The slot machine is by far the most popular and profitable casino game, and with slot machines dominating the online, mobile, and social markets, there’s been a resurgence in interest in the one-armed bandit. This glossary covers terms used by slot players and the slot machine industry. We’ve included an example of each word used in a sentence. Newcomers to the world of slot gaming should familiarize themselves with the terms below before they head to the casino.

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243 Ways to Win slot:

a game that doesn’t consider pay lines when determining wins and payouts. Instead, winning combinations of symbols can appear anywhere on the screen.

“Spend a little extra time reading the pay table of that game – it’s a 243 Ways to Win slot.”

Action:

refers to a gambler’s total amount played, plus any amount they’ve won or lost for a given session.

“Your slot club card rewards you with comps based on your action.”

All pays slot:

a category of games that don’t use the traditional pay line system to determine winnings.

“If you’re bored with traditional games, look for one of the new all pays slots available online.”

Basic slot:

games with few features, a single pay line, and a fixed top jackpot.

“Fans of retro gaming will find themselves drawn to the classic styling of the casino’s basic slots.”

Bet Max:

to place a wager equal to the largest possible bet for a particular slot. Many slots also have a “bet max” button on case that allows gamblers to quickly place the game’s top per-spin wager. Often required to gain access to a game’s largest payouts.

“You can squeeze in a lot more playing time if you wager using the Bet Max button.”

Betting unit:

refers to hitting a slot’s top-paying combination of symbols.

“Managing your slot bankroll starts with working out how many betting units you can afford to spend per hour.”

Big hit:

refers to hitting a slot’s top-paying combination of symbols.

“You should have seen the slot hosts come running after Aunt Mary got that big hit.”

Bonus feature:

a side game or other special activity distinct from a game’s regular mode. Can include things like wild symbols, scatter symbols, and free spins.

“More and more, slot designers are producing games with skill-based bonus features.”

Buy-a-pay slot:

a game in which each coin you wager activates a new tier of payouts. Placing the maximum number of coins leads to the largest payouts.

“The buy-a-pay slot is the most misunderstood game on the casino floor.”

Carousel:

a name for a group of slot machines sharing a common feature, usually denomination.

“The first thing I look for when I walk into a new casino is a penny slot carousel.”

CICO: (Coin In, Coin Out)

an industry term referring to the total number of credits played in and paid out of a machine.

“You can get an idea of your total CICO for a given slot by analyzing the points on your slot club card.”

Coins:

another term for “credits.” Slots accept credits in a variety of denominations, from a penny to five dollars and more.

“This game’s bonus feature pays a special multiplier prize based on the total number of coins wagered.”

Coin size:

refers to a gambler’s chosen denomination, the amount that each coin (or credit) is worth.

“Some slots allow you to select your coin size, others set a fixed-price value for each coin.”

Comps:

short for “compensated items,” comps are freebies given to slot players by the casino as a reward for their loyalty. Players must join a slot club and swipe their card before playing each machine in order to have their action tracked. Comps range from free drinks and room upgrades to larger prizes, depending on how much a player spends.

“Earning slot club comps shaves a tiny fraction off the casino’s built-in advantage.”

Console slot:

games with built-in features designed to be more comfortable for the player. These days, console slots have screens which can be placed in different angles, built-in seats, and customizable brightness settings.

“Grandma said she prefers to play the console slots, even though they’re a little more expensive.”

Credits:

another word for “coins.” When gamblers insert a $20 bill in a slot machine, that cash is converted into credits, based on the coin size of the game.

“Fifty credits per spin is too rich for my blood.”

Denomination:

the value of each credit. Some games feature fixed credit values, others allow you to choose your denomination.

“The only benefit to using a higher denomination is a larger set of possible payouts.”

Double symbol:

a symbol (or set of symbols) that doubles a payout when it’s part of a winning combination. Triple symbols are also common.

“Slots that use double symbols and triple symbols are perceived as more exciting than slots that don’t.”

Fixed-value slot:

games in which the betting amount and/or coin size cannot be altered. Some of these games allow for multiple credit wagers, which gives the player some control over the size of each spin.

“Fixed-value slots make it easier to manage your slot bankroll, though they limit your options as a player.”

Free spin:

a bonus feature in which the player earns one free round of play.

“Wouldn’t you know it – I spent all that cash and then finally hit a jackpot during a free spin.”

Fruit machine:

UK slang term for slot machine. Most games of this type are basic slots with few features.

“I will always have a soft spot in my heart for the classic fruit machines found in British pubs.”

Hit frequency:

a theoretical number referring to how often a given slot machine pays out a prize of any amount, relative to the total number of games played.

Hold percentage:

a theoretical number that refers to the amount of a player’s money a slot machine retains.

“Theoretically, a machine programmed to have a 95% hold percentage will keep 5% of all the money a player feeds into it.”

Jackpot:

either the highest-value prize paid out by a given slot machine, or (used more generically) any prize paid out by a machine.

“You have to bet five coins per spin to gain access to the jackpot – it’s a buy-a-pay slot.”

Line bet:

the number of active pay lines on a given multi-payline slot.

“I try to always place a max line bet on progressive slots.”

Linked progressive slot:

a slot that pays out an ever-increasing top prize connected to a network of two or more games. These games produce larger progressive jackpots because more players are paying into them.

“Linked progressive slots are placed prominently on the casino floor to attract attention.”

Low-level slot:

any game that includes a built-in seat or chair.

“You don’t find nearly as many low-level slots in Atl

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