Slot Sites

Ready to sink your teeth into some of the very best online slots? Perhaps one of the most important decisions you can make before playing for real is which slot site to play at. There are literally thousands of slot sites to choose from, each with their own pros and cons, and most offering something a little different from the next.

Most of the best slot sites out there are firmly committed to delivering players the latest and greatest titles from the best slot developers in the iGaming world. Some will focus on slots that boast the biggest and most breathtaking jackpots and others might focus on targeting new players with irresistible bonuses and free spins.

Rest assured that we here at Slot Gods take immense pride in being honest, bias-free, and trustworthy, not only in our online slot reviews, but also in our slot site reviews. We only partner with the best slot sites in the business, all of which we have personally tried, tested and spent countless hours playing at with our own money.

Rather than just take our word for it though, it's useful to understand how slot sites work, the various differences between them, and of course, what separates a good slot site from a poor slot site, so you can be confident that whichever one you choose to play at will offer all the features and games you enjoy, and importantly, is safe and secure.

What is a slot site?

Slot sites are incredibly complex and there are many critical functions they must perform in order to operate. To understand what makes a good slot site, it's useful to know what these functions are, the options available, how players make use of them and how players benefit from them.

Slot Site Software

Contrary to popular belief, slots and casino games aren't actually hosted by slot sites and online casinos. They are embedded into the website but served from 3rd party servers - usually the game developer's own server, or a third party intermediary. This ensures that the developer retains control over the games, can apply updates, fixes and improvements in real time. It also ensures that games can't be tampered with or 'fixed'. Most games also require a central database to store information such as jackpot contributions, points, wagers and wins.

With so many tens of thousands of games available, it would be virtually impossible to integrate each game individually, and so some sort of intermediary aggregator software is almost always necessary. The slot site can integrate this software into their website and leave to it the responsibility of serving existing games, releasing new online slots, and applying necessary updates and improvements.

Historically, game developers themselves have provided this software and over the years have evolved to integrate third party developer games into it, meaning the slot site has only one integration to be concerned with, while still being able to offer players a choice of games from a variety of providers. Nowadays, independent game aggregators exist providing an even wider choice of games, and some slot sites implement multiple integrations for maximum reach to virtually every game available.

Deposit Methods & Banking

A slot site wouldn't be very successful if it couldn't take deposits and make withdrawals. However, there's more to slot site banking than processing payments. Due to regulations, including anti-money laundering (AML) laws, online casinos and slot sites must pass a number of audits and assessments to ensure the funds they take from players are being processed safely and securely and are held in a 'client account' protecting them in the case of a slot site becoming insolvent so funds can be returned to players. No sensitive payment information can be collected or stored unless certified to do so, and in recent years, affordability checks must be performed to ensure funds have been sourced legitimately, can be justified and be deemed affordable.

Furthermore, players have their own preferences as to which deposit methods they use. Some prefer using e-wallets such as PayPal or Skrill, whereas others prefer to use their Visa or Mastercard debit card. In the UK, the use of credit cards for online gambling is now banned, so for most slot sites, e-wallets, debit cards and bank transfer are the only options available, although some do also accept 'pay by phone' methods and even cheques!

Licensing

All gambling operators serving UK customers must be licensed by the Gambling Commission. There are various licenses available, some based on turnover, others based on product e.g. sports betting, bingo, and lottery, as well as online slots and casino games. All license applications involve thorough background and suitability checks, audits and analysis, and cost well into the thousands of pounds. Operators must also adhere to license conditions and codes of practice which are regularly monitored and updated by the Gambling Commission to ensure they are acting responsibly, safely and treating players fairly.

The strict licensing conditions are a huge barrier to many new operators wanting to enter the UK market, and as conditions have become more stringent over time, some have either surrendered their licenses or ceased trading entirely.

Customer Service

Whether a customer has a question or a problem, good customer service is imperative to any business operating online. The more caring and helpful the customer service, the more content and loyal customers tend to be. Furthermore, most issues can be amicably resolved without having to refer to lawyers and ombudsmen, with a simple phone call, email or online chat.

