Best Slots Online for Real Money

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16 May 2023

The first slot machine was developed back in 1891 in Brooklyn, New York, and was a poker-based game that held five drums that held a standard deck of cards with two cards being left out. The machine evolved over time, adding spinning reels and symbols, and eventually, video slots made their debut in 1963.

When online slots made their debut in the US regulated market in 2013, it felt almost as if the game was designed to be played on a computer screen. Let this page be your guide for all things slots including where to play, best games, terminology and more!

Best Legal Online Casinos in

What States Offer Online Slots for Real Money?

Legal and regulated online casinos are only available in a limited amount of states, but the good news is that you do not need to be a resident, just physically present in the state. This means that if you are from New York, but take a trip over the border into Pennsylvania, you can register an account and play while you visit. All transactions including claiming bonuses, registration, deposits, and withdrawals can all be done from anywhere in the US, but in order to spin the reels, you must have both feet firmly planted in one of the following states.

Can I Play Slots Online if I am not in a Regulated State?

Social Casino page for fun and exciting legal options to start playing slots and earn real money from anywhere in the US.

Are Online Casino Slots Legal?

Yes! Every slot provider and online casino goes through a rigorous testing and regulatory process before going live in the state. This testing includes game integrity, ensuring that payments are safe, secure and timely and all other aspects of online gaming. The oversight departments for each state are constantly monitoring each site and slot operator to keep you safe and ensuring that all gameplay is fair.

Online Slot Terminology

Before we dive too much more into how online slots work, lets take a look at some key terminology associated with online slots.

Reels: Reels are the spinning disks on a slot machine that contain the symbols.
Symbols: The images or icons displayed on slot reels.
3-Reel Slot: A slot machine that contains just three reels.
5-Reel Slot: A slot machine that contains five reels.
Paylines: A payline is the order in which symbols must line up in order to pay out on a winning combination.
Wilds: Wilds are symbols that can replace any other symbol in the game.
Scatters: Scatters are symbols that activate a bonus round or special bonus winner. Each game will have it’s own rules for how many and/or arrangement of scatter symbols will activate the bonus rounds or special win.
Bonus Round: A bonus round can be considered a game within a game, where you are awarded free spins, a chance at a jackpot payout or some other type of freeplay.
Free Spins: Free spins are typically awarded as a bonus round, but will allow the player to spin the reels without using any of their cash balance.
Return-to-Player (RTP): Return-to-player, or RTP is the amount that you should expect to win based on every $100 wagered. For example, if a slot has a 98% RTP, you should expect to win $98 for every $100 wagered.
Volatility: Volatility is measured in three levels; low, medium and high. If a slot is low volatility, it will pay out less but more frequently, whereas a slot with high volatility will pay out more but less frequently.
Jackpot or Progressive Slots: A small portion of every spin is put into a jackpot, where the number keeps growing the more people play. Once someone triggers the jackpot, it is reset to a predetermined number and will continue to grow until another customer wins again.

How do Online Slots Work?

Online slot machines are similar to their retail casino counterparts but can be played on any computer or mobile device when you are located within the friendly confines of a legal and regulated state. Online slots use a random number generator (RNG) that determines what symbols will display on the screen and payouts are based on the arrangement of the symbols.

When looking a little deeper into how online slots work via the RNG, it is actually a very simple process. Once the bettor clicks on the spin button, the computer will randomly choose a number, that number correlates with a certain arrangement of the reels. The reels will spin and stop at the pre-determined arrangement and if the symbols land on a payline, the appropriate payout will be paid.

Although the overall basic premise of online slots is universal, each slot will have its own paylines, symbols, and bonus rounds. In addition to that, each online slot will carry its own return-to-player percentage and volatility level.

What Slots Pay the Most Money?

RTP is the common abbreviation for Return-to-Player, which is a theoretical return, over time, based on $100 being wagered. So, for example, if a slot has a 98% RTP, you should earn back $98 for every $100 wagered. It is a theoretical number as there are other factors involved such as bet size and how often you play, but RTP is a solid indicator of how well an individual slot will pay. Below is a short list of some of the best options for slots with a high RTP. Typically anything over 96% is considered a strong RTP.

Mega Joker – 99%
BloodSuckers – 98%
Jack Hammer – 96.9%
Jimi Hendrix – 96.9%
Guns ‘n’ Roses – 96.9%
Starburst – 96.1%
Wheel of Fortune – 96.6%
88 Fortunes – 96%
Divine Fortune – 96.6%

Best Online Casinos for Real Money Slots

When it comes to the best online casinos for slot players, there are several factors to consider including slot selection, availability, gameplay and best bonus offerings for slots. We here at USBets have tested all the US online casinos and have broken down the top casinos for each type of slot player to ensure you end up at the right casino.

