Payline Math: Understanding Payouts and Odds in Online Slot Games

Online slots have rocketed in popularity, offering online entertainment combined with the possibility of winning real cash prizes. With thousands of titles to choose from, there’s an almost endless selection of slots to play at online casinos.

However, although it’s helpful to have Lady Luck on your side, slots are also about strategy. Managing your bankroll and balancing risk and reward are all part of smart game tactics. In order to do this effectively, it’s essential to understand the payline mathematics. This includes how payouts work and the odds that apply.

In this guide, we take a closer look at how paylines work, how to read paytables, and how to read the slot stats.

The Importance of Understanding Payouts and Odds

Online slots aren’t just a single entity. They come in many shapes and forms, with a variety of different types of payline. The payline is one of the most important elements, as this is how players win prizes while playing slots.

Although there are many different types of paylines, the principle is the same for all. Match up the required number of symbols along an active payline to win prizes. The number of symbols you need to win and the payout you’ll receive will be outlined in the paytable.

Online slots will check for winning spins and award prizes automatically. This means, in theory, you don’t need to know the rules to play. However, in order to devise the best strategy for your budget, it’s really important to understand what you could receive and your likelihood of winning.

With online casinos, the odds of winning are usually expressed as a percentage known as the Return to Player (RTP). We’ll take a look at this in more detail a little further down. It’s a good idea to check the RTP when deciding whether to play a game because it will allow you to understand whether the odds of winning are higher or lower.

The amount you could win is also highly relevant. For example, you might be willing to bet more money on a slot that has the potential to pay out big prizes. Conversely, if the top payout is relatively low, you might prefer to play with a lower stake.

There’s no right or wrong way to play, but it is important to set a strategy that matches your style and your budget. Understanding the probability of a win and the size of any potential payout will enable you to make informed choices.

You can find out how much you could win by referring to the slot paytable. We’re now going to look at the data contained in every paytable and how to understand the information being presented.

How to Read Paytables

Every slot has a paytable, even those with just a single payline. If you’re new to playing slots, the paytable may seem a little daunting. However, once you understand the symbols, you’ll be easily able to read the paytable from any game.

Some paytables are displayed on the main screen and are visible while playing the slot. The majority of paytables are more complex, and there’s simply not enough room on the screen to display the information. In these cases, players need to click a symbol, often an “i” or an “?” that’s typically next to the reels. This will pause the game and allow you to navigate to a fresh screen to display the full paytable, often over several pages.

The paytable will display a grid that shows the available paylines. Although the slot will always check for wins automatically, seeing where the symbols need to land for a payout is helpful and can add to the excitement during game rounds.

A full list of the symbols will also be shown in the paytable. This includes information on how many need to land for a win and the sliding scale of prizes. The more symbols you land, the larger the payout - but not all symbols have the same value. The paytable will display the differing values of each symbol, allowing you to ascertain where the big money prizes lie.

If any special symbols are included in the game, the paytable will show the conditions that apply to these. This includes their function in the game, their value, and how many you need to land.

The potential prizes directly correlate to the amount you stake on each spin. The payouts increase proportionately to the amount you gamble, but this may be represented in the paytable differently.

Sometimes, the paytable shows the number of coins you could win on each spin or sometimes the multiples of your stake payable. In other games, the paytable will show the value of each prize, which changes if you alter the stake. It will be very clear which one of these is reflected in the paytable so there’s no chance of any confusion.

In the next section, we will examine the symbols you might find on a payline and what each means.

A Paytable in Practice

To demonstrate how this works in practice, take a look at the paytable below. This shows the prizes available on the popular Blueprint slot, Fishin’ Frenzy.

There are nine different types of regular symbols, and they are grouped according to their value. The prizes increase depending on how many of each symbol land; the more symbols that land, the higher the prize.

However, the differing values of the symbols means that landing fewer of a high value symbol can deliver a bigger win than more of a low value symbol. For example, landing five of one of the 10/J/Q/K/A symbols will pay a prize of 100, based on the stake selected. But if you land buoys or a tackle box, you only need four to win the same payout.

The top value symbol in this game is the pelican, which pays out a maximum of 2000 times your bet for a full line of five.

All of the symbols have to land along an active payline starting from the far left reel to count towards a win.

Slot Symbols

Historically, all slots had a fruity theme, which is why they were sometimes known as fruit machines. This isn’t the case now; online slots are available in virtually any theme you can imagine. This means that the style, design, and icons used in every slot are vastly different.

Despite the wide-ranging themes available, each slot has a similar selection of symbols. The appearance of these symbols may not be the same, but their function is identical, even between different providers.

Most symbols can be classified into one of the following groups:

Standard Symbols

Standard symbols are the main type of icon that you’ll find on the reels. They typically make up most of the board and will feature heavily in the paytable.

The design of standard symbols will depend on the theme of the game, but it’s common to have a selection. There is no specific number of types of standard symbols that must be included, but most slots have between 5 and 10 different ones.