Employing customer service agents has its own complications though - not only in terms of training, but also in terms of supervision, handling of sensitive data, and further still, the fact that slot sites generally operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and 365 days of the year! Having enough qualified people on stand-by round the clock can be troublesome and costly, but the best slot sites understand that the welfare of their customers is paramount.

Slots & Games

As mentioned earlier, the selection of games a slot site has is often determined by the platform and aggregator software they have implemented. The greater the selection of games a slot site has, the more integrations will be necessary, and so the higher the costs and fees involved. Some slot sites prefer to keep operations slim, offering a modest selection of games ensuring they cover the most popular and better known titles. This approach, however, has its limitations, especially in recent months where lesser-known developers are releasing outstanding slots that players can't wait to get their hands on. If the slot site doesn't integrate an aggregator that includes a certain developer's games, then new and existing games from that developer won't be available to players, which can lead to disappointment and lost custom.

Other slot sites really do go all-out, ensuring they not only have virtually every online slot available, but are also among the first, or even the only ones to offer blockbusting new titles to their players - Videoslots, Casumo and EnergyCasino deserve a mention here, as we've become to rely on them the most for almost always having the best new slots as soon as they launch.

Jackpots

Some players are all about the mega big wins - and who can blame them? Slot sites know this, and some focus heavily on ensuring they boast a broad selection of jackpot slots including networked and progressive jackpots which are renowned for reaching well into the millions. Additionally, daily and hourly jackpots, such as the Red Tiger Daily Jackpot, have grown massively in popularity in recent months, and have become a key selling point especially for mainstream slot sites.

Not all slot sites have a large choice of jackpot slots though, even if they excel in other areas. Again, it usually boils down to the platform the slot site is built on to decide what jackpots are available. On the other hand, many players tend to avoid playing jackpot slots as typically they have a lower RTP, so much of the decision on whether to focus on them or not comes down to the slot site's strategy - is their objective to attract fans of jackpots, or have the best slot with the highest RTP?

Welcome Offers & Bonuses

Literally every slot site out there will have some kind of welcome offer or bonus available to new players to incentivise them into signing up.  Welcome bonuses play a huge role in how slot sites attract new customers and come in a variety of formats including deposit bonuses, no-deposit bonuses, free spins, and cashback.

Bonuses are generally tailored to the type of player the slot site is trying to attract. Slots players tend to go for free spins, whereas traditional casino game players tend to go for deposit bonuses.  Each have their pros and cons, and bigger doesn't always mean better in the world of bonuses, as slot sites must attach terms and conditions to their offers to protect their profits, and generally, the more 'generous' the bonus the harsher and more restrictive the conditions will be.

Promotions

Promotions are as important to existing players as welcome offers are to new players. They keep players engaged and returning to the site. They also reward loyalty, and often form part of a celebrity endorsement or TV programme sponsorship. Promotions include anything from ad-hoc free spins to try out a new game, to seasonal promotions such as advent calendars and easter egg hunts, to weekly slot tournaments and leaderboards. Prizes include free spins, deposit bonuses, free cash, holidays, and physical gifts such as electrical products and even cars!

Promotions are popular amongst players providing they are well thought out, are simple to follow, easy to enter, and the prizes are worthwhile. Some slot sites focus heavily on promotions to re-engage their customers, whereas others don't really seem to care much about them, perhaps making up for it elsewhere.

Benefits of slot sites over land-based casinos

There’s no denying that slots are thrilling but what are the benefits of playing them at slot sites compared to land-based casinos. To begin with, the selection of online slots is absolutely brilliant with so many different themes and developers literally at your fingertips.

Alongside the variety of online slots, you’ll find that there are even more mechanics online such as Gigablox and Infinity Reels that you won’t find on land-based slots.

There is also the added bonus of better RTP with online slots. The RTP is essentially how much of the total amount wagered on the slot is paid back to players with online slots averaging an RTP of 96% whilst land-based slots can range from as little as 90% all the way down to 70%.