BetRivers Online Casino – Best Online Casino for Beginners

Available States: New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Michigan, West Virginia
Shares wallet with: BetRivers Sportsbook

BetRivers, the online casino brand of Rush Street Interactive, initially launched in New Jersey in 2016 under their sister brand, PlaySugarHouse. Since then, BetRivers has gone live in several other states and have always been an underrated online casino when compared to their peers. What sets BetRivers apart is their large game selection in all available markets and their bonus funds are always 1x wagering.

BetRivers is also home to the most player-friendly rewards program in the industry, iRush Rewards. No matter if you are a high volume slots player or a casual bettor, the iRush Rewards program allows you to trade in points awarded for play for bonuses, free stays at retail casinos and more. The more you play, the better the perks in this tiered rewards program. BetRivers also boasts one of the most responsive customer support teams if you ever run into issues. Between the player friendly bonuses, stellar rewards program and customer support, BetRivers is a great start for slot players to get their first taste of online slot play.

Caesars Casino – Best Casino for Weekly Slot Bonuses

Available States: New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Michigan, West Virginia
Shares wallet with: Caesars Sportsbook

Caesars initially launched under proprietary software in New Jersey way back in 2013, but found it hard to compete in such a busy market. In 2020, Caesars acquired William Hill, which led to a major platform upgrade for both their sportsbook and casino offerings. The William Hill-powered casino is now active in all legal states and depending on which state you are in will determine the slot game selection.

In New Jersey and Michigan, the slot selection is among the industry leaders, but in Pennsylvania and West Virginia, they have been a bit slow to add a suitable amount of slot titles. What may just be regulatory issues is hurting Caesars in those key states. The “old Caesars” platform is still available in NJ and PA, but has been re-branded as Tropicana Casino, which still sports a much more robust slot library.

What truly sets Caesars Casino apart from the field is that the fun doesn’t stop once the new player offer has come and gone. Caesars Casino typically has a very slot-friendly promotion going on almost seven days a week, and can range from a free spins to several hundred dollar deposit match bonuses.

BetMGM Casino – Best Slot Game Selection

Available States: New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Michigan, West Virginia
Shares wallet with: BetMGM Sportsbook, BetMGM Poker

BetMGM is the online arm of one of the largest gambling companies in the world, MGM International. The online casino has gone through a series upgrades over the years, but none bigger than the massive facelift back in 2017 which came complete with a name change from playMGM to BetMGM. Since then, BetMGM has been a force in the online casino market, and boasts one of the most complete slot libraries in the US Market.

No matter what legal state you are playing in, the number of slots you have to choose from is in the hundreds. This also includes the most robust series of jackpot slots that share the jackpot totals with Borgata Casino in PA and NJ and Wheel of Fortune Casino for bettors in New Jersey. While the wagering requirements for the new player offer are reasonable, the only downfall of BetMGM is that the re-load bonus offers do have some of highest wagering requirements among the online casinos in the US.

FanDuel Casino – Best for Sportsbook Crossover

Available States: New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Michigan, West Virginia
Shares wallet with: FanDuel Sportsbook, FanDuel DFS

It seems as though that anything FanDuel touches turns to gold. What started as a top-rated DFS site, turned into the top online sportsbook, and, as expected, when they decided to enter the online casino market, they struck gold again. FanDuel, who merged with Betfair back in 2018, took full advantage of the Betfair name and experience and now has an online casino that can stand up to some of the more established brands.

As far as game selection, FanDuel may not have the same robust library as some of their counterparts, but does a great job of adding most of the more popular titles and has you covered for slots and table games alike. All bonus money that you earn is 1x playthrough, and FanDuel does offer crossover promotions with their top-rated sportsbook. FanDuel also added a daily Reward Machine that allows you to take three spins daily at 6pm for a chance to earn up to $2,000 in bonuses.

Advantages of Playing Real Money Slots Online

While you are missing the hustle and bustle of visiting your local casino, there are several advantages to playing slots online vs going to a retail casino.

Bonuses, Bonuses, Bonuses: It is rare for a retail casino to give away bonus money, but online casino competition is so fierce, that bonus offerings are massive. When an online casino gives you a deposit match, free play or other promotion, it gives you the rare opportunity to turn the house edge upside down and put the odds in your favor. Be sure to check out our top online casino bonus page to take advantage of all the best slot bonus offers.
Higher Returns: When you take a look at RTP for online slot games against their retail counterparts, its a night-and-day comparison. There are hundreds of games with an RTP of 96%+ topping out at around 98% online, where the average RTP of a retail casino slot is typically 92% or below.
Convenience: It goes without saying that playing slots online is more convenient, as you can play from anywhere at any time. Gone are the days of having to get ready, drive to the casino, and wander around looking for your favorite slot machine only to find out that all of your favorite titles are in use. You can now pull out your laptop or mobile device on your couch, waiting in line at the store, or kill some time waiting for a friend.
Lower Limits: Have you ever found yourself checking out a slot title at a retail casino and sit down only to find out the minimum spin is $5 or more? Online casino slot titles typically allow you to bet pennies and still allow you to hit massive jackpots. For example, the jackpot slot Divine Fortune allows you to go for six figure paydays with bets as low as $0.20.