Where to Play the Best Online Slots in Ireland

Casino.com is now focused on reviews of all the best online casinos and online casino games in Ireland. This includes online slots, and, on this guide, our long-time experts fill you in on all things slot games and online slot sites.

Slot machines have been around for decades, but the internet now allows for an immersive online slots experience via the comfort of your home with the click of a few buttons. Online slots are the mecca of online gaming, combining strategy, skill and luck. These virtual one-armed bandits appeal to a wide and diverse audience of online casino players, so let’s gear you up for a great game play experience.

It is easy to play slot games at online casinos. Browse the slot game library and pick out your favourite slot game title. Click in and load up the real money version of the online slot or hit “demo play” if you want to try it for free.

The basic concept of online slot games is using virtual buttons instead of physical buttons or “arms” (handles). Spin the reels to match the symbols and win. Fire up the bonus rounds by revealing “Scatter Symbols” or bonus features. ‘Wild’ symbols substitute for other symbols to make a winning line.

Online slots come in all shapes and sizes with vastly different amounts of cash in the kitty. Some slot games (Bonus Buys) will allow you to buy the bonus rounds. I regularly come across different types of slot games like Video slots, Classic slots and Megaways. Classic slots are old school Fruit Machine slots that I used to love playing in physical casinos and amusements when I was on holidays as a young man. There was nothing like hitting those combos of melons, bars or super sevens!

To play the best online slots in Ireland simply follow our step-by-step guide below:

1. First, log into your online casino account.
2. Top up your real money balance if required.
3. Fire up your chosen slot titles.
4. Enter your stake amount by toggling the arrow keys or inputting a stake amount directly. 
5. Enter the number of paylines you’d like to play (if applicable). 
6. Click the ‘Spin’ button and watch the reels spin with an array of symbols landing on the win lines. 
7. Match these symbols to be awarded a payout.

What You Need to Know Before Playing Online Slots

Before playing at the best slots sites, it is important you arm yourself with key information to get the best bang for your buck. A good way to do this if you are unsure is to play free slots via “Demo Mode”. Familiarise yourself with basics such as Pay tables which are charts that show you the value of each symbol and the different types of payouts you can expect for matching the various symbols. 

Pay attention to the return to player percentage (RTP%) at online slot sites which tell you how much and how often the slot machine is likely to pay out. Do bettors want high volatility or low volatility online slots?

I look at the different types of online slots on display in the casino game library. Each slot type is different with arbitrary numbers of reels or paylines, and with different potential payouts. I like to make informed choices during my game selection process, and I look for slot game features like high payouts, progressive jackpots and extra bonus features that the best online slots provide. You can choose the amount of paylines you’d like to bet and enter a stake that suits your bankroll.

Moving onto game play itself and we should know what to expect. The setup of the online slots will mimic traditional slots and include a set number of reels and rows depending on the slot type you’re playing. Typically, real money slots online will incorporate five reels x three rows. Some slot types like Megaways for example can feature up to six reels and extra rows with varying numbers of symbols on the reels. This amounts to a huge number of paylines.

Each of the online slots will feature a different theme like an Arabian Desert to the Pyramids of Egypt, an African Safari theme like the Mega Moolah slot provides or even themes centered around Cops and Robbers or Spiderman!

Online slots real money players should learn what each symbol on the reels mean and how bonus features are triggered. Online slots will have different symbols like Wilds, Scatters and Bonus feature symbols which will all add to the user experience. You can trigger these bonus rounds easier by playing more paylines and this lessens volatility. A few symbols and features to look out for at online slots Ireland are:

1. Wild symbol – A Wild symbol substitutes in for any other symbol to potentially complete a winning combination on the paylines.
2. Scatter Symbol – Reveal three Scatter symbols anywhere in the window on the online slots to trigger bonus features.
3. Bonus feature - Trigger this for extra winnings in the form of free spins. respins, multipliers or even random jackpot drops, and more.
4. Multiplier – A multiplier can be triggered in a bonus round or by Scatter Symbols. Your winnings will be multiplied by the figure in question. E.g. 5x or 10x or 50x. You can also buy bonus rounds on some slots online.
5. Free spins – Free spins are powered via certain symbols that trigger bonus features on online slots, or you can earn free spins through deposit bonuses.

