Can Online Slots be a Scam? 

Many casino players choose to play slots. The increasingly popular game has been around since the early 20th century in one form or another and has seen a massive revival during the 90s and afterwards – click to play now.

A recent study by the Gambling Commission UK has shown that slots make up 69.3% of the Gross Gambling Yield in the UK. Between October 2018 and September 2019, slots raked in about £9.9 billion of revenue. With numbers that high, one might ask: can online slots be a scam? In this article we will answer this age old question and give you insight on how to avoid scams in online gambling.

A game of chance 

As we know, slots are a game of chance where the player “spins” several reels to make up winning combinations. The reels have a range of symbols on them and once they stop spinning, there is one of two outcomes: the winning symbols either line up or don’t.

Not much is known about the mechanics of the old slot machines, which operated without a computer. The modern slot machines however have very clear and simple workings – they rely mostly on the RNG (random number generator). Every second the slot machine generates series of new numbers which determine what symbols are going to land on the screen. Every time you “spin” the reels, you are looking at a brand new outcome.

So can online slots be a scam? Hardly so. The game is completely random (while being influenced by a few more game mechanics) therefore it couldn’t possibly scam the player. However, it is possible to get scammed when playing in an online casino, and we are about to tell you how. 

Fishy websites 

You should always choose an online casino carefully to avoid disappointment and getting scammed. Below we present some signs of a casino that should be avoided. 

• Poor game design – this is one of the biggest giveaways that the website plagiarises popular game titles. If the games look poorly coloured, are grainy and have stagnant mechanics then avoid the website like the plague. You will not get the perks that the original games offer and are most likely to fall into a trap of a game rigged for losing.
• Astronomical bonus offers – some online casinos will offer you hundreds of pounds in bonuses and offers that look like the best you’ve ever seen. Always read the fine print and don’t fall into the trap, as these offers will usually leave you no chance to withdraw winnings. They will do that through wagering requirements of around x100 or above or withdrawal “ceilings”.
• Offers with unclear and open-ended terms and conditions – the casinos that offer bonuses with unclear conditions will often have an unethical power to interpret your situation as per their wishes, to keep your winnings or to ban you without a chance to get your money back. 

Conclusion 

While a certified and known game title cannot scam you, a knock-off version of the same game might. That is why it is very important to choose only the best, tried and tested casinos which operate openly and fairly. We hope that by now you are equipped to discern between games that are worth your time. Happy gaming!