Slot terms from RTP to demo mode

Twelve slot terms you will see most often on a game screen, from how wins are counted to how bonus features work. The English names are kept because they are what the games display.

Edition 17 October 2026 · compiled by the glossary editors · 12 terms

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RTP (Return to Player)Payout percentage: The theoretical share of all money wagered that a game pays back to players over a very long run, calculated by the game provider across millions of spins. RTP is not a forecast for one session. Over a short spell your results can land well above or below the figure, because every spin is random.; Example: As an illustration, a theoretical RTP of 96% means an average return of RM96 for every RM100 staked across millions of spins by all players, not within your own session.
VolatilityVariance: A measure of how a slot spreads its wins. Low-volatility slots pay smaller amounts more often, while high-volatility slots pay less often, and each payout tends to be larger when one does land. Two games with the same RTP can feel completely different because of this. The volatility rating, when given, usually sits in the game info menu.; Example: If your balance is small and you want a longer session, a low-volatility slot will usually eat through it more slowly.
PaylinesPay lines; lines: Fixed paths across the reels that decide where symbols must land to form a win, normally read from the leftmost reel to the right. Some slots let you choose how many lines are active, while others keep every line switched on. The total stake per spin often depends on the number of lines in play.; Example: Three matching symbols on the middle line pay out, but three matching symbols scattered off any line pay nothing.
Ways-to-winAll ways; ways pays: A pay system with no fixed lines. A win counts whenever matching symbols appear anywhere on adjacent reels, starting from the first reel. The number of ways equals the symbol positions on each reel multiplied together, and on slots with dynamic reels that number can change on every spin.; Example: A 5-reel, 3-row grid gives 3×3×3×3×3 = 243 ways, so matching symbols on the first three reels still count even when they sit on different rows.
WildWild symbol: A symbol that stands in for regular symbols to complete a winning combination. Wilds usually do not replace scatters or bonus symbols. Variants include wilds that stay put for several spins (sticky), fill a whole reel (expanding) or carry their own multiplier. The exact rules are set out in each game's paytable.; Example: Two tiger symbols plus one wild on an active line count as three tigers.
ScatterScatter symbol: A symbol that pays or triggers a bonus without needing to sit on a particular payline; it simply has to appear a set number of times anywhere on screen. In most slots the scatter is what unlocks the free spins round. How many you need varies from game to game.; Example: If the paytable says three scatters start the bonus, three of them in different corners of the screen are enough.
Free spinsFree games: A bonus round inside a game that gives a number of spins without taking from your balance, played at the stake of the spin that triggered it. These rounds often add multipliers or extra wilds. Do not confuse them with promotional free spins from the operator, which normally carry turnover conditions shown in your account.; Example: You trigger the bonus on a RM1 spin, so every free spin is also worth RM1 and the winnings go to your balance.
MultiplierWin multiplier: A value that multiplies a win, such as x2 or x5. Multipliers can appear on symbols, on wilds, or build up step by step during a bonus round. Some slots add several multipliers together within one spin, whereas others multiply them by each other. Check the paytable to see which method a game uses.; Example: A RM5 win with an x3 multiplier becomes RM15.
Buy featureBonus buy; feature buy: An option to pay a fixed price, quoted as a multiple of your base stake, to go straight into the bonus round instead of waiting for scatters. It speeds up access to the bonus but sharply raises the cost of each attempt, and a bought round can pay back less than it cost. Not every game offers it.; Example: If the buy price is 100x and your base stake is RM0.50, one bonus buy costs RM50.
Hold-and-winHold and spin; respins: A bonus feature where special symbols, usually coins or valued orbs, lock in place while the remaining positions respin. You get a small number of respins, and the count resets to full whenever a new symbol lands. The round ends when the respins run out or the grid fills, and all locked values are added up.; Example: You start with three respins; a new coin lands on the second one, so the counter goes back to three.
Progressive jackpotJackpot progresif: A prize that keeps growing because a small slice of every qualifying bet feeds one pool, sometimes shared across many games or casinos. The current value is displayed on a meter on screen. The odds of hitting it are very long, and some games only allow the jackpot to be won at certain stake levels.; Example: A jackpot meter ticking up while you play shows that players' bets are adding to that prize pool.
Demo modeDemo; fun play: A version of the game played with virtual credits, so you can learn the rules, bonus features and pace without real money. Winnings in demo mode cannot be withdrawn. Whether a demo exists depends on the provider and the lobby, and a demo session says nothing about how a real-money session will go.; Example: Try the demo first to see how often scatters show up before deciding whether the game suits your budget.

Slot terms often connect to others. Turnover and bonuses are covered in the payments and account glossary, while house edge and RNG sit in the safe-play glossary. Slots from providers such as Pragmatic Play, PG Soft, Jili and Habanero are in the lobby, reached through the official slotkaki.shop home page.