How to Win at Online Slots – Tricks, Hacks and Strategies
While it is nearly impossible to trick a slot machine to win due to in-built RNGs preventing tampering, we will look at methods used by professionals and whether or not they actually work. If you have been looking for strategy on how to win at slots, our article will look for solutions.
We’ve also got some slot tips, and will examine some hacks and the tricks online slots cheats have been using since time immemorial to see how the experts do it. However, it’s important to note that the latter is only provided for informational purposes, and that CryptoNews does not encourage or endorse illegal behavior.
Best Strategies on How to Win at Slots
If you still want unique ways to trick a slot machine to win, we’ve got some betting strategies to consider and you can decide if any of them will work for you.
Levels Betting
It is the most favored strategy among slot players who are just getting started and learning the basics on how to play slots online, and it works by using various steps you take on your wager size. Firstly, you must set the size of your stake. This slots strategy is to set it at around 1% of your gambling budget for each gaming session. You will start spinning on a slot with that size unit, and after 5 losses, you will increase it by 5 levels.
So if you were wagering with $1 stakes on each spin and had 5 consecutive losses, you would increase the state up 5 levels to $5. If you have another 5 losses in a row, you would increase again to a $10 stake. If you have a winning spin, you start back at the beginning.
The thoughts on this strategy are to attempt to win back any losses. So, by increasing your wager and hitting a win, your profit will be higher if you have moved up levels. If you are lucky enough to land a free spin or bonus round at high stakes, you can win significant payouts.
Fixed Percentage Betting
It’s another of our slot machine hacks, but slightly more involved. It will take some concentration, and a bit of math, because a calculator is required. Instead of upping your stake on a loss, you bet according to your playable balance. While many players will use 5% of the budget, we prefer to stick to around the 3% mark.
So, if you were playing online slots session and began with $10, you would place bets of $0.30. While that may be an awkward number and more challenging to find than online slots with $0.25 bets, you can adjust the percentage slightly to suit your slot. If you have a win of $10 on a free spins bonus games and are now sitting with a balance of $20, you would up your bet to $0.60.
You can continue your slots strategy until the end of your gaming session or when you are happy with your profits and ready to bank them.
Martingale Betting System (with a limit)
Although not a method of how to cheat a slot machine, the Martingale betting system is a popular strategy not typically used by slot players, but by live dealer players on roulette or even blackjack.
It works best on games with even money odds, so we have had to adjust the strategy somewhat to suit slots. We also recommend always setting yourself a maximum limit when using this strategy.
It is a straightforward betting strategy where you double your wager after any loss and then take it back to your original bet after you have had a win. Slots can yield unpredictable results, and we’ve all had sessions where, after many spins, we haven’t had any wins. So we suggest you don’t exceed 16x of your initial stake, as it could get costly.
Progressive Jackpot Strategy
Attempting to win a progressive jackpot is a challenging feat. However, some players use the jackpot strategy with success. Instead of playing on non-progressive slots, they only play on jackpots. Although the odds are slim, the more they play, the more they increase their odds.
There are a few things to consider when playing online slots at online casino. They will have a much lower RTP. This is due to a percentage of each stake going towards the jackpot. There are many jackpots available that can pay out millions. However, some of these jackpots do have some eligibility requirements.
While you can play slots on the minimum bet amount on some games, on others there may be a minimum stake to be eligible. A classic example is Jackpot Giant, where you have to spin a minimum of $4 per spin to have a chance.
Winning a massive progressive jackpot is rare; you must have a substantial bankroll to keep spinning on those reels. If you can use a smaller bet, it’s the best strategy to make it last longer. Many players will also only hit the jackpots that have grown considerably. However, progressive jackpots can drop at any time.
How to Win at Slots: Top Tips
So, before we look at whether there are ways to manipulate a slot machine, let’s start with the basics and understand how slots run.
Don’t Forget About the Basics
There are thousands of slot options for players, so sometimes it seems impossible to pick the right ones. While it’s great fun if you have chosen a slot with a theme you enjoy or incredible graphics, it will not help you win. The secret to choosing a slot is finding those that offer you the best slot odds and, therefore, more winning chances.
Pick the Right Online Slot Machines
Picking the right slots involves understanding how slots are developed and the potential differences between games. The main two elements affecting your gameplay are the RTP and the volatility.
RTP
You will have seen RTP terminology if you have ever played slot machines. It stands for Return to Player, the amount you should receive back on your wager. The average RTP of 96% means you will receive back 96 cents for every dollar you wager, and the casino house edge is 4 cents.
