Online Casino Slots for South Africans
South African casino fans LOVE slots. Take a walk through any land-based casino and you’ll see that the vast majority of the floor space is dedicated to the ol’ one-armed bandits, the pokies, those iconic games of ultimate chance: the slot machine. But now South African slots fans have a new reason to celebrate – online slots brought straight to our digital shoes thanks to the newly opened up regulations around online casinos and their online casino games for South Africans.
A new, innovative, tech-driven world for South African casino slots
When you think of a casino, chances are you picture row after row of slot machines. These iconic gambling machines have been around since the 1890’s and continue to be a major drawcard for land-based casinos. The spinning wheels, the sounds, the flashing lights – they are as much a part of a casino as the legendary stories of jackpots being hit.
Online casino slots are no different. They also offer the anticipation, the thrill of waiting for your lines to match up, the sounds and the lights – except they actually offer more. More immersive gambling, more tech-enabled effects and much, much more choice.
And choice really is the name of the game when it comes to online slots. Traditional land-based casinos only have a limited amount of floor space that can used to put in the gambling machines, but the digital world is limitless. South African online gamblers now have access to literally thousands of different online slots games from hundreds of the top international games providers, and all from the comfort of the couch.
There are tens of thousands of different online slots games available at online casinos, with more being developed and added on an almost daily basis. Where land-based casinos have a limit on how many machines they can fit into any given space, the digital world is endless and the innovations that can be put into online slots games make the old-school springs and levers and cogs machines look like an ox-wagon parked next to the latest Bugatti or Rolls Royce or Lamborghini. Which means more choice for you, the player.
It can also mean more confusion. So our OSAC players and reviewers have gone out to discover the what, the how, the where and the why of online slots to make your decision that much easier.
- What are online slots? • How do I play online slots? • Where can I play online slots? • Best online slots games • Online slots bonuses •
What are online slots?
Online slots are the digital version of the eponymous slot machines you find at land-based casinos. In the olden days, these slot machines consisted of reels with images on them and a lever that you pulled to start the reels turning. This one long lever gave them their nickname of ‘one-armed bandits’.
Modern slots still use the reel action, but you now have buttons rather than levers and the reels have gone from three to a standard five and sometimes even more. And the layout has been given an update on many games as well with the normal 3×3 grid now being given a gaming makeover and featuring cascading reels, unusual designs, different numbers of symbols on each reel, and even videos rather than just static images. Technology has also replaced the physical reels with digital versions and allowed the pay lines to increase from one to hundreds, even thousands, on a game. An example is the old Liberty Bell slot with its single payline versus the Megaways Holy Diver online slot with 586,971 ways to hot a payout.
Online slots use Random Number Generator software to recreate the random stopping of the reels, and the intuitive programming works out your pay lines for you to make it easy and hassle free when it comes to winning, especially on multi-reel and multi-payline games.
A big bonus that makes online slots stand out from the physical versions is the ability of online casinos to offer players the chance to play the slots for free. A lot of South African online casinos will let you test the different online casino games, online slots in particular, without having to put real cash in first. This is known as demo mode or free play and, while you won’t win any real money if you line those symbols up, you do get to experience the gameplay and see the features and bonuses and get to decide whether or not you want to risk your real money on the online slots. And South Africans are famous for being careful about where and how they put their cash down so it’s a win-win for the online casino and for the South African online gambler.
Pay line
The line that indicates your win. The more reels, the more pay lines. The more you play (up to max bet) the more pay lines you unlock and the better your chance of winning. Pay lines can be anything from a straight line across three reels to geometric shapes across the entire screen to specific grouping of symbols known as cluster pays.
Spin
The button you push to set the reels in motion (sometimes stylised as a ‘play’ symbol).
Max bet
Betting the maximum number of credits or cash on a spin.
Turbo
A button that makes the reels spin faster.
Autoplay
A setting that lets the reels spin automatically without having to push the Spin or Play symbol each time.
RTP
Return To Player or Payout Percentages. These refer to how much you can theoretically win, on average, and are based on the amount of money you wager over time. It’s important to remember that RTP is NOT a guarantee of how often you could win, it’s a percentage based on thousands of hours of play on that particular online slot and a general indication of the payout rate. Online slots are the ultimate random games of chance!
Progressive online slots
Slots games that are linked across a casino or across the world (Mega Moolah is a famous Progressive Online Slots game). The jackpot is made up of a percentage of the wagers from every player that is actively playing at any time and can grow to be worth millions. The payout can be huge but so can the odds against you.
Free spins
1). A set of free (no money from your bankroll) spins that you win when certain symbols or combos come up.
2). Bonuses offered by an online casino to get you to play certain online slots games. Free Spins can be incentives or rewards that allow players to spin the reels using bonus money or credits rather than their own real cash. Take note though: most Free Spins from online casinos come with wagering requirements and Terms and Conditions so read them carefully before you redeem any offers.
Wilds
A symbol that is a wild card or joker and substitutes for any other symbol for a winning combination.
