Slot terms glossary
Plain-language definitions of the terms you'll see across our fact tables and reviews. For the two most load-bearing ones — RTP and volatility — we have full guides linked below.
- RTP
- Return to player. The theoretical percentage of all stakes a slot pays back over a very large number of spins. See our RTP guide.
- Volatility
- Also called variance. How a slot's payouts are distributed — frequent and small, or rare and large — for a given RTP. See our volatility guide.
- Hit frequency
- The percentage of spins that produce any win at all, regardless of size. A separate figure from RTP, which measures the average size of all payouts combined.
- Max win
- The largest possible payout on a single spin or bonus round, expressed as a multiple of the stake (e.g. 5,000×). A ceiling, not an expectation.
- Ways to win
- A system where matching symbols pay if they land on adjacent reels left to right, regardless of row — no fixed lines required. See our paylines vs ways guide.
- Paylines
- Fixed paths across the reels; a symbol combination only pays if it lands along one of a game's defined lines.
- Scatter
- A symbol that pays or triggers a feature (often free spins) based on how many appear anywhere on the grid, without needing to sit on a payline or in sequence.
- Wild
- A symbol that substitutes for most other symbols to help complete a winning combination.
- Tumble
- Also called cascade. Winning symbols clear after a win and new symbols drop in to fill the gaps, potentially chaining into further wins from a single spin.
- Megaways
- A licensed mechanic, created by Big Time Gaming, where the number of symbols per reel changes every spin, changing the total ways to win with it. See our Megaways guide.
- Bonus buy
- An optional feature letting a player pay a set multiple of the stake to enter a slot's bonus round directly, skipping the base game. See our bonus buy guide.
- Ante bet
- An optional, higher stake per spin that improves the odds of triggering a bonus feature, in exchange for a raised cost.
- Cluster pays
- A win system where a group of matching symbols touching each other anywhere on the grid forms a win, rather than a line or a left-to-right sequence.
- Hold & win
- A feature where certain symbols lock in place for a set number of respins, with the aim of filling the grid with value or cash symbols before the respins run out.
- Jackpot
- A fixed or growing top prize, separate from the game's normal paytable, usually won through a dedicated trigger or bonus round.
- Progressive
- A jackpot that grows as players stake on the game (or a linked network of games), rather than staying at a fixed amount.
- Respin
- An extra spin of some or all of the reels, usually triggered by a specific symbol combination, often with certain reels or symbols held in place.
- Sticky wild
- A wild symbol that stays in place for one or more additional spins after it lands, rather than clearing at the end of the spin it appeared on.
- Expanding wild
- A wild symbol that grows to cover its entire reel (or more) when it lands, rather than occupying a single position.
- Multiplier
- A value that multiplies a win — or in some features, the whole spin's payout — by a set amount, such as 2× or 10×.
- Free spins
- A set number of spins played without staking again, usually triggered by scatter symbols, often with an added multiplier or other bonus applied.
- Retrigger
- Landing the trigger condition for a feature (most often free spins) again while that feature is already active, adding more spins or rounds to it.
- Gamble feature
- An optional, separate mini-game — often a coin-flip or card-guess style choice — offered after a win, letting a player risk that win for a chance to double it or lose it. Not present on every slot.
- Demo mode
- Playing a slot with fun credits instead of real money. Runs the same RTP and volatility as real-money play, but nothing staked or won has any cash value. See our demo vs real play guide.
- Fun credits
- The non-monetary balance used in demo mode. They can't be purchased, withdrawn, or exchanged for anything of value.
- GLI / RNG
- GLI (Gaming Laboratories International) is one of several independent labs that test and certify slots' random number generators (RNG) — the system that determines spin outcomes — for fairness before a game is licensed.
- Land-based
- A slot machine installed in a physical venue (a casino floor, for instance), as distinct from an online slot played through a browser or app.
- Orientation
- Whether a slot's stage is designed for landscape or portrait viewing. Most desktop slots are landscape; many mobile-first titles support portrait play too.
- Bet range
- The minimum and maximum stake a slot allows per spin, usually shown as a low-to-high figure in the game's currency or a generic unit.
- Autoplay
- A setting that spins the reels automatically for a set number of rounds, or until a chosen condition (such as a win of a certain size) is met, without a manual tap per spin.
See also our full guides for longer explainers on RTP, volatility, Megaways, bonus buy, paylines vs ways, and demo vs real play.