Best Online Slots: Our Favorite Apps & Games in 2025

Online slots continue to gain in popularity as both the quality and breadth of slots games provided by online slots providers continue to increase and improve. Hundreds of slots titles are available across the best NJ online casinos as well as the platforms available in all legal US casino states.

Best Places to Play Real Money Online Slots

Most Popular Online Slots Games

Real Money Slots vs. Free Online Slots

Free online slots are popular for individuals looking for fun gameplay online without risking any real money funds. However, real money online slots provide a level of excitement on top of entertainment. Here are the differences between real money online slots and free online slots you may encounter across the internet.

Real Money Online Slots

• Pros:
  • Access to welcome bonuses and free spins.
  • Potential to win real cash prizes.
  • Opportunity to play for progressive jackpots.
  • Eligible for loyalty and rewards programs.
• Cons:
  • Risk of losing real money.
  • Withdrawals of winnings may not be instant.

Free Online Slots

• Pros:
  • No sign-up required to start playing.
  • Opportunity to practice and improve skills without financial risk.
  • Can be played anonymously without providing personal information.
• Cons:
  • No eligibility for casino bonuses or promotions.
  • No chance to win real money or jackpots.

How to Choose The Best Online Slots

If you do some searching online for the best online slots games, you’re going to find a series of metrics such as RTP, volatility, minimum and maximum bets, and so forth. And these are important individual facts and metrics about each particular game that can be really helpful to select the best online slots games for your wagering and entertainment purposes. But, let’s be real, the reality is that the best online slots game for an individual is usually just the favorite online slots game for the individual. So, look, we’ll help give you the guidance here around various things to look for, but you’re going to have a favorite game. And, that’s absolutely ok.

RTP or Return to Player

RTP stands for Return to Player. It is typically a percentage that indicates the average amount of money a slot game will pay back to players over time. For example, if a slot has an RTP of 96%, it means that, on average, for every $100 wagered, $96 is returned to players, while the remaining $4 represents the casino’s edge. It’s crucial to understand that the average refers to the average over a lengthy period of time. You can see variance in the short-run.

Key points about RTP

• Long-Term Average: RTP is calculated over a long period and many spins, not on individual sessions.
• Varies by Game: Different slots have different RTP percentages. Higher RTP usually means better long-term odds for players.
• Not a Guarantee: RTP doesn’t guarantee winnings in the short term or on specific spins but gives an idea of the game’s payout potential over time.

Calculating RTP

To further cement your understanding of RTP, let’s consider a scenario where a slots game that has an established RTP of 94% has $4,000,000 in wagers collected over a given month, and during this time, it paid out $3,724,000 in winnings.

You can calculate the actual RTP over this time by calculating: $3,724,000 / $4,000,000 = .931.

This 93.1% is lower than the published 94% RTP.

It’s important to also consider the Volatility of the game, as the volatility will dictate the tolerance above or below the published RTP for the game depending on the volume of gameplay. Tolerance is typically broader or wider with less play, but as volume increases, the tolerance or variance from the published RTP should shrink.

Volatility or Variance

In its most simple form, the volatility or variance of a slots game refers to how often it pays out. The various components of volatility or variance are as follows:

• Payout Frequency: High volatility slots games pay out less frequently but typically with larger payouts. Low volatility games offer smaller, but more frequent payouts.
• Payout Size: High volatility slots games pay out larger payouts compared to low volatility games.
• Standard Deviation: If you break out your college statistics textbook, you’ll recall the term standard deviation. In statistics, standard deviation refers to how spread out the numbers or results are in a set of results. High volatility or a high standard deviation means the numbers or results can vary more widely within a group or a set of numbers. This applies to slots games in that a high standard deviation in a slots game means higher volatility. This means you’ll see larger swings, in both the positive and negative direction.

While this might seem like irrelevant mathematics, understanding volatility will help you choose the best slots game for you. If you have a lower bankroll or want smaller swings over the course of playing slots, you’ll likely prefer lower volatility games. If you have a larger bankroll or are comfortable w/ bigger swings, you might lean toward high volatility slots.

Regulated slots providers are subject to third-party auditing, testing, and verification. Things like RTP and volatility are important areas that are vetted by third parties, so that consumers and casino players can trust the information provided by the online slots providers.

Paylines

Simply put, paylines are the lines across the symbols and reels of a slot machine or online slot game that indicate winning spins. Essentially landing multiple symbols of the same type within a payline is how you win. In old school slots, this was mostly done through horizontal paylines and by getting three or more symbols horizontally across the reels, you could win money. In today’s slots we have horizontal paylines, vertical paylines, diagonal paylines and zig zag paylines.

