Gambling is making its way through the US as sports betting expands and states allow the construction of new casinos. What was once a tourist attraction for Vegas or Atlantic City visitors is now a popular pastime.
While sports betting is making the most headway in the US, online casinos and land-based gaming are making more gradual moves to new markets. Illinois recently allowed for the construction of six new casinos while nearby Michigan is gearing up to launch online casinos.
Slot machines later expanded into casinos, video games, health clubs, and theme parks Bally Manufacturing, later renamed Bally Entertainment, was an American company that began as a pinball and slot machine manufacturer, and later expanded into casinos, video games, health clubs, and theme parks.
And where there are casinos, be they land-based or online, there are also slots. The glitzy, ring-dinging contraptions are often a source of confusion for rookie gamblers. But slots are actually fairly easy to understand, and I’ve compiled a beginner’s guide so you know how they work and what to expect when you spin the reels.
Are Slot Machines Rigged?
This is the first question many slot players have, and it’s a fair one. Slot machines are not “rigged” in the sense that the casino chooses when a jackpot or big win hits.
Slots are games of chance, just like blackjack, craps, sports betting, or poker. But the mechanics of slot games vary, and the house edge is bigger when you play slots compared to most table games.
The House Edge
The house edge is the profit a casino (or online casino site) makes on each bet you place. You can still win money; the house edge represents a percentage of all bets placed and what the casino will make on those based on the match of a given game.
Online slots and slot machines have a house edge ranging from 2% to 15%, though the 5-10% range is most common. By comparison, blackjack usually has a house edge of 0.5% and double zero roulette sits around 5%.
How To Play
It’s easy enough to sit down at a slot machine, put $20, and spin. But understanding how the actual games work makes the experience much more fun.
Understanding Denominations
You might find slots that advertise themselves as “penny slots.” Even though the name may make you think they cost a penny per spin, it’s not quite so simple. “Penny slots” mean that each pay line you’re betting on costs a penny. A pay line is a left-to-right pathway that connects symbols on the reels. Some are straight lines and some taking a more winding path, such as in the shape of a “W.”
When you play a slot, you choose how many lines to bet on, and this varies based on the slot you’re playing. Some have 243 lines, some have 50, and there are plenty of others in between. The more paylines you hit on a given spin, the more you win.
The more you bet, the more pay lines you have access to. So if you’re max betting on a penny slot with 50 pay lines, each individual spin would cost you $.50.
The cost of each bet changes from one slot to the next, so always check the machine or online slot you’re playing to be sure you know where your money is going.
Symbols And Paylines
Every unique symbol on a slot machine has a specific value. If the symbol ends up in a pay line with identical symbols, you earn a payout based on the value of each one in the pay line.
Slots typically make their highest paying symbols images of the main character on which the slot is based or something similar. Perhaps a pot of gold on a leprechaun game. Lower-paying symbols are usually A, K, Q, J, and 10, similar to cards at a table game.
Spinning The Reels
This, of course, is the ultimate draw of slot machines. The reels blur as they spin into oblivion, then slow to a stop and hopefully get you a winning pay line (or multiple). Depending on how you play, you’ll have a few options for spinning.
Most slot machines have a button that kicks off the spin, while others have the traditional mechanical lever. Some have both, giving you an option. There’s no difference in outcome with either method, but it’s a unique thrill to pull the physical lever.
For online slots players, spinning usually comes in the form of a quick tap of the screen. Certain online slot themes let you auto spin, continuously repeating spins and automatically logging any wins.
Best Slot Machines To Play
Bonuses And Jackpots
If you’ve seen someone win big on a slot game, it’s likely thanks to a bonus or a jackpot. Though you might be inclined to think they’re the same thing, there are crucial differences.
Bonuses
Bonuses are triggered by events during normal slot play. This often means landing three specific bonus symbols on a single spin. There are countless ways to trigger a bonus, though, and slot makers are always thinking of new mechanics.
Five Line Free Slot Machines
Bonuses take many shapes and sizes. Many give you a number of free spins with added flair, like a whole row of wild symbols or a payout multiplier.
In many cases, bonuses also give you the opportunity to win a jackpot.
Jackpots
Jackpots are the big wins, the multi-hundred or -thousand dollar hits that you see in movies and on TV. There are two common jackpot types.
Some jackpots can be hit during normal play, and others are triggered by bonuses.
Local Progressive Jackpots
Every time you spin the reels on a slot, you’re contributing to the larger jackpot pool. Machines usually have a top box component or a special area used to display the current jackpot levels.
Local jackpots take from either a single machine or a small group of slot machines, such as a bank of five neighboring machines. As a result, these jackpots don’t get quite as high as their wide area progressive counterparts but can still reach multiple thousands of dollars.
Wide Area Progressive Or Linked Jackpots
Wide area progressive jackpots take from every dollar put into a large number of machines. Because they can pull from a wider pool of players (even across multiple casinos), these jackpots can reach much higher amounts. These are the jackpots that can reach hundreds of thousands of dollars or higher.
