The world of online gambling has undergone a remarkable transformation in recent years, with the proliferation of online casinos and the ever-increasing popularity of online slots.

As a result, players from all walks of life are now able to enjoy their favorite slot games from the comfort of their homes or while on the go.

In this comprehensive guide, we will delve into the exciting world of online slots and discuss what makes the best online slots stand out.

🔷 The popularity of online slot sites

Online slot sites and their games have become a staple in the world of online gambling, capturing the hearts and wallets of millions of players worldwide. The reasons for their popularity are multifaceted:

1. Ease of Play: Online slot sites, when done well, are incredibly easy to play at, making them accessible to both newcomers and experienced gamblers. All you need to do is place your bet and spin the reels, and you’re in the game.
2. Diverse Themes: Online slot sites come in a vast array of themes, their selection ranging from classic fruit machines to elaborate fantasy worlds, movie tie-ins, and more. This diversity ensures that there’s a slot game for everyone.
3. Progressive Jackpots: Some online slots sites offer life-changing progressive jackpots that can reach into the millions of dollars. The allure of striking it rich with a single spin is a powerful draw.
4. Convenience: Online slot sites are available 24/7, allowing players to enjoy their favorite games at any time. This convenience is especially appealing for those with busy schedules.
5. Bonuses and Promotions: The best online slot sites in New Zealand frequently offer enticing bonuses and promotions for slot players, including free spins, deposit matches, and loyalty rewards.

Now that we’ve explored why online slot sites are so popular, let’s dive into what sets the best online slot sites apart.

💙 Qualities of the best slot sites

1. High RTP (Return to Player): The best online slot sites typically have games with higher RTP, indicating the percentage of wagers that players can expect to receive back as winnings over the long term. Look for slots with RTPs above 95% for better odds.
2. Varied Volatility: Different players prefer different levels of risk. The best online slot sites in New Zealand offer a range of volatility levels, from low to high. Low volatility slots pay out smaller wins more frequently, while high volatility slots offer larger payouts less often.
3. Engaging Themes and Graphics: Aesthetics matter, and the best online slot sites often feature games with stunning graphics, immersive themes, and captivating soundtracks that enhance the overall gaming experience.
4. Special Features and Bonuses: Online slot sites are known for their games with bonus features, such as free spins, multipliers, wild symbols, and bonus games. The best slots incorporate innovative and engaging bonus features that keep players entertained.
5. Mobile Compatibility: In an era where mobile gaming is on the rise, the best online slot sites are optimized for mobile devices, ensuring a seamless and enjoyable experience on smartphones and tablets.
6. Reliable Software Providers: Reputable software providers are essential for fair gameplay and high-quality graphics. Look for slots developed by well-known companies like NetEnt, Microgaming, Playtech, and IGT.
7. Player Reviews and Ratings: Reading player reviews and ratings can provide insights into a slot’s performance, fairness, and overall enjoyment. Websites and forums dedicated to online gambling are great resources for this.
8. Licensing and Security: Ensure that the slot site is offering the games is licensed and regulated by a reputable authority. Additionally, verify that the casino employs advanced security measures to protect your personal and financial information.

🩵Best slots to explore first

1. Starburst (NetEnt): Known for its stunning visuals and simplicity, Starburst is a beloved slot with expanding wilds and re-spins.
2. Mega Moolah (Microgaming): Famous for its massive progressive jackpot, Mega Moolah has made many millionaires over the years.
3. Book of Ra (Novomatic): This Egyptian-themed slot offers exciting free spin rounds with expanding symbols.
4. Gonzo’s Quest (NetEnt): A visually captivating slot with an Avalanche feature that replaces traditional spinning reels.
5. Mega Fortune (NetEnt): Another millionaire-maker, Mega Fortune features a luxurious theme and a progressive jackpot.

🔵 Who manufactures the best slots?

Online slot sites do not design their games themselves. Video slots are implemented by specialist gaming companies. A few large gaming houses dominate most of the market. As a result, many online casinos offer the same games.

Some of the best-known gaming houses specializing in video slots and casino games include:

• Microgaming
• Playtech
• Play`N Go
• Net Entertainment

A well-known manufacturer is usually a guarantee of game quality. Playing video slots from the above-mentioned companies, players can be confident that the game is functional, fair, and has at least a reasonable payback percentage.

Smaller gaming houses have also produced some very good games. Smaller game providers often produce more specialized slot games such as various types of video poker and online instant poker.

However, games produced by an unknown company should be treated with caution, as their return rates can be significantly lower than average and there may also be shortcomings in the way the game works.

Before you start playing, you should at least find out the game’s return rate and draw your own conclusions if the manufacturer has not indicated it.

🟦 How to play at online slot sites in New Zealand?

Playing games at online slot sites is not really that different from playing physical slots. Of course, before you can start playing, you have to enter money into the game. At online casinos, you can do this by making a deposit into your account.

When making your first deposit, you should take into account the welcome bonuses offered by casinos. Slot machines often include various bonus benefits. They can give the player a nice amount of free play money and free spins.

🌐 Features of slots

The first online slot machines were much simpler than today’s modern online slots. Traditional online slots have 3-5 reels and 20 or 25 paylines.

These games do not have to be played with all paylines. However, it is the most popular way to play. New slot machines, on the other hand, come in all shapes and sizes.

The number of reels and lines can vary greatly. They can even change during the game. Thanks to new features such as the Megaways mechanism, games can have up to thousands of paylines. Slightly newer slots also often offer higher payouts and more bonus features.