Each slots game will have a paytable which will give you all the information you need about where the paylines are and what symbols are worth in terms of winnings.

Here is an example of what you might find in a paytable. This example shows a slots game where there are 20 paylines and the image tells the slots player the various ways they can win:

Innovative Slots Features

While RTP, paylines and slots volatility are standard elements of playing slots, there are some newer and more innovative slots features worth consideration as you determine your favorite slots apps and games.

Megaways

Megaways is a popular game feature in slots that waas created by Big Time Gaming. What occurs in a Megaways slots game is that a randomizer determines the number of symbols that appear on each reel for each spin. This means that the number of symbols on the reels will vary for each spin. This leads to a scenario where they can be tens or hundreds of thousands of ways to win.

While there might be more ways to win, it’s important for slots players to remember that the RTP is really what will determine the payout rate during game play over time. More ways to win doesn’t necessarily mean more winning.

Is Megaways for you? Some might prefer the randomness, variability, and excitement that these games can provide. Others might prefer a more straight forward slots game.

MultiWay Xtra Feature

MultiWay Xtra feature gives players 720 ways to win on every spin. Players can win by matching symbols in any position in adjacent columns either from the left or the right. More than one matching symbol in the column multiplies the win. Wild symbols will typically substitute all symbols except bonus or scatter symbols.

MultiWay is a feature that has been around for a few years in slots by companies such as IGT. It’s important to note that when a MultiWay game features something along the lines of “720 ways to win,” this does not always equate to 720 paylines.

Similar to Megaways, it’s important to know that RTP is still the main data point that will determine payouts over the course of gameplay for users.

ExitBet

ExitBet is a trademark of DraftKings and was developed in-house and rolled out with DraftKings’ popular Rocket game (as well as its sequel, Rocket 2). While most slots play is a single-action, single-player game, DraftKings Rocket has a community element where users are playing at the same time, together during each rocket launch. Additionally, rather than hitting the “SPIN” button once (or pulling a lever on an old school slots machine), Rocket and ExitBet offer a secondary action where the user doesn’t just place the initial wager, but also has to trigger a “bail out” during gameplay. This means the user remains active during the play of each round, as opposed to simply pressing the “SPIN” button.

We have not seen DraftKings employ the ExitBet technology in other games outside of Rocket and Rocket 2, but we look forward to them doing so. DraftKings continues to push the envelope on new game features and types of games through its in-house studio, Black Thrones Studios.

Symbol Boost

When DraftKings mentioned introducing “persistent player collections” related to its Sauce Boss BBQ game in a recent investor relations presentation, I was intrigued. The term they are now using is “Symbol Boost” which has also been trademarked by DraftKings. So what is Symbol Boost? We can describe it as it relates to gameplay with its Sauce Boss BBQ slots game.

When playing Sauce Boss BBQ, you have a “menu” of five symbols on the right-hand side of the screen. As you hit winning paylines during gameplay, you “sell” these items. For example, if you hit a payline with 3 corn symbols, your counter on the right-hand side of the screen will go from 15 corns to 12 corns. As you sell out the symbols (take them to zero), they are upgraded to the next highest value symbol which leads to increased odds. The status of how many you have sold out “persists” or is saved in between wagers and spins. Note that they are saved per bet amount, so if you toggle between a $1.50 bet to a $3.00 bet, you’ll have different values on the right-hand side (this means you can’t bet small amounts, sell out your items, then switch over to large amounts with better odd).

This fun concept adds another layer of entertainment and intrigue into slots gameplay. Kudos to the Black Throne and DraftKings teams for continuing to invest and innovate in terms of gameplay.

Best Online Slots Studios and Creators

A number of third-party slots studios and developers are licensed and regulated to provide high quality slots games to the industry. While some of the online casino apps build games in-house, they all also license third-party games. This is why you can play the popular game Cash Eruption, for example, on a number of different apps and you’ll have the same experience within the game. Here are some of the biggest and best online slots software companies today:

IGT

IGT (or International Game Technology) is an international company that produces slots machines as well as online slots software games. IGT has been responsible for the widely popular Cleopatra slots game as well as other recent hits such as Cash Eruption, Da Vinci Diamonds, Lobstermania, and Fortune Coin.

NextGen

NextGen licenses slots games to other providers and is responsible for popular games such as Bingo Billions, Dolphin Reef, Gorilla Go Wilder, and Shields.

NetEnt

NetEnt is a provider of online casino games and is now a part of Evolution. Popular titles from NetEnt include Starburst, Dead or Alive 2, Twin Spin, and Gonzo’s Quest.

