Essential Slots Lingo: A Beginner’s Guide to Slot Symbols and How They Work

Online slots are arguably the industry’s most popular casino games to play. They’re colorful, with engaging themes, bonuses, and a fairly straightforward mechanic. In most games, you’ll just need to land at least three identical slots symbols from left to right to start collecting payouts. Symbols come in different types and designs depending on the slot machine you play. For example, traditional slot machines use fruits, bells, and Lucky Red 7s as paying symbols. In modern slots, the choice of symbols depends on the game’s theme. For example, Oriental-themed slots rely on dragons, lanterns, and fireworks for symbols. Egyptology-inspired games like Book of Dead and Book of Legacy use the pharaoh and hieroglyphic symbols.

While these are true, online slots are much more complex than meets the eye. Yes, the classic requirement to win is to match at least three symbols from left to right on active paylines. However, the payouts and types of bonuses triggered will depend on the symbols and how they appear on the reels. In this article, we’ll cover the most popular slots symbols, including the Scatters slots symbols that are trending right now and how they work.

Scatters, Wilds, and Multipliers: Let’s review the most common slot machine symbols

Online slots are fun because you’ll randomly spin the reels to land matching symbols. The payout amount or the type of features you’ll trigger will depend on the slot symbols on the active paylines. The average slot machine now features around 12 paying symbols, categorized into low-paying, high-paying, and special symbols. Low-paying symbols are traditionally playing card suits, from As to Ks. On the other hand, high-paying symbols are paying symbols related to the theme. 

Finally, the special symbols offer huge payout potential, trigger special bonuses and features, and even unlock the game’s jackpot. This section will only cover the most common special slots symbols.

Scatters

If you’re a casual casino player or a social media regular, you have probably encountered the Scatters slots symbols. Scatters aren’t games but special slot symbols that trigger specific bonuses on online slots. They’re the players’ favorite symbols because they start the slot’s most popular bonus: the Free Spins Bonus. Traditionally, games require you to land at least three Scatters anywhere on the reels to activate the bonus. Often, the number of Scatters dictates the number of free spins you’ll get at the start of the bonus, but you’ll also find games with a fixed number. 

For example, in JILI’s Super Ace, landing 3, 4, or 5 Scatters rewards the player with 10 spins regardless of the number of Scatters. But in PG’s Lucky Neko, landing 4, 5, or 6 Scatters triggers 10, 12, or 14 free games. Scatters slots symbols may or may not award a payout, so it’s best to revisit the game’s paytable before playing in real money.

Wilds

Next to Scatters slots symbols, the wilds are the most exciting symbols to land on the reels. You’ll find these slots symbols represented by ‘W’ or appear in special designs, depending on the game’s theme or the developer’s creativity, regardless of their look. Wilds are special because they substitute for other symbols to create a winning combination. Often, these Wild symbols will appear anywhere, and when landing a five-of-a-kind, will award the game’s top payout.

Stacked, Walking, and Sticky Wilds

Depending on the developer, you’ll find different kinds of Wilds that can boost payouts and enhance the betting experience. For example, you’ll play with Stacked Wilds, Walking Wilds, or even Sticky Wilds in some slot machines. Stacked Wilds refer to symbols stacked on a single reel, creating a bigger payout potential. On the other hand, Walking Wilds refers to special symbols that move from one position to another on a series of spins. Finally, the Sticky Wilds remain in position for the free spins. Red Tiger’s 777 Strike boasts Sticky Wilds, boosting your chances of collecting a bigger jackpot.

Expanding symbols

Another type of special slot symbol that you’ll encounter is the expanding symbol.  As the name suggests, these symbols expand into 2×2, 3×4, or even 4×4 sizes on the grid, which boasts the players’ chances of earning big wins. Game studios use expanding symbols in different ways. For example, in some cases, these giant symbols are used during the base game, randomly landing on the screen. Some games, like the ‘book-themed’ games like the Book of Dead, only appear during the Bonus round, and only two symbols expand. Regardless of how they are, these special slots symbols help deliver big wins.

Bonus symbols

You’ll also randomly land the game’s Bonus symbols when playing slots. Like Scatters, these Bonus symbols will trigger a specific feature, often the game’s bonus or jackpot round, in addition to the Free Spins Bonus. Players must land a specific number of Bonus symbols to trigger, enter the bonus round, and spin for the jackpot. For example, in Pragmatic Play’s Wolf Gold, there’s a Moon symbol, which is a bonus. Each Moon Bonus symbol carries a random Multiplier of up to 100x, and by landing at least six, you trigger its unique bonus round- the Money Respins.

Multipliers

Multipliers are thrilling slot symbols that can randomly appear on the reels. These are in-game features that you randomly unlock, or they’re represented as special symbols that land together with the other paying symbols. Depending on the developer, multiplier symbols carry random amounts, ranging from 2x to 10x.

Also, you’ll traditionally find multipliers during the free spins bonus. Often, wins during the bonus comes with a 2x or 3x multipliers. In some slot machines, the free spins bonus will have options that bundle a specific number of free games with a random multiplier. Some exciting slots to play that boast multipliers are the Bonanza lineup of Pragmatic Play slots.

Final thoughts

Slots symbols are online slots’ lifeblood and deliver your potential payouts. If you plan to play slots in real money, we recommend knowing the special slot symbols and understanding the game’s paytable. The paytable is an important feature of the game, which lists the different types of paying symbols and features and the potential payouts you’ll earn for landing specific symbols. For example, the paytable describes your payouts for landing a three-of-a-kind or five-of-a-kind of a particular symbol and also provides information on the game’s features and bonuses. 

More than the knowledge, understanding these symbols will help you compare, assess, and select the best online slots to play in real money. If you’re after entertainment and huge payouts, always consider slots with huge Multipliers, Wilds that trigger a big payout, and Scatters slots symbols that award more free spins. Knowing these different slots symbols will not only help you find the best games to play; your knowledge will also help you enjoy slot machines responsibly.

Play the best slots with special symbols at BK8 and win big

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