The first thing most casinos talk about is a number. “4,000+ slots!” is prominently displayed in a banner, normally along with a welcome promotion and/or an image of a gold coin engaging in some sort of drama. I’ve spent countless hours browsing casino lobbies and that number rarely indicates whether I’d enjoy playing at the particular casino. There have been some of the best slot lobbies I’ve experienced at less than 1500 slots. There have been some terrible slot libraries with more than 6000 slots – most of which were variations of only three different mechanics using different fruit images on the reels. Therefore, this article provides a practical approach to evaluating a slot library; including what to check, where to look, which numbers are relevant and which are not, and what numbers are simply promotional. This article is intended for those who have browsed a casino’s lobby, viewed titles for 10 minutes and ultimately chosen to play the same title(s) they regularly choose to play.
More than just counting titles – Slot library size
Large quantities of titles can indicate a variety of things; however, there may not necessarily be any positive correlation between quantity and quality. To use the analogy again, having a large quantity of items on the menu at a restaurant means you have many possible selections to order from; however, a large quantity of selections can also indicate that the restaurant is simply microwaving everything. What you really want is both breadth and depth. Breadth refers to the variety of titles offered. Depth refers to the number of good titles offered within each type of style you prefer.
You’ll fall into a trap. Many aggregator platforms allow developers to include hundreds of games from multiple developers with one integration. Therefore, it is entirely feasible for a developer to increase their library by hundreds of titles virtually overnight. While this is not inherently negative; however, the majority of new games released are extremely similar. As such, a massive library can feel monotonous regardless of how many titles there are. I recall counting the “Books” slot titles at a single casino and was able to lose track of the count when it exceeded forty.
Therefore, how many slots should an online casino have? Honestly, there is no magical number. In regulated markets, you will likely see anywhere from approximately 300 titles at a relatively new or smaller casino to thousands of titles at larger multi-branded casinos. For the vast majority of players, 800 – 2000 titles with a reasonable amount of organization and filtering will provide enough options to avoid feeling limited. Beyond this point, the ratio of quality to quantity becomes significantly skewed toward quality. The correct question to ask yourself is not “how many?” but rather “which of these titles would I realistically play, and can I find them?”
Provider Mix: Major Developers, Indie Developers and Exclusives
If I only needed to check one item prior to creating an account, I would check the list of game developers. The provider mix indicates far more information regarding a game catalog than any title count will ever convey, as each developer has its own unique characteristics, math model, and preferred mechanisms. The major established studios form the foundation. Pragmatic Play provides shear volumes of games and some of the most popular games in existence today: Gates of Olympus, Sweet Bonanza, The Dog House, and the Big Bass Bonanza series (Big Bass Splash). NetEnt provides access to classic titles that nearly everyone knows about: Starburst, Gonzo’s Quest, Dead or Alive 2, and Divine Fortune Jackpot. Play’n GO provides access to Book of Dead and Reactoonz. Games Global (which now includes the former Microgaming content) provides Mega Moolah.
Playtech, Red Tiger Gaming and Light & Wonder complete the major-developer level in many jurisdictions. Additionally, in the United States, land-based casinos’ heavy hitters: IGT, Aristocrat, and Konami will bring many titles to online casinos, such as Cleopatra, Wheel of Fortune, and Megabucks. Next are the mid-tier studios. At this point is where an online slot library begins to become more interesting. Big Time Gaming created Megaways and continues to develop many variants of it (Bonanza Megaways, White Rabbit Megaways). Relax Gaming developed Money Train. Push Gaming developed high volatility games that some players love while others will want to steer clear (Razor Shark and Jammin’ Jars). Hacksaw Gaming and Nolimit City create chaotic games that players will either love or hate.
ELK Studios, Thunderkick, Yggdrasil Gaming, Blueprint Gaming, Wazdan, BGaming, PG Soft, Betsoft, Greentube (Novomatic), and Amusnet fill gaps in various ways, from mobile-first portrait games to retro-style fruit machine titles. Why does provider diversity matter so much? Because an online casino with only one or two major suppliers will be redundant no matter how many titles they advertise. An online casino that combines major suppliers with a few quality independent developers will provide additional features/bonus structures/ hit ratios/artistic representations etc…and possibly games that none of the surrounding casinos are offering.
RTP Transparency: Finding the Version You’re Playing
I think this section frustrates most players the most. RTP (return-to-player) is the theoretical percentage of total bets placed on a game that it will pay back over a long period of time. A game with a theoretical RTP of 96%, therefore theoretically has a 4% house advantage. RTP tells you absolutely nothing about your next session which can be wildly in favor or against you. However, over tens of thousands of spins, RTP matters greatly.
The Same Game, Same Graphics, Same Bonus Structure, Different Long-Term Return
You won’t know it by playing. Thusly how do you find RTP for individual slot games at an online casino? Open the game you wish to view RTP for. Look for an ‘i’ icon or menu button inside the game that opens the Info/Pay Table Panel. Inside the Info/Pay Table Panel look for the RTP figure for the version you are currently playing. Reputable studios will display RTP figures for each version of a game that you are playing at that casino. If no RTP is provided, or if an online casino advertises RTP on their marketing page but not on the game tile/info panel; then consider being somewhat skeptical. Most online casinos will display RTP figures on the game tile or allow users to filter by RTP; thus, this is a good indication that they are providing lower RTP versions of their games under the table.