Slots online come in several different categories. The different types of online casino slots variations cater for players of various tastes. I’ll bring you up to speed with them below:

• Jackpot slots can range from daily, weekly or monthly fixed jackpots, to Drops and Wins or the big progressive jackpots. Play at the best slots sites with the chance to win life changing money. 
• Progressive Jackpot slots - Every real money spin on online slots provided by Pragmatic Play for example across a network will add a percentage of player’s stakes to the kitty. This jackpot pool keeps rising until someone strikes gold. The progressive jackpots can go into the millions on the best online slots.
• Classic online slots, or old school Fruit Machine type slots feature the 7, bar, melon and fruit symbols. These were my favourite slot games to play back in the day. They usually come with three to five reels and three rows, with minimal paylines.
• Video slots provide a range of diverse graphics, animations and themes with a mesmerising and immersive backdrop of sounds and visuals. They usually come with five reels and a healthy number of paylines.
• Bonus Buys are online slots where you can literally pay to trigger the bonus rounds and features.
• 3D online slots provide a virtual visual experience via the use of three-dimensional graphics and animations.
• Megaways are some of the newest and best slot games you will find at slots sites online. There can be up to tens of thousands of paylines on Megaways slots. These are formed on multiple reels and rows, with a variable number of symbols on each reel. Straight win lines, and diagonal and zigzag paylines are the standout feature of Megaways slots at the best slots sites. 

An innovation at the best online slots sites in Ireland is the multiplayer feature. Play online slots with other players, especially at Live Dealer casinos and benefit from bonus features triggered by these players and vice versa.

There are plenty of strategies we can put into practice to help us win more or lose less when enjoying online slots. Here are a few tips to get ahead of the game:

Understanding basic game play like RTP %, programs, algorithms and understanding probabilities is vital to success in online slots and gaming. “Know your enemy” which just happens to be online casino slots! Online slots are programmed using “If, then else” and other programs which means you can’t change outcomes that are predetermined.

When we are playing online slots, we are playing against the house at online casinos. There is an edge built into real money slots online. As a player you can check this edge by referring to the individual return to player percentage (RTP%) on each slot game. This will tell you how much the online slot pays out on average versus what it takes in. This can come in high or lower volatility payouts. One tip I can give you is that if the bonus features are being triggered regularly, the “machine” might be about to pay out.

I like to understand the rules and mechanics of online slots and pick the best online slots that suit my individual game style, and I advise you to do the same. One of the reasons I like to play high volatility slot games instead of lower variances online slots, personally, is that these slots offer the potential of bigger payouts and jackpots which if I hit it will leave me as a long-term winner.

There are many strategies we can undertake or things we can do to get the odds a little more in our favour. Bankroll management is key to online slots and all forms of gambling online.

To lessen variance and allow for the laws of probability to take place, playing more paylines will trigger more payouts, thus lower volatility. Splitting our stakes across several different paylines is a good strategy to lower variance.

Tips to manage your bankroll and game play accordingly:

1. Set a budget and do not stake what you can’t afford to lose. 
2. Try wagering a very small percentage of your bankroll on each spin of an online slot game. This will maximise your chances of doing well over the long run. 
3. Choose the type of slot game to play to suit your style and preferences. 
4. Play the games that have the best features and give the most back to players. 
5. Practice with free slots or demo mode before moving onto a new game or variant of online slots.
6. Understand the pay table and pay outs before you play.
7. Learn about the bonus features and how to trigger them.
8. Try different variants and slot titles. 
9. Experiment with various types of jackpot games like Megaways, Drops and Wins, progressive and mystery jackpots.

Remember playing slots online in Ireland is fast and fierce and this can lead to problems whereas playing at traditional slot machines is less risky. All the best online slots sites in Ireland will have a dedicated resources page for responsible gambling should you need it.

In the world of online slots, it is possible to play free slots (demo mode) and play online slots for real money in top online casinos. You can play several popular slot games as Irish players like Gates of Olympus, Book of Dead, Starburst and Mega Moolah in demo mode at selected casinos to sample the action first.

Free Slots

Free slots or demo mode is when you play the online slots without wagering real money. Benefits of playing free slots include stress-free entertainment, practice, and you can explore new titles and variations of online slots risk-free. If you are a novice player, you can build confidence by playing for free. Noone is an expert straight away. 

Learning the game mechanics and trying out new strategies are part of the process. Free Spins are available as part of no deposit bonus packages at the best online casinos for real money slots.

Real money slots 

Play online slots in Ireland for real money at the best slots sites online in the Emerald Isle. Set your wager and pick your number of pay lines and spin to win actual real cash and trigger bonus rounds and multipliers. Real money online slots can be very exciting with the thrill of potentially life-changing payouts. 

Real money slots online and casino games like roulette and poker are powered by random number generators (RNGs). It’s important to check the return to player percentage and volatility of each slot game when putting your hard-earned cash on the line.

I’ve listed a few of the pros and cons when you play online slots in Ireland, either during free play or playing real money slots online: 

Pros of real money slots

• Experience the thrill of playing for real money prizes
• Enjoy the chance of a potentially life changing jackpot win
• Build points towards climbing VIP rewards tiers for perks and prizes
• Claim cashback on your online slots losses via loyalty programs
• Join in daily tournaments and challenges and climb the leaderboards
• Play on the go on mobile

Pros of demo play

• Build new strategies with no money on the line
• Learn the game mechanics of various titles and slot types
• Gain confidence before playing for real money
• The chance to win prizes and real cash via demo play
• Become a skilled player at online slots without losing money