Best Free Slots & Demo Slots to Play

What to pay attention to when playing demo slots

When playing demo slots, pay attention to important factors like theme and design, bonus rounds, features, bet ranges, and hit frequency. Over the course of my 20+ year career in the gambling industry, I have played thousands of free online slots in an effort to get to know them. The 4 key elements listed below are what I investigated during my review process. Let's check them out in more detail.

Theme & design

An online slot's theme and design form a crucial part of its success. If you think of popular slot themes, you might come up with Ancient Egypt, mining, fishing, candy, Greek mythology, books, etc. There are many different themes out there, some of which are more successful than others. Fishing is an incredibly popular theme, with 6 out of the UK's top 10 slots based around it (Big Bass Splash, Big Bass Bonanza, Big Bass Vegas Double Down Deluxe, etc.).

A popular theme doesn't always lead to success, however. There are plenty of slots out there that have tried this approach and failed. Sometimes, trying something completely new is the key to success, as is the case with Slurpy. This is a new yet ridiculously popular slot with a noisy drink theme!

Design is an important factor when I review online slots. I want to see evidence of a carefully thought-out process, from the symbols to the animations and everything in between. Design decisions have a huge impact on how the game comes together. How immersed you are in the game can make the difference between success and failure.

Bonus rounds & features

For me, this is where the magic happens! Online slots tend to have quite similar gameplay, but it's the collection and combination of features that help a game stand out from the rest.

In Cleopatra, it's the multiplier wilds that double wins in the base game and triples them in the free spins round. 

Spartacus: Gladiator of Rome uses wilds in a slightly different way. Reel-height wild stacks transfer from the main reel set to the colossal one. 

Triple Diamond also uses wilds, but this time, they multiply wins by 3x or 9x. Lobstermania 2 drops 3x and 5x multipliers, but at random on any symbol instead of being tied to wilds. And let's not forget Da Vinci Diamonds' Tumbling Reels feature, which revolutionised the industry by creating the potential for chains of wins from a single spin.

There are, of course, many other types of bonuses and features, which is what makes exploring free slots so exciting!

Bet ranges

You may not think it's relevant to consider bet ranges when you're playing free slots, but there are two important reasons to do so. If you regularly play slots for free before transitioning to real money play, it helps to know what bet sizes are available to you. This is especially true if you're trying to maintain responsible gambling practices. A quick click will tell you the minimum and maximum bets so you can decide if and when you want to switch to real money play and at what level.

The second reason to check out bet ranges is that some slots play differently at different bet sizes. For example, some slots only let you win the jackpot if you're playing at the maximum bet. In other games, you'll need to play the maximum bet if you want to activate other features. These mechanics play out in the demo slots, too. If you don't explore the bet sizes, you might miss out on important elements of the game!

Hit frequency

The hit frequency of a slot is basically how many times you land a win per set number of spins. If you're lucky, you'll find this information online, but many slot providers don't advertise this kind of information. However, you can still get a rough idea of a slot's hit frequency by keeping a record as you play. To do this make a note of how many spins you're playing and how many of those spins result in a win. Divide the latter by the former, and you've got your hit frequency or win rate. Note: this will only be for your current session and not for the game in general.

Hit frequency matters because it affects how the game plays and your perceived experience of it. For example, thanks in part to the slot's Tumbling Reels, Da Vinci Diamonds has a fairly high hit frequency, which makes the game feel more exciting. That said, it's important to remember that frequent wins don't mean bigger wins: they can be often but still small.

Free slots by feature

Free slots set themselves apart from each other by their features. If you're curious about a slot's features, playing the game for free gives you the opportunity to see them in action without risking a penny. Let's have a look at some of the most interesting and popular free slot features you're likely to come across.

Free spins bonus

As the name implies, the free spins bonus gives you a set number of free spins on the slot. If you check out the slot's paytable, you'll learn exactly what you need to do to trigger the free spins feature. Usually, this can be done by landing 3 bonus symbols anywhere on the reels at once, but the exact trigger can differ from one game to the next.