Additionally, you’ll find that you can play on the go, anywhere, anytime, meaning that you can play online slots whilst you are travelling on the bus or at home in your pyjamas.

The final reason as to why slots are better played online is due to the bonuses available such as free spins and deposit bonuses, leading to more bang for your buck.

Now that we've broadly explained what a slot site is, how do we tell the difference between a good slot site, and a poor slot site? Well, that somewhat depends on the demands and needs of the player.

It helps to have an idea of what you are looking for, whether that be in terms of deposit methods, game selection, welcome offers, or promotions.

If you are looking for a slot site filled with an incredible selection of thousands of games at your disposal, then it’s easy to highlight Videoslots Casino, Energy Casino and BetVictor Casino. Alternatively, if you're looking for a decent selection of online slots to play but also like to take advantage of regular promotions to enhance your experience, then we'd recommend PlayOJO Casino due to its amazing Kickers promotions.

Prefer a recognisable mainstream brand with years under its belt? Then we'd recommend Paddy Power, Betfair Casino or Betfred Casino. They might not offer the widest selection of online slots, but they have all the most popular and familiar slots including most branded slots. Paddy Power also has a strong focus on daily jackpots (also known as must-drop jackpots and drops & wins) where several independent progressive jackpots build up every hour and day and drop as soon as they reach a certain time or amount.

If you're still not sure what to look for in a slot site, then keep reading to learn all about the differences between slot sites and the various options available...

Deposit Methods & Banking

Players wanting to deposit using a specific payment method won't much enjoy a slot site that doesn't support it. On the other hand, players who only want to play jackpot slots might be more flexible over which payment methods are accepted.

Popular deposit methods used by UK players include:-

• PayPal (see our recommended PayPal slot sites)
• Debit card (Visa or Mastercard)
• Skrill
• Neteller
• Paysafecard

If a slot site doesn't support your preferred deposit method, then it might be worth looking for an alternative. Furthermore, it's worth paying attention to the minimum deposit and withdrawal limits. Some slot sites have a high minimum deposit (e.g. £20) or might only allow players to withdraw a minimum of £20. Fortunately, most slot sites allow at least a minimum deposit of £10, some even as low as £5. So if you don't want to spend any more, then look for a slot site that accepts a lower deposit amount you're comfortable with.

Platform

There are also some more technical differences between good slot sites and poor ones. Some copy-paste white label sites are built on poor platforms which are clunky, slow, and often, partially broken. They might not behave well on smaller screens (which is a crime in this day and age!), their games might not load smoothly every time, or their game search might not function correctly. We consider all these aspects when reviewing a slot site, as we know how frustrating it is when a website (any website!) doesn't work properly. Furthermore, if the slot site owners have taken care to ensure their platform performs well, it's usually a good indication of how seriously they take their business in general and to what degree they care about their users' needs.

Design & Usability

Then there's the overall design and usability of the slot site to consider - is it easy to navigate and find the games we want to play? Can the site be used with ease on mobile devices, and are the games mobile compatible (most are these days).

Playing online slots should be a fun and enjoyable experience. If that's hampered by a site that's difficult to use, then personally, we'd look for another site that ticks more boxes. Every slot site we add to our website has passed our tests for usability. They typically have a design that's pleasing to the eye (although design can be subjective), but more importantly they are easy to use and find our way around.

Games

One of the most important factors making a good slot site is the choice of games. Some players don't have a preference on a particular type of game and are happy to try out any game, which is fine. But, those of you that have a particular taste might often find yourselves let down by a slot site that 'talks the talk' but can't 'walk the walk' when it comes to their games. Our suggestion to you, would be to use our website to find the game you want to play, then click through to see which slot sites it can be played at. It'll save you time visiting and signing up to multiple slot sites only to find out they don't have your game of choice. Afterall, saving you time is one of the main reasons the Slot Gods conjured up this website; an objective we work very hard to meet.

Finding a slot site that hosts your favourite game is one thing. However, some players enjoy a whole range of slots of a particular type e.g. Megaways slots, grid slots, penny slots, or branded slots. If that sounds like you, then it's no good choosing a slot site that only has one of your preferred games. Follow the respective links above to see the best slot sites to play similar games too.

