also calculate free money offers based on both time and spend at the casinos and they don’t have the overhead costs to justify higher edges on all of their slots. So next time you play, rather do so online where there’s more on offer for your benefit!

Online casino software developer Microgaming recently issued a press release which announced the upcoming release of the sequel to the popular video slot Avalon, which is one of the company’s most successful slots titles of all time and is available on both online and mobile casino platforms. It is also a title regularly seen in many online casino slots tournament line-ups held by popular Microgaming powered online casinos like Spin Palace.

The new game which is set to be launched in February of 2014 and is entitled Avalon II – The Quest for the Grail and will continue the theme of the Arthurian legend on a 5 reel, 243 ways to win format.

In this new online slot, you are invited to be part of the quest to retrieve the Grail and the rewards that come with it alongside King Arthur, Merlin, Guinevere and Morgan, all of whom come to life in a unique 3D rendering of their animations in the intricately designed world of Avalon, complete with beautifully painted backdrops and riveting sound effects.

The game also offers an unprecedented eight bonus rounds that will captivate and delight players throughout the quest. The Grail Bonus offers you the opportunity to re-forge the legendary Excalibur, spin the Wheel of Fortune and finally defeat the evil Black Knight in order to claim the Grail as your own, along with rewards fit for a king.

According to a Microgaming spokesperson, the game took two years to create and sets a new precedent in casino game design that will offer players a totally unique experience.

If the game previews are anything to go by, Avalon fans are going to be delighted by the new release. For more on the launch of this exciting new slot, watch this space! If you simply can’t wait to play, check out our reviews of popular online slots here.

Slots players generally question whether it pays to be loyal to a particular online slot or if they should rather be varying their choice of slot machine as the whim takes them. A quick survey of players reveals that gamblers are decidedly divided on this issue while others remain undecided.

Here we take a look at the two schools of thought on the subject and try to infuse some logic into the debate to come up with a workable conclusion.

First, let’s look at the two schools of thought on the matter.

Slot Machine Loyalty Pays

Some people believe that slots players should remain loyal to a specific slot machine or series of games if they are linked to a shared progressive slots jackpot until a big win is paid out. The main precept for this school of thought is that a machine may pay out a big jackpot just after you leave and if you had stuck to it you would have won.

An event like this could be devastating, so rather than being disappointed, players should select a machine and stick to it until it pays in order to maximize profits and avoid disappointment.

Fate Determines Outcomes

Proponents of this school of thought argue that a slot machine is governed by a random number generator so each spin on the slots reels is an independent even which makes winning or losing a matter of simply playing the right machine at the right time.

With this in mind, slots players should, without giving it a second thought, feel free to move from one slot machine to another without a care. After all, a spin on one machine could just as easily give you a payout as a spin on another and a move could mean that you win.

Both schools have valid points in their opposing arguments but neither of these represents the entire picture when it comes to online slots play.

If we take a look at the argument that online slots loyalty pays, it is true that you would feel awful if you left a machine and it paid out a big win straight after that, you would feel just as bad if you had contemplated playing another popular slot, decided against it and then finding out that the game you wanted to switch to paid out. So this argument isn’t strong enough to base a decision on.

It is also important to point out that online slots have no memory of who is playing them or for how long, so this is not a factor in determining whether or not they will pay out. After all, there are many people who have won jackpots on their first spin of reels on slot machine.

The argument that Fate determines slot machine outcomes is accurate in the fact that payouts are determined randomly and players should feel free to play whatever slot they feel like playing. That being said, if you are playing solely to win jackpots, then it is more sensible to stick to machines that offer large jackpots rather than changing to other slots with lesser jackpot offerings.

Ultimately though, slots are about entertainment and no matter how you play, there is no way to guarantee that you will take home a win. So rather than worrying about whether or not slots loyalty pays, choose a machine that you love and enjoy every minute of playing it. For more slots machine advice and things to remember when playing slots click here.

Happy Gambling!

It’s nearly time for the annual Oktoberfest and as such Cryptologic powered online casinos like Intercasino have launched a new slot entitled Lucky Lager to celebrate and it makes a high quality contribution to the existing Oktoberfest and beer related slots online.

Lucky Lager is a 25 payline video slot whose reels are artfully juxtaposed against a pub setting with a beer bar in the background and there are three beer taps above the reels which are actually activated during the free spins feature which is really cool! The lager served up in this slot is the Schnitzengiggle brand featured in the comedic film “Beerfest”.

Lookout for the waitress, beer kegs and of course the ever popular 6 packs, all of which offer generous line payouts of 750, 500 and 400 coins respectively. The glass of beer is wild and when it appears on lines 2, 3 and 4 the beer taps open and top up the glass of beer while also filling those above it with beer and converting them to Wilds too! When the symbols appear on the bottom rows an entire reel becomes wild which is really fun and rewarding.

