Slots are great fun and really simple to play but do they offer good value to the player or are they just a great way for the casino to make easy money? We take a look at the house edge on slots and, along with other pros and cons of the spinning reels, access how they compare to other casino games such as blackjack and roulette.

Easy and instant comparison of the house edge of slots and other games is not easy because there is no fixed house edge for slots in the same way there is in games such as roulette, craps and baccarat. Whilst the house edge for blackjack varies according to the exact rules and game variant, the basics remain the same and, moreover, if you know the rules it is possible to calculate the exact profit margin the casino is taking.

With slots, things are a little different because not only do all slots have their own house edge, many software providers allow individual casinos to alter the house edge of their games, meaning that the same slot may be more or less profitable at one casino than it is at another.

In general slots have a significantly higher house edge than many other games you’ll find at an online casino, with video poker, blackjack and baccarat generally being the games that offer the player the best chance of making a profit over the long term. Whilst the house edge on many variants of those games can drop to 0.5% or lower, the edge on slots is more likely to be around 5%, with 10% or even 15% not uncommon.

However, slots have two HUGE advantages over many games you’ll find at an online casino and this is where their value and worth becomes apparent and why they remain well worth playing.

Bonus Wagering

Almost all casinos count slots at 100% towards any bonus rollover, whilst blackjack, roulette and so on may count at a rate of as little as 2.5% or even not at all.

The Big Win

In blackjack, baccarat, craps and to a lesser extent roulette, you can’t win big without staking big. In contrast slots and especially progressive slots offer the chance to win hundreds or even thousands – or even MILLIONS – times your stake.

Slots might not be as glamorous as some of the casino world’s other great games but they still feature in some great movies. Here we take a look at the best slots moment from the silver screen and if you ever need a bit of inspiration to play at your favorite online casino or slots site, fire up this movie and you’re sure to feel like spinning those reels. Alternatively how about three great slots based on even better movies if you want to enjoy movie magic whilst playing slots?

What Happens in Vegas

Cameron Diaz and Ashton Kutcher star in this so-so romantic comedy in which they are brought together by a huge slots win. Released in 2008, the movie sees the leads have a typical, drunken, shotgun Vegas wedding before realizing they hate each other. However, the next morning when Jack (Kutcher) hits a $3m slots win with a quarter given to him by Joy (Diaz), the pair are forced to spend six months together in order to be able to hold onto their half of the mega slots win. Whilst the legalities of that may be somewhat questionable, the movie illustrates beautifully how slots, and in particular progressive jackpot slots, can change your life forever in just one spin.

Slot: Gladiator

This epic movie starring Russell Crowe and Joaquin Phoenix was directed by Ridley Scott and is action-packed from start to finish. The slot of the same name packs a similar punch and if you get the Gladiator bonus you could be in for a big win.

Slot: Ghostbusters

Ghostbusters is a 1980s classic with brilliant comedy, some not-so-brilliant (at least looking back) special effects and some great performances by a young Sigourney Weaver and Bill Murray. The slot is bang up to date though and captures the spirit(!) of the movie brilliantly, not least with the excellent Ball Room Bonus and chance to blast Slimer!

Slot: At The Movies

This one isn’t actually based on an individual movie but instead aims to capture all the magic and fun of Hollywood. A brilliant 3D video slot, it features 30 paylines and has five reels and with Oscars to play for and even a bit of Brad Pitt, it’s sure to appeal to movie fans.

Unlimited slots bonuses might sound too good to be true but, in this case, the old saying that if things look too good to be true, they probably are isn’t quite right. Believe it or not, there are some reputable and trustworthy slots sites and online casinos that offer unlimited bonuses to their customers. In fact, as we’ll explain, several of our favorite online casinos offer bonuses that, whilst not always marketed as unlimited, are effectively just that.

Too Good to be True? What’s the Catch?

There is no catch, per se, but as with virtually all casino bonuses, you can’t just take the money and run – all of the sites we write about here will require that the bonus is wagered a certain number of times before you can make a withdrawal. Usually, when a casino gives you a bonus you must wager the amount of your deposit and bonus (combined) around 20 to 30 times before you can request a withdrawal of your winnings.

However, given many sites offer bonuses of 400% or even more, what’s guaranteed with these bonuses is a huge amount of fun! If you would normally spend $100 on a casino session, you could have $500 of action for that same $100 outlay? That means you can place bigger bets, play for longer and enjoy more thrills and, if luck rolls your way, you could win big… really big!

Unlimited Bonuses

Aladdin’s Gold Casino is one USA friendly site that allows unlimited bonuses, for the first seven days after you join at any rate. In that glorious first week every single deposit you make will enjoy a 200% bonus and you can deposit as much as you want!

Planet 7 also offers an unlimited casino bonus – again at a rate of 200% of your deposit – but their offer is ongoing, such that whatever you deposit will ALWAYS be trebled (as long as you use the Promo Code USASLOTS)!

Bonuses for Existing Customers

Whilst those are the only two online casinos that purposely market “unlimited bonuses”, if we delve a little deeper we can see that many of the best US friendly online casinos have semi-permanent lists of weekly and monthly reload bonuses that effectively mean that every deposit you make – if you choose to use the relevant bonus codes – will receive a bonus.

With codes such as this available to use at Jackpot Grand, Classy Coin, Grand Parker and other great online casinos, you can be sure that there is always a bonus on offer. And with codes redeemable more than once, you effectively have even more unlimited casino bonuses to choose from.