Multiline Slots

What are multiline slots?

Multi line slots are casino games that differ from the classic slot machines with the number of lines. Classic slots used to have one middle payline. It was supposed to indicate a winning if particular symbols appeared in the middle of all reels only. On the other hand, multiline slots have several combinations presupposed, so the symbols can be in different positions on the game table.

Multiline slot machines increase the probability of winning several times. To balance such an advantage, these slots usually have more symbols to make it slightly harder to build a combination. Before you play free multiline slots, at casinos, let’s observe their differences with classic slots in the main features of this kind of casino game:

• Line quantity is the main difference. Classic slots usually have one line situated in the middle. As a rule, it is highlighted and indicated. In classic slots, you might face a situation when a reel does not turn the symbol to the very middle. In this case, a winning line is considered incomplete. It does not payout in this case. The same situation is not likely to happen in multiline slots.
• Line shapes are, obviously, the other important difference. Single-line slots are likely to have one horizontal line situated in the middle of the game table. Multiline slots have various shapes of lines with adjacent and non-adjacent symbols.
• Symbol quantity can be a difference in some cases. Single-line slot games are not likely to have more than six or seven symbols. Multiline games are likely to have more than nine symbols. Plus, multiline slots usually have one, two, or three symbols with features.
• Bonus features are natural for multiline slots. Single-line games are not likely to have a single bonus. Their gameplay is as simple as possible. Multiline slots can acquire different features, starting with cascading reels and finishing with mini-games and bonus rounds.
• Jackpots are likely to be in the multiline slots. Single line games suggest the maximal combination as the way to win a jackpot. Usually, it is a fixed sum. Multiline slots are more flexible from this perspective. They are likely to provide players with fixed or progressive jackpots, with different ways to wind them (random, maximal combination, mini-game, wheel of luck, and others).

As you can see, multiline slots provide more flexible and diverse gameplay compared to the classic single-line slot machines. However, it bears some disadvantages. One of them is a more difficult construction that implies more complicated random number generators, thorough programming, and the application of more complicated graphics. It leads to significant time consumption, and only the biggest software vendors can allow themselves to release a new game every month. That is why many vendors that exist for more than five years have only a few games in their collections. To justify the time and resource wastes, vendors have to raise the prices for the games. It is the main reason for only a few casinos with thousands of different slot machines existing. Others try to invest in simple or old slot machines and renew their collections rarely.

Anyway, multiline slots have conquered their place in gamblers’ hearts. All casinos try to get them into their collections, and now, you can play free multi line slots online or their real-money versions and almost every website. Now, let us reveal all the peculiarities of the multiline slot gameplay.

How to play multiline slots?

To find a multiline slot, you need to enter your online casino first. Many websites have search engines that help to find a slot by different parameters. If your online casino has the filters, the task will be easier. You need to find the section with slot games. There, apply a search filter that counts the winning lines. Usually, you will get the most popular options, like from one to nine, from nine to twenty, and more than twenty lines. In case you do not have any filters to apply, use the Internet to find out information about a particular slot machine. If your casino has an option to play free multiple line slots, it will be an advantage.

The main principles of the gameplay within multiline slot games do not differ much from their single-line analogies. You set a bet for a single spin and start it to assemble a winning line. However, these slot machines might have a featured bet selector. While in a single-line slot, there can be only two parameters for setting a stake (coin nomination and bet size), a multiline slot machine can have a complicated system:

• The line selector helps to choose how many lines will be active during the round. In some games, you have an option to decrease the number of lines to make a bet smaller. As a rule, the most complicated lines are turned off first. In the end, you can set the selector to a single line and get a familiar horizontal line crossing the middle of the columns. A paytable will help you to learn what lines will be turned off. There is one peculiarity that will help you to decide if it is profitable to decrease lines or not. If a slot game pays only for the most expensive combination, when there is more than one, you might turn off some lines. If the slot gives awards for all combos on the screen, it is wiser to keep their maximal quantity. In case the game has an option of cascading combinations (a winning combo disappears from the screen, giving space for other symbols), you should keep the lines at their maximal level. Obviously, you’ll need a significant bankroll to play these slots normally.
• Stake per line is another possible selector if your slot machine allows selecting a number of lines. In such a game, your total bet is the product of the bet per line and line quantity. For instance, you have 15 lines active and decide to stake two coins for each line. Your final bet for a single spin is 30. It is essential not to get confused with this selector. Some players think that it is a final bet and get surprised when their bankroll disappears within two spins.
• Usually, multiline slots have a button that can help with this problem. It triggers the maximal bet for the selected number of active lines. Be confident to check it to understand if your bet is maximal or not.

