While online casinos nowadays will allow you to play a variety of casino games, from craps to poker, there is one game that stands out as the best. Slots – an evolution of your typical “fruit machine”, online slot machines are by far the most popular game at the casino. All of the most popular online gambling sites offer hundreds and sometimes even thousands of these games. They’re simple, often have great graphics and most importantly offer you the chance at massive jackpots!
| Name | Provider | Release Year | RTP | Volatility |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starburst | NetEnt | 2013 | 96.09% | Low |
| Bonanza | BigTimeGaming | 2016 | 96% | High |
| Rainbow Riches | Barcrest | 2009 | 95% | Medium |
| Book of Dead | Play'n Go | 2016 | 94.25% | High |
| Slingo Rainbow Riches | Slingo | 2018 | 95.6% | Medium |
So you’re interested in slots and haven’t picked a casino yet. That’s okay, because there are hundreds of casinos that allow players in the UK. It’s our job to wade through the sea of options and help to discover the best slot site for you. Our guides are designed to not only show you the best slot sites that UK players can join, but also what makes them the cream of the crop. We’ve done all of the heavy lifting so that you’re able to easily decide which site to head to.
As you’ll find with any of our casino reviews, we won’t just list the best sites; we dig into what makes an online casino “the best”. We’ll even help you figure out how much real money you could win playing at one of the casinos in our list. So, read on, learn about each site and make an educated decision on where to play online slots in the UK!
Let’s start out with our pros and cons of online slots:
Here are just a few types of the best slots online you will find while playing:
Classic slots are exactly what you see when you picture a slot machine. It usually has three or five reels, a couple paylines, and sure makes for a lot of fun. The classic variation of slots is one that we hold near and dear to our hearts because it’s a great option for both new and seasoned players. No tricks or surprises here. Our friends at Nektan have some great options in this department.
Video slots are one of the most popular variations of the game. Why? Well because of the digital revolution, of course! With technology, came a huge opportunity for video slots, and they became faster, more enjoyable, and just flat out easy to learn and play. With graphics that could blow your mind, and sneaky bonuses that make you want to keep playing, you can never go wrong with playing a video slot.
This is where things get really exciting. Developers will link many games, or sites together in order to create a huge prize pool. Every time money is wagered on one of those slots, a percentage goes into the pot and is up for the taking. Is it easy to win? No. But is it worth giving it a shot? Absolutely. The payouts on progressive slots are usually life-changing amounts above £50,000 on games like Mermaid’s Millions.
Mobile slots are perhaps our favourite variation of the game. This is because they are made to play on the go, and that’s what we are all about here at TopMobileCasino, if the name didn’t already give it away. Play anywhere and everywhere (as long as you have a solid connection to the internet) and you should be winning in no time.
All this slot information is nothing, if you don’t find yourself understanding how they work. Almost every slot has the same functionality when it comes to buttons, reels, symbols and pay lines. All of these things work the same on every slot, but they aren’t necessarily the same in how they look or what they offer. Below, we’ll break down what each function does.
Reels – Reels are the columns that spin inside the slot. Most commonly, players will either being playing on a 3-reel or 5-reel machine.
Pay lines – These are the lines that run horizontally across the game, and what eventually lead to a win.
Symbols – These are always different, and make up the population of the spinning reels. These symbols are usually in tune with the games direct theme. These are the things you want to line up in order to win big.
Spin – This is the button you press in order to get the reels spinning. You can also use this button to stop the reels at any time.
Auto play – Not interested in clicking spin every time? Auto play allows you choose a certain amount of spins that will automatically load after each spin finishes.
Bet – This is the amount you are betting on each spin.
Max Bet – Choosing this option will automatically select the maximum bet. It will also select all the pay lines.
Bonuses are a huge part of the experience of playing at the best online slots sites. Players will often use these bonuses as much as possible. In fact, these bonuses are best used on slots. That’s often because of how other games like blackjack or craps are counted towards a bonus’ rollover requirement. So, your best “bet” is to use your bonus to play slots.
| A rollover requirement, also know as a playthrough or wagering requirement, is essentially how many times you will have to bet your deposit + bonus before you are able to withdraw your winnings. Online slots often contribute at 100% of your wager, but a game like craps can be as low as 5%. |
|---|
For those new to online casinos, the most important bonus is always going to be that first deposit bonus, aka the welcome bonus. It can almost always be used to play slots and sometimes will even come with free spins on a specific slot machine. The ability to play for free is a great way to learn how to play the game, while giving yourself a crack at winning some real money at the same time.
We also mentioned loyalty programs above. Playing the best slots online is quite often the perfect way to earn loyalty rewards. The quick gameplay allows for a quick points buildup. Depending on the site you are playing at, these rewards come in all kinds of different shapes and sizes, from free bonus funds to earning back a percentage of your losses. Each site’s loyalty program is different, so before you sign up, make sure you read the terms and conditions.
