Free Online Slots & Demo Slots 2024

What to pay attention to when playing demo slots

Casino gaming experts recommend giving a demo slot 120 spins before you play the real money version and I agree. With that many spins, you can get a feel for the game, try different wager sizes and betting strategies, and experiment with payline options.

I always consider these factors when choosing a demo slot to play:

Theme & design

The theme and visuals of a game are the most important features. I’ve always felt that this is what draws you in and what makes games unique. Impressive graphics, creative animations the theme and design, including the music and sound effects, are what make a game special and should capture your attention. 

My favourite free slot with a stand-out theme is the safari classic Mega Moolah because I love the goofy animal graphics and the warm-toned background always feels like summer.

Bonus rounds & features

Bonus rounds contribute to the uniqueness of slot games and are where most of the big wins happen. The time it takes to trigger a bonus round varies between games and for some slots, it can be a very rare occurrence. When I play a demo game, I assess how frequently bonus rounds are triggered and that helps me decide if the game is worth playing with real money.

My favourite demo game with great bonus rounds and features is the vintage slot Book of Ra.

Bet ranges

Slot machine games allow players to place bets of varying sizes. The size of the bet is usually tied to the number of pay lines. Playing the demo version of a slot gives an idea of how much you have to wager each spin to get the bet payline combos. Demo slots help me evaluate whether or not a slot has a good range of bets. 

My favourite slot with a wide range of bets is Jackpot Quest, boasting a min of £0.2 to an impressive £100. 

Hit frequency

Hit frequency refers to several metrics related to a slot's gameplay, most notably the Return To Player (RTP) rate and a slot’s volatility. 

The RTP is the average percentage a player can expect to win back over time. For example, an RTP of 95% means that for every £100 a player bets, you could very loosely expect a £95 return over a period of time playing the slot. This also accounts for a 5% house edge, which is what the casino can loosely expect to gain throughout your session. Volatility measures how frequently a game pays out. Low-volatility games pay out small amounts regularly but rarely give big wins. High volatility games pay out large amounts but not very often. 

Playing the demo version of a slot gives you a chance to measure whether or not a game pays out frequently enough to be worth playing with real money.

My favourite slot with a high hit rate is the excellent Irish slot Rainbow Jackpots.

Free slots by feature

Slots now have special features that make them more interesting than just a spinning reel game. How to trigger these features may seem like a mystery at first, which is why playing free slots is such a good idea. While playing for fun, you can also learn the mechanics of a game’s bonus rounds and special features. 

These top my list of the best slot game special features: 

Free spins bonus

Free spins, sometimes called bonus spins, are the most common feature added to slot games. These spins are usually triggered by one or more scatter symbols appearing on the reels. Often these free spins are used in a special bonus round, some of which are basically unique minigames. 

Keep in mind that these free spins are not the same as promotional free spin bonuses. The free spins that you get from a welcome bonus are wagerable spins on one or more slot games. 

The following slots have the best free spins bonus features:

Slot Game	RTP	Volatility	Provider
Immortal Romance	96.86%	Medium	Games Global
Kronos Slot	91.21%	Medium	WMS
Fortunes of Asgard	95%	Medium	Games Global

Megaways feature

Big Time Gaming (BTG) introduced the Megaways feature and it has become incredibly popular. Megaways slots are more dynamic because instead of only one symbol per reel, multiple symbols can be generated on each reel. This can lead to thousands of possible combinations and ways to win.

These are the leading Megaways slots:

Slot Game	RTP	Volatility	Provider
Bonanza Megaways	96%	High	Big Time Gaming
Mustang Gold Megaways	96.46%	High	Pragmatic Play
Blood Suckers Megaways	98%	High	Red Tiger Gaming

Megaclusters feature

Megaclusters slots were also developed by the creative minds at Big Time Gaming. Instead of pay lines, Megaclusters slots have an alternative cluster system. That means that these games have up to 117,649 ways to win! For players who want thrilling bonus features, the potential for massive wins, and innovative gameplay, Megaclusters slots are perfect.

Megaclusters are still new but these games have already caught my eye:

Slot Game	RTP	Volatility	Provider
Star Cluster Megaclusters	96.54%	Medium-High	Big Time Gaming
Millionaire Rush Megaclusters	96.44%	High	Big Time Gaming
Diamond Fruits Megaclusters	96.23%	Medium-High	Big Time Gaming

My favourite new free slots

These two slots are my two latest favourites:

Man Vs Gator: This ELK Studios lets players take on a 5x5 reel design with a fixed 94% RTP. The theme is a pastel-coloured Floridian blaze, bathing your gameplay in a slightly pink tint. The design connects its reels with 259 paylines to evaluate wins, a system that sits between pure paylines and pure ways. While it also boasts a winning potential of 10,000x the bet.

Sweet Kingdom: This indulgent, candy-coated adventure from Pragmatic Play features a 7x7 reel with cluster pays. The theme is sweets and sweets all rolled into an extra sticky, quite literal kingdom that boasts RTP rates of either 96.53%, 95.53% or 94.53%. My favourite part of this slot is the money symbols doubling with each winning tumble, an excellent twist for this slot.

How can you play demo slots at CasinoTopsOnline

Start by finding the games tab at the top of the page. You can then select the ‘free slots’ section where you will be presented with CasinoTopsOnline’s Free Slots Lobby.

I definitely recommend using the search function on the right-hand side of the page if you already know what game you want to play. If you’re not so sure and are looking for a more directed browse, use the filter function to limit your search. You can filter by theme, provider, and game type. You can also browse the entire demo slot library, which includes over 700 demo games.

Once you’ve found the free demo slot that you want to play, just click on the game. You’ll be taken to the demo page where you can play the game for free which will also include a slot game review that will give you all the information you need about it. 

