If you answered 1 penny, you’re close but not quite there. If only it was that simple and that cheap to play penny slots games. At many land-based casinos around the world, even right here in Atlantic City, it costs a lot more than $0.01 to spin the reels and win for real at penny slots.
Truth be told, the minimum bet on a penny slot machine game is typically much higher than its namesake suggests. Don't be surprised if you are required to bet 50 coins, 100 coins, or more on a typical penny slot game. The 1 penny denomination refers to the minimum bet per line, and these games have dozens of lines in play. If you're heading into an Atlantic City casino, or a Las Vegas casino, be sure to load up with plenty of pennies in your bankroll.
Our in-house penny slots pros have put together an amazing guide for you, our most valued player. We’re going to bust some myths about penny slots, feed you some fast facts, and get you on the road with some great penny slots tips. If you've ever wondered how to win at penny slots, you're in luck. This guide is geared towards players who enjoy playing penny slots games. Let's backtrack for a second and explain exactly what penny slots are, and how they work.
First off, there are loads of penny slots games available to players. There are so many of them in fact, that it's hard to choose between them. These games are regular slots with multiple rows and lines, and the minimum bet per line is just a penny.
Land-based casinos realize that players are always looking for a good deal and penny slots seem to fit that bill perfectly. These easy-to-play slot games come in many different shapes and sizes, with animal-themed attractions, classic slots, and even action-adventure games.
THE BEST PENNY SLOTS TIPS ARE:
- Pick the best penny slot machine you can find
- Don't be misled by clever marketing on penny slots
- Learn the rules before you play the game
- Remember: RTPs on penny slots are notoriously low
- Decide on minimum or maximum bets
- Maximize your deposit bonus at online casinos
- Bust the myths and play the game
TIP 1: PICK THE BEST PENNY SLOT MACHINE YOU CAN FIND
Browse the selection of penny slots games and pick one that calls to you. As you're about to find out, this can prove to be quite a challenge. To help you pick the right machine, we've put together a quick list of characteristics that you should look for, including the following:
• At a land-based casino, be sure to explore all the penny slots games not merely the ones at the front by the entrance. You will be pleasantly surprised by the number of hidden gems on the casino floor.
• When picking the perfect penny slot, always seek out games with multiple ways to win. The more options available to you, the greater your chances. If at all possible, find information on the game’s RTP (return to player). The higher the RTP, the better.
• Consider online penny slots as a viable alternative to the rather expensive land-based penny slots games with their lower RTPs and higher payline playing requirements. For example, online penny slots may require you to play 20 – 50 paylines, as opposed to 50 – 300 paylines at land-based casinos.
TIP 2: DON'T BE MISLED BY CLEVER MARKETING ON PENNY SLOTS
Here's one right out of left field! If casinos are great at one thing, it's marketing their products to the masses. Penny slots are designed to be extra appealing, thanks to the bright lights, jingling jangling, and frenetic activity taking place on these machines. A profusion of colors and lights will draw players to these games like bees to honey. Protect and preserve your bankroll as much as possible. Don't be fooled by little payouts here and there.
Before you mosey on over to these attractive penny slots games, understand that all of these enticements are designed to keep you engaged while distracting you from the cost of playing these games. For example, the machine may require you to bet 200 lines per spin, and reward you with incremental payouts of $0.40, or even $0.50 every now and then. While it's certainly nice to win, you're still losing much more than you're winning. A 20% return on your money is an 80% loss – that's probably not what you were aiming for.
How to win at penny slots? Don't stick around for token payouts when you're losing big time.
TIP 3: LEARN THE RULES BEFORE YOU PLAY THE GAME
Here's a penny slots tip that very few players actually implement: Click on the rules and settings of a new penny slots game before you deposit real money and play. When you know what is expected of you, and how you can win, you are automatically in a much stronger position. Check out the pay table. How much do you get paid when you land certain combinations? What types of combinations are necessary for you to win?
Did you know that most slot games have high-paying symbols and low-paying symbols? Wild symbols substitute for other symbols to help form winning combinations and Scatter symbols typically award players with Free Spins when you land a certain number of them in tow. The number of coins you bet and the number of lines you play may influence the outcomes of your penny slots games. Be judicious in your gameplay to maximize your chances of winning.
