Slots Paylines Explained - Play Online For Real Money

Online slots for real money are undoubtedly the most popular games at the best online casinos. Besides being simple to play, real money casino slots online also offer huge payouts that can run into millions. 

While slots can be deceiving, these games have several components that can make calculating your potential of winning a challenge. A good example of this is the slot paylines. Today, we look at slot machine paylines, what they are and how they work. 

Distinguish Slot Layouts

Before you know what slot machine paylines are, learn to distinguish slot layouts. Usually, slots feature a 5x3 design. This means you’ll get five vertically positioned reels holding up to three symbols. 

However, like Megaways slots, some slots can have up to 7 reels with six symbols. This gives them thousands of winning ways. The number of paylines depends on the slot developer, though.

What is Slot Machine Paylines?

The payline is the pattern on the slot machine reels that the game reads to find out if the player has scored a winning combination or not. In most cases, paylines begin from the leftmost reel to the rightmost reel. Some slot machines can run vertical, horizontal, or diagonal paylines. 

Modern slots usually have anywhere between 10 to 50 paylines. In addition, most will need at least three matching icons on a payline to form a win.

Paylines Example

You choose to play a 20 payline slot with the premium symbol worth 200x. Then, you create five of a kind across a payline, meaning you’ll get the total 200x payout. 

If you fill the grid or all paylines with these symbols, you’ll enjoy a 4,000x payout. That’s how slot paylines work at slots casino online.

Fixed vs Adjustable Paylines

One thing that players love about online casino slots for real money is their flexible nature concerning paylines. 

While some can have fixed paylines, others can allow players to adjust the lines during the betting session. So, what’s the difference?

Fixed Payline Slots

Fixed paylines allow players to wager on every single line. For example, if you want to play a 20 payline slot with $5 per spin, you’ll need $0.25 per line. 

Although this amount can be low, all the paylines will be active during gameplay. So, forming a winning combo is easier. Now you know why most players prefer fixed-payline slots.

Adjustable Payline Slots

Conversely, adjustable-payline slots allow players more flexibility. You can set the number of lines to form a winning combination. This reduces the bet limit, allowing you to play with a smaller bankroll.

Paylines, Bet Limits, and Coins

Slot machine coins and bet limits are other standard terms that can confuse beginners. Often, you’ll have to set these two alongside the paylines before playing a slot game. So, what’s the relationship here? 

The amount you win directly depends on the number of paylines you set and activate. For each payline, you’ll need to wager a coin. You can adjust the number of coins and their value.

The cost of spinning the Slot Reels

Sticking with the same example above, the 20-payline slots can support a single coin on each line, with each coin having a $0.10 minimum value. 

To know how much it costs to spin the reels, multiply the paylines by the number of coins by the coin value. 

In this case, that’s 20x1x$0.10 = $2 per spin. 

This example shows that more paylines attract higher bet limits, although that may depend on the minimum coin value. 

If you select to play with multiple coins, the bet limit will also increase. But overall, the more paylines, the merrier.

How many Paylines should one play?

You must be wondering what’s the ideal number of paylines to play at the casino. The general consensus is that symbols that don’t appear on the line won’t pay. 

Therefore, playing with reduced paylines significantly reduces the hit rate. As said before, play on fixed payline slots all the time to stand a chance to trigger the jackpot. 

The good news is that most modern slot machines come with fixed paylines. This means you’ll play with all the paylines, although the minimum bet per spin can be higher. 

Keep in mind, however, that scatters for free spins and other bonus symbols may not count on the payline. But generally, all other symbols, including the wild, can trigger a payline. 

Less can be beautiful!

The thing is that slot machines with fewer paylines are a no-go zone. After all, you’d want an opportunity to trigger more winning lines. 

Some games, such as Double Diamond by IGT and Golden Horns by Betsoft, offer just a single payline. 

Although that’s disappointing, having a single payline makes the game simpler to the eyes. And the prizes are just as high as multiple payline slots.