Free Slots: Everything You Need to Know in 2024

Free slots are pretty easy to understand: they’re just free versions of all of your favorite slot games. When you play free slots, it’s just for fun rather than for real money, but you’ll have a chance to get to know the game before you decide to play for your own cash.

Free slots have all of the same special features and themes as their real money counterparts, and they’re all built by top slot game providers like NetEnt, Pragmatic Play, Games Global, and Play’n GO. You can explore a diverse range of themes to suit all players, so whether you like retro-themed slots with bars and fruit or more modern new slots where you can go on adventures or play alongside cool animal characters, there’s a free slot game out there for everyone. Other popular themes that you can expect to see when you play free slots include ancient Ancient Egypt, Greek mythology, Norse mythology, fantasy, horror, jewels & gems, candy, and tonnes more – the variety is almost endless.

When you’re playing free slots, you’ll be able to trigger a “win” of virtual money the same way you’d do if you were playing a real money slot. Usually, you’ll trigger a win when you land enough of the same symbols on adjacent reels from left to right on a certain payline. That’s not the case for all games, though, as some have different mechanisms, for example, cluster pays, where the symbols just need to touch each other anywhere on the grid.

Just like real money games, free slots come with special features. Many free slot games have wild symbols that can substitute for others on the reels, scatters that can open up free spins rounds, or a Gamble feature where you might be able to double or quadruple your win from a single spin. Other top features to look out for when you’re playing the best free slots include multipliers, cascading reels, hold & spin functions, and more – there’s no shortage of features to make gameplay extra interesting. 

There’s one key difference between playing free slots and playing real money slots: free slots don’t give you a chance to win real cash. 

This main difference is both a pro and a con for free slots. On the plus side, there’s no risk when you play free games, as you don’t need to deposit your own real money. All slots (both free games and real money games) use Random Number Generators (RNG) to drive the results of each spin. This means that the games are totally fair, and everyone has an equal chance of winning. Slot games also come with a built-in RTP and house edge, which tells you the average amount that should be paid out to players over time and the amount the casino keeps. Despite all of these measures, it’s still possible that you’ll play a slot game with real money and end up losing all of it. This can’t happen if you’re playing free slots. In the worst-case scenario, you lose your virtual credits, but you can always get more.

Aside from the fact that free slots can’t win you real cash, the overall gaming experience, including graphics, special features, and desktop and mobile gameplay, is largely the same between the two types of gaming. 

The simple answer to this question is no. If you’re playing free demo versions of the slot games or online progressive slots, you won’t have the chance to win real money, as you would if you were playing real money slots. 

When you’re playing free slots, the mechanism of the games will be the same as the real money versions, so there are chances to trigger wins. However, you’ll be winning virtual credits, which you can use to keep playing the game, rather than real money. Still, you’re sure to get a bit of a thrill when you land a big win. 

Even though you can’t win real money by playing free slots, all hope isn’t lost! There’s still one way that you can play slots for free and have a chance to win real money: by claiming free spins. If you check out our lists of the best casino bonuses online, you’ll be able to see which slots sites offer free spins either just for signing up or when you make your first deposit. Some online casinos even reward regular players with free spins promos. Free spins are usually restricted to one game or a few titles, and they may come with T&Cs like wagering requirements, but they’re still a good option if you want to play for free but have the chance to win some cash.

The main advantage of playing slots for free is that you can’t lose any real money! 

It might be the case that you simply want to enjoy the thrill of slot games or top mobile slots without any risk, or you might want to use free slots as a way to practice for when you decide to play for real. Although slots are random and don’t require any skills, it’s still a good idea to get to know the game before you spend any money on it. When you play free slots, you can see exactly how the game works, from ways to win to payouts to game graphics. You might also be lucky enough to land a special feature while you’re playing, which will give you a better idea of whether you enjoy the game overall. 

Playing slots for free really gives you the opportunity to try out slot games that you might not have considered if you were playing for your own real money and how to win on slots. For example, if you usually stick to more classic games, playing a free version of a high-stakes adventure game might just help you find your new favorite.

The final advantage of playing free slot games is that you can often do it without needing to commit to signing up at a specific online casino. For example, you can play slot demos here at Casinos.com, and if you find a game that you really like, you can go off and create an account at an online casino that has the particular game. 

If you like the look of some of the top free slots that we’ve described, you might be wondering where you can try them out. The first place to look is right here on Casinos.com! In our slots section, you’ll find a whole host of the best slots to try for free, and the best thing is that you don’t need to sign up for an account like you would at casinos – you can just start spinning the reels immediately.

If you’re already signed up at an online casino, you might want to try out the free slots so that you can decide if you want to play for your own real money. Whether or not you can try out slots for free totally depends on the online casino and on your region (in some places, you can’t play slot demos, or you might have to sign up and verify your account first). But we’re pleased to report that many online casinos do give you the chance to play top slots for free to test them out. 

Most online casinos don’t have a “free slots” section in their lobby, but rather an additional option attached to each slot game, where you can choose whether you want to play for free or for real money. The free option might be labeled something like “demo play” or “play for fun.” Make 100% sure that you’re selecting the right option before you play.

When you play free slots at an online casino, you’ll usually be given a certain amount of virtual credits for the game, and then you can spin just like you would if you were playing for real money. The free versions of the games come with all the same gameplay mechanisms and special features as the real money versions.

Here are some of the best online casinos to play slots for free:

Earlier in this article, I briefly touched on free spins as a way that you can play for free but have a chance to win real money. While free spins and free slots might sound quite similar at first, they’re actually totally separate concepts, with the main difference being that free slots are just for fun, and free spins give you chances to win real money.

So, what are free spins? They’re a special type of slot bonuses that an online casino can hand out to new players just for signing up or making a deposit or to existing players for meeting a requirement, for example, depositing a certain amount of money on a specified day. Free spins have a monetary value, so they might be worth around $0.10 per spin. Free spins promos also tend to come with wagering requirements. That means that whatever you win from the free spins has to be played for a certain amount of time before you can withdraw any money. To give an example, if you win $10 on free spins with 35x wagering, you have to play through $350 before you can withdraw any of the winnings that are left. Some online casinos are known for handing out free spins without any wagering requirements, and in that case, you’ll be able to withdraw any winnings as real cash immediately. 

If you’re only interested in playing for fun, learning your way around the slots, and getting a feel for how specific games work before you play for real money, then free slots are probably ideal for you. But if you want to try your luck and play for a real money win, free spins might be preferable, so check out our recommended online casinos to see where you might be able to bag yourself some. 

Slots aren't the only casino games you can try for free. A great number of online casinos featured on Casinos.com offer the option to play table games for free. Similar to slots, you would be playing just for fun in "demo" mode, but this would still enable you to get acquainted with the games and experience the thrill and gameplay of various table games without the need to wager real money.

Free-play mode is particularly useful when you want to try your hand at a new game. This way, you can familiarize yourself with the rules and strategies of the game before committing your bankroll. It also serves as a great way to explore new game variations and test out different betting strategies without any financial risk.

Some of the most popular table games to try for free include roulette, video poker, and blackjack. 

It's important to note that while playing for free can be entertaining, it does not offer the opportunity to win real money.