TIP 4: REMEMBER - RTPS ON PENNY SLOTS ARE NOTORIOUSLY LOW
Not many people enjoy losing money at the casino – that much is true. Casinos know this and they use penny slots as a strategic resource for getting you to part with your money. You may not know it, but penny slots have lower RTPs (over the long-term) than the higher denomination slot games like video slots, and progressive jackpot slots. Why is this? It's simple really. For a casino to offer an affordable game, a trade-off has to be made on the part of the player.
That trade-off is a lower RTP. In other words, the payout potential of a penny slot game is less than the payout potential of a $10 slot game, $20 slot game, $50 slot game, or even a $100 slot game. Put differently, a casino would have to offer incredibly good odds for anyone to want to bet $100 on a slot machine game!
AMAZING STAT: When in Vegas, avoid the Las Vegas Strip with penny slot machine games. The Strip has a payback percentage of 88.45%, compared to downtown Las Vegas at 88.66%, the Boulder Strip at 90.42%, and North Las Vegas at 90.71%. Numbers matter.
TIP 5: DECIDE ON MINIMUM OR MAXIMUM BETS
We've posed #5 as a question, because most slot players believe that you have to bet the maximum per spin. If you were playing a $1 slot game with 1 – 5 coins per spin, the minimum bet that you could place would be $1 and the maximum bet that you could place would be $5.
Does the size of your bet influence your winning chances? Sometimes it does, and sometimes it doesn't. On progressive jackpot games, you activate greater winning potential when you play maximum bets. If you don't place the maximum bet size, you won't win the maximum prize.
Many penny slots games will pay out fixed awards on any bet size. You've simply got to get lucky to win. Plus, these games typically eliminate side games and bonus rounds for standard spins. Since all slots have a negative expected value, your long-term prognosis is defeat.
Over the short term, big winnings are certainly possible. If you have a limited bankroll – everyone does – it may be beneficial to extend your bankroll as long as possible so that variance can work in your favor. There's no point going broke within a few spins, if you can play many more slot sessions at reduced bet sizes and possibly stand a chance of winning big, especially on penny slots.
AMAZING STAT: If you are playing a 50-line penny slot game and you play 1 penny per line, you would need a bankroll of $125 to play for three hours. However, if you’re playing the same penny slot game with 5 pennies per line, you would need a bankroll of $625 to play for 3 hours – savvy?
TIP 6: MAXIMIZE YOUR DEPOSIT BONUS AT ONLINE CASINOS
Unfortunately, land-based casinos are unlikely to give you a matching deposit bonus and free spins. The good news is that online casinos in New Jersey probably will. Use these online casino bonuses to boost your bankroll when playing penny slots games. You can easily double your stash of cash with a 100% match bonus, so why not.
The biggest challenge facing any player is a limited bankroll. It's like rocket fuel for your gaming sessions. With the right bonus, you can extend your penny slots sessions and hopefully win at penny slots.
Incidentally, 888casino NJ offers new players a $20 free bonus, no deposit needed (T&C apply). Make your play – you never know when luck is coming your way!
TIP 7: BUST THE MYTHS AND PLAY THE GAME
You would not believe how many players are superstitious when they play slot games. Since luck determines who wins and who loses, it makes sense that people would avoid activities they deem unlucky, and embrace behaviors that bring good fortune.
For example, some people let paranoia get the better of them and think that somebody in a back room somewhere in the casino is pulling the strings and determining who wins and who loses. That's just not true – all games are governed by RNGs (random number generators). If it's your lucky day, it's your lucky day.
Other players believe that there is a certain ritual that needs to be followed when depositing and playing penny slot games. Truth be told, you could just as easily make one large deposit and click auto-play to let the games play out for you and all the outcomes would be determined by Lady Luck alone.
Yet another myth that continues to hog the limelight is that casino management documents how long a slot game has gone without paying out and then when the time is right, they will greenlight that game to make a payment. Once again, all outcomes are randomly determined. Besides, the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement (NJ DGE) does not allow any casino to manipulate the outcomes of a slot machine game.
Be sure to check out all of our great slot machine games right here at 888casino NJ. Use these tips and you will understand how to win at penny slots. Au revoir!