⏺ Slot symbols

The symbols on the reels have different values.The higher the value of a symbol, the bigger the payout you can get on a winning combination containing that symbol.In traditional games, the symbols consist of simple patterns such as fruit symbols, playing cards or numbers. In new video slots, they can look like almost anything.

The symbols are usually designed to match the theme of the game. The special features of video slots vary, but almost all have wild and scatter symbols. The Wild is a wild symbol that normally substitutes for any other symbol except the scatter. The special thing about the scatter symbol is that it can reward the player in different ways.

Scatters can pay out even if they don’t land on any payline. If the required number of scatter symbols land on the screen, you can advance to the bonus round, activate the multiplier or get free spins. The role and value of the scatter varies from game to game.

Often online slots include a bonus game or other jig to help them stand out from the competition. These features include progressive jackpots, bonus games, free spins and wild symbol features.

▶️ Most popular special features in video slots

All the most popular and well-known special features in slots are briefly presented below.

➡️ Progressive jackpots

Progressive jackpots are multi-million jackpots. The idea behind them is that a small portion of the stake on each spin is transferred to a shared jackpot.

The most popular games have hundreds of thousands of players around the world, so the jackpots can run into tens of millions of dollars. So basically, it’s a lottery draw built into the game.

The jackpot can usually fall completely randomly. However, in some games, for example, you need to get a certain combination of symbols to win the jackpot.

If you want to try a game with a progressive jackpot, you can play the following slots: Mega Moolah and Mega Fortune.

➡️Bonus games

Bonus games are small extra games found inside the game. You can often progress to a bonus game by getting a certain number of scatters or wilds on the reels. In some games, you can also buy your way directly into the bonus rounds.

Bonus games can have a number of special features, such as free spins, different wilds or multipliers. With these features you can get bigger wins than in the base game.

In some slots, the bonus game is completely different from the base game.These games can be simple lotteries, for example, where you have to choose the right option from five possible choices.

➡️ Free spins

Slot machines often offer the chance to win free spins. These in-game free spins should not be confused with the free spins offered by online casinos. In most cases, free spins are triggered when a sufficient number of scatter symbols appear in a round.

During free spins, additional bonuses may be available. For example, wins may have extra multipliers or a wild symbol may be guaranteed for each spin.

It is very common for slot machines online to offer in-game free spins.

➡️ Re-spins

Re-spins are another popular feature offered by many slot machines online. It means that you get to re-spin the reels in certain cases.

For example, this feature can be triggered every time a wild symbol appears on the reels or you get a winning combination, depending on the game. Usually, some of the symbols remain in place during a re-spin. This allows less valuable symbols to be replaced by better ones, increasing your chances of winning.

The classic slot Starburst is a perfect example of a game with re-spins. If you manage to get a wild symbol in the game, it will expand to the size of the entire reel and give you a free re-spin.

➡️ Wilds

Best slots often have additional features associated with the Wild symbol, such as sticking in place for multiple spins, filling the entire reel, moving around the screen, or any combination of the above.

➡️ Avalanche feature

The Avalanche feature is used in many slot games today. It is also known as the avalanche feature or falling symbols. Best slots with the Avalanche feature are different from traditional slots because you don’t have to spin the reels of the slot machine.

When you get a winning combination, the winning symbols are removed and replaced by new symbols that fall on the playing field. This can lead to multiple consecutive wins.

➡️ Megaways

Megaways is a very popular game engine originally created by Big Time Gaming. This mechanic allows the number of lines to vary with each spin, forming up to thousands of paylines.

The Megaways mechanic has become a real success. In recent years, several updated versions have been released, where popular online slots have been updated with the Megaways engine. These games are easily recognisable by their names.

🧊 Play free slots in demo mode

Are you interested in completely free slots and don’t want to spend any of your own money? Then you can play for free in demo mode or with play money. This is perfect if you want to try out new games or practice before spending real money.

Play money is also popular for table games and card games like blackjack and poker, which require more practice and strategy.

➡️ Return rate and volatility

The payback percentage is the percentage of the money wagered on a game that is returned to the player over the long term. Return to Player, or RTP for short, is also often used to describe the return on investment.

The RTP for slot games is usually around 95-99%. The higher the return on investment, the higher the probability that the player will get his bet back.

The volatility of a game describes how often and to what value a particular slot game pays out. Volatility is usually divided into three levels: high, low or medium.

High volatility slots are less likely to pay out, but on average payouts are higher in value. Conversely, low volatility means that a slot machine will pay more often, but the value of the payouts will be lower. So which option is better?

As both options have their pros and cons, this is mainly a matter of taste. Slot machines can also have medium volatility, which is something between the two. High volatility slots are for example jackpot slots, because you can win huge amounts of money.Low-volatility slots are those with lower risk and offer a steadier payout rate, albeit with lower payouts.

The aim of gambling should never be to make money and the outcome of the game is always completely random. The most important thing is to choose a slot that you find entertaining and that has a theme and features that appeal to you. That’s why we recommend trying a variety of different games, both high and low volatility.

🧿 Best online slot sites from A to Z

Online slot sites have evolved into a dynamic and entertaining place for online gambling, attracting players with their simplicity, diverse themes, and potential for big wins. When seeking the best online slot sites and games, remember to consider factors such as RTP, volatility, graphics, and special features. Additionally, choose a reputable online casino to ensure a secure and fair gaming experience.

Ultimately, the best online slot site for you is a matter of personal preference. With countless options available, exploring different slots and finding the one that suits your style and interests can be an exciting journey. So, spin those reels, enjoy the thrill, and who knows, you might just hit that life-changing jackpot!