Developers

Additionally, some players prefer games produced by a certain developer such as Playtech or NetEnt. Other popular developers and studios include:-

• Play'n Go
• Relax Gaming
• Yggdrasil
• Blueprint Gaming
• Pragmatic Play

We also recommend checking out the following developers as they have produced some incredible slots, some of which may have fallen under the radar, including a handful of our personal favourites:-

• Push Gaming
• Peter & Sons
• NoLimit City

Visit our slot developers page for more!

Jackpots

Other players only have one thing in mind - to win big! Not all slot sites focus on jackpots, so if jackpots are your thing, then you'll likely prefer a slot site with a tonne of jackpot slots for you to try your luck out at winning that life-changing amount of money. See our list of the best slot sites for jackpots.

Offers & Promotions

Last but not least, the bonuses and promotions offered by slot sites can make a big difference to a player's overall satisfaction. Remember that bigger doesn't always mean better though - all offers and promotions come with terms and conditions and this is where players need to be careful. Hidden in the small print are restrictions and limitations as to how you can use a bonus and what you need to do before you can withdraw any winnings won from it. Wagering requirements are players' biggest bugbear. Wagering requirements stipulate that a bonus (and winnings) must be wagered a certain number of times before any winnings can be withdrawn. The wagering requirements can often be so high that there's nothing left to withdraw, even after a sizeable win. All our slot sites have sensible and fair terms and conditions associated with their offers and promotions. The Slot Gods seethe at predatory and deceitful terms, so only slot sites that value the fair treatment of their players pass our audits and make it onto this website.

Ongoing, regular and seasonal promotions can also enhance a player's experience, for instance, Easter or Christmas giveaways, monthly prize draws, weekly free spins, and slot tournaments. Not all players engage in these kinds of promotions, but if you love a freebie or relish at the chance of winning some extra cash for taking part, then it might be worth adding a slot site with a bustling community to your checklist. Our top recommendations are PlayOJO and Casumo - they invest heavily on giving their players an experience they won't find anywhere else, and regularly dish out rewards and other freebies just for being a member.

Thankfully, we’ve done all the hard research and narrowed down the best slot sites that are all licensed by the UK Gambling Commission, so you can rest assured that any slot site we recommend has undergone the necessary audits for safety and security, and is trustworthy and reliable. At Slot Gods, we have an intricate review and audit process to ensure that all slot sites we list on our website offer value in multiple areas which we highlight in our reviews.

During our reviews, there are six main categories that we specifically consider:-

• Design
• Usability
• Games
• Promotions
• Banking
• Support

Design & Usability

The design of a slot site is usually the first thing we as players see, and first impressions are everything, right? The aesthetics of a slot site paints an immediate picture of whether it can be taken seriously or not, and how much effort the operator has put into making our experience pleasurable. Looks aren't everything though, and we also take into consideration the usability of the slot site. Is it easy to navigate? Does it perform well on mobile devices? Can we find what we're looking for quickly? Can we find the games we want to play? Is the slot site logically organised? If we can't find our way around, we get frustrated and leave, so an intuitive user interface that's optimised for mobile is critical.

Games

Once we're happy with the design and usability, we dig deeper. As previously mentioned, a good-looking slot site doesn't necessarily mean it can deliver the right goods - games. Most slot sites differ in this respect, and again, no two slot players are the same, so some slot sites put a greater emphasis on the games the players they are trying to attract enjoy. As only the best online slots make it onto our website, we ensure that the slot site has at least an adequate proportion of them before they can be considered further.

Promotions

Then, we look to the offers and promotions. Does the slot site have respectable offers? Does it run regular promotions for players? Does it reward loyalty, or doesn't it care about its players once they've deposited? We also take a close look at the terms and conditions of the slot site's offers to ensure they're fair and justified. T&Cs are unavoidable, but overly restrictive or dishonest ones are. If we suspect a slot site has engineered its T&Cs in a way to mislead then it gets thrown out with the garbage, and the garbage pile is getting pretty big.