Need Help? Slots Have Guides Built-In
If you’re having trouble figuring out how a slot works, try clicking the “Help” or “?” button. Most video slots and all online slots have this option. It will open a page that tells you the value of each symbol, how to hit the bonuses, and more helpful info.
If you’re playing on a mechanical slot machine on the casino floor, you can always ask a casino employee for more information.
Though By Slot Machine Casino Game
Most popular slot machine games
Free to Play Bally Slots Online
The Dancing Drums slot machine is an entertaining slot that can be played at the live casino and online in regulated states. This popular game features a variety of Asian themed symbols. They include golden statues of mythical dragons, gold coins linked with red ribbons, sailing boats – and of course, the drums. The game plays with the ‘free ways’ system, offering many more winning opportunities than usual. In addition, there are free spins to be won and chosen and four progressive jackpots.
In live casinos, you will now find a bigger-screened version of this game compared to the original. This takes full advantage of the latest breakthroughs in graphic design and screen technology to bring the drums to life. The progressive jackpots which are a hallmark of this game are on display above the reels.
Basics: How does Dancing Drums Slot Work?
The base game of this Bally slot features a setup of five reels, with three symbols showing on each. It uses the ‘Reel Ways’ system, offering 243 ways to win on every spin. To land a win, you will need to land matching symbols on 3 or more consecutive reels from left to right, irrespective of the position on those reels. The cost of each spin is 88 credits, though you can add multipliers to this for bigger bets.
With so many winning chances on each spin, the individual prizes are lower than you would find on a slot with a smaller number of win-lines. Although it is not unusual to land many wins during a single spin using this format.
Though By Slot Machines
High Paying Drum Symbols
Bonus symbols show drums. These pay 100x your total bet for five. You need three from the left to trigger the free spins bonus – with wilds substituting. Other higher paying symbols include a plant, fierce looking dragon, coins and a traditional sailing boat.
Alongside the themed symbols you will also find the playing cards 9, 10, J, Q, K and A which offer top prizes of between 15 and 20 coins.
The wild symbol, which features a splash of red and gold, appears on reels 2, 3 and 4 only. This will substitute for all other symbols ensuring many more winning opportunities. With the ‘Reel Ways’ system in play, just a single wild can trigger a series of wins.
Hitting the Free Spins Bonus Feature on Dancing Drums Slots
As well as being the highest paying symbol in the game, the Dancing Drums also activate the free spins feature. When you hit three, four and five drums and land that big win, you will also enter this feature.
The free spins bonus round now offers you five options as to how to play:
- Option 1: 15 free spins with a grid size of 3×5.
- Option 2: 10 free spins with a grid size of 4×5.
- Option 3: 5 free spins with a grid size of 5×5.
- Option 4: 3 free spins with a grid size of 6×5.
- Option 5: A mystery prize – one of the four options above picked at random.
This choice can be tricky. Option 1 plays out on the standard reels and offers the same 243 ways to win. However, options two, three and four now offer 1,024, 3,125 and 7,776 ways to win respectively. While the number of spins decrease, the winning opportunities at each go in the other direction. If you are having trouble making a choice, option five selects this at random – taking the choice out of your hands.
How to Win Dancing Drums Progressive Jackpot
Though By Slot Machine Jackpots
The chance to land one of the four progressive jackpots can be awarded randomly any time a single wild appears on the reels. You will now be taken to a screen showing a series of gold coins. Pick each in turn and it will spin to reveal one of a series of Fu babies. Keep picking until you reveal three of the same Fu Babies, and you will win the associated Jackpot. The four jackpot pays are Mini, Minor, Major and Grand.
Where Can You Play Dancing Drums Slots Online in the USA?
If you are lucky enough to live in NJ, PA, MI, or WV then your state already has passed laws allowing legal USA online casinos. You will find Dancing Drums on casino apps and websites – alongside many other titles from Bally including Dragon Spin, Hot Shot and Lucky Tree. More states are expected to pass regulation for online casinos in the months and years to come.
Outside of the regulated states, you will find Dancing Drums in most live casinos.
Play to the Beat – Dancing Drums Design
The Dancing Drums plays against the backdrop of a distinctive dark red, lending the game an atmospheric feel. The reels themselves contain a lot of gold, adding a rich feel to the proceedings, with each of the symbols is intricately designed.
When you trigger the free spins, giant animated drums appear over the reels. Throughout the game you will hear an Asian soundtrack, complete with stringed instruments and gongs. Many of the graphics and effects (including the Fu Babies) will remind you of the classic ’88 Fortunes’ slots.
Will Dancing Drums let you Snare a Big Win?
The free to play Dancing Drums slot game is an enjoyable and enticing slot from Bally. With the ‘Reel Ways’ system in the base game, a win is never far away. Any time you hit a wild you could find yourself playing the Jackpot game, where you are guaranteed to win one of the four big prizes. Enter the free spins bonus feature for the highlight of the game. Here you will get to choose exactly how it plays out – with potentially thousands of ways to win on every free spin.