Features
Special features on an online slot. These could be free spins, bonus spins, bonus mini games like card or coin flips to double your win or even separate mini games that you unlock.
Where can I play online slots?
Online slots are a huge drawcard for online casinos so every casino has a selection. The Online South Africa Casinos reviewers have put a huge number of online casinos that welcome South African online gamblers through their paces to bring you the best options for South African players. You can read about our review process and see all the online casinos we’ve reviewed here.
Our favourite online casinos for South African online slots fans are:
Jackpot Casino • PlayLive Casino • TuskCasino • Casino.com • Paripesa • Europa Casino
What are the best online slots games?
South Africans have as wide a range of favourite online slots as we have languages, cultures, opinions, and ideas. Everyone has their personal favourite. Some like three-reel games, others prefer five-reel. Some like mobile slots while others prefer playing from their desktop. Some like progressive slots while others prefer smaller jackpots but better odds.
But we are all united in our love of these thrilling, engaging, mesmerising, and – hopefully – rewarding games of chance. The best online slots games are the ones we South Africans can play at trusted and licensed online casinos. And, if you are playing at a great online or mobile casino, don’t be tied down to the online slots games or formats you already know. Try out some of the indie studios’ offering. Peter&Sons are a provider that are offering amazing online slots play, innovations, graphics, and stories and are putting the big names like NetEnt and Play’n GO and the like on notice when it come to bringing bigger and better thrills to South African online slots players.
We recommend these slots games that have been a hit for everyone who plays them.
How do I play online slots?
Choosing a good online slots game depends on a lot of factors – but fun and enjoyment are the biggest ones. Still, there are one or two tips that OSAC can give to South African online slots players:
Play at a licensed and trusted online casino for South Africans
It’s one of the most important things any South African online gambler should look for: is the online or mobile casino properly licensed with a recognised licensing authority? If it’s not clearly licensed, you are running the risk of playing at a scam site that will steal your money and your data! Check out our reviews of licensed online casinos here
Choose your online or mobile slot
Once you have signed up and registered at your chosen online casino look for the slots lobby. Most online casinos have a dedicated page just for online slots – because there are many, many, many options out there.
This is possibly one of the toughest aspects of online slots – choosing the right one. Why so tough? Because there are so many to choose from. Classic 3-reel or innovative 5- or more-reel? High RTP or variable variance? And what theme?
Don’t get stuck on just one online slots variant. Try out different online slots games, especially if your South African online casino has a demo mode. With the huge number of online slots games out there, you’ll soon find that you’ll have way more than one game you want to play.
What is a theme?
Online slots providers are amazing and talented gaming studios who develop the online and mobile slots. And they operate just like the best console and PC gaming studios. They know that players want thrills and choice, and they design their games with that top of mind. This leads to incredible themes and storylines in modern online slots. In the past it was fruits and bells and BAR symbols. Now we can choose to go on an Egyptian adventure, or challenge the gods, or play our favourite sports, or dive into our favourite movie franchise, and more – all as themes on our online slots game.
What are RTP and variance?
Before you start spinning, it’s always a good idea to check the RTP and variance. These can usually be found on the online slots pay table.
RTP refers to Return To Player, the theoretical percentage that the online slots game pays out. Fair play online slots usually have an RTP of between 91% (good) and 97% (very high and unusual). Anything above 94% is good. RTP does NOT mean your chance of winning. It means that for every x amount you bet, you have a THEORETICAL chance of getting y back. For example, an RTP of 94,7% means that for every R100 you bet, you are LIKELY to get R94.70 back.
Variance is something that online slots players should take note of. Variance is the ratio of risk versus reward that players can expect. High variance games mean players will not hit wins very often but, when they do, the wins will be quite big. A low variance online slot will pay out often but with small amounts. A high variance online slot will pay out very rarely, but with big wins. The ultimate high variance online slots games are the progressive jackpots. They do not pay our very often but, when they do, the winners can walk away with millions.
Get set and spin
Once you’ve chosen your online slot, set your coin or cash limit, choose your paylines (remember, max bet sets all paylines but also bets the maximum amount), and hit that spin button. The game will do all the rest.
Pro tip from OSAC!
South African online casino slots are games of pure chance. The Random Number Generator software ensures that there are no schemes or strategies or books or experts that can possibly tell you how to win on an online slot. The best strategy for any South African online slots player is to make a budget for your online gambling, set a time and real money limit, and stick to it! Never chase losses. Any gambling game is a risk and, when you do lose, it’s better to walk away and try again another day!
Online slots for South Africans are all about fun! So go out and enjoy yourself but play responsibly!
Now all you need to do is check the terms and conditions and gameplay instructions, put in your cash and spin those reels.
At OSAC, our goal is to help you navigate the world of online casinos. Our staff are dedicated players who are committed to bringing the best of the online gaming world to you. We think like players. We review like players. Because we are players.
Always gamble responsibly and know when to walk away.
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