Banking

Next, we turn our attention to the banking options and fees. While not all slot sites can support every payment method, almost all will process the payments they can receive in a safe and secure manner, as this is a tightly controlled area where all organisations accepting payments must adhere to strict security standards and regulations. Where slot sites differ mostly in this respect, is with their fees and withdrawal times. Any deposit or withdrawal fees are taken into consideration, as well as the processing times of withdrawals, and our findings published in our review. Faster withdrawal speeds are always a positive and so will attract a higher score in our rating. Higher than average fees and minimum deposit or withdrawal limits will attract a lower score in our rating. Some players don't mind higher minimum deposit limits, but we ensure any such terms are communicated clearly in our reviews to avoid any unexpected surprises.

Support

Lastly, but of no less importance, we look towards the slot site's customer service and support options. An easily contactable slot site gives us reassurance that if anything were to go wrong, there's a human readily available to deal with our issue efficiently and effectively. It's also a good sign that the slot site cares about the its customers. We don't stop there though, we actually contact the customer service representatives to ensure they're competent and equipped to deal with our query adequately.

Scores & Ratings

If the slot site has made it this far (most don't), we score it in each of the above categories to form an overall rating. A perfect 5/5 score is almost impossible (we're extremely critical!) but we hope to be blown away one day. If a slot site has failed in any one category, they won't make it onto the website. A lower score in one area doesn't mean it hasn't scored highly in another, so referring to the individual category scores might be more useful to some of you. Do take the time to read our reviews in depth to ensure a slot site ticks all your boxes, as some areas, particularly games and promotions, are subjective and boil down to personal preference.

Whichever slot site you choose to play at, it's of paramount importance that you understand your limits. Online slots are enjoyed by the majority people safely and responsibly. But, where there's real risk of spending more than we intended to we need to understand that due to the mathematical nature of gambling, although we might win on occasions, over time, we will always lose more, and that's due to RTP (the 'house edge' of online slots).

You may have heard of Safer Gambling Week, an industry initiative to raise awareness and promote safer gambling in the UK and Ireland. During the week, which repeats every year in November, every online and land-based operator publicises several useful safety tips and warning signs players should be aware of:-

Safety tips

• Only spend what you can afford - don't gamble with money you need for rent, bills or hobbies
• Set your limits for time and money - decide how much you want to spend, and how long you want to play for before you begin. It can be tempting to keep playing in the hope of a 'big win', but that will rarely ever happen, and certainly not in the long term.
• Don't let gambling interfere with your personal relationships - gambling shouldn't get in the way of other things you enjoy doing, like seeing family, friends or taking part in social activities and sports.
• Remember that gambling is not the answer to any problem - gambling should never been seen as a way to make money, or as a way to escape from personal issues.

Warning signs

• Spending more money and time on gambling than you can afford
• Finding it hard to manage or stop your gambling
• Having arguments with family or friends about money and gambling
• Losing interest in usual activities or hobbies, like going out or spending time with friends or family
• Always thinking or talking about gambling
• Lying about your gambling or hiding it from other people
• Chasing your losses or gambling to get out of financial trouble
• Gambling until all your money is gone
• Borrowing money, selling possessions or not paying bills in order to pay for gambling
• Needing to gamble with larger amounts of money or for a longer time to get the same feeling of excitement or 'buzz'
• Neglecting work, school, family, personal needs or household responsibilities because of gambling
• Feeling anxious, worried, guilty, depressed or irritable

There are also a number of organisations and charities available if you ever feel like you need help or have been affected by gambling:-

• GamCare - the leading UK provider of free information, advice and support for anyone harmed by gambling
• BeGambleAware - free, confidential help and support to anyone who's worried about their - or someone else's - gambling.
• National Debtline - free and independent debt advice over the phone and online
• Gordon Moody - the UK's leading charity dedicated to providing support and treatment for gambling addiction

Finally, if you feel like your gambling has got out of control, self exclude and seek help immediately. All licensed UK slot sites have a tool you can use to exclude yourself from their site, as well as every other UK licensed operator, quickly and easily.