The player’s guide
The slot machine glossary
Slot machines have their own vocabulary, and the screen uses it without always explaining it. Here are the words you will read on a machine, from paylines to return-to-player, defined simply.
Updated 6 October 2026
On the screen
- Reel
- A column of symbols that spins and stops on every turn. Classic machines have three, video machines most often five.
- Payline
- The line the symbols have to land on to win. Depending on the game, you choose how many lines are active.
- Credit
- The unit the machine counts your bets and wins in. Its value depends on the setting you choose.
- Bet
- What you stake on one spin: the credit value times the number of credits played, across all active lines.
- Paytable
- The table showing what each combination pays and how the special features trigger. It opens from the help button.
- Credit meter
- The balance the machine shows: your remaining credits, wins included.
Symbols and features
- Wild
- A symbol that stands in for others to complete a winning combination.
- Scatter
- A symbol that pays wherever it lands, without having to line up, and often triggers free spins.
- Free spins
- Spins played without taking credits, at the stake of the spin that triggered them.
- Bonus game
- A separate round, sometimes interactive, that pays extra wins.
- Multiplier
- A factor that multiplies a win.
- Autoplay
- An option that runs several spins without pressing each time. Best used with a set, limited number of spins.
The numbers behind the game
- Random number generator
- The program that draws the result of every spin. It makes sure no spin depends on earlier ones or on when you play.
- Return to player (RTP)
- The share of stakes a game pays back in wins, worked out over a very large number of spins. A rate under 100% means that, over time, the machine keeps part of the stakes: it says nothing about the result of your next session.
- Volatility
- How a game spreads its wins: low volatility means frequent, modest wins, high volatility rarer, larger ones.
- Jackpot
- The top win a game offers. On some machines it is fixed; on others, called progressive, it grows with every bet until someone wins it.
Types of machine
- Reel machine
- The slot machine in its best-known form: reels, paylines and a paytable.
- Multi-game machine
- One machine offering several games, chosen from a menu on the touch screen.
- Cash-out
- Collecting the credits left on a machine. How it works depends on the machine: at Epiphany, the floor staff will show you.
Frequently asked
- What does RTP mean on a slot machine?
- It is the theoretical return to player: the share of stakes a game pays back over a very large number of spins. It describes the game over time, not what will happen in your session.
- What is the difference between a wild and a scatter?
- A wild stands in for other symbols to complete a combination; a scatter pays wherever it lands and often triggers free spins.
- Do free spins cost anything?
- No, they do not take credits; they are played at the stake of the spin that triggered them.
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The player’s guide
- How to play slot machines
- Reels or multi-game: choosing your machine
- Playing responsibly
- Your first visit to the gaming area