Choosing a higher rate with online slots like Bloodsuckers, which has a 98% RTP, will also mean the casino house edge drops to only 2 cents. However, each player’s experience and results regarding RTP won’t be the same. It’s because the RTP is worked out over the game’s lifetime; therefore, it takes millions of spins to produce these results. You can find more about this topic in our detailed guide on slot machine odds.
Volatility
The volatility of a slot games is another essential factor to know and will help you choose the right one. It determines how much and how frequently payouts happen. The 3 primary levels are low, medium, and high. You can also find slots somewhere in the middle, like a low to medium or a medium to high.
You will have more frequent wins with a low volatility slot, but most won’t be much more than your wager. A high volatility, however, can yield more significant wins. They will be less frequent. Medium volatility is between the two, so slightly higher wins and a medium frequency of its payouts.
We suggest finding online slots with high RTP rates of anything over 96% and low or medium volatility, depending on your risk levels.
Practice in Demo Mode
Many online casino players don’t realize you can play online slots in demo mode. This is one of our online slot machine hack tips, because you don’t have to test slots with real money. Instead, you can play slots for free in the demo version. It’s a great way to try out some of the slots, and if you don’t like the gameplay on one, you can switch to another.
The various bet levels, bonus rounds, and other features are the same when playing in demo mode. The only difference is you won’t get to bank any wins, as you are essentially playing with casino fake cash. However, we suggest you playing slot machines with the same wager as you would if you were playing for real. It allows you to see how long the funds last.
Another way to manipulate a slot machine games in demo mode and test its bonuses is to use the bonus games buy feature for the free spins or bonus feature. It typically costs around 100x the bet, so it’s not cheap. But with the demo mode, it’s free, so you can buy it and see if you were playing for real, whether it is something you may consider. Or whether it helps how to trick a slot machine to win.
Use Casino Bonuses and Free Spins
Online casinos are always looking at ways to entice players and to keep their existing users playing. They do this by offering various bonuses. There are many, but the most important ones to look out for are as follows:
Welcome Bonus
The welcome bonus is a drawcard, and you will see it prominently displayed on the homepage when you open the website. While every casino differs, examples of a welcome bonus could consist of any of the following:
- 100% deposit match up to $1,000 and 100 free spins
- 200% deposit bonus of up to $500
- Deposit and wager $10 receive 100 free spins
- Claim up to $4,000 on your first four deposits at the casino and 200 free spins
Ongoing Promotions
To retain players, online casinos will offer various types of offers. They can consist of further deposit matches of 50% or 100%. Some offer a set number of free spins on your deposit, while others provide cashback offers. If you find a cashback offer requiring no wagering, it turns it into a risk-free option.
VIP/Loyalty Program
Another typical offer is a casino or loyalty program. While some require an invite, some will automatically join you when registering. When playing you will accumulate points, which will move you up the various tiers. As you hit new tiers, you will receive cashback offers, free spins, and deposit bonuses.
With all bonuses, there are wagering and terms that you must be aware of. So, a top tip is always to read the terms to know what’s expected of you before you play slot machines.
Use a Proper Online Slot Games Strategy
Even though there is no way to cheat on slot machines, as it is entirely a game of chance, you can use strategies to help you get better results. We detailed some of the top slot strategies in the section about.
Know When to Stop – Play Online Slot Games Responsibly
Although you may believe you know how to hack slot machines with a phone and think you can make some quick money, it is not that easy. Gambling is meant as a means of enjoyment, and it should not harm your personal or professional life. The main principle of responsible gambling is to only ever gamble with funds you can afford to lose.
Never gamble past that. If it is a favorite pastime, set aside a monthly or weekly budget depending on your pay schedule and stick to it. Online casinos have many tools in place that can aid you, including some of the following:
- Deposit limits. This is the perfect way to set your spending limits. Many online casinos nowadays have built-in tools to set it up and limit yourself to daily, weekly, or monthly amounts.
- Loss limits. A loss limit is where you set the maximum amount you can lose over a set period. It does include wins, so if you have had a big win and a loss in your next session, the win will counterbalance the loss. You can also set daily, weekly, or monthly limits. Once you reach them, you can’t play slots or deposit until your new limit starts.
- Reality checks. It is easy to get caught up in the fun of slot machines and lose track of time. So, with a reality check, you can set pop-ups to remind you, say, every hour of your time gambling online.
- Self-exclusion. A self-exclusion is a last resort when gambling has gotten out of control, and it’s time to take a break. While some countries like the UK have GamStop, and in Ontario Canada is My Playbreak. Once you join, you won’t be able to play slot machines at any casinos that the United Kingdom Gambling Commission licenses for GamStop and the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation for Canada. If your country does not provide this service, you can speak to the casino directly, who can advise you on how to set your self-exclusion breaks.
