Slots are different from other casino games in a lot of ways. They take in money, spin, and should spit some back out – but that’s about all they have in common with each other. Different payout odds, variance, themes, paylines, and tons of other features can make online slots look and feel completely different from each other. These differences help to differentiate them and make certain types of slots more suited to particular kinds of players.
When you play an online slot, it will use a random number generator (RNG) to select a number every millisecond. The number will determine where the symbols land on the reels, and whether or not you’ll win. The RNG does not care if you press spin with your right hand or left, and it will also not care how many spins you’ve done in a row.
The amount you can expect to win on average depends on a slot’s payout percentage, which is built into its software. You can usually find this posted on the game’s rules or information page, and it can also be found in a list of all the slots’ payout percentages on an online casino’s website.
Another important factor to consider is a slot’s volatility. This will tell you how often you can expect small wins, and how big those wins will be. Low volatility slots will give you smaller winnings more frequently, while high volatility slots may not pay out for a while but will reward you when they do.