Slot Machine Symbols Explained: History, Types, Winning Tips
Most need to be lined up on paylines alongside other identical symbols to tweedbet casino win prizes, but there are also special symbols. You’ll find a huge range of slot machine symbols used in the games here at Slotomania – why not start playing them today to find out more? Land enough of these anywhere, and you’ll win a prize and/or start a feature. But in truth, almost everything can be a slot theme – and it probably already has, as you’ll find tens of thousands of slots online! You’ll find a giant range of themes at online slots, supported by slot machine symbols matching the theme perfectly.
- An icon is the small image and title that represents the whole machine, and a surprising amount of design work goes into each one.
- Landing three sevens across a payline often delivers payouts of 100x to 500x your line bet.
- We have now talked about different types of wild symbols which appear by themselves.
- When a certain number of scatter symbols appear (usually three or more), they often activate bonus rounds, such as free spins, mini-games, or other interactive features.
- Another of the main types of classic slot icons is what you’ll find on the “fruit machines”.
- For all the wild themes and licensed tie-ins crowding the lobby these days, the old slot machine symbols just won’t quit.
When you see the scatter symbol appear, it will expand to fill an entire reel. An expanding scatter symbol works like an expanding wild symbol. If you are able to get a second scatter symbol to appear while the sticky one is holding, you may qualify for the reward. Since many games require you to get more than one scatter symbol to trigger a reward, a sticky scatter can be very helpful.
But there are slots which feature scatter wild symbols. If you get these on two or three reels at a time, you are in a great position to potentially get some serious payouts. Multi-space wild symbols such as expanding wilds and colossal wilds are sometimes sticky, and may hold through multiple spins. These wild symbols take up more space than a single symbol spot. Each of these stacked wild symbols will behave just like a regular wild in that they can substitute for any other symbols in the game. But other times, the overlay may be imperfect, so that part of the formation is off the edge of the screen and not affecting the paylines.
- Choose a slot game with a fun theme that you enjoy, since you’ll be spending a lot of time watching those symbols landing on the paylines.
- It is also common for them to be related to playing cards in some fashion.
- Moreover, each symbol has its own value or function; some award payouts, while others trigger bonus features like free spins or mini-games.
- It’s worth mentioning that in certain slot games that are particularly loaded with special features, you might find Scatters and special “bonus” symbols with a different look.
- All of the Online Casinos you’ll find here are safe, trusted, and legitimate.
- You’ll find the same stuff that you’ll find at any of the previously mentioned places.
Why Slot Machine Symbols Matter
These are special symbols which can substitute for others. This is a shot from the slot “Pistols and Roses”, one of the most basic slots you’ll find around. Choose a slot game with a fun theme that you enjoy, since you’ll be spending a lot of time watching those symbols landing on the paylines. But those are just the most common slot symbols out there. It is also common for them to be related to playing cards in some fashion.
Types of Slot Machine Symbols
The beauty of a multiplier being a scatter symbol is that by definition, it does not need to be on a payline with a winning combination to go into effect. This is a type of multiplier which is also a scatter symbol. A third type of special symbol which is common to find on slot games online is a multiplier symbol.
What are wild symbols?
Besides offering bigger payouts (ranging from 5X to 500X+), these symbols establish the game’s theme and overall identity. Once you understand the different symbols and what they represent, you’ll be better able to strategize each spin (and know when it’s time to get excited). Others are quite rare, and these trigger big payouts or lucrative bonus rounds. Understand these symbols and how they work, and you’ll have a leg up on slot jockeys who are just mindlessly pressing buttons. Additionally, an understanding of the pay table will mean you know exactly which symbols to look for so you can get excited as soon as they land on your screen.
How do bonus slot machine symbols work?
In terms of symbols, it featured the famous Liberty Bell, which is still commonly seen at slot machines today. It featured three reels and a single payline, plus payouts were automatic. For example, if the Stacked symbol covering multiple frames on a reel happens to also be a Wild symbol, you’ll have that many more Wilds and are all the more likely to create winning combinations.
Lucky 7 symbols typically rank among the highest-paying icons in classic slots, second only to jackpot symbols. The simple rectangular design makes BARs instantly recognizable, cementing their status as essential slot machine characters. Single BARs typically pay the least, double BARs offer mid-range rewards, and triple BARs deliver premium payouts.
Special Symbols
Low-value card symbols (10, J, Q, K, A) fill the reels more abundantly, creating frequent small wins that extend gameplay without depleting the game’s RTP allocation for major payouts. Premium symbols — usually themed icons unique to the game — offer the best payouts but appear less frequently due to the reel layout structure. Landing three sevens across a payline often delivers payouts of 100x to 500x your line bet.
So, you’ll find everything from animals to historical figures and aliens to pets spinning on the reels. Nowadays, all kinds of slot machine symbols are used – the only limit is the developer’s imagination! The BAR symbol also became common in the early 1900s, as it was the logo of the Bell-Fruit Company, a popular game manufacturer of the time. The next evolution in slot machine symbols came with fruit being added. As you can see, classic slot machine symbols owe much to Charles Fey and his Victorian invention. It also used other classic slot machine symbols, such as playing card values and horseshoes – also symbols still widely seen.

