Best Online Slots You Can Play for Free in 2023

Last Updated: 20/09/2023

In all land-based casinos, you can only play slots for real money. There are no free-play versions at all. Most of the best online casinos, however, offer hundreds of free slot games to try out. 

Some casinos offer Free Play credits, which are essentially a limited number of credits that you can use to play slots for free. When the credits are finished, so is your Free Play session. This is a bit old-school, though. Most modern casinos offer most of their slot games in demo mode, which are preloaded with virtual credits. These credits will reset every time you start a new session, so they are not limited. 

Neither of these options gives you the opportunity to win actual cash, but the game mechanics and bonus features are the same as the real money slots. In a nutshell, demo slots give you an accurate idