A Beginner's Guide to Understanding Slot Machine Symbols

Sarah Parker
Authored by Sarah Parker
Posted: Wednesday, February 8, 2023 - 09:40

A symbol is a representation of an idea that stands for something else. Their role is to embody complex concepts in a simplified manner. Just as fields like literature and art use them to convey certain ideas and messages, gambling adopted symbols to determine the outcome of games.

Online casinos use different marketing techniques like bonuses to invite players to open a new account. These bonuses often require players to make a minimum deposit before they can get the incentives. The dollar sign "$" symbolizes currency to give you a practical example. Whenever you see it before the expression 5 deposit casino, you must deposit at least five dollars to be eligible for the bonus.

Back to the symbols and their role in gambling, they are used on the reels of slot machines, playing cards, and other casino games to create combinations that can result in winning or losing.

The specific symbols and their combinations vary depending on the game, but the ones hosted on a minimum deposit casino often include traditional playing card suits, fruit, lucky numbers, and other images that are thought to bring luck or fortune. A game's paytable specifies each symbol's value and the payout for each combination.

Especially when it comes to video slots, there has been a boom in the themes adopted by developers. With the help of contemporary visual design technology, software designers can go wild and astound us with stunning graphics and captivating effects. If we were to explain each symbol, it would take us ages, and we’re sure you’d prefer to find a casino with no minimum deposit and actually play your favourite title.

Still, if you're serious about playing slots online, you should educate yourself on the various types of symbols you might see because this will help you to make informed decisions and understand the game's rules.

Standard symbols

Early poker games had a significant influence on the development of the first slot machine because they used card symbols. The slot machine symbols you will see most frequently on the online reels are the Ten, Jack, Queen, King, and Ace.

The ban on slot machines in the 1900s compelled manufacturers to adopt new symbols in the form of fruits and bubble gum. When fruit machine symbols appeared, slot machines took on a fresh appearance.

Even today, slot machine icons still include fruit and card numbers. They are the traditional images that appear when the reels are being spun. Among the most popular gambling symbols are lemons, grapes, melons, oranges, cherries, and card numbers from Tens to Aces.

Wild Symbol

Think of the wild symbol as the joker of slots because it can replace any other symbol in a winning combination. Most of the time, they cannot replace the unique slot machine symbols that start a bonus round, like the scatter or jackpot machine symbol. Wilds significantly increase your chances of winning at any low deposit casino, but you should make sure they can appear on all reels or in the minimum required combination.

Scatter symbol

The scatter is a symbol which unlocks different bonuses hidden within the video slots. It appears less than other bonus symbols, but it has the advantage that it does not have to be part of a winning combination - like the wild - to bring up the rewards. The scatter is usually associated with free spins, but it can have its own payouts attached.

Bonus symbol

Just as the name implies, this symbol triggers a special bonus game. It comes in various forms, including increasing the size of your prize, collecting multipliers, getting one or more free spinning rounds, or unlocking other bonus features. You will have to check the paytable to find out exactly what’s behind it.

Multiplier symbol

This symbol does just what its name says, it multiplies your winnings, even if they come from a casino no minimum deposit bonus. When they land on the reels, they can increase the payout of a winning combination 2x, 3x, 4x or even 6x times. It’s important to know that not all video slots include a multiplier symbol, and you will have to check the bonus features in advance to see if the game you chose has it. It is also one of the rarest appearing symbols as they offer high payouts.

Staed symbol

The stacked symbol was introduced just recently to online video slots, and players received it very well. It works by occupying more space on the reels, thus improving the chances that they will line up in a pay line. They may come with different bonus symbols attached. For example, stacked wilds are an extremely popular symbol among players.

Sticky symbol

The last symbol we talk about represents another bonus feature. They will stick in the same place for several rounds when they land on the reels. If the sticky symbol has additional bonus attributes, the player will benefit from this bonus the most.

For example, Sticky Wilds and Sticky Scatters give you a few extra spins to get the other required spins. However, because sticky symbols are such a huge advantage for the player, clever designers frequently position them at the end of the reels, making it more challenging to connect them to a winning payline.

Conclusion

Video slots have come a long way since they first appeared and evolved into sophisticated entertainment machines. They are often included in online casino no minimum deposit bonuses and provide high-quality fun to players worldwide. Their symbols’ design follows the slot's theme, but the symbol types and what they represent remains consistent across different titles. Players will have to pay extra attention to the paytable instead because that’s where they will find information on the symbol’s design and bonus feature.