The free spins feature is one of the most popular bonus rounds of online slots, as it effectively gives you extra opportunities to win without having to use any additional credits. I love free spins features, especially those that allow you to retrigger the feature while you're still playing it. This can boost those free spins to ridiculous levels. Cleopatra (up to 180) and Lucky Larry's Lobstermania 2 (up to 240). Free spin rounds tend to have additional features, too, like multiplied wins, walking wilds, and sometimes even jackpots.

Megaways feature

Megaways is a slot mechanism that replaces set paylines with so-called 'ways to win' by creating reels of varying sizes that change on every spin. The result is slots that can vary from 243 ways to win to 117,649 ways to win. Some slots have even more than that: Big Bass Hold and Spinner Megaways have 147,456 ways to win, while Madame Destiny Megaways has 200,704 ways to win!

The mechanism was first launched by Big Time Gaming back in 2015 with a game called Dragon Born, but it wasn't until the following year's release of Bonanza that the industry finally sat up and took notice. Megaways changed the industry in a huge way and led to a multitude of slot re-releases as Big Time Gaming licensed the mechanism to other providers. Some of the most popular Megaways slots include The Dog House Megaways, Eye of Horus Megaways, and Big Bass Bonanza Megaways.

Megaclusters feature

Megaclusters is another slot mechanism created by Big Time Gaming, this time designed for grid-style slots. Megaclusters move away from set paylines, too, by paying out for clusters of matching symbols rather than those on consecutive reels starting from the first. You can trigger a win anywhere on the grid as long as the symbols are touching vertically or horizontally.

Quite often, these Megacluster wins also trigger other effects. For example, transforming or upgrading nearby symbols and setting off a chain reaction of additional wins, as in Kluster Krystals Megaclusters. It's quite common to find other interesting features in these games, such as an expanding grid as you progress, as in Star Clusters Megaclusters. There are only a handful of Megaclusters slots, but they are well worth exploring.

How to play on mobile?

Most slots can be easily played on mobile devices like smartphones and tablets. If you like the idea of playing free slots on the go, it's worth noting that there are two ways to do this: via the casino website directly or by downloading an app.

The benefit of playing via a mobile casino app is you don't need to visit the website to log in. Plus, the user interface tends to be much more mobile-centric, with larger buttons and game tiles.

To play free slots on your smartphone or tablet using an app, download the app from the casino website or from the Apple or Google Play Store. The download and install process takes a couple of minutes at most, and then you can log in and start playing. Remember that most UK online casinos require a fully verified account before you can play their games for free, as per UK Gambling Commission regulations.

Different types of free slots

There are thousands of free slots to explore in many shapes and sizes. If you like classic style slots, there are 3-reel slot games like Triple Diamond and Mystery Joker that will suit your taste. These can range from simple single payline games to slightly more complex 9-payline games. On the other hand, if you're like me and you enjoy the magic of modern slot creations, you'll love the bigger 6+ reel games, the ways to win of Megaways, and win both ways type slots. This is similar to the world's most popular slot ever, Starburst.

Remember that big money fixed and progressive jackpot slots aren't reserved solely for real money players. I love playing jackpot slots like Divine Fortune and Beach Invaders in demo mode to see if I'm lucky enough to trigger the jackpot mechanism. This is despite knowing the winnings are only going to be in-play money! The point is, in most cases, you can get exactly the same experience playing free slots as you would be playing them in real money mode. 

Free slots by theme

Free slots also come in a huge range of themes such as mythology, food, animals, the ever-popular Irish luck theme, Ancient Egypt, mining, adventure, and even popular movies and TV shows. If you're overwhelmed by choice, simply think of your favourite things, and there are bound to be plenty of slots based on them.

For example, I really like the style of Japanese manga and anime, so I'm drawn to well-designed anime-themed slots like Play'n GO's Moon Princess series. Classic anime titles include Moon Princess Trinity and Moon Princess Power of Love. Sometimes, I like a bit of nostalgia, so I dip into slots like Big Time Gaming's Monopoly Megaways for a trip back to the old family board game. 

I love music, too, and I enjoy playing slots like Guns N' Roses Video Slot, so I can sing along and check out the cut scenes as I spin! The Irish theme is extremely popular, but I find it's often quite cliché and overdone. That said, I do enjoy playing Finn and the Swirly Spin, as it's quite quirky and comical.