All ways – Most traditional slot machines pay out on combinations running from left to right. However, All Ways offers players the chance to win on right to left combinations too.
Autospin – Many online slots offer an autospin feature that allows players to pre-set a number of spins at a certain bet level. This means you can, for example, set 15 spins to play out automatically, which reduces the need to click each time.
Bet – The amount of cash you wager on each spin. This will either be in cash value or coin value, depending on the game.
Cascade – Cascading reels are found on the latest slot machines that want to offer something extra for players. Cascades happen when the symbols on a winning line explode, and symbols from above fall into the vacant spaces. This can trigger an extra win, multipliers, bonuses and more.
Certified slots – Some slots have an RTP of 98% or above. These are called certified slots and are well sought after by players.
Coin – Some online slot machines translate your balance into a coin value, so that you bet with coins each spin. Coins act as credits and are often useful if your game offers the chance to set the coin value.
Feature – The best online slot machines all boast great features and bonuses. Slots features are additional aspects to the game that offer the possibility of big wins. They could be something as simple as expanding wilds or free spins, or they might be bonus rounds and extra games. You will see each game’s full list of features in its paytable.
Free spins – A classic online slot machine bonus, free spins can be offered and won in a variety of ways. The most common is nailing three or more Scatters on the reels in a single spin. Free spins give you the chance to spin without placing a bet – and potentially win big rewards.
Jackpot – The best online slots offer jackpots for players and this is the biggest prize available to win. Playing for the jackpot sometimes requires the maximum bet to be placed. Jackpots can run into the millions of pounds.
Maximum / Minimum Bet – Each online slot has a maximum and minimum bet level. This can range from as little as 5p to as big as £100 per spin. You can find a slot’s max/min bet levels in its paytable and the advice is always to bet at a level you are comfortable with.
Megaways – An invention of Big Time Gaming, Megaways slots are hugely popular because of the amount of ways you can win. The reels don’t have a fixed number of symbols and that can create welcome havoc on every spin. Expanded Megaways games have a staggering 117,649 ways to win and they offer huge jackpots for players too.
Multiplier – Some casino bonuses inside slot machines focus on multipliers. This is when a win is multiplied by a certain amount, say x2, x10 or even x100. Depending on the game, your multipliers may be found on individual symbols, Wilds, within bonus rounds or at random. They are one of the best avenues to greatly increase a payout.
Nudge – This is a classic bonus commonly found in fruit machines across pubs in the UK. Games sometimes offer players the chance to nudge a reel after their spin, which might bring enough symbols into line for a win.
Payline – Each slot has a number of paylines on which you can trigger wins. A payline usually runs from left to right and requires three or more matching symbols for a win. You can increase the number of paylines in some games depending on the size of your bet. Always check out the paytable to assess the number of paylines before playing.
Paytable – Perhaps the most important aspect of an online slot game that people overlook is the paytable. This is where you can find everything from which symbols pay the most, to instructions on how to play bonus rounds. The paytable will help you understand your game and that increased knowledge will greatly improve your enjoyment.
Payout – Another term for a win, this is the amount of money you earn for a winning combination on the slots. Payouts can range from small to astonishingly large.
Progressive jackpot – One way to target a life-changing payout is to bet on games that host a progressive jackpot. The progressive jackpot works by taking a tiny portion of every bet placed on a game and adding it to the big pot. When someone eventually wins it, they could earn thousands or even millions of pounds. In 2018 an online player in Europe won a record €18.9m progressive jackpot payout while playing Mega Moolah Mega.
Reels – The majority of online slots use reels that players must spin to create fresh combinations of matching symbols. The reels are what spin when you place a bet and realign shortly after. Some games feature just three reels, while others offer eight or even more.
RTP – RTP stands for Return To Player and is the percentage a slots gamer should expect to receive back from their bets. For example, if you play a 98% RTP game, you should on average expect £98 back from every £100 you wager. Of course, some players win and some lose, so a better gauge of an online slot during a single session is volatility. Remember that no online slot has 100% RTP as there is always a house edge in casino games.
Scatters – Scatters are bonus symbols that appear on the reels and can trigger additional features, free spins, and more when landed. Check out a game’s paytable for details on what its Scatters offer.
Slots bonus – You may hear people talk about slots bonuses and not be sure what they mean. A slots bonus is any sort of additional boost to your gaming. It could be a bonus round, free spins, RTP boost, or even an expanded number of ways to win.
Spin – Once you’ve set your bet amount, hitting ‘spin’ will activate the reels and complete a single round of the game. Imagine it’s the same as pulling the lever in a Las Vegas casino.
Symbols – These are the motifs that fill the reels. They are specific to your chosen online slot and usually stick to the same these. Check out a game’s paytable for the value of each symbol.
Video slots – Video slots emerged in Las Vegas and Monte Carlo in the 1980s and offer visual graphics that are a lot more entertaining than basic mechanical slot machines. Online slots are based on video slots but have even greater design and bonus round potential. For those who love nostalgia, there are still online video slots available to play at most casinos.
