How to read a slot paytable

What a slot paytable shows

A paytable is the screen inside a slot that lists what each symbol combination pays and explains the rules that decide a win. Older machines printed it on the cabinet glass. Online, it sits behind an ‘i’, a question mark or a menu icon, and usually runs across several pages: symbol values, line or ways diagrams, special symbols, feature rules, and general information such as the return to player and maximum win.

In Great Britain this information is not optional. The Gambling Commission’s remote gambling and software technical standards (opens in a new tab) say game rules must be easy to find before you commit to a stake (RTS 3A), that you must be able to see the potential prizes or how they are calculated (RTS 3D), and that information to judge your chances, such as the RTP, must be available too (RTS 3C). The paytable is how slot makers meet those requirements.

Where to find the paytable in a UK slot

On desktop, look for a small ‘i’ or ‘?’ next to the spin button or in the bottom bar. On mobile, open the three-line or gear menu and choose ‘Paytable’, ‘Game info’ or ‘Help’. Some games split the paytable (symbol values) from the game rules (everything else); read both. The guide to casino game help screens covers layouts from the major studios.

How to read a slot paytable’s numbers: three formats

The single most important step is working out what the numbers are multiples of. The same ‘5’ next to three cherries can mean very different amounts.

Ways-to-win and scatter-pays games have no fixed line bet, so they usually quote values as multiples of the total bet or in pounds. Coin-based paytables come from older designs that split the stake into a coin size and a bet level; multiply both together to get the value of one coin before converting.

A worked example: reading a paytable line by line

The paytable below belongs to an imaginary game we’ll call Harbour Lights: 5 reels, 3 rows, 10 fixed paylines, values shown as multiples of the line bet. The figures are illustrative only and do not come from any real slot.

Set a £1 total stake. With 10 lines, the line bet is 10p. Three Qs on one line pay 5 × 10p = 50p: the reels light up, but your balance is 50p lower than before the spin. Three Ks on one line and three Anchors on another pay 50p + £2 = £2.50, a net gain of £1.50 on the spin. Five Ships on a line pay 750 × 10p = £75. Three compasses anywhere pay 2 × £1 = £2 and start the feature.

That first case matters. Since 31 October 2021, under the Commission’s summary of changes to the technical standards (opens in a new tab), UK slots must not celebrate a return equal to or less than the total stake with sounds or animations that suggest a win. The 50p return on a £1 spin is exactly what the losses disguised as wins ban targets, and reading the paytable lets you spot it yourself. Your on-screen net position, also required by the rules, shows the real running result; see our page on the net position display rule.

Reading the payline diagrams and win rules

Most paytables include a page of small grids showing each payline’s path across the reels. The rules beside them decide which symbol patterns count. Our paylines explainer goes deeper; the short version is in the list below.

• Direction: most games pay left to right from the first reel; a few pay both ways, which the paytable will state.
• Adjacency: symbols must sit on consecutive reels, starting from reel one, unless the rules say otherwise.
• Highest win only: usually only the best combination on each payline is paid.
• Adding up: wins on different lines are added together, and scatter wins are added on top.
• Cluster and scatter pays: cluster pays games pay for touching groups; games such as Gates of Olympus pay for 8 or more matching symbols anywhere.

Wilds, scatters and multipliers in the paytable

Special symbols get their own section, and the small print there changes what wins are possible. A wild substitutes for other symbols, but the paytable will say which ones it can’t replace, typically scatters and bonus symbols. Some wilds also pay on their own, as the lighthouse does in our example.

A scatter pays wherever it lands and usually triggers the bonus. Note whether its payout multiplies the total bet (common) or the line bet. Multipliers are described with their range and when they apply, for example ‘applies to all wins during free spins’ or ‘multipliers add together before being applied’.

Feature and bonus round rules

The feature pages explain what triggers a bonus, how many spins or picks it gives, whether it can retrigger, and whether anything changes during it, such as extra wilds or collecting symbols. RTS 3B also expects the game to show the current state of a feature as it plays, such as how many symbols you have collected. Our guide to how slot bonus rounds work covers the common designs.

Feature buy options are not offered on slots supplied to players in Great Britain. If a paytable you are reading mentions buying the feature, you are probably looking at a version of the game for another market.

Finding the RTP, max win and volatility

The general information page usually lists the theoretical return to player, the maximum win and sometimes a volatility rating. Read them as long-run descriptions, not promises for one session.

Because some games come in more than one RTP setting, the figure that counts is the one in the help screen at the casino you are playing, not a figure quoted elsewhere. Our guides on how to check RTP and RTP ranges explain what to look for. A 2,100x maximum win at a 10p stake is £210; at the £5 cap it is £10,500, which shows why the stake-based description matters.

The small print most players skip

The last page of most game rules carries the legal lines. ‘Malfunction voids all pays and plays’ means a fault cancels the affected game. A disconnection rule explains whether an unfinished round completes automatically. A version number or date tells you which rules applied, which helps if you ever need to raise a complaint. Our guide on what happens if you lose connection mid-game covers that scenario.

A two-minute paytable checklist

1. Set your stake, then open the paytable from the ‘i’, ‘?’ or menu icon.
2. Find out whether values are line bet multiples, total bet multiples, coins or pounds.
3. Note which symbol combinations pay less than your total stake.
4. Read the wild and scatter rules, including what wilds can’t replace.
5. Read how the feature triggers and whether it can retrigger.
6. Find the RTP and maximum win on the information page.
7. Check your net position display as you play, not the win animations.

What a paytable can’t tell you

A paytable lists prizes, not how often they land. It won’t show the hit frequency, the chance of triggering the feature, or the result of the next spin. Spins are independent and set by a random number generator, so a long gap since the last feature does not make one due; our page on the gambler’s fallacy explains why. Higher-paying symbols appear less often, which is how a game with big top prizes still returns the same average as one with modest prizes. Playing in demo mode, after age verification, is a fair way to see the paytable in action without staking; see our demo play guide.

Using paytables with partner free spins offers

If you use spins from a welcome offer, open the paytable for the named game first. PlayOJO’s offer (18+, new UK customers excluding Northern Ireland, first deposit of £10 or more, terms apply) gives 80 spins at 10p on Big Bass Bonanza, a 10-line game, so each spin is a 1p line bet and three of the lowest symbols pay little. Coral’s offer (18+, deposit and bet £10 on slots, 100 free spins at 10p on selected games, accept within 48 hours, valid 7 days, terms apply) lists its eligible games in the terms. Both pay spin winnings without wagering. Casumo’s 50% bonus up to £100 (minimum deposit £20, 10x wagering in 7 days, £5 maximum bet) lets you choose your own slots within its game restrictions.

For more on slot mechanics, see our online slots guide or browse all casino guides.

18+. Gambling should be entertainment that costs money, not a way to make it. Set a deposit limit before you play: how to set deposit limits. Free, confidential help: National Gambling Helpline 0808 8020 133.