How to play on mobile?

Demo slots for mobile are becoming more common as mobile casinos have grown to incredible popularity. More slots are being developed to make them compatible with mobile devices and not just desktop browsers. That being said, this means there will be a few unique things to look out for when playing on mobile devices. 

First of all, only play at a reputable operator. I advise choosing a mobile casino app or site that is fully licensed and boasts a good majority of positive reviews. On mobile, there is a pretty straightforward method to ensure this, and that is to only download casino apps from trusted sources like Google Play or the Apple App Store.

Checking the device’s compatibility, before downloading any app is essential, you should also consider if your device has enough space to support the new app. Keeping your device updated is a good way to guarantee smooth gameplay, but securing a stable internet connection also protects your data and lets you play without interruptions.

Different types of free slots

The days of all slot machines just being variations of the same theme are thankfully long in the past and today’s online slots have unique themes, styles, paylines, reel configurations, and bonus features. The reviews on CasinoTopsOnline cover slots of all different kinds, including:

Fruit machines

Fruit slot machines feature the classic graphics and themes of the earliest slot machines that gave them their name – fruit! Cherries and lemons usually feature, alongside 7s, BARs, and bells. These games tend to be very basic. 

Classic slots

Classic slots have fun themes and graphics but follow classic game mechanics. This means a 3x3 reel with set paylines. They usually don’t have any bonus rounds. 

High roller slots

High roller slots encourage players to bet big. They reward players willing to take these risks with more payline, enhanced bonus features, and progressive jackpots. These games tend to have the most elaborate graphics and animations.

High RTP slots

High RTP slots are supposed to payout at a higher rate than their competitors. It all comes down to probability though, so this doesn’t mean every spin will pay out.

Low volatility slots

Low volatility slots are for the easygoing player who doesn’t need the drama of the big win. These games payout smaller amounts more often than the average. There are also high volatility slots that rarely payout but when they do the wins are much bigger.

Free slots by theme

Egyptian-themed Slots: These slots blend Egyptian mythology, desert vibes, and a dash of adventure to create a thrilling and imaginative slot game experience. I recommend these Egyptian-themed slots:

Slot Game	RTP	Provider
Cleopatra	95.7%	Wagerworks
Eye of Horus	96.31%	Merkur Slots
Book of Ra Deluxe	95.1%	Novomatic

Fruit-Themed Slots: These games are perfect for new players who want to master the basics, for those who are nostalgic, and for players who need a little break from all the bells and whistles of modern-style slots. I recommend these fruit-themed slots:

Slot Game	RTP	Provider
Mega Joker	95.05%	Novomatic
Jackpot Inferno	96%	Everi
Fruit Party	96.5%	Pragmatic Play

Irish-Themed Slots: These games tend to have cheerful graphics and relaxing backdrops of green rolling hills. They’re ideal games for melting the stress of the day away. These Irish-themed slots are my top picks:

Slot Game	RTP	Provider
Lucky Leprechaun	96.33%	Games Global
Rainbow Riches	95%	Barcrest
Rainbow Riches Drops of Gold	95%	Light & Wonder

Popular casino game providers

Here are my recommendations for the casino game providers who consistently create top-tier slot games:

• NetEnt: NetEnt Casinos get the benefit of a leading slot game developer.  Using HTML5 technology in all of their games, they can be played on mobile and desktop devices. Gonzo’s Quest and Starburst are the top NetEnt games.

• IGT: International Game Technology (IGT) casinos get the benefit of a developer who has been creating engaging slot games since 1981. Bringing all their game design experience when jumping into the digital world, Cash Drop and Cleopatra’s Gold are two favourites when it comes to IGT casino games. 

• Games Global: Games Global Casinos get the benefit of progressive jackpot games and the wildly popular Mega Moolah is one of theirs.

• Playtech: PlayTech Casinos have been enjoying the world-renowned provider since the 1990s. They are the creative brains behind the popular Age of the Gods series. 

• Yggdrasil: Hitting the ground running in 2013 and immediately becoming one of the most exciting developers on the scene, Yggrasil Casinos have been enjoying titles such as Sugar Bomb Multi Boost and Aldo’s Journey since its establishment. 

These are my favourite providers but there are plenty of others to choose from. CasinoTopsOnline has free slot games from dozens of top developers, including Big Time Gaming, Pragmatic Play, Neko Games, and Rabcat. 

Free online slots vs real money slots

Even though the game types are as close as you can get to each other, free online slots and real money slots offer players different gaming experiences. Here are the main distinctions between the two:

Free online slots

• Playing for fun: Free online slots are designed for entertainment only. 

• No financial commitment: There are no financial commitments when playing free slots.

• Learning and strategy: Free online slots are a great tool for learning how to play slots effectively, before risking any real money.

Real money slots

• Risk and rewards: The actual risk of playing with real money adds an element of excitement for many players. 

• Player benefits: When you make an account with an online casino, you get access to player benefits like free spins, VIP programmes, and promotional offers. 

Free slots and real money slots both have positives and negatives and which one to play is a personal preference.

So Are Slots Really Fair?

The slot games at licensed casinos are tested by regulators to ensure that gameplay is fair and random. Casinos have no control over the RTP of a game – the RTP is set by the developer so that it is the same regardless of the site you play on. The developer cannot alter games without undergoing the entire (expensive and extensive) testing process again. 

Perceived changes can be explained by luck and probability. Slot machine games use Random Number Generator (RNG) software to make every spin an independent event. This means that a game has no memory of previous spins so it cannot adjust itself.

References

• History of Slot Machines (Thought Co.)

• Video Game Machine Alternative to Classic Slots (Forbes)

• AI and Online Gambling (Gameium via LinkedIn)