Slot Games – Expert Guide from GreatCasino.co.za for South African Gamblers
Whilst all online casino players have their own favourite games, there is no getting away from the fact that online slot games are proving to be gaining popularity amongst South African casino players of all ages. You only have to look at the slot offerings from software providers such as NetEnt and Microgaming to realise that the quality of slot games which are on offer provide a gaming experience which is comparable to the entertainment provided by a Hollywood movie. Add to the fact that it is possible to play one of these slot games and walk away with what can only be regarded as a life changing amount of money, and it is not difficult to understand why this form of online casino play is proving to be so popular with South African players. In this expert guide from GreatCasino.co.za, you will learn the following about online slot games
- The best slot games in South Africa
- The history of slots
- The difference between the slots
- Free slots v Real money slots
- Mobile slots
- The slot bonuses on offer
- How we test slot games
- How to start playing slots
- The software developers and why they are so important
- Basic slot terminology
- The online slot summary
- FAQ’s
The best online slot games in South Africa
As you will discover from reading this slot guide, the range of slot games which are available to players from South Africa is wide and varied which basically means that there are slots games which appeal to players with every possible taste. The most popular slot games for South African players include the following three games which have not only stood the test of time in terms of quality production and exciting gameplay, but are also appealing to newer players who are only just discovering the delights which online slot games can offer.
Book of Ra
The Book of Ra slot has been developed by the enigmatic Novamatic software provider and is based on the ever-popular Egyptian theme. It would be fair to say that the design of the reels and overall display is pretty much on the basic side but please don’t let that put you off from playing, because once the bonus round kicks in, it is more than possible to walk away with a decent sized win which will put a big smile on your face. The Book of Ra slot has a straightforward five reels and nine pay-lines with the potentially lucrative free spins round being triggered when three scatter symbols are landed across the five reels. This will result in ten free spins and the winnings from these free spins can soon mount up with a maximum win of 25000x the initial stake on offer. The free spins round does pop up more than you would probably expect and there is an autoplay option which, once set up, means that you can sit back and watch the Book of Ra slot play out without you having to do anything.
Book of Dead
The theme of the Book of Dead slot is very similar to the Book of Ra slot but this offering from the Play n Go software provider offers a higher level of entertainment due to the fact that it is a newer game, thus incorporating the latest software technology. This slot is a little different because as well as being based on the Egyptian theme, it is also based on a main character by the name of Rich Wilde. As already mentioned, the graphics and soundtrack are of an extremely high standard and just as with the Book of Ra slot, the main bonus comes in the form of ten free spins which are triggered when three scatter symbols appear across the active pay-lines. The great thing about this slot is that it is not unusual for the three scatter symbols to appear during the free spins which menas that the ten free spins are retriggered. This can happen several times which mean that the player can enjoy many free spins which will result in a big pay-out, up to the 250,000 which is available. The Book of Dead is a highly entertaining slot to play and it is of little wonder why it is proving to be so popular amongst South African players.
Mega Moolah
The Mega Moolah slot is a funny one because despite showing its age, it is proving to be just as popular as it has ever been amongst South African players. The reason for this is because it has what is known as a progressive jackpot which means that pay-outs can quite literally be in the millions of dollars. The Maga Moolah slot has been developed by the highly renowned Microgaming software provider and the way that the progressive jackpot works it that a percentage of every stake which is placed on the Mega Moolah slot, across all of the online casinos which host the game, goes towards the progressive jackpot and when this jackpot land, to say that it is a life changing amount of money would have to be regarded as something of an understatement. Apart from the progressive jackpot, Mega Moola also offers players a selection of bonus round which can also pay out a satisfying amount of money, albeit not to the levels of the progressive jackpot. Mega Moolah truly is an exciting game to play and don’t lose sight of the fact that if you decide to try your look on this fantastic slot, you stand just as much chance of winning the progressive jackpot as the next person.
