Unlike blackjack or poker, slots are games of pure chance. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t strategies for winning at them. Whether it’s a well-timed button press or the selection of slot machines with high Return to Player percentages, there are ways to maximize your chances of hitting that jackpot.

The technology behind online slots is pretty amazing. The random number generator (RNG) is key to ensuring that every virtual spin is fair and doesn’t result in any patterns or predictable results. It also allows game designers to be creative with their bonus features and add in exciting features like the crime zone in NetEnt’s Cash Noire or outer-space cluster payoffs in ReelPlay’s Cosmic Convoy.

Aside from the RNG, online slots are similar to their live casino counterparts in terms of how they function. Players drop coins or buy credits into the machine in exchange for a chance to win, although these days many casinos use bill validators or credit meters that allow players to activate games with the swipe of a finger rather than actively dropping money.

To play a slot online, you simply sign up with an online casino and select the slot machine you’d like to try out. Then you can adjust your bet size and watch the reels spin. Most slot machines will display a paytable that lists the symbols and how they’re arranged on the reels to form a winning combination. Some slots have fixed pay lines while others feature multiple paylines that you can activate.