Slots have come a long way since the first fruit machines, which used only a few fruity symbols and a single payline across the centre of the reels. This is especially true of online slots available at numerous virtual casinos. As software developers continue to refine the design and features of these games, the ways in which slots award wins have also changed.
Some video slots now feature multiple paylines that can award wins for combinations formed across five or even six reels. There are also slots that allow players to toggle the number of active paylines, enabling them to place a wager on a single, several, or all of the game’s paylines.
With video slots becoming more innovative in terms of their features and design, multiple ways-to-win games have also appeared on the iGaming scene. Instead of using regular fixed or adjustable paylines, wins are simply formed on adjacent reels. The key question many players have, however, is not how many ways there are to win, but which type of slot they should choose to play.
How Slots With Paylines Work
The easiest way to understand how paylines work is to think of the old-school one-arm bandit. The well-known classic machine had only three reels and a single payline across the middle. Back in the day, players landed a win when identical symbols appeared on all three reels in a horizontal line across the centre of the slot. Nowadays, however, slots have far more lines that can pay for winning combinations formed vertically, diagonally, or in various other formations across their reels.
With slots that have more than three reels and multiple paylines, you can be paid even if a winning line does not span all reels. Most commonly, players receive a payout for matching as few as three identical symbols on a payline, as long as the line starts from the first reel on the left.
Playing with multiple paylines can also mean that it is possible to land winning combinations across several paylines at the same time. In many cases, this can lead to extra wins that make the gameplay more rewarding.
Some slot variations allow players to choose the number of active paylines. This enables them to place a bet on only a few of the lines, adjusting the level of risk they are willing to take. However, landing a winning combination on an inactive payline will not grant a payout.
How Do Ways-to-Win Slots Work?
Slots with multiple paylines can have 10, 25, 50, or some other set number of lines that grant payouts for winning combinations. However, with the introduction of the ways-to-win feature implemented in many newer video slots, the method by which winnings are awarded has changed. Many slots offer 243 ways to land a win, with others reaching up to 1,024 ways.
Ways-to-win slots award payouts for landing identical symbols on adjacent reels. There is no need for the symbols to line up in a vertical, horizontal, or any other specific configuration. In most cases, it is enough for the same symbol to appear in any position on the first three reels to secure a win. As there are numerous possible combinations on adjacent reels, slots with 243 or even more ways to win exist.
To make slots of this type even more appealing, some incorporate bonus features that can unlock additional reels or rows on the grid. Such features increase the ways one can land a win, with some titles boasting more than 100,000 ways to win.
Slots Paying Both Ways with Paylines and Ways-to-Win
Typically, slots pay for winning combinations that are formed starting from the leftmost reel. This rule applies to both payline and ways-to-win slots. However, some video slots offer additional opportunities by paying both ways. This means that slots with paylines can grant a win for combinations starting from either the leftmost or the rightmost reel. As long as the identical symbols land on the winning line on either side, players are guaranteed a payout.
Slots that use a ways-to-win feature can also pay both ways, with payouts awarded for landing identical symbols on three or more adjacent reels, starting from the far left or far right reel. This significantly increases the ways to win, giving players more chances of a positive outcome. A standard 5-reel slot with three rows can offer 243 ways to win. However, if the same slot grid pays both ways, the game could provide considerably more opportunities to land a win.
In addition to standard grids, ways-to-win slots may feature unusual layouts, with some reels having more symbol positions than others. While a diamond-shaped design is common, with the central reels longer, it is also possible for every reel to have a different number of symbols, some appearing larger than the rest. With such an unusual grid design, certain slots can offer far more ways to win. If a slot adds a sixth reel, one could expect up to 117,649 possible ways to win.
Which Type of Slot Should You Choose to Play?
Of course, if you merely compare the number of possible winning ways, even a 50-payline slot cannot compete with a game offering up to 117,649 ways to win. However, deciding which type of slot to play is not that simple, and there are many other factors to consider.
While having more opportunities to win sounds tempting, players should always compare other slot features too. The volatility and the RTP of a game are key factors when assessing the value of a slot and whether it can lead to more rewarding results.
The RTP is also important, as it shows the potential long-term return of a game. Playing slots with a higher RTP is always more advantageous over time, even if the slot has only a few paylines that can grant a win.
We also advise players to try slots that pay both ways, as they can be very rewarding. Being able to land a winning combination from left to right and from right to left can be extremely lucrative. However, you should again consider factors such as RTP and volatility, as they indicate how often a win may occur, even if the slot pays both ways.
There is one more point to mention about games with multiple ways to win. You may notice that slots using the Megaways system of payouts can offer up to 117,649 ways to win. However, this is not a fixed number on every spin. In fact, because outcomes are random, each spin can provide a different number of possible winning ways, most of which are significantly fewer than the maximum of 117,649. This is due to the feature that changes the number of symbols that may appear on every reel with each spin of the slot.
Experiencing 117,649 ways to win only on a few random spins – sometimes on none at all if luck is not on your side – puts these slots into perspective. That being said, if a game boasts low to medium volatility and a high RTP, a Megaways slot is definitely worth a try.
We cannot deny the growing popularity of ways-to-win slots, with numerous software developers launching titles that incorporate the Megaways feature. The prospect of playing each spin with so many chances to land a win is very tempting, and many players prefer slots offering multiple ways to win. Even the slot variations that provide a random number of winning ways on every spin are enjoyed by those who favour riskier play.
At the end of the day, choosing which type of slot to play comes down to personal preference. Wins are always determined randomly by the RNG software used by casinos. Ultimately, the number of paylines or ways to win will not give you greater leverage over the house. Factors such as volatility and RTP are better indicators of the potential returns. For this reason, we recommend basing your decision on these factors rather than on the sheer number of possible winning ways.