Of course there are no real pubs without darts and in this game the dartboard acts as the bonus symbol. When three or more dartboards appear anywhere on reels 2, 4 and 5 the bonus game is triggered. In this game you will be given three darts and you’ll have to throw them with the aim of getting a bull’s eye in order to advance to the next round. There are two additional rounds if you do and each has enhanced multipliers.

The game also contains a free spins feature which is activated when the free spins logo appears on reels 1, 3 or 5. 10 Free spins are awarded with one wild reel randomly selected for each spin.

All paylines on this slot are enabled by default making the line bet 10 credits and the maximum wager per spin 250 credits which is very attractive if you’re a high roller.

So celebrate Oktoberfest with Intercasino and their new Lucky Lager slot today.

On the 28th of April this year, after much anticipation, the famous Mega Moolah online progressive jackpot slot finally paid out at a whopping 1.3 million and just a few days later on the 5th of May the Major Millions Slots Jackpot was hit and paid out 1,800,600 to a very lucky player!

The last time Major Millions was won was on the 4th of January 2012 and paid out at just under the 1.8 million mark and in the whole of 2011 only paid out once to the value of just under 500,000 so it looks like 2012 is going to be a lucky year for this slot!

The Major Millions progressive slots jackpot is available in 3 different variations namely the original 3 reel slot version, the 5 reel and 15 payline video slot game and of course the Mega Spin slot. According to Microgaming the original 3 reel Major Millions slot is a player favourite.

In spite of there being 3 variants of this slot, the possibility to win the progressive jackpot prize remains the same across all versions, provided of course that you’re playing the maximum bet! Should you not be playing the maximum bet and see the jackpot winning combination land on your screen you will not be eligible for the jackpot prize, so always make sure you’re betting the maximum when playing progressives.

Since the hit, Major Millions has been reset to its usual 250,000 minimum but in just a few short days is already passing the 550,000 mark and Mega Moolah is already back to over 1 million!

When it comes to Progressive Jackpots, Microgaming pays out players in the currency in which they are playing, so for example, if you’re playing in Euro’s and happen to be lucky enough to hit the jackpot then you’ll be paid out in Euros.

Playtech powered casinos like EuroGrand recently welcomed a new progressive jackpot slot to their portfolios and it’s already got everybody talking!

The new progressive slot is aptly titled “Everybody’s Jackpot” and is a revolutionary multi-player progressive jackpot online slot packed with wild and scatter symbols as well as a possible 12 re-triggering free spins feature.

In addition to this, the game offers a Mystery Progressive Jackpot that can be played should you qualify for it. To be eligible for this jackpot all you have to do is wager a minimum of €50 within a 24 hour time period. Once a win takes place, players who have qualified will receive a portion of the win.

This means that the main winner of the Mystery Progressive Jackpot will take home 70% of the prize pool while 15% of the winning will be distributed amongst the qualified players and a further 15% will be divided amongst other players on a proportional basis which means that this really is “Everybody’s Jackpot” because everyone wins!

In order to ascertain whether or not you have qualified to win you can check out the meter displayed next to the reels on the slot dashboard. If you have qualified on a given day you don’t have to remain online and playing to stand a chance to win as all qualified winners receive their share of the 15 percent even if they are not active at the casino at the time when the progressive jackpot is hit.

It is both novel and exciting to play in a multi-player progressive online slot game where you stand an even greater chance of winning when qualified than ever before. So if you’re in the mood for some action packed fun, head on over to Playtech powered Euro Grand Online Casino now.

As an experienced gambler you may be aware of the fact that there are often multiple versions of a particular slot title and may have wondered why…

The reason for this can be twofold, either the slots are manufactured by two different software providers which means that they are essentially different games altogether but happen to share a common name, like some of the Marvel themed superhero titles like Spiderman that are shared by both Microgaming and Cryptologic powered casinos OR they may just be different versions of the same slot title.

When it comes to the latter, the slots will usually hold extended names on the original, for example the famous Mega Moolah slot has sequels based on the original game that feature many of the same graphics called Mega Moolah Summertime, Mega Moolah 5 reel drive and Mega Moolah Isis which all add their unique spins and features to the original game.

The reason that casinos launch these types of game sequels is due to the popularity of the original games as well as the fact that as new developments and features emerge there is a demand to have these incorporated into newly released slots, and what better way to keep players happy than by improving on seasoned favourites that offer all of the fun of the originals and more!

When it comes to movies, sequels may not always be as good as the original, but online slots are quite the opposite and often new releases of well-known titles like the Tomb Raider and Thunderstruck video slots are an improvement and turn out to be big hits with slots enthusiasts.

So next time you see a release of a well-known title at your favourite online casino, give it a try and you may just be pleasantly surprised!