What are paylines in slots?

Paylines are the lines on which combinations are formed and winnings are calculated. The number of paylines in slot machines can vary. They can also differ in shape, be horizontal, vertical, and broken.

In the following, we will tell you in detail what paylines are in slot machines, what they are, provide examples in specific slots, draw conclusions, and answer frequently asked questions from players.

What is a payline?

A payline in online casino slots is a line where combinations of symbols are formed on the playing field of a slot machine.

Modern online slots can have an unlimited number of paylines. Some machines have more than 100 of them. This also depends on the number of reels in the game. Previously, there were always three reels, but now there can be up to 9. The rules for each slot usually specify the number of paylines and describe all winning combinations.

Let’s take the Book of Santa slot at First Casino as an example. It has a total of 10 paylines.

What are the paylines?

The form and number of winning combinations depends on the game. Sometimes it is influenced by the size of the bet. The more you bet, the more lines and chances you have to win.

For example, in the Grab more Gold slot by 3Oaks, the winning combinations are horizontal and broken. There are 20 of them in total. You can play the game at Pin Up Casino.

There are also casino slots that do not have paylines. Winnings are awarded for the appearance of a certain number of specific symbols. The location is not important.

Sometimes casinos pay out winnings if two or more of the same symbols appear next to each other anywhere on the screen. This is the same principle that Scatters work on.

Let’s take the Gates of Olimpic casino slot at Slotoking as an example. Players get wins for landing 8 or more identical symbols.

Examples of paylines in slots

1. Royal Fruits 5 slot from NetGame. The game has 5 paylines: horizontal and broken. Winning combinations are paid from left to right.

2. Pyramids slot from Thunderspin. The machine has 21 paylines. The player can set the number during the main game.

3. Book of Ra slot machine. It is available at Slots City casino. There are 10 lines in the slot, but players can change the number on their own.

4. The Book of Bastet slot. It has as many as 20 paylines: horizontal, diagonal, and broken. The player sets the number independently: from 1 to 20.

5. Sweet Bonanza slot machine. It has no paylines. The number of identical symbols that appear at the same time affects the winnings. The minimum number of symbols needed to win is 8. The location on the screen is not important.

What is better than a simple payline, Megaways or Pay Anywhere?

To get a win in slots that work on the Pay Anywhere principle, you need a certain number of identical symbols to appear on the screen. As a rule, it is 6-9 pictures.

In slots that have paylines, the chance of winning depends on the number of paylines. The more lines, the greater the chance of winning. The advantage is that a winning combination does not have to contain the same symbols.

There are also slots that work on the basis of Megaways mechanics. Their peculiarity is that the number of symbols on the reels can vary from 2 to 7. The more symbols on the reels, the more chances you have to get a winning combination. Thanks to this, some games of this format can have up to 100,000 or more winning options.

I believe that Pay Anywhere mechanics are more beneficial for players, as it only requires the appearance of identical symbols. While in simple lines and Megaways, you need the same symbols in a certain sequence.

An example of such a slot is Diamond Mine Megaways. Each spin can have up to 117,649 ways to win.

Editorial conclusions

Online casinos have slot machines with different paylines. The list of winning combinations also differs. There are games that have, for example, 5 paylines and this indicator cannot be changed. There are slots with 20 or more winning combinations, and the player can set their own number. Such slots can be found at Champion Casino.

To increase your chances of winning, it is better to choose slots with many paylines of different shapes.

Frequently asked questions