The history of slot machines
For younger online slot players in particular, it would be easy to think that slot machines were originated during the dot com boom of twenty years ago, but nothing could be further from the truth. The first slot machine was designed and built way back in 1891 (yes, really!) by a US company, Sittman and Pitt. The slot consisted of five reels and just as is the case with many of the online slots gambling games which are available today, the symbols consisted of playing cards. The game cost one nickel per spin and was available to play in bars which were situated across the US. With the improvement of technology, slots became more and more advanced but were aimed more at entertainment purposes as opposed to offering players the opportunity to win large amounts of money. This all changed with the arrival of the internet, and it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that there has been an explosion in growth in this area of the industry, especially over the past ten years. The first online casino was the renowned Intercasino.com and even though slot games were often considered to be something of a distraction to games like blackjack, slot games such as Cash Splash from Microgaming were about to set the tone and give online casino players a small taste of what was to come. Fast forward to today and whilst some of those traditional slots are still available, and still popular with some players, the selection of casino slots which are now available quite literally take your breath away due to the stunning graphics and features. As an example, the Ted slot by Blueprint Gaming features stunning animations and features which takes the player into a different world of entertainment. If you have never played this casino slot before, it is based on the movie of the same name with arguably the most exciting part of the game being when the 3D Ted awakes from his slumber to award the player any one of a number of bonus rounds. As well as the sheer entertainment value of slots games such as these, the opportunity to win big is always a real possibility. What is perhaps even more exciting about online slots South Africa is the way that the industry is progressing, just think for one minute about the advancements which could be made in the coming months and years, especially with the blockchain technology which has got the entire industry trembling with excitement.
The different types of casino slots
Online casino slots come in all sorts of shapes and sizes with every online casino player having their own favourite. The funny thing is, which particular game is a favourite usually depends on whether the player has experienced a decent sized win on a game in the past and they will carry on playing the game religiously, in the hope of replicating that win again. Before we go any further, let’s take a look at the different types of online casino slots which can be found online.
Classic slots
The best way to describe a classic slot would be to ask you to imagine one of the old one-armed bandit slots which you may have played in an amusement arcade or bar. You know, a basic three-reel slot with playing card or noughts and crosses for symbols. An ideal example of one of these classic slots could be Net Ent’s offering, Super Nudge 6000. This slot looks exactly the same as one of the old one armed bandit machines, even the display around the reels is based on one of the old machines so it is no wonder why online slots games such as these are just as popular as they have ever been, even if it is mainly for nostalgic reasons.
Video slots
A video slot is basically what it says on the tin, a slot which includes some form of video which usually appears in the bonus rounds. Software providers such as NetEnt are experts at developing video slots of an amazing quality and a fine example of one of these slots would have to be the Scarface video slot by NetEnt. Based on the Al Pacino film of the same name, the Scarface slot has an amazing video bonus round which portrays one of the final scenes of the iconic film where Al Pacino is surrounded by gunmen and going down fighting. As with most online casino bonus rounds, the opportunity to win a sizeable amount of cash is definitely there but the quality and entertainment value of this video slot really is first class.
Progressive slots
We have already touched on progressive slots earlier on in this guide but to refresh your memory, the way that they work is that a percentage of stakes on a particular game which is available across a number of casinos goes into a progressive jackpot fund. The result o9f this is that the progressive jackpot can increase in size very quickly and the larger it gets; the more players start to get involved with the result of the jackpot getting bigger and bigger. It is not unusual for these jackpots to reach several million dollars which is a life changing amount for the lucky players who go on to win it. One of the main software providers when it comes to progressive jackpots would have to be Microgaming and their Mega Moolah game is a prime example of a progressive slot game. Few people would deny that their heart misses a beat or two when the jackpot wheel graphic appears during the game, offering players the chance of winning the big one!
