Video Slots

Objective

Famous for its vibrant colours, sophisticated graphics, and favourable odds, Video Slots is the much acclaimed casino craze. Like other well-known slot games such as 'Fruit Mania', the aim is to beat the machine by achieving a winning combination of signs or symbols. Unlike traditional slots, however, the mechanical levers are replaced by the virtual reels displayed on a video screen. These are activated by the SPIN button which generates the slot's spin. Video Slots will often be accompanied by brilliant graphics, music and may even be themed.

How to play Video Slots

• Select the number of paylines you require by clicking BET ONE or BETMAX. Note that each payline costs 25¢.
• Every time you click on the BET ONE button, another payline will be activated. You therefore need to pay attention to the symbols displayed across that payline.
• Click on the line numbers (located on the left or right of the reels) to choose the number of active paylines. Note that clicking payline 5, for instance, will also generate paylines 1-4.
• The value of your total bet (i.e. the amount wagered in a single round) is equal to the number of active paylines multiplied by a value of 25¢.
• Click BET MAX to activate the maximum number of paylines (i.e. five). Note that this button will also spin the reels automatically.
• If you did not select BET MAX, you will need to click SPIN to spin the reels.
• • If a winning combination of symbols is displayed on the reels along an active payline, you win. To see the winning table, click PAYTABLE with details of your payout.

Paylines:

Activated paylines will be displayed by the appearance of lines over the reels. Remember you can activate multiple paylines by using the BET ONE button as outlined above. Note that a winning combination has to fall on an active payline in order to constitute a win. The only exception to this rule is the 'scatter' symbol. (See below).

About the paytables:

The tables display a specific numerical value for each hit amount for each symbol. If, for instance, there are four symbols beginning on the far left reel (i.e. four hits) you need to refer to the value marked on the line 'XXXX' and to the number in the column beneath that symbol. If you have multiple wins on multiple paylines, simply add up the values to calculate the total payout. Remember, all the symbols need to line up in a consecutive row (i.e. from left to right) in order to constitute a hit.

Remember: the line bet and the total bet are not identical! The line bet tells you how much you are wagering on an individual line whilst the total bet represents the amount you are spending in the game round. Note that the payouts listed in the paytable need to be multiplied by the line bet and not by the total bet. Multiple wins on multiple paylines can be added together.

Scatter:

On the lower left area of the winnings table, you will see 'The Cocktail Glass'. This is the scatter symbol. If three or more of these appear on the screen at once, you win even if they do not fall on the paylines. Furthermore, the payout is multiplied by the total bet.

Progressive Jackpot:

Jackpot

The Progressive Jackpot is listed as one of the possible wins in a game of slots in many online casinos. It works by adding a small proportion of each person's bet to a general pot. With the right combination, a player can win the whole Jackpot or, in some games, a percentage of the Jackpot. Once the Jackpot has been cleared, a new pot is started. The casino supplies the 'seed' – a basic amount of money to guarantee a large win even if the previous player has just won. Each game will offer its own special Jackpot formed by all the casinos supplying that game.

Please note that some games require you to make a special bet in order to qualify for the Jackpot. If you are disconnected mid-round, no change will be made to the Jackpot sum. The casino will remember the game as it exists at that point. This allows you to finish the round with the same odds the next time you log in and means that you are not required to place a new bet. You will receive notification from the casino if a Jackpot is cancelled (i.e. due to the closure of a game).

How the Jackpot Works:

Bonus Game:

Fruit Mania also offers a Bonus Game which can only be accessed if three or more suns appear on an active payline. The suns must fall consecutively from left to right. Once you've entered the bonus game you need to select one fruit from each row. Your choice will determine the value of the bonus amount you win.

Buttons:

Did you Know?

There is not a great deal of difference between online slots and conventional land-based slots. Nowadays, both activate their reels through digital computer chip technology. Slot machines were traditionally operated by a hand lever which spun the wheels mechanically. Whilst this much-loved feature is usually preserved (mainly out of a sense of nostalgia) the internal mechanisms have been computerised. Many modern machines may even substitute a button to generate the spinning.

It is not uncommon for land-based slot machines to boast spinning reels which spin inside the machine and lock much like a game wheel. More recently, however, slot machines with a digital interface have grown in popularity. This, like your computer screen, represents the reels only virtually and is much like playing the game online.

The only significant difference, then, between online slots and that played on a traditional machine is the method of interaction. A land based receptacle requires manual activation through the use of a handle or the pushing of a button. Online slots, by contrast, allow you to manipulate the machine at the click of a mouse.

You will also be delighted to hear that the average payout percentage of online casinos is usually higher than at land casinos thereby reducing its 'hold'. The difference may be no more than a single percentage point but this soon adds up and can mean the difference between a profit and a loss.