Popular casino game providers

Around 550 developers create slots for the UK gambling industry, but several stand out as leading providers: NetEnt, Play'n GO, Reel Kingdom, Games Global, and Big Time Gaming. If you're looking for the cream of the crop, free slots by these developers are a great place to start. These casino software providers consistently pump out earth-shaking slots with unique themes, beautiful designs, and engaging features and mechanics.

Provider	Why They Stand Out	Best Game	Top Casino
NetEnt	Exciting themes, worldwide success, feature-rich slots	Starburst	21Luckybet
Play'n GO	Series slots, distinctive themes, grid and cluster mechanics	Book of Dead	LeoVegas
Reel Kingdom	Creators of the Big Bass series, engaging mechanics, eccentric backdrops and designs	Big Bass Splash	MrQ
Games Global	Wide variety of themes from some of the oldest and most successful slot studios	Immortal Romance	Mr Vegas
Big Time Gaming	Creator of Megaways, Megaclusters and Megapays mechanics, many different themes, TV show and board game-themed slots	Bonanza	BetMGM

Real money slots: Responsible gambling tips

When you transition from playing free slots to real money slots, it is important to follow responsible gambling processes, such as setting a budget, taking breaks and not chasing losses.

Seeing as you aren't risking any of your own money when playing free slots, it is essential that you follow a plan if you then decide to start gambling instead. It can be easy to switch off and play in the same manner as you did when playing for free. That's why it is imperative to make adjustments to your gameplay once you understand the slot during the demo version and start playing for real.

I would recommend that you follow these 5 tips to stay safe when playing real money slots:

• Set and stick to a budget: Set aside money you can afford to lose before playing. Since you aren't losing any money when playing for free, you can take big risks without worrying about any detriment afterwards. Therefore, you mustn't get caught up in the same mindset when playing for real.

• Take breaks: Taking breaks during your session allows you to stay focused and clear-headed. This way, you're more likely to avoid errors in judgment and stick to your budget.

• Don't chase losses: Although it is disappointing if you lose money during your sessions, you must not continue to bet more than you were prepared to lose beforehand in an attempt to win back the lost money. This will more than likely lead to greater losses.

• Don't play under the influence: If you gamble when you are under the influence, it can impair your judgment, making it easier to make mistakes, take bigger risks and potentially lose more money.

• Use responsible gambling tools: Utilising tools such as deposit, wager and loss limits can help facilitate the above tips, such as sticking to your budget. UK casinos are required by law to provide these tools for players, so make the most of them to ensure you are playing safely.

What is Return to Player?

Return to Player (RTP) is the amount of money paid back to players for a given slot machine over a long-term period. It is expressed as a percentage, meaning that a slot with an RTP of 97.35% will return, on average, £97.35 per £100 to players.

Slot machines have different RTPs, so it's a good idea to consider this information before deciding which game to play. This is because a higher RTP slot will give you greater returns over time.

The average RTP in the UK is between 94% and 96%. However, you can find slots with greater RTPs. For example, Dracula has an RTP of 96.58%.

Free slots will also have an RTP, which typically matches that of the real money slot. Therefore, you can test out the returns first so you can get a feel for the payouts before risking your own funds.

Are free slots really fair?

Yes, online slots by reputable providers are absolutely fair because they use random number generators (RNGs) to determine the outcomes. RNGs are basically little computers that take several inputs and turn them into random outputs using complicated algorithms. These outputs are then used to determine how the reels of the slot land as well as the outcomes of other non-reel related features. The RNGs themselves undergo rigorous testing by independent laboratories to ensure fairness.

Free slots are legally required to remain the same as the real money version of the game, which is why I highly recommend sticking with trusted game developers when it comes to playing these. Both versions are quality assessed on a regular basis by both industry bodies and regulatory licensors. This ensures and enforces that free and paid slots are fair and their operator's practices above board.

Final thoughts on free slots

Playing online slots for free first is a great way of exhibiting safe and responsible gambling. This is because you can test out slots first before risking real money, allowing you to fully understand the slot machine's mechanics, features and bonus rounds before you start playing with your bankroll.

Although you won't be able to win any money when you play slots for free, they are useful for discovering the games that suit your individual preferences. Equally, if you want to enjoy the same experience that you get with playing slots, the demo version allows you to do so without any financial risk.