3D online slots
3D slots are definitely a sign of things to come within the online casino industry and they will become more advances as technology dictates. NetEnt’s ‘Ted’ is a fine example of 3D online slots gambling, especially when the Ted character decides to wake from his slumber but perhaps a better example of an all-round 3D slots experience would have to be ‘A Night In Paris’ 3D slot by Betsoft. This is because the entire game is in 3D as opposed to just the bonus round and it offers players an experience which will leave them thinking that they have just enjoyed a night in Paris, in every sense of the word.
The difference between slots by the number of reels
When slot games are divided into different categories, they are often split into how many reels the actual game has. It would be fair to say that the most basic of slot games South Africa have the minimum number of reels which is three, but you may be surprised to discover that some online slot games s have as many as nine reels. Again, every player has their own favourites regarding the preferred number of reels so let’s take a closer look at some SA online slots games examples based on the number of reels that a particular game has.
Three reels
Many online casino slots players prefer the simplicity of three reeled slots and an ideal example of one of these slots would be IGT’s Triple Diamond slot. This slot looks exactly the same as one of the tradition offline slots which you may have played at your local amusement arcade, so it is not difficult to understand why games like this are so popular.
Five reels
The most common online slot games consist of five reels and the reason that they are the most common is because they are the most popular. A favourite five-reel slot would have to be Cleopatra and the very fact that there are several versions of this slot proves that point. Based on the Egyptian theme, the Cleopatra slot is an addictive game to play with a particularly attractive bonus round which is landed when at least three sphinxes appear across the pay lines. This triggers the bonus round of fifteen free spins with all wins trebled so it doesn’t take much imagination to realise that this can result in some very decent pay-outs.
Seven reels
The more reels a slot game has means that there are not as many games to choose from so in the case of seven-reel slots, the choice of games to play diminishes. A mistake that some players make is that they perceive an online slot which has more than five reels to be over complicated, but the fact is, that is rarely the case. An ideal example of a seven reel slot is the popular Gemix online slot game which is a seven x seven slot game in which the reels cascade down the screen to replace a winning line. If you decide to play this online slot you will see that it is a highly entertaining game to play and not at all complicated.
Nine reels
Nine reel slots are pretty uncommon to be honest which goes to prove that the more reels an online slot has, the less popular it becomes. An example of a nine reel slot is Fireworks Fever by Ganapati. This is actually not a bad online slot to play with good quality graphics and it always seems that something is happening whilst playing the game which definitely keeps your attention. It is what it is though, and five reel slots will always be the most popular slot games.
Types of slots by themes
Some players decide which slot games they are going to play by which theme the game is based on. Some themes are more popular than others and everyone will have their own favourite theme so let’s take a look at the different themes and examples of the online slots real money which are included in these different themes.
Fruit slots
Fruit slots are reminiscent of some of the old traditional slot games but few people would argue that fruit slots have come on leaps and bounds over the past few years. An example of a superb fruit slot would have to be the Fruity Burst slot by Virtue Fusion. This is another one of those cascading slot games where a winning payline drops off the screen to be replaced by more fruity symbols which can again result in a winning payline. Fruity Burst is an enjoyable casino slot to play and it is possible to experience some very nice wins from the gameplay.
Hot spot
The reason online slot players like to play games within the hot spot theme is obviously because it reminds them of their vacations in sunnier climes! An example of a slot within this theme is the ever so popular Beach Life slot which has been produced by the highly respected Playtech software provider. The symbols of this slot game are based on items which you may find on a beach which is actually more exciting than it sounds and there is the added attraction of some potentially lucrative bonus rounds.
Movies slot machines
Movie themed slots are often developed as part of a franchise with the movie maker and it is not surprising that these games are so popular, after all, if you like the movie, why not try playing the casino game? An example of one of these movie themed slots is Ghostbusters by IGT (Wagerworks). The symbols are made up of the main characters from the film so it would be fair to say that if you enjoyed the film, you will love the Ghostbusters slot. It is worth mentioning that the movie themed slots are usually produced by the big names in software developers due to the high cost of purchasing the franchise to develop the game.
