Over the past couple of years, iGaming has taken off in Canada. This trend has not skipped Ontario, which opened as a fully regulated market in April 2022. The province saw gaming revenues of nearly C$1.5 billion generated in the industry’s first year of business. Over C$750 million of that generated revenue went to the province, as well as federal and municipal governments.
As is often the case when iGaming arrives, the top of the agenda for online casino players has been the video slots. There are thousands of these games across all licensed and regulated platforms. Although they might appear the same with some theme variations, this couldn’t be further from the truth. Every slot is unique, with the crucial differences being hard to spot. Here’s how to find those right slots for your play style.
An expansive industry that’s increasingly welcoming
The sheer volume of slots on offer can be daunting, especially for newcomers. Sometimes, having so much choice can inhibit entertainment as you’re split between games and don’t entirely know which ones will play the way you expect. With the industry expanding rapidly, some third parties assist those seeking clarity on these pay-as-you-play online games.
For example, through an extensive library of reviews for online casino slots, CASINOenquirer has made it easier for you to find a title that floats your boat. Essentially, you can click on any review of just about any leading slot to see a breakdown of bets, bonuses, wilds and multipliers, top prizes, number of paylines, screenshots, details on key mechanics, and much more. We highly recommend referring to the reviews before you spin to get an idea of the competitors on the market and get a better bang for your buck.
The importance of volatility over RTP
There was a time when RTP was the critical factor that determined which online slot you should play. The percentage refers to the total amount a slot pays out over time. Being an online game with thousands of players and an industry standard at regulated sites of at least a 90 percent RTP, it should rarely influence a final decision on what slot to play as long as it hits that mark.
Volatility, sometimes listed as “variance,” is the main element to consider. It ranges from low to medium to high. Low volatility implies that a game will, on average, pay out more often but in smaller sums than a high-volatility game. For example, if you’ve caught football fever this summer and like the look of 11 Champions, you’ll be on a high volatility slot, which will generally pay less often but in more significant sums.
Key mechanics that alter the experience
While volatility determines the overall pay structure during an average session, the features and mechanics of a slot will be the focus of its entertainment value. You can look to the Megaways originator Bonanza as an example. With varied symbol sizes and all possible paylines in play, the game also uses a Tumble Feature, which pays, bursts winning symbols, and then lets more tumble down for more potential winning combinations.
Usually, players will keep an eye out for free spins and wilds, but these are very much the baseline features. Take Fishin’ Frenzy: it has a free spins mode, but there’s a cash feature that lets you reel in all of the fish symbols with cash values on them whenever you hit a fisherman. In Granny vs Zombies, it’s all about triggering the Lock’n’Win feature, which holds money symbols and respins the rest to try to get more.
With so much variety across the iGaming slot space, it can be easy to end up trying several games that don’t appeal to you beyond their aesthetics. So, use the tips above to find the perfect slot game for your play style.