Volatility Range: Matching Games with Your Bankroll
As stated above RTP is the theoretical percentage returned over time. Volatility (or Variance) defines how that return is structured. Low volatility games will pay out small amounts of money fairly consistently throughout your gaming experience. High volatility games will remain silent for extended periods of time and then suddenly pay out large amounts of money at random intervals. A third statistic (Hit Frequency) is sometimes reported by studios and is intended to describe how often you can expect to receive any payouts during your gaming experience.
How do you determine slot volatility at an online casino?
Some studios report their volatility rating as a numerical value (e.g., a 1-5 rating system) inside the Info Panel as a lightning bolt symbol report it as a description only in their marketing literature. The best lobbies have a volatility filter that allows you to select low-volatility slots or high-volatility slots in two seconds versus spending hours researching.
In addition to reporting volatility ratings, most studios will report Max Win values inside their respective info panels. These Max Win values tend to represent extreme mathematical constructs of their respective games.
Lobby Filters/Search/Organization:
My personal take on this subject is that an online casino’s slot library is only as good as its lobby. Having 2,000 games with zero filters is generally worse than having 800 games with excellent search functionality because you’ll never find good titles in the former case.
Progressive/Jackpot Selection: Local Networked/Jackpot Amounts/Daily Jackpots
While many players don’t care about jackpots, those who do may want to examine what types/kinds of jackpots an online casino provides, as they are quite different from one another. Fixed Jackpots are simply a predetermined amount included in a game’s paytable. Progressive Jackpots accumulate money from every player placing wagers until someone claims the pot. Some are exclusive to one casino, while others are networked among numerous casinos, allowing pools of funds to reach significant totals (Mega Moolah/Divine Fortune). Finally, Daily Jackpots were introduced by a few developers/providers/casinos, which pay out prior to a designated daily timeframe (thus dropping more frequently but at lower amounts).
Demo Mode Testing Before Depositing
One of my favorite tools for determining whether I will enjoy playing a particular game is Demo Mode. Ten minutes of free play will inform you as to how frequently the base game pays out; how long it takes for bonuses to activate; whether you will tolerate listening to music/sounds associated with a particular game; etc… All without risk! Demo mode availability varies greatly depending upon your location/jurisdiction. In the UK, free-play demos are only accessible via age verification processes and therefore players typically require accounts prior to accessing demos. While some US states/casinos permit demo-mode capabilities, many do not. When permitted by law; a reputable casino will clearly display “demo”, “play for fun” buttons adjacent to each game tile.
Slot Library Performance/Mobile Optimization:
HTML5 technology has rendered obsolete most issues related to mobile optimization as most modern slots utilize HTML5 rendering engines. However, “can be played on mobile” is not equivalent to “is optimized on mobile.” Review how efficiently your mobile browser loads your online casino’s lobby as follows:
- Do filters load appropriately, or are they located deep within menus?
- Does loading each game take longer than expected or do gray box tiles appear slowly?
- Does the casino’s mobile app (if applicable) contain the entire library or only selected portions?
- iOS applications often render differently from mobile web pages; some casinos may present an alternative library contained within their apps versus mobile websites.
- Load times vary greatly between well-designed lobbies and poorly-designed ones; ideally, load times should occur rapidly for all games in < 30 seconds via acceptable internet speeds.
Bonus Eligibility/Slot Library Restrictions:
This is where many players get caught off guard. Players apply for promotions utilizing free spins or bonus credits; subsequently discover that half their desired slots cannot be played while meeting wagering requirements OR will contribute proportionately less towards wagering requirements than other eligible slots.
- Review terms prior to applying for any promotion!
- Common restrictions on promotions include:
- Excluding jackpot slots;
- Excluding higher-than-average RTP slots;
- Restricting bonus credit eligibility for certain providers;
- Free spins are often locked specifically for one-two slot titles;
Bonus Buy Slots are often excluded from bonus plays and in some jurisdictions prohibited entirely; i.e., The UKGC prohibits feature buy mechanics in UK jurisdictions; therefore UK players will simply not find them.
Max bet limitations while bonus credits are active are also common; exceeding these maximum bets can result in forfeited winnings.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it always better for an online casino to have a large slot library?
Absolutely Not! After a certain point; adding more slots primarily adds clutter. An organized library containing ~1000 diverse slot titles with robust filters will typically outperform a ~5000-slot library with suboptimal search capabilities due to excessive duplicate entries.
Which is more important: slot library size or quality?
Quality of slot library > Size of Slot Library. Almost every time! A library containing ~1000 diverse slot titles from respectable quality suppliers will provide a wider variety of unique gaming experiences than a substantially larger library comprised primarily of filler content.
What slot providers should an online casino support?
At minimum one or two major suppliers (Pragmatic Play, NetEnt, Playn Go, Games Global or Playtech); preferably some moderate-sized studios (Big Time Gaming, Relax Gaming, Push Gaming, Hacksaw Gaming or Nolimit City); and potentially some independent/exclusive suppliers that fit within your target audience(s).
Where can I find high RTP slot games at an online casino?
If the lobby supports filtering by RTP, Use it! Alternatively, browse each game individually and review their respective RTP figures, as there may be multiple versions of the same game with varying RTP levels at differing casinos.
Where can I find Megaways or progressive jackpot slots?
Search/filter for “Megaways” directly within the lobby or browse/search for progressive jackpot games within their own categories or tabs.
Are all online casinos capable of supporting Bonus Buy Slots?
No! Whether or not Bonus Buy Slots are supported by an online casino depends on jurisdiction/markets/laws governing gambling activities in said jurisdiction.
Can I test slot games at an online casino without risking money?
Yes – Often! Via Demo Mode (see above); however – availability varies by jurisdiction/regulation/etc..
