How to play slots

Pick your paylines, press the button (or pull the lever) and let the good times roll. It doesn’t get much more fun than slots—you can have a seat at your favourite machine, but you might only need the edge.

Getting started

There’s a huge variety when it comes to our slot machines. At casinos across the province you’ll find classic spinning reel machines and digital video screens, penny slots to dollar games. The key is finding a slot machine that suits your style of play and your budget.

To get started, enter your money or ticket voucher in the machine. Before you start playing, it’s a good idea to review the game rules printed on the machine or in the onscreen help menu. They’ll help you understand what your options are: how much you can bet, what paylines you can pursue, and what your odds of winning are.

When you’re done playing, simply press Cash Out and you’ll get a ticket voucher if you have remaining credits. All our slots offer coinless play, so you don’t have to lug a bucket of coins around. The ticket voucher can redeemed for money at the cashier, Cash Cage or Ticket Express redemption machine, or you can take it to another slot machine. Tickets are valid for 30 days at the casino where they were issued.

How slot machines work

Slots machines typically have three or more “reels,” each of which has a number of symbols on it. The combinations of symbols the machine lands on are called “paylines.” 

Slot machines contain random number generators that generate thousands of numbers per second. Whether you win or lose is determined by the random number that is generated in the exact instant you activate each play—if the random number matches a payline that you bet on, you win. Different paylines pay different amounts, depending on their odds.

Each play on the machine is independent and unrelated to previous or future plays, so it’s impossible to predict what will happen the next time you push the button. It’s totally random. There are no hot or cold streaks, and playing longer at a machine doesn’t increase your odds of winning.

Odds of winning

Your odds of winning depend on the type of slot machine you’re playing, as well as the paylines you choose to bet on. Machines that cost pennies to play might pay out small prizes relatively often. Others cost several dollars per play but offer bigger jackpots and longer odds. The average return to player at B.C. casinos is 92 percent.

For more on the odds of winning and how slots work, visit GameSense.com.