Volatility – A better gauge to RTP of whether you might win a payout in a single slots session is volatility. Also known as variance, volatility offers high, medium and low levels of play. When you play a slot with high volatility you’ll experience fewer payouts but any wins will likely be bigger. Low volatility games offer more frequent payouts but at a reduced cash value.
Wilds – Wilds are the basic bonus that can swiftly trigger a win. They substitute for other symbols to help you complete paylines – much like the blank in Scrabble. Wilds can also expand, move, stick, boast multipliers and even offer additional bonus rounds. Check out a game’s paytable for its full Wild details.
Wild Multiplier – One of the best Wild bonuses is the multiplier. This is when a Wild has, for example, ‘x6’ on its symbol. That means if the Wild helps complete a payline, your win will be multiplied by six.
Win – A win in online slots is any spin that results in the player being paid. Wins can be astronomical if you hit a jackpot, while others can be less than your original stage.
When you play at a site we recommend, you can be sure that the slots are all completely fair. This is because we only recommend sites that have had their games verified by an external company, and that is also regulated by the UK Gambling Commission. All of the slots you play through the sites we recommend are powered by random number generators, which help to completely remove any house bias.
The jackpots aren’t just high – they are sometimes astronomically huge! The biggest prizes are found at the progressive slots, with the two largest usually being Mega Moolah and Mega Fortune. The reason these jackpots get so high is simple: the jackpots keep rising as more and more people play them. This happens until one lucky player hits the jackpot. All progressive slots will have a counter showing the current jackpot amount, so you can pick the one with the biggest jackpot at the moment.
When it comes to progressive jackpots, it doesn’t matter which site you play at, as the progressive jackpot game is linked across all sites. This means that you don’t have to head to the same casino as everyone else, but can instead head to the casino you think is best, and still have the chance to win a massive sum of money. Players in Australia are contributing to the same jackpot that someone playing at an online casino in the UK is.
But how can you give yourself the best chance possible of winning a jackpot? Well, the best online casinos will publish the RTPs of each and every slot they offer. RTP, which stands for Return to Player is expressed as a percentage and is the long-term average of what you’ll win back over time. The higher the percentage, the more chance you’ve got of winning. So, if a slot has an RTP of 98%, you should expect to get back, on average, £98 for every £100 you spend. This means that this slot offers you a better chance of winning than one with a 95% RTP. So, check out the RTPs before you start spinning the reels and watching the symbols land in place.
You certainly can – in fact, a site won’t make it onto our list of the top UK slots sites if it doesn’t have a really strong mobile offering. After all, our site is called Top Mobile Casino. The best mobile slots in the UK are on sites that adapt the screen to fit any mobile device. The mobile casino should allow you to control everything using your device’s touchscreen. You won’t find quite as many slots on a mobile site, however, the selection should still be large, and encompass the three different types of slots mentioned further up this page.
Mobile gamblers should also find that they have access to the same features as desktop players. So, you’ll still be able to use your preferred payment method while gambling from your mobile, and will also be able to contact customer support. You’ll be able to play at nearly all mobile sites by accessing the site using your mobile browser. Some sites even offer a mobile casino app, which makes gambling with a mobile easier than ever. So, if you own a smartphone or tablet, you’ll definitely be able to pay at the best online casinos in the UK.
We’ve spent what feels like forever looking for the best UK slots sites. Our team of experts spends all of their time combing through all sorts of so-called “best slots sites online”. We review each one meticulously, weening out the good from the bad to make sure that if we’re recommending it, it’s perfect for UK players. There’s a list of criteria that we follow when we’re deciding if a casino belongs among the best sites. Besides slot options and bonuses, here’s what we look for:
It is our job to cover all of these areas so that when it’s time, all you need to do is join the site of your choosing and start spinning the reels! After all, you could be one spin away from winning a fortune!
This really depends on the slot in question. Progressive jackpots, such as those at Mega Moolah and Mega Fortune, can exceed £10,000,000 though and are won approximately once every 2 – 3 months. Video slots and classic slots will tell you how much the jackpot is on the paytable. It can sometimes be in the hundreds of thousands of euros – it all depends on how much you bet.
Yes, it is completely legal to play slots online in the UK, providing you are 18 years of age or more. The relaxed gambling laws in the UK are one of the main reasons why UK gamblers are some of the most avid in the world.
If you’re looking to find the best slots that UK gamblers can play, there are many choices. If you scroll up this page though, you’ll see the site we currently think is the best. This list changes regularly though, so check back often!
There are quite a few popular slots in the UK, however, one of the most popular that we haven’t already mentioned is Mega Moolah – the slot from Microgaming with a massive progressive jackpot. Most games by Microgaming, NetEnt and Playtech are popular though – you’ll have to play a few to pick your favourite!