Light & Wonder

Light & Wonder, previously known as Scientific Games, is an impressive and creative studio pumping out magical slots titles across the industry. Some of the popular slots games that can be attributed to Light & Wonder include 88 Fortunes, Blazing 777, Mighty Black Knight, and Ultimate Fire Link River Walk.

Slots Strategy

With slots games being governed by random number generators and a built-in edge favoring the house, what’s the best strategy for playing slots? To examine and discuss a few strategies when playing slots, we will reference a recent “Ask my anything” (AMA) on Reddit in which a slots game designer and mathematician offered insights on slots strategy.

Short Bursts

“Sticking to slots, I would pick a game I enjoy and go to the max bet. Here, I set two values: a upper and lower bound with them being above/below my current bank. Once I hit either bound, cash out and move to an entirely differenct game.

The reason for this is because I am playing the volatility of a game. If you play as many games as you can, you bacome the average, i.e. losing money. If you play in short bursts, you have a higher chance of landing in an up position compared to the average because the range the game might award is much bigger the less you play. So, it’s a game between getting lucky with the volatility and not becoming the average.”

Translation: Because the longer you play on a slots game, the more you will trend toward the built-in RTP or house edge, taking advantage of short bursts of volatility is an opportunity to “escape the average” and potentially win.

Finding the bonus

“Most bonuses happen within 100 spins or so. I think that would be a reasonable starting lower bound: 10k – (100 * max bet). Personal tolerance for risk to flavor, of course.

Assuming I don’t have 10k, I think $40-$60 is enough to push at one slot when I play at min bet.”

Translation: When playing slots, the biggest opportunity for winning money is triggering the bonus round. Ideally, within 100 spins, you can get into the bonus.

For anyone who has played slots, you know that the bonus rounds are where you can truly cash in. Oftentimes, the bonus rounds is what salvages a dwindling bank roll, or turns an average session into a winning session. Finding that bonus round and taking advantage of it is a primary goal.

Online Slots FAQ

Some of the frequently asked questions pertaining to the topic of online slots.

Where can you play real money online slots?

Online gaming and online slots is currently available in the following states: Connecticut, Delaware, Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and West Virginia.

There are a number of regulated online casino apps in operation in these states such as DraftKings, BetMGM, FanDuel, Caesars Palace, Fanatics, and more. You can see our list of the best online casino offers to take advantage of here:

What are the best slots games online?

While you can find information online around things such as the best paying slots or the slots games with the highest RTP, the reality is that the best slots game is a fairly subjective question to answer. The reality is that the best slots game is often merely your most favorite slots game. Slots is meant to be fun, entertaining and provide the ability to win some money. Do some research and analysis on the best games, but also factor in what games you enjoy and what games you are comfortable with.

What are slots paylines?

Paylines indicate the lines across the reels in which you must line up symbols to win. Historically, paylines were usually only horizontal, but now on modern slots games, they can be horizontal, vertical, diagonal, and more. You can check the game’s paytable to know the specifics for each game.

How do I know online slots are legit and fair?

If you are using regulated online casino apps, the games provided within these apps go through external verification and auditing to ensure fairness and legitimacy. The benefit of a regulated industry is that online casinos are subject to third-party audits and testing to ensure all games are compliant.

What does RTP mean?

RTP refers to Return to Player which indicates how much money that is collected in wagers is paid out to users as winnings over time. For example, a 97% RTP means that over time, $97 of every $100 is paid out to users as winnings. This can vary in small sample sizes, but over a long enough time horizon, actual RTP should be very close to the published RTP value of the game.

Can I win real money playing slots?

Yes, you can win real money playing slots in legal online slots states. It’s important to know that you can also lose money playing slots. Each regulated state has a number of responsible gambling initiatives and resources available to users that are struggling with problem gambling

How much can I bet on online slots?

Each slots game will have a minimum and maximum bet per spin typically. Some new users can be confused at times because when you set your bet amount you need to understand that your coin value is typically mutliplied by the number of paylines you are betting. Some games let you set both independently. If there are 20 paylines and you set the coin value to $1, your bet per spin of the game will be $20. Typically each game will have a maximum bet allowed as well. Consult the paytable or game rules to understand the minimums and maximums for each game.

What are scatter symbols?

Scatter symbols are usually some of the best symbols you can get in a slots game. They are special symbols, and they are typically used to unlock various bonus features. For example, in Cash Eruption, if you get 3 or more fireball “scatter” symbols, you’ll be transported into the Cash Eruption bonus round where there is tremendous opportunity for big winnings. Why is it called a scatter symbol? The name comes from the idea that the symbols can show up randomly or “scattered around” the reels.