The Most Popular Online Slot Games in the UK

Slots are the most popular online casino games no matter where you are in the world. Thanks to technology and game designers, there are now thousands of different slots to choose from. Better still, these games have widely varying in-game bonuses, game extras and so on to make them unique from each other. The best slot sites UK offers hundreds if not thousands of these games for players to choose from. Take a look at some of the most popular slot games in the UK and why they're so popular below.

What are slot games?

Slot games are online casino games that are luck-based. Players simply need to set their bet and hit spin to see if three or more matching symbols can line up on a payline. With more matching symbols, players can get bigger wins. Depending on the symbol, there are different values assigned as well which can make some more lucrative than others.

Slots these days, come with five reels and three rows, more than the original 3x3 design of classic slots. Typically, there are 20 to 50 paylines available, which is where the symbols need to land to award a win. However, with increased competition, game designers are coming up with more innovative designs and features to make their slots distinctive and appealing.

For instance, the Megaways reel mechanic boosts the number of paylines to the hundreds of thousands, changing on every single spin. This can really boost the size of a win as well as the potential to land one. Other in-game features include wild symbols which can take on any symbol to create more matches, scatters which award free spins, cascading reels which replace winning symbols giving players a second go for free and so on.

Types of slots

These days, there are also various slot types available:

What makes a good slot game?

In addition to looking at the in-game bonus features, there are some other factors to consider when choosing which online slots to play. For instance, players should always check out the RTP (return to player rate) of each slot. This refers to the percentage of money players could get back after an extended period of play. While theoretical, it gives an indication of whether there's a better chance of winning. Really, players should only play games with an RTP of 96% or higher.

Another important factor to consider is the volatility level. Often a factor to check alongside RTP, this indicates the frequency and size of a win. Low volatility games will offer regular, but small wins. While high volatility means long winning draughts, but when the wins land, they're going to be big.

Finally, players should also have a look at the in-game bonuses. If there are a number of different game mechanics in place such as walking or expanding wilds, multipliers, free spins or Megaways reels, this is a good indication that wins might be forthcoming.

Most popular online slots in the UK

There are many popular slots in the UK, each with different themes and features that make them stand out. Here are some of the best ones that players can enjoy.

Starburst

An oldie, but a goodie, Starburst (released in 2012) was designed by NetEnt. These days, it's one of the simpler video slots out there, but it still offers players a lot of fun which is why it's still one of the most popular slots ever. Starburst has a space theme, but an arcade game feel using only wilds as its main feature. These land on the middle three reels and can expand offering respins. It has an RTP of 96.1% and while only offering 10 paylines, gives players the chance to get big wins and 250x the bet.

Bonanza Megaways

The first Megaways slot is also one of the most popular. Developed by Big Time Gaming, this mining-themed slot has six reels offering up 117,649 paylines or ways to win and an RTP of 96%. Additionally, it's got three bonuses which include a free spins feature containing expanding multipliers. This can give players up to 26000x the bet in winnings. Additionally, Bonanza Megaways has an unlimited win multiplier feature and the Reaction feature where winning symbols are blasted off the reels and replaced with new ones.

Gonzo's Quest

Another NetEnt game, Gonzo's Quest has been hugely popular for a long time. The slot has an El Dorado theme, five reels, 20 paylines and an RTP of 95.97%. It's one of the most popular games to date, and has seen multiple upgrades including both Megaways and Live versions. However, the classic is still the most popular offering an Avalanche reels feature where winning symbols are replaced by new ones. Successive wins can give up to a 5x multiplier, and successive Avalanches gives players 15x the bet. Free spins can also be triggered and here's a maximum win of 37,500x the bet to aim for.

Mega Moolah

The only progressive jackpot on the list, this slot game from Microgaming has a record of paying out wins in the millions multiple times. It has a safari theme coupled with two simple, but effective bonus features. The game has 25 paylines and a top win of 1955x the bet placed. It has wilds that give players double payouts, and a free spins feature with 30 free spins. Additionally, Mega Moolah has a 3x multiplier and four progressive jackpots which has paid out more than £16 million for a single win. Even the low 93.42% RTP is not a negative.