Slot Glossary
Slot rules screens are written in a vocabulary that is largely undocumented outside the industry, and studios do not always use the same word for the same thing. The definitions below are the sense in which each term is used in this catalogue.
How a spin is paid
| Term | What it means |
|---|---|
| Payline | A fixed path across the reels. Matching symbols pay only if they sit on that path, usually read from the leftmost reel. |
| Ways to win | Any combination of positions counts, so the number of winning paths is the product of the symbols on each reel rather than a fixed list. |
| Scatter pays | Position is ignored entirely: a win is formed when enough matching symbols appear anywhere on the grid. |
| Cluster pays | A win is formed by a group of adjoining matching symbols, counted by group size. |
| Wild | A symbol that stands in for others to complete a win. Some wilds also carry a multiplier. |
| Scatter | A symbol that triggers a feature by appearing a set number of times, wherever it lands. |
How the reels behave
| Term | What it means |
|---|---|
| Tumbling reels | Winning symbols are removed and replaced by new ones dropping into the same spin, so one spin can pay several times. Also called cascading or avalanche reels. |
| Respin | One or more reels spin again while the others hold position. |
| Hold and win | Prize symbols lock in place and the free positions respin until no new prize symbol lands; the locked values are then totalled. |
| Expanding symbol | A symbol grows to fill a whole reel, most often during free spins. |
| Sticky symbol | A symbol that stays in place for a set number of spins. |
| Megaways | A licensed system in which the number of symbols on each reel varies per spin, giving a changing number of ways to win. |
Features and rounds
| Term | What it means |
|---|---|
| Free spins | A round of spins at no additional stake, usually with one rule changed in the player’s favour. |
| Multiplier | A factor applied to a win. A collected multiplier is the sum of several symbols; a progressive multiplier climbs as a chain of wins continues. |
| Bonus buy | Paying a fixed multiple of the stake to start the feature round immediately. Where it exists, it often carries its own return figure. |
| Gamble | An optional step offering to double a win on a coin or card call, with the whole win at stake. |
| Jackpot tier | A named prize level shown above the reels. It may be a fixed amount in the paytable rather than a pooled progressive. |
| Ante bet | An increased stake that improves the chance of triggering the feature. |
Figures on the rules screen
| Term | What it means |
|---|---|
| RTP | Return to player: the share of all stakes paid back across a very large number of spins. It is an aggregate, not a session rate, and several studios ship a title at more than one setting. |
| House edge | The remainder, that is 100 per cent minus the RTP. |
| Volatility | How the return is distributed. High volatility means rare, larger wins; low volatility means frequent, smaller ones. It says nothing about the size of the return itself. |
| Hit frequency | The share of spins that pay anything at all, however small. |
| Max win | A ceiling, expressed as a multiple of the stake, at which the game stops paying. It is reached rarely. |
| Provider game code | The studio’s own identifier for a title, used by casino lobbies. The most reliable way to confirm which game you are looking at. |
Questions and answers
Is a high RTP the same as a good chance of winning?
No. RTP describes the aggregate return over a very large number of spins. Two titles with the same figure can feel completely different, because volatility determines how that return is distributed.
Does volatility tell me how much a game pays?
No, only how the payments are spread out. A high-volatility title pays rarely and larger; the total share returned is the RTP figure, which is a separate number.
What is the difference between ways and paylines?
Paylines are a fixed list of paths that a win must sit on. Ways count any combination of positions, so the number of winning paths changes with the symbols on each reel.