There is another reason to bet maximally within the paid or free multi line slots. The number of lines affects the highest price and costs of each combination. If you head to the slot that tells you about a maximal jackpot of a million, you will get that million only when you use all the lines. In the case of a progressive jackpot game, it is crucial. If you are aiming to win the whole jackpot, you must stake it maximally. The probability of winning the main award is minimal, and it will be a pity to waste it for just a part of a big prize.

You can find some slot machines that indicate that there are 243, 1024, 4096, or even more ways to win. Do not be confused, as there are not many possible combinations. In a 4x4 grid, it is impossible to squeeze so many geometrical consequences. The secret lies in the principles of combination building. In these games, the combinations do not depend on the position of symbols. It is important that these symbols are situated on adjacent columns. Apparently, each new position of a single character on a column will give dozens of different variants of a winning line.

Multiline slots - pros and cons

Despite the overall popularity of the paid and free multiline slots, there are admirers and gamblers who try to avoid these games. Indeed, you cannot find a perfect casino game, so there are many advantages and disadvantages of playing such games. Here are some of the most popular reasons.

Pros

• Multiline slots provide you with variable gameplay
• These games allow winning jackpots
• More lines mean more chances to win
• They have featured graphics, sounds, and animations
• The overall prizes in multiline slots are higher
• They have bonuses and features

Cons

• The gameplay is way more difficult than the classic slot machines have
• They are more difficult to establish
• Some multiline slots require maximal bets
• They have more symbols, which can make the game more difficult
• Diversity of betting settings can be difficult to understand and costly

As you can understand, multiline games are not for everyone. Some of them have such intensive and difficult gameplay that they are not suitable for relaxing casino sessions. The others are far too simple. Some games are an attempt to merge classic slots with new features, and only a few of them are interesting. There is another disadvantage. Despite a significant quantity of games, it is very difficult to find a genuinely unique one. There are not so many themes, and software providers prefer to make various references to a few themes.

Why are Multiline slots so popular in the USA?

There are various reasons for the popularity of the paid and free multiline slot machines. The first reason, of course, is their diversity. You will hardly find a software producer (maybe, the Evolution gaming is the only exception) that does not have multiline slots as the main part of their collections. Some vendors concentrate on them particularly. Here are some more reasons to love these games:

• These slots are very bright and colorful. Some of them have plots. Some have excellent graphics and a soundtrack. Compared to other casino games, it is interesting to watch the game, not just play it.
• The multiline slots provide different ways to win money. Some give instant cash rewards. Others provide huge multipliers for a bet, while classic slots give the fixed rewards for the particular combinations only. Should we consider fixed and progressive jackpots?
• As the multiline slots are modern, there is an option to play free online multi line slots to test them. Usually, old single-line slots are available for a paid game only, as they are already deleted from the databases.
• Multiline slots can provide players with different bonus features and promotions. To tell the truth, these are the only slot games that have bonuses at all.
• Multiline slots providers are popular, so different casinos apply various promotions for these slots. You can win free spins or different boosters for the casino’s progress.
• Multiline games vary in their RTP and volatility ratios. It allows them to cover the major share of casino visitors. Both beginners and experienced players can find a multiline slot game that will suit their gameplay style.
• Finally, the multiline slots allow assembling different strategies of winning that depend on the player’s funds and skills. These slot machines allow diversifying gameplay and try different ways to win in casinos.

So, multiline slots are very popular, and this popularity is justified. If you have never seen a multiline slot, you can try them. Remember to start a free version before you risk your money. And remember to change the games to find the best one for you.