Online Slot Glossary

Bonus buy

An optional paid entry into a specified feature. Its cost is separate from a normal base spin and the feature rules should be checked before purchase.

Cascade or tumble

A mechanic where winning symbols disappear and new symbols fall or appear in their place, sometimes creating several wins from one paid spin.

Demo mode

A practice version that uses a non-withdrawable balance. Demo results do not create real winnings or predict a future real-money session.

Free spins

A feature awarding a number of spins without charging the base-spin stake again. Special multipliers, reels or symbols may apply inside the feature.

Hit frequency

The long-run proportion of spins expected to produce any win. It does not describe the size of those wins or guarantee a win within a short session.

Maximum win

The largest payout permitted by the game rules, normally expressed as a multiple of the triggering stake. It is a cap, not an expected outcome.

Payline

A defined pattern across the reels on which matching symbols can form a win. Some games have fixed lines and others allow the player to select them.

Paytable

The in-game rules panel listing symbols, payouts, features and winning combinations. It is the best source for the exact rules of a particular slot.

RNG

A random number generator used by a game system to select outcomes. Provider slots and Pixi Originals may use different game and verification systems.

RTP

Return to player is a theoretical long-run percentage calculated across a very large number of wagers. It is not a promise about one player, session or deposit.

Scatter

A symbol that can award a prize or trigger a feature without following the normal payline rules, depending on the game.

Stake

The amount committed to a spin or feature. Optional features can have a different cost from the base stake shown on the main spin control.

Volatility

A description of how a game's theoretical return is distributed. Higher-volatility games generally concentrate more return in less frequent, larger outcomes.

Ways to win

A system paying matching symbols on adjacent reels without fixed line shapes. The number of possible ways can change when reel heights or symbol positions change.

Wild

A symbol that substitutes for specified regular symbols or has another special function described in the game rules.

Definitions help you read a game, but the exact paytable always controls. Browse the current slots catalogue or read the online slot guide.