How Do Multi-Line Slot Games Work?

17/02/2023

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The world of online casinos is built on a foundation of slots. When you play on a smartphone, tablet, computer, or laptop, there are thousands of titles covering every theme and idea imaginable. This landscape can leave newcomers wondering where to start, and what all the different terms mean.

To help players along the way, we've created this page to aid your understanding of the popular multi-line slots. Read about what they are, how they work, and what makes them different from single-line slots.

Stick around to the end - we've even provided some examples of both, so you can get a first-hand look at what these different versions mean, and the quality Buzz Bingo stands for.

What Are Multi-Line Slots?

In slot games, "line" refers to paylines. These are the usually invisible lines that run across the slots reels from left to right. If 3 or more identical symbols land on these lines, then a match win is created.

Sometimes paylines aren’t needed for winning combinations, as with scatter symbols. But this is more of an exception to the rule.

With that in mind, multi-line slots are those slot games which offer more than a single payline. The number of paylines in multi-line slots can vary highly. Most are in the 20-100 paylines range. Some slots offer as few as 2 paylines and some offer thousands.

How Do Multi-Line Slots work?

Multi-line slots work by the player placing their bet and spinning the reels. If matching symbols land on 1 or more of the active paylines, then prizes will be paid out according to the values assigned in the pay tables, and the amount wagered.

How Are Multi-Line Slots Different from Single-Line Slots?

The big difference between multi-line slots and single-line slots is that the latter only has 1 payline. This makes single-line slot wins simple to follow, but more limiting.

With multi-line slots offering up to thousands of lines, it's much more difficult to see when wins are lining up, even though wins could be landing in multiple ways. In other words, it is difficult to track many active paylines and moving reels at once.

The increased number of possibilities in multi-line slots can make them much more exciting for many players. Sometimes you can’t tell whether you’ve struck a win until the reels all come to a rest, after which the board lights up and multiple lines can glow with payouts.

Multi-line slots are also different in that they can sometimes allow players to modify how many paylines they have active. This slots feature can allow greater customisation over a bet, alongside modifications to total bet and bet placed per line.

In terms of odds, the difference between multi-line slots and single-line slots isn’t as profound as it might seem:

  • Single-line slots usually contain fewer symbols, which means it’s easier to create a match across a payline.
  • Multi-line slots with far more symbols have many more possible combinations across many more paylines, which evens out the odds.

The slots which let players modify paylines can change the return to player slightly, but usually not by a huge amount.

Multi-Line Slots on Buzz Casino

Ghostbusters Triple Slime

No matter how afraid you are of ghosts, this 5x3 reel slot from IGT is a great way to experience multi-line slot action. With 720 paylines and an RTP of 96.08%, Ghostbusters Triple Slime is a new arrival, and it goes above and beyond in graphics and style.

Collecting 3 or more scatters gives the player access to the Slimer Scatter Bonus, with bonus reels spinning to reveal prizes and payout multipliers. Also available by collecting 3 or more Ghost Trap scatters is the Triple Slime Scatter Bonus, where players collect coloured ghosts to add multipliers back to the main reels.

Ancient Disco

From Red Tiger Gaming comes the anachronistic Ancient Disco, a game that manages the natural combination of 70s disco with ancient Egyptian history and mythology. Played over 5 reels and with an RTP of 95.74% this combination might be an odd one, but it still works well.

Players in this 20-payline slot can expect free Pyramid Spins, Ancient Disco Jackpots, and a sense of style that has no business looking this good.

Single-Line Slots on Buzz Casino

Big Wheel

From Realistic comes Big Wheel, a 3x3 medium variance slot that, you guessed it, is played across a single payline. This game comes with an RTP of 95.23%, leaning toward a theme based on playing games at a fair. Big Wheel offers the Big Wheel bonus feature, where collecting the special symbol on the centre reel grants access to the bonus game.

In this bonus game, players spin the eponymous Big Wheel to try for 1 of 7 prizes including a Super Jackpot, free spins, and a Duck Shoot minigame. This title is great for beginners, while also offering enough depth to keep veteran players happy too.

Hot Cross Bunnies

Available no matter your species, Hot Cross Bunnies is another 3x3 title from Realistic that takes the single-line idea and hops with it. With an RTP of 95.64%, this slot adopts the theme of rabbits on a scorching hot beach on a journey for fruit, food, and wins.

Landing the Bunny Money symbol in this game activates the special respin feature. While this is active, a random symbol is chosen, and the reels will continue to spin for free until an additional 2 of these symbols have landed.

Of course, these are just a small taste of the multi-line and single-line slots on Buzz Bingo, so head on over to our dedicated slots section to see more of our great selection.