The history of slot machines, shortened to ‘slots’, is well documented. Though at this point, for reference, they’re also called ‘pokies’, ‘one-armed bandits’ and ‘fruit machines’ in addition to variations on the theme.

Slot machines have been around since the end of the 1800s, their creation credited to one Charles Fey, a Californian inventor. Over the intervening years, Fey’s machine has evolved with electronics, digital technology and now as an online sensation.

However, the basic principle of the machine remains pretty much the same. Match a line of corresponding numbers/symbols and you win a prize, typically, money.

And when we say money, we mean it, in 2022 the online slots industry was worth $63.53 billion, and it’s forecast to grow by 11.7%. 

That’s big money which needs to be put into context.

If one second was one dollar, it would take exactly 11 days, 13 hours, 46 minutes and 34 seconds to get to one million. To get to one billion it would take exactly 31 Years 8 months 19 days 1 hour 46 minutes and 4 seconds…

Of course, there is a good reason behind these staggering figures. Slots are dead simple to play, no skill is required and you’ve the chance of winning a life-changing sum of wedge in a millisecond. 

In 2003 a software engineer won $39.7 Million at the Excalibur Casino, Las Vega. And in 2021 a lucky player won a $23.6m bonanza playing the slots online. 

It’s a symbiotic relationship between the player and the online concern, the more people play slots, the more the online slot industry makes. So, giving players free daily spins is a good way of keeping their interest.

But not all free daily spins are created equal, so let’s take a longer look at free spins in general and check out daily free spins in more detail.

Free Spins

These are usually offered by an online casino as a result of depositing money, signing programs or seasonal promotions. Players will only be offered these once they’ve decided to play at the casino in question, so they’re not strictly free.

It’s worth noting that ‘free spins’ of the type described can pay out substantial sums of money. Though they may be accumulator-based, say, or require x/y number of deposits before you’re eligible to win the cash.

No deposit-free spins

The best of all worlds? Can you really have some free spins, typically 10-20, win the jackpot and walk away? The short answer is yes. 

Most games are controlled by what’s called an RNG, which is a random number generator -though some games are potentially predetermined. Either way, both systems are fairly applied to free spins and the spins you pay for.

But the chances of your winning or losing have more to do with the RTP, that’s the ‘return to player’. The RTP is the theoretical payout rate on online slot games, e.g., if the slot has an RTP rate of 98%, expect an average return of $98 for every $100 wagered.

In theory, the RTP rate should remain constant, i.e., not change because you’re enjoying free spins. So, before you rush off to play all the free spins available online, do yourself a favour, go online and check a game’s RTP before playing. 

Daily Free Spins

Like the ‘free spins’ section at the top of the page, these are only free to gamers who are signed up to a casino. This means that you can’t have ‘daily free spins’ for free if that makes sense. 

Many casinos give daily free spins simply for logging into your casino account daily. But there are caveats, some are only available for a limited time, or they’ll only apply to certain games.

Another casino may make you work a little harder for your free spins, they may be given after you’ve accrued a certain number of loyalty points, say. The choice is yours, it’s a buyer’s market, so choose wisely. 

While winning on the slots may be down to pure luck, you can increase your odds of winning simply by doing the required research. To recap:

  • Always check the RTP of the games you are playing, there are plenty of websites to help with this.
  • Once you’ve chosen your game(s), before anything else, check the T&Cs and get a second opinion of the casino on one of the many online forums.
  • See how the game is played on YouTube, for example, before committing to play.
  • Check out the free spins and no-deposit free spins if applicable.
  • Check out what qualifies for daily free spins as these vary from casino to casino.
  • Finally, weigh the latter two points against the RTP and the T&Cs

Good luck!