Asian slots
Asian themed slots are always popular with the Oriental soundtracks often being especially distinctive. An example of one of these slot games is the Asian Beauty slot by Microgaming. You can always rely on Microgaming to produce some highly entertaining games and this slot is definitely one of them.
Egyptian and Greek machines
We have spoken before about the Egyptian theme when describing the Cleopatra slot, but it is such a brilliant game, it is worth mentioning again. The soundtrack with this slot is especially enhancing and with a high RTP, it is not unusual to experience quite a few winning sessions when playing this ever so popular online slot.
Free slots verses real money slots
It is little wonder that some online casino players look for free versions of the games which they would like to play or demo games as they are often referred to. Not all online slots South Africa offer demo versions of the games but if they do, it is a good way of finding out if it is the kind of game that you would like to play or not. It has to be said though that playing the demo version of an online slot does not come with the same sense of excitement as when playing with real money and don’t forget, it is possible to play most online slots real money for very small stakes so that you can get the taste of the game but still have the opportunity of winning some money. Those online casinos which do offer free slot games often have a limit in place so when you have been playing a free slot over a period of time, you may be prompted to continue but using real money. The table below lists the main differences between playing slots for real money and for free
Mobile slots
You may be surprised to learn that playing casino games on a mobile device is the most popular method of playing online slots South Africa. The overall quality of the gaming experience obviously depends on the mobile device which is being used but, in this day and age, even the most basic smartphone is a powerful piece of equipment so will be able to offer mobile slots players a superb experience. We will talk about Android and IOS mobile devices in a moment but it is worth mentioning that most online slots South Africa have a mobile version of their website, so even if you do not wish to download a casino app, you can enter the URL of the casino into your mobile browser and the online slot games will load automatically. The most popular way of playing mobile casino games is by downloading the casino app and where you download it from is obviously dependant on which mobile device you are using. For Android devices, the casino app can be downloaded from the Google Play store and for IOS devices, the app can be downloaded from the app store. Once the app has been downloaded, it is then just a matter of registering a casino account or entering your log in details if you already have an account. The online slot games will then be ready to play.
The slot bonuses on offer
It should never be under estimated that there is massive competition amongst online casinos so as well as offering a superb playing experience, they need to offer various bonuses in order to tempt online slot players to not only open a casino account with them but to also tempt them to carry on playing.
The welcome bonus
The vast majority of online casinos have a welcome bonus in place in order to tempt new players to open an account with them. These bonuses are usually awarded in returning for making an initial deposit into a casino account and it goes without saying that some of these welcome bonuses can look to be especially attractive. Be aware though, all of these bonuses come with terms and conditions attached so make sure that you are aware of them before you proceed.
Reload bonuses
These bonuses are put in place to tempt existing casino players to make deposits into their account. The size and type of these reload bonuses can vary enormously and as with the welcome bonuses, care should be taken to read the terms and conditions first. One of the main terms is the wagering requirements which are attached to these bonuses and what this basically means is that any bonus which is awarded have to be wagered a certain number of times before a withdrawal can be made.
Specific slot bonuses
Most players realise that you can win big when playing online slot games and this is often because of the various bonus symbols which are displayed when playing slot games. The most common of these symbols are listed below
Wild symbol
The wild symbol in any slot game replaces any other symbol to produce a winning pay-line. As an example, let’s say that you are playing a game where three Bar symbols equates to a winning pay-line and you have a Bar symbol on reel one, a wild symbol on reel two and another Bar symbol on reel three. In this example, the wild symbol would become a Bar symbol and produce a winning pay-line. It is often the case that wild symbols can appear several times on the same play-line and this can result in wins of an increasing amount.