Most Common Mistakes When Playing Slots
Players make many mistakes when gambling, meaning some do not get the best out of their casino experience. Let us look at what they are, so you can incorporate them into your gambling strategies.
- Ignoring bonuses: Online casino bonuses are an excellent way to get some more money for your deposit and extend your gameplay. Many players don’t take advantage of them, based on the misconception they are too complicated. As long as the wagering is fair, and by that, we think anything 40x wagering or less is doable. Choose slots with high RTP and low volatility.
- Chasing losses: If you have used up your budget for your session, you must cut any losses and walk away. Unfortunately, some players cannot and will keep depositing. They believe they will recoup the losses and win more with only a few more spins. It typically does not end well, so stick to your budget.
- Not understanding the casino’s T&Cs: When you join a new casino, you must tick a box to confirm you have read and understood the terms and conditions. It also protects the casino if you break any of those terms. So, while many players won’t read it, we recommend you always do. It is essential to know the details when claiming casino bonuses. They may exclude certain games and have maximum bet limits. If you break them, you can lose your bonus funds and possibly your deposit.
- Not having a budget: Budgeting is a crucial element of online gambling. You must set aside money you can afford to lose for gambling. When depleted, do not dip into other funds. You can set a budget for a session, a weekly budget or even monthly, whatever works best for you.
- Choosing the wrong online casino: While most online casinos are safe and secure, some unscrupulous operators exist. Before joining, always check that the casino has a gambling license. Without one, you will have no protection over your funds or comebacks. You can contact the regulator with a licensed casino if there are issues. They will find ways to mediate between you and the casino and try to resolve the issue.
- Choosing the wrong games: When deciding what to play, look at the RTP and volatility and aim for high RTP and low or low to medium volatility. Play them in the demo mode first to get a feel for them before spinning for real money.
Popular Jackpot Slots that Pay Big
Are you looking for the top progressive jackpots? We’ve got the top 3, which have made many players millionaires overnight.
Mega Moolah
Mega Moolah is a Games Global slot released in 2006 that you play across 3 rows, 5 reels, and 25 fixed paylines. It has a low RTP of 88.12%, but that’s due to a large amount of junk going into the 4 progressive jackpot pots. It has low volatility so you can expect small but frequent payouts.
The betting range is from $0.25 to $6.25, and you can spin with the minimum for the jackpot. Besides its jackpots, you trigger a free spin feature with 3 scatters. What you get is 15 free spins with a 3x multiplier.
To trigger the progressive jackpot is completely random and can occur on any spin. Once it triggers, you get taken to a giant wheel with 20 segments. The jackpot sum you will win depends on where it lands. There is only one segment for the grand jackpot, so you have a 20 in 1 chance.
The largest winner was a lucky player from Belgium, who in 2018 won an impressive mouth-watering sum of $20 million. It also holds the title of the most significant payout on slots in the Book of Guinness World Records.
Gladiator
The Gladiator Jackpot is a Playtech release from 2012. It has 5 reels, 3 rows, and 25 paylines. The RTP is 91.46%, and it has medium volatility. Besides its jackpot, it also has a free spins feature. Land 3 scatters, and you will enter a Pick Me screen where you can pick the number of free spins and your multipliers.
Placing a bet will cost you from $0.25 to $20, and there is no minimum to trigger the jackpot. You need 3 helmet wilds on the 2nd, 3rd and 4th reels to trigger the progressive jackpot. Its biggest win was in 2020, with a payout of $3,397,106.
Mega Fortune
The Mega Fortune jackpot slot by NetEnt is a 2009 release and it’s one of the top progressive jackpots on the market. It has 5 reels, 3 rows, and 25 fixed paylines. You can spin from $0.25 to $50 per spin; any size can trigger the jackpot. It has a high RTP for bitcoin jackpot slots of 96.60% and low volatility, so it is a perfect combination.
One of the bonus features is the free spins with 3 scatters. Click on 1 of the champagne glass scatters to find your number of free spins. It also has a 5x multiplier on all wins. To enter the jackpot, you need 3 bonus wheel symbols from left to right on the reels on a payline. There are 3 wheels, with various coin wins. Landing on an arrow takes you up a level and to the ultimate jackpot.
Mega Fortune’s first jackpot winner won a staggering €4.3 million; its second winner took home an astonishing €3.9 million. There is no doubt that these wins are impressive, but they are nowhere near a Swedish student’s January 2013 world record earnings of €17.8 million.