The standard symbols range in value, starting with the lowest and rising to the top-value standard symbol. Most slots require at least three standard symbols to be matched along a payline for a win at the lower end of the paytable. Some of the higher-value slots may pay out for a match of two or more.

There’s nothing complicated about standard symbols; the goal is to land as many matching symbols as you can along a payline. The more you land on the same payline on a single spin, the more you could potentially win. Paylines usually run from left to right, so the symbols start to be counted from the far left-hand reel.

There are some slots where the paylines are organised differently, such as running both ways, but you’ll always find this explained in the paytable.

Wild Symbols

Wild symbols are one of the most common types of special symbols. They may have their own value, but that’s not always the case.

Depending on the game, wilds might not land on every reel. In some slots, they can only appear on specified reels.

It’s very useful to land a wild as its function is to stand in for any other standard symbol. This means you can use a wild symbol to make a winning line.

Although every wild performs the same function, they sometimes appear in different forms.

Regular wilds are only on the board for a single turn before disappearing, just like standard symbols. Sometimes, they may stay on the board for several turns; these are known as sticky wilds.

Walking wilds are symbols which move gradually across the board on each spin before dropping off. Roaming wilds also move around on each spin, but in a less structured way.

Wilds can sometimes have a multiplier attached; when used to complete a winning line, the multiplier will be applied to the payout.

You can’t usually use a wild to stand in for any of the other special symbols; they can only represent standard symbols.

Scatter Symbols

Scatter symbols are sometimes known as bonus symbols as they typically unlock special features or a bonus round. The paytable will confirm the number of scatters that need to land at once, but it’s usually three or more. In some cases, landing more scatters will enhance the features granted in a bonus round.

Unlike standard symbols, scatters count no matter where they land on the reels. They don’t need to line up along the same payline to be valid. This is what’s so special about scatters; they are always valid no matter where they are.

Landing the required number of scatter symbols could unlock one of many features. The free spins round is often accessed via landing scatters and bonus features.

The scatter, or bonus symbol as it’s sometimes known, is one of the most variable symbols. The features attached to the scatter can vary between games, so it’s vital to check the paytable carefully to see what can be unlocked and won.

What is RTP?

With any type of gambling, there are always odds to consider. In other words, you need to factor in how likely you are to win. The casino will always retain what’s known as a house edge. This is industry jargon and simply means the casino's advantage over the player.

It doesn’t matter what you like to play; every game has a house edge. This includes table games, roulette, and online slots.

Another way of describing the house edge is the Return to Player (RTP). This figure describes the likelihood the player has of winning. The RTP figure is always expressed as a percentage, and the higher it is, the better for the player. This is the opposite of the house edge; a low house edge is better for the player.

In reality, the house edge and RTP are two sides of the same coin. For example, the hit online slot Gonzo’s Quest has a house edge of 4%. However, the house edge is rarely quoted in slots, as the RTP is usually used instead. This means that you’ll probably see Gonzo’s Quest advertised with an RTP of 96% - which is the same as a house edge of 4%!

The RTP is calculated over a very long gaming period, far greater than would be possible to play in real life. This means that it’s merely an average expected outcome; when you play for a shorter period, your actual experience may be different.

For this reason, you should only ever use the RTP figure as a guide to help you select games where there’s a greater probability of winning.

Why is RTP Important?

The RTP figure is vital because it allows players to identify games with a higher average payout. Although there are no guarantees, your chances of a win are better with a slot that has a high RTP.

The RTP figure describes how much you are likely to win back for every £100 bet when the game is played over a long period. Using the same example of Gonzo’s Quest, the RTP suggests that players will win £96 for every £100 they bet.

This may not seem like a good deal but don’t forget the RTP is just a guide. Some players may win much higher sums, while others may lose more. As an average, the RTP is simply a way of identifying games that have a greater probability of paying out.

When considering RTP, you should always look at the volatility too. This describes how often the payouts are made. For example, an online slot with a high RTP might sound great, but if it has a high volatility, the payouts may be infrequent yet high value. Conversely, a low-volatility slot may pay out regularly, but the prizes will be much smaller.

The volatility of the game greatly influences the playing experience and determines how you need to manage your bankroll. High-volatility games require careful budget management so you don’t wipe out before the win hits the reels.

Although it’s always preferable to look for a high RTP, the volatility of each game is a personal preference. Some players like to receive more frequent wins, while others are happy to hold out for longer for less frequent but higher amounts.

One final note worth emphasising is that the top prizes payable on any slot can be paid out, regardless of volatility. Once again, the volatility of any slot is merely an average, and the individual experience may be different.

To Sum Up

Once you understand what each symbol means, it’s easy to work out the mathematics for each slot. Using the paytable, players can see how much can be won and what symbols need to land.

No matter how complex the game, the paytable is always structured in the same way. RTP and volatility will also apply to every slot. If you check all of this information before you start to bet, you’ll be well-informed to devise the best strategy to improve your chances of a win.