Jackpot symbol
If a certain number of jackpot symbols appear across the active pay-lines, it can result in a jackpot win. Depending on the online slot which is being played, there are often pay-outs if the jackpot is not triggered because the maximum jackpot symbols were not displayed and theses pay-outs can often be extremely attractive.
How we test slots
It is unfortunately the case that not all slots offer players a first-class gaming experience so we have made it our mission to only present you with the very best online slots real money which are on the market for online casino slots South Africa. We are often asked how we test online slot games, so we have listed the steps we take below to.
- RTP – The RTP of a slot stands for ‘return to player’ which is quoted as a percentage, with the higher the percentage, the more attractive the slot is to the player.
- Usability to play on PC and mobile – the slot must be available to play on a PC and a mobile device and be of a very high standard.
- Bonus – The bonuses must be attractive and come with reasonable terms and conditions
- Popularity in South Africa – The online slot must be one which appeals to players from South Africa
- License – The license must be applicable, and the casino needs to be regulated by an official regulatory body
- Developer – The casino slot must be developed by one of the leading software developers
How to start playing slots online
In order to start playing slots online, an online casino account needs to be opened. We can recommend the very best online casino to open an account with and you will be pleased to know that opening an online casino account takes no longer than a few minutes. The account registering process requires you to enter your personal details along with your phone number and email address. Once the account has been opened you will be asked to register a payment method in order to make a deposit into your new account. Once you have completed these steps, simply make a deposit into your casino account and choose which online slot you would like to play. When it comes to making a withdrawal from your account, just go to the cashier section of the casino website, choose the amount of money that you would like to withdraw and click on the submit button. Once the withdrawal has been processed by the casino, it will land back in your bank within five working days.
Why is the developer of the slot so important?
There are many software developers who provide games to the online slot industry, so it is important that you choose to play an online slot which has been produced by one of the big names. The reason for this is because you will get a slot with a far higher quality than if you played a slot from a developer which isn’t up to standard. In the same way as you would purchase a car, there is no doubt that you would only choose to purchase a car from a trusted manufacturer as opposed to one that you have never heard of. The best online slots developers include • NetEnt • Microgaming • IGT (WagerWorks) • Play n Go • Next Gen • Playtech
The basic online slots terminology
As with all industries, online slots has basic terminology which you may not be familiar with, the most common being listed below.
- Video slots – Slot games which are delivered in a video format
- Jackpot – The biggest prize available when playing slot game
- Progressive jackpot – A jackpot which increases by the number of players who play the game
- Winning combination – The symbols in a pay-line which result in a winning line
- Free spins – A bonus in the form of free spins
- Balance – Funds which are available to play
SA Online slots summary
Expert Summary
It is a great time to be playing online casino slots in South Africa because there is a fantastic range of the highest quality slots available. The very best software developers are providing the very best slot playing experience so it doesn’t really matter what kind of slots player you are, there is something which will appeal to you. Recreational players can either play demo versions of their preferred slots or play for small stakes whilst high rollers can get involved in slot games with a low RTP but when they do pay out, do they payout! If there was one particular piece of advice which you should always take on board when playing SA online slots, it would be to never gamble with more money than you can realistically afford to lose. It is all very well playing to win, but it is no fun at all if you are using money which should be used for paying bills etc. One thing is for sure though, if you keep a check on what you are doing, playing SA online slots South Africa can provide you with the kind of entertainment which really does take some beating.
FAQ
Does an RTP of the slot depend on the time of playing?
Yes, the RTP is calculated over long periods of gameplay and gives an average over this period
How long does it take to deposit into a casino account and withdraw winnings?
When a deposit is made into an online casino, it is instantly available to play with. Withdrwals are usually processed within forty eight hours and then it takes up to five working days for withdrawals to arrive in your bank account
Can you win the jackpot in all slots?
No, the slots with a jackpot are advertised as such on all of the online casinos
Why can be the same slots at different casinos?
Because the software developers provide the same game across a number of different casinos.