How to Win at Slots at Land-Based Slots Casinos
Although very similar, land-based slot machines have different mechanics from online ones, and before technological progress, many players had methods on how to cheat slot machines. There were various ways to manipulate slot machines, and many of them worked until the culprits got caught.
Note that the following paragraphs provide information on slot scam tricks solely for educational and informational purposes. Cryptonews does not endorse, encourage, or support any form of illegal or unethical behavior, including the use of fraudulent practices to manipulate slot machines or engage in any other unlawful activities.
Coin on a String
One of the first ways for how to trick a slot machine into winning was the coin on a string trick. A player would insert and remove a coin with a string, fooling the machine into believing you had invested money.
Cheat Code
Slot machines are designed with codes, and to know how to use cheat codes or how to hack keno slot machines with a phone, you have to be an engineer. One engineer from the Nevada Gaming Commission, Ronald Dale Harris, did precisely that. He had spent years learning how to hack slot machines.
It wasn’t until his partner had a $100,000 win on a Keno game in 1995 that his scam got revealed, and he got prosecuted.
Shaved Coins
Slot cheaters would use shaved coins and objects of the same shape, which tricked the slot sensor. It would return the shaved coins, but the other objects were accepted as money, allowing them to play for free. It happened in the 1980s and is no longer possible with updated slot mechanics.
Fake Coins
Besides shaved coins, cheaters would create fake coins with the same shape and weight as the original. The most well-known casino cheater was Louis “The Coin” Colavecchio, who scammed many Las Vegas casinos for hundreds of thousands of dollars until his arrest in 1998. On his release in 2006, he continued cheating, only to get arrested again shortly after his release.
Magnet
Cheaters used magnets to hack slot games by spinning the reels and waiting for a winning combination of matching symbols. They would use a magnet to the side, which would instantly cause the slot to stop and payout.
Yo-Yo
Like the string on a coin cheat, players would yo-yo the coin over the laser sensor, which would trick it into believing you had topped it up and let you play for free. However, this is another one that won’t work anymore due to the digitalization of slot machines.
Biggest Slot Machine Wins
The biggest slot wins all come from Las Vegas from land-based casinos, with Mega Moolah not far behind.
- $39.7 Million – Excalibur Casino
- $34.9 Million – Desert Inn
- $27.5 Million – Palace Station Casino
- $22.6 Million – Bally’s Casino
- $21.3 Million – Caesar’s Palace
Conclusion – Can You Learn How to Manipulate a Slot Machine?
While in the past there were many methods that you could use to trick a slot machine to win, with modern technology, it has become impossible to rig slot machines. While some players still believe they know how to hack slot machines with a phone or other devices, it is dangerous, futile and illegal, with potentially severe consequences for anyone caught trying to perpetrate slot machines cheats. Learning how to cheat a slot machine is not worth a huge fine or prison time.
Instead, you can follow many strategies to improve your gameplay. Although they won’t guarantee a win, they can help you up your gameplay and might even bring a sense of strategy to these games that are ultimately based on pure chance. Focusing on how to manipulate a slot machine illegally will only bring disappointment – focusing on slots strategy and technique can help you up your game as an experienced casino player.
Slot Machine Hacks FAQs
Is there a trick to winning slot machines?
No, there isn’t. There is no way to trick a slot machine to win. It is a game of chance and a little bit of luck.
What triggers a slot machine to win?
It is entirely random. Modern online slots have RNGs, a complex algorithm that will generate millions of combinations on each spin, and you cannot guess or change the results.
Is there a way to tell if a slot machine is going to hit?
No, there isn’t. While many players believe in hot and cold slot machines, it is a fallacy, and they are random, with no way of knowing when it will pay. Casinos wouldn’t be in business still if you could.
How do you pick a slot machine that will win?
You can’t. But you can pick a slot machine with a high RTP rate and low volatility, which pays out more frequently and will extend your gaming session over high-volatility ones.
Do you know how to hack slot machines with phone?
It’s against the law to try to hack a slot machine with your phone. Modern slot machines have been tested to be as hacker-safe as possible, and if you’re caught trying to hack a slot using your phone, you can face serious consequences.
Additionally, the software that hackers claim can disrupt the random number generator (RNG) in slot machines and increase the chances of winning is highly illegal and ineffective. It can even contain malware that can compromise personal information, giving hackers an in into your personal devices, information and accounts. Do not attempt this.
References
- My PlayBreak learn more about gambling exclusion – OLG.ca
- Exclusion List Ronald Dale Harris – The State of New Jersey Department of Law and Order
About the Author
Nick Pappas 
Goran Radanovic 