SLOT SITES IN CANADA 2022

Video Slots

The term video slot is a generic one that refers to pretty much any and every slot game you find online. Video slots originated in bricks and mortar casinos, the natural evolution from old skool game machines with mechanical operations to those driven by computer programming and algorithms. The term video is used because the action is played out on the screen using a video representation of the reels, with complex animations packages used to build them. Video slots may be 3, 4, 5 or 6 reels in size, sometimes even more. They cover countless themes and showcase Hollywood level production values!

Megaways™ Slots

Megaways™ is the biggest thing to happen to slots gaming since the casino world went online. It is a game format created by Australian wizards, Big Time Gaming, in which the number of paylines active on the reels changes with every spin thanks to a ‘random reel modifier’ algorithm. Typically, Megaways™ slots will feature 100,000s of paylines to win on. Classics like Bonanza run with up to 117,649 paylines. Most of the Megaways™ slots have high variance maths models with top wins of over 10,000x and epic sequences that utilise free spins, wilds and progressive multipliers to good effect.

Progressive Jackpots

Of all the slots available to Canadian players right now, Progressive Jackpots are the ones with the biggest payouts, built for those chasing down those dream wins that will change their life! The top wins on games like Mega Moolah by Microgaming will always exceed $1,000,000 and often $10,000,000! You’ll find progressives in their own area of any casino game lobby, usually with the highest current jackpots listed at the top. A percentage of every cent wagered on these games goes into the prize pool so they are always going up in value. Check the game rules before you play – sometimes players must be wagering at the top level to be in with a chance of winning.

Classic Slots

Every casino will include a range of classics slot games. These are slots with a retro feel that hark back to the old skool game machines built for the Vegas casino floors back in the 50s and 60s, before video slots were invented. Classics will typically have a 3-reel format and utilise imagery like lucky 7s, gold bars, fruit symbols and jokers. If you want your gameplay to be simple and low on features then you should start here.

Freeplay Slots

Before you spend any money on a slot game then it’s worth playing a few spins for free first to understand how it works, what the payout triggers are and whether you are comfortable with the maths models. Most games are available in demo mode, but some casinos require you to sign up before you can play for free, so you can’t just browse to the site and start spinning. You’ll need to verify your ID first. Just remember that free play means free money prizes – you won’t win real cash! Alternatively, if you have a small budget and want to play for real cash you can always play low stakes games instead at just 1c or 5x per spin.

Real Money Slots

Real money slots is another generic term for all the slot games you will find at online casinos, because they all offer real money gambling. Stakes generally range from as low as 1c, though usually the lowest is 10c, up to $500 per spin. The more you wager, the higher the value of the prizes you can win. Just consider your budget before you start and don’t set the stake level so high that you run out of money after just a few plays. Remember, each spin will be done in a few seconds, so if you want to enjoy your session and make your balance last, you should set your stake to a reasonable level. And make sure you understand the maths models of these games too before you start. Read our guides to variance and RTP to get the lowdown.

Those are the different types of games you can find at online slot sites. Now, for those new to the game, here are some more key elements to look out for and understand to enhance your enjoyment of this exciting form of gambling. Remember, all games are different, and it’s about finding the right slot and slot site for your tastes and budget.

Themes

When it comes to video slots themes anything is up for grabs. We have seen games based on your favourite cartoons, weird sci fi inventions, steam punk, historical dramas, mythical Irish narratives, every type of music from hip hop to rock n roll, movies like Terminator, Aztec treasures, and anything and everything in between. Part of the fun of slots games is finding one with a fun theme that suits your interests. This is why choosing a slot site with a big game catalogue can be preferable – there is more chane of finding a game to suit your taste.

Features and Gameplay

Whilst the basics of slots are simple – the reels spin and when 2 or more identical symbols land on a payline, then a win is triggered, modern games have lots of complex add-on features to spice things up. And it’s here that the action gets a lot more interesting. The best features elevate a slot above the competition. Here are some popular ones to look out for:

Free Spins – many slots have a free spins round. This is a set number of free plays that are ‘earned’ or triggered, usually by ‘collecting’ special ‘scatter’ symbols. Typically 3 or more scatter are required to unlock a free spins round and they must all land on the triggering spin. The more scatters that trigger the round, the more free spins you earn.

Multipliers – win multipliers are applied to your payouts and can be both global or specific to a winline or even one symbol. They may drop at random on one spin, or be cumulative where the multiplier increases based on events in the game like consecutive winning spins. If a multiplier is set at 3x and you win $5, then your prize is increased to $15 before it is paid out. 

Cascading Wins – Commonly found in ‘Cluster Pays’ or Megaways™ slots, Cascading Wins trigger multiple payouts from a single spin. The trick is this – after the win, all winning symbols are removed from the reels and replaced with new ones. If more winlines are formed the the process repeats. And so on, until no more wins occur. You’ll find this popular feature in Gonzo’s Quest by NetEnt and Bonanza by Big Time Gaming as well as 100s of other slots.

Wilds – Wilds are another extremely common feature found at Canadian slot sites. These symbols, often simply represented by the letter ‘W’ substitute for any other symbol on a reel to form a winning payline. They are regularly used in conjunction with multipliers too, or in stacks, to create enhanced winning opportunities.

Expanding Symbols and Reels – another feature commonly found in particular in high risk slot games are expanding symbols and reels. An expanding symbol will land and automatically increase in size upwards or downwards to fill the reel. This creates more opportunity to form winning lines. Expanding reels are found in Megaways™ slots. Here, the number or rows on the reels increases to create more paylines. Most Megaways™ slots run with between two and seven symbols per reel. With six reels on a game and seven rows available, that means up to 117,649 paylines!

Mystery Symbols – Look out for mystery symbols in the games on the slot sites on this page. They are usually represented by a Question Mark. When they land they will ALL transform into ONE symbol from the paytable. This, a bit like a wild, creates more opportunities for winlines to be completed. This is another feature commonly found in the Megaways™ slots created by Big Time Gaming.

These represent just a few of the features you can find in slot games. There are many more and new ones being invented all the time. Slot developers like No Limit City and Push Gaming are particularly innovative in this field and you should search out their games to find the most compelling and enjoyable gameplay. We recommend that you use the chance to play for free at Canadian casinos to find out which games and features you prefer.