There are thousands of video slots available on the Internet. Unless you select the correct ones, you will not enjoy the gaming and will not maximise your chances of winning. In this blog we will tell you how to pick online slots for real money. We will also advise you how to find the online casinos that offer the best slot games.
Most-rated slot casinos in Canada (this month)
T&Cs apply. 18+ only. Play responsibly. For help, visit responsiblegambling.org
*Availability of this casino may vary by province. See our Legal Disclaimer for details.
*Availability of this casino may vary by province. See our Legal Disclaimer for details.
*Availability of this casino may vary by province. See our Legal Disclaimer for details.
How to Rate Real Money Online Slots?
We begin by identifying important features of video slots and benchmarking them, qualitatively or quantitatively. For example, RTP can be benchmarked quantitatively but volatility is benchmarked qualitatively. Then we compare these features of the slot game we are evaluating with the benchmarks and take a call on whether or not the game is worth playing. We now walk you through some tips for choosing real money slots.
Slot games should have interesting themes
You will be playing a video slot for hours and will be absorbing the visual and audio content. If you are not attracted by the theme of the slot game, you are likely to get bored quickly. For example, if you are not a music person then you probably will not enjoy any of the branded slots based on popular bands. You may not like the songs played in the background or not be familiar with the icons related to the band. On the other hand, if fishing is your passion, you will love Big Bass Bonanza and Alaskan Fishing because of the leisurely tranquil environment created in the slot game.
The good news is that game providers incorporate the same template into different themes, so you can usually get your favourite features and favourite themes in the same game. Here are some popular themes with their best online slot machines for real money.
| Theme | Real Money Slot Games |
| Greek mythology | Age of the Gods, Amazing Link Zeus, Hercules Unleashed |
| Food & drinks | Lucky Oktoberfest, Fred’s Food Truck, Voila |
| Luxury life | Playboy Gold Jackpots, Mega Fortune, Vegas High Roller |
| Sport | Hockey League, Basketball Star, The Golden Games |
| Books | Scrooge Megaways, Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde, Book of Oz |
Go for slot machines with high RTP
When playing slot machines for real money returns are important, so always go for games with high RTP. This is the theoretical return to player as certified by the developer after audited trial runs of the slot game. The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario has mandated that the RTP be displayed in all online slots and you will find the information somewhere in the game rules. We always include it in our slot reviews. According to our experts, slot games with an RTP of 96% or more are worth playing. We start you with some slot games with the highest RTPs.
| Real Money Slot Game | Provider | RTP |
| Big Bad Wolf | Quickspin | 97.34% |
| Dead or Alive | NetEnt | 96.82% |
| Tomb Raider | Microgaming | 96.56% |
| Mustang Gold Megaways | Pragmatic Play | 96.51% |
| Aloha! Cluster Pays | NetEnt | 96.42% |
Check the volatility of the real money video slots
High volatility slots offer the possibility of spins in which large payouts can be won, but such spins do not occur frequently. In low volatility slots winning spins will occur more frequently but amounts will be comparatively modest. Neither type of slot machine is better than the other. Conservative players prefer low volatility slots whereas risk-taking players go for higher volatility. You should select slot games with volatility suited to your temperament.
How do we ascertain the volatility of slot machines? Some game providers indicate the volatility in the game rules. Others do not give any information. Therefore, we ascertain the volatility based on certain indicators and report it in our slots reviews. High volatility slot games are likely to have the features listed below.
| Features of high volatility real money slots |
| The top payout is much higher than the others |
| The top payout is a fixed or progressive jackpot |
| The slot machine has fewer paylines |
| The slot machine includes features like expanding wild symbols |
| The free games usually have high multipliers |
Look for real money slots with high maximum bets
In slot machines for real money, your bet per spin will be restricted between a minimum and a maximum amount. The minimum bet amount is always small enough to cater to low roller players. The problem can come with the maximum bet. In some slot games it is restricted to about $20. High roller players with large bankrolls often look to bet much larger amounts and seek to select real money slots with large maximum bets.
Most slot machines have a Max Bet button that displays the maximum bet amount. Otherwise, you can ascertain the maximum bet through the bet panel. If this amount is small for your requirement, then exit the slot game and find another one. We urge that only experienced players with large bankrolls go for maximum bets.
Play real money slots with bonus games
Bonus games break the monotony of spinning the reels endlessly. They create a different scene on the screen and provide players with another mechanism of winning money. Bonus games that are well integrated with the theme of the slot machine drive more traffic to it. These are some of our favourite bonus games in slot machines for real money.
| Real Money Slot Machine | Bonus Feature |
| Alaskan Fishing | Choose a fishing spot and win a bonus depending on the size of the fish caught. |
| Cash Eruption | Collect fireballs to initiate respins. Win prizes based on values on the fireballs. |
| Thunderstruck 2 | After any spin up to 5 reels randomly turn wild resulting in massive payouts |
| Age of the Gods | Match like symbols and win one of the progressive jackpots |
| Tomb Raider Secret of the Sword | Locate the fragments of the sword in mystery cities to win the grand prize |
Look out for innovative features in online slots
From time to time, games developers, like NetEnt and Microgaming, introduce innovative features in their video slots. These change the way the slot games are played and therefore create increased player interest. Many slot games have the name of the feature appended to their title and are therefore easy to identify. Other slots with innovative features are more difficult to locate. While exploring portfolios at online casinos you can select real money slots with innovative features. Meanwhile, you can begin with these.
| Real Money Slot Machine | Innovative Feature |
| Aloha! Cluster Pays | Like symbols award win through clusters and not paylines |
| Amazing Link Zeus | ‘Amazing’ symbols get locked in the feature and award prizes at the end |
| Spinata Grande | Colossal Symbols appear as blocks of 2×2 or 3×3 on the reels |
| Christmas Carol Megaways | Pay 100x the bet amount and play the free games immediately through the Bonus Buy |
| Bikini Party | Pay a fee to respin only one reel while holding the others fixed |
How to select real money slots casinos?
The question that next arises is how to locate the online casinos where these video slot machines can be played. We give you some tips for choosing real money slots casinos that will make your search easier.
Large slots portfolio
The larger the slots portfolio at an online casino, the more likely most of the best slot machines for real money will be available there. You can check out the size of the portfolio at the games lobby. This information is also incorporated in our casino reviews.
Range of slot machines
You will encounter many types of slot machines like jackpot slots, Megaways slots, classic slots, bonus buy slots, and more. We recommend online casinos that offer an adequate selection of slot games in all categories.
Covers maximum providers
Each game provider offers something unique in its slot games. Therefore, by licensing games from a larger number of providers, an online casino can offer better options to its players. Some of the video slot developers that you should look for are NetEnt, Microgaming, Pragmatic Play, Playtech, and IGT.
Easy navigation through the online casino website
All online casinos today offer a search engine at their website. However, you must know the name of the slot game to use this facility and often this is not the case. The best Canadian casinos offer other navigation options to help you select real money slots easily. These include provider and theme filters, sorting games alphabetically and displaying new games and popular games in separate sections. You can use them to find best real money slots. The games lobby will display the options that are available and you should look for them before you sign up at an online casino.
Deposits and withdrawals for real money slots
Real money slots gambling involves making deposits and withdrawing winnings. Therefore, having trusted payment options and dependable banking processes are a must for the best online casinos. For more information on these topics, we suggest that you read the deposits and withdrawal blogs in our Guides page.
Recommended Canada online casinos for real money slots
Based on the above parameters we have picked out some Canadian online casinos where you will find best real money slots. Many more options are suggested on our online casino reviews page. Do not miss out on the attractive welcome bonus by signing up from our website.
| Casino | No. of Slots | Main Providers | Welcome Bonus |
| 888 Casino | 2200+ | NetEnt, Quickspin | $1000 + 100 free spins |
| Party Casino | 1000+ | Playtech, Blueprint | $2000 + 275 free spins |
| LeoVegas | 2200+ | Microgaming, Play‘n GO | $1500 + 100 free spins |
| Royal Vegas | 520+ | Microgaming, Pragmatic Play | $1200 + 10 free spins |
| Casumo | 3300+ | Play’n GO, NetEnt | $2000 + 99 free spins |
Tips & Strategies for real money slot machines
In the concluding section of this blog, we offer some advice on how to play real money slot games in Canada in a more interesting and fruitful manner.
Use free play when needed
The essence of online casinos lies in real money gambling but there are times when playing in the demo mode is helpful. You may want to understand the mechanism of a new slot game just released. A slot game may offer certain choices and you may want to test the outcome of each so that you make the right decision when playing with real money.
Progressive jackpots have lower RTP
We have recommended that you play real money slots with RTP greater than 96%. However, this advice does not apply to progressive jackpot slot machines, which have lower RTPs. For these slot games our suggested cutoff rate is 94%.
Responsible gambling
Make sure that you play online slot machines for real money in a responsible manner. Bet within your limits, do not let gambling affect your social life and do not chase losses. You can get more information on this at the website of the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario.
Frequently Asked Questions
As a newbie player what type of real money slots should I start with?
We suggest that you begin with slot games having lower volatility so that risk is at a minimum. Select real money slots that have simpler structures and simpler bonus features. We suggest that you start with smaller bets till you are confident.
Do you advise playing branded slot games for real money?
Branded video slots are more interesting. However, many of them have return to player values that are less than our suggested cutoff limit. We advise you to check these values and avoid playing branded slot games with RTP less than 96%.
I cannot find all the slot games that I like at one online casino. What should I do?
You will never find best real money slots at one online casino. We suggest that you sign up at two or three online casinos. Find casinos that offer games from as different sets of providers as possible. Our selection of recommended Canadian online casinos provides this diversity. By signing up at different online casinos you will also benefit from a wider range of bonuses and promotions.
