Understanding the concept of “paylines” is crucial to grasping how slot games determine wins. This guide gives a complete and in-depth introduction to the topic, so that you can choose the right type of slot game for your preferences.
What is a Payline?
A payline is a line across the reels of a slot machine that determines where matching symbols need to land for a player to win. When you press spin, the symbols on each reel shuffle and come to rest in random positions. If the correct number of matching symbols appears in a specific pattern, defined by a payline, you win.
Each slot game has its own set of paylines, which are often illustrated in the game’s paytable or help section. In classic slot machines, there’s sometimes just one horizontal payline that runs straight across the centre of the screen, or typically up to 5-10 paylines at most. But modern Payline Slots can have multiple paylines, sometimes in the hundreds, zigzagging across the screen in complex patterns.
How Do Paylines Work?
The basic idea behind paylines is simple: you need to land identical symbols in a specific pattern across the reels. These patterns, or paylines, are the underlying structure that determines whether a spin results in a win or not.
In most slots, symbols must appear from left to right, starting on the first reel. However, modern games have expanded on this traditional setup. Some slots allow for right-to-left wins, while others introduce “wins anywhere” mechanics.
Paylines are designed to work quietly as a framework in the background and are not something you need to keep track of. The game checks all active paylines to see if the symbols align correctly whenever you spin the reels. If they do, the game highlights the winning payline and awards the corresponding payout based on the paytable. This is all done automatically, embedded in the slot’s software.
Different Types of Paylines
While the overall idea of paylines is the same in most slots, exactly how they work can vary a lot. Here are some different types of paylines you might encounter when playing slot games.
1. Horizontal Paylines
These are the most traditional and widely recognised types of payline. Think of them as straight lines running across each row of the reels. These lines are easy to follow and are typical in classic slots. In fact, many classic slot machines, particularly those with a 3×3 or 5×3 layout, use horizontal paylines exclusively.
2. Vertical Paylines
Vertical paylines run from top to bottom along the same reel. To win, you usually need to land identical symbols vertically aligned across multiple rows. While they are less common than horizontal lines, they still give a clear and easy way to track wins.
3. Diagonal Paylines
Diagonal paylines introduce movement across the reels, often spanning from one corner of the slot to the opposite corner. A common example is a line that starts from the top-left of the first reel and ends at the bottom-right of the last reel.
4. Zigzag Paylines
Among the more dynamic options are zigzag paylines. These don’t follow a straight path and instead “zig” and “zag” across the reels, creating V-shaped, W-shaped, or other irregular patterns.
Zigzag paylines typically still move from left to right, but jump across rows as they move through each reel. These patterns are often more difficult to visualise, which is why most slot games include a visual guide in the paytable to show exactly how each zigzag payline travels.
5. Fixed vs. Adjustable Paylines
A slot game will come with a set number of paylines (or win ways), but some games allow for the player to customize the setup further.
- Fixed paylines mean all the lines are always active. You can’t choose fewer paylines – you have to bet on all of them with each spin.
- Adjustable paylines allow you to choose how many lines to activate. This offers more control over your budget, but normally also lowers your odds of hitting a win with fewer lines in play.
Different Types of Slots Based on Paylines
In addition to the different types of payline designs, slot games are often categorised based on their payline structure. Here we explain some variants, from the single payline to more modern alternatives.
1. Single Payline Slots
These are often found in classic 3-reel slot machines and feature just one straight payline across the centre. To win, you need to match symbols right along this central line. This is a very simple and easy-to-understand setup, though it can feel a bit boring compared to the many alternatives available today.
2. Multi-Payline Slots
Modern slots often come with 10, 20, 25, 50, or even hundreds of paylines. These lines can take all kinds of forms as described above: horizontal, diagonal, V-shaped, and even more abstract paths across the reels.
Playing more paylines gives you more chances to win, but also increases your total bet per spin. For example:
- A slot with 25 paylines might allow you to bet from £0.01 per line.
- If you activate all 25 lines (or they are fixed), your minimum total bet per spin would be £0.25. If you increase the bet per line, you can quickly reach the stake limit set by the UKGC.
3. Megaways Slots
Big Time Gaming, a game provider owned by Evolution, has developed and licensed a reel mechanic known as Megaways™. Megaways™ slots offer a dynamic number of symbols per reel with each spin, creating a different number of possible winning combinations, with often over 100,000 ways to win. The number of paylines (or ways) can change with every spin, making gameplay more exciting and unpredictable.
4. Cluster Slots
It is worth noting that some slots don’t operate with traditional paylines at all. For example, in some slots you have to create so-called “clusters” of the same symbol. As long as you have enough of the symbol, either in a cluster or just on screen, you get a corresponding payout.
How to Read the Paytable
When playing a slot game, you can normally find all information about the different paylines, symbols, and payouts in the paytable. By clicking on an “i”-icon or similar, you will open the game information, which should cover the following and more:
- How many paylines the slot has and how they are structured across the reels
- How many you need of each symbol to form a win
- How many different symbols payout in accordance with your bet amount
Special Symbols and Features
It’s also important to note that many slots come with special symbols such as the following:
- Wild Symbols: These can substitute for other symbols to complete winning combinations on a payline.
- Scatter Symbols: Often trigger bonus features like free spins, regardless of their position on the reels.
- Bonus Symbols: Can activate special game features or bonus rounds.
How many you need to land or how they can help trigger a win will also be specified in the paytable.
Betting Strategies and Paylines
In slots with adjustable paylines, the number of active paylines can directly influence your betting strategy:
- More Paylines: Activating more paylines increases the chances of winning but also raises the total bet per spin.
- Fewer Paylines: Activating fewer paylines reduces the cost per spin but also decreases the likelihood of hitting winning combinations.
It is therefore important to choose a slot and setup that matches your budget while still giving a chance to win.
Conclusion
To understand how slot machines operate and how wins are determined, you need to understand the basics of slot paylines. By being aware of different types of paylines and how they potentially affect the winning odds, you can find a slot that matches your gameplay preferences and budget.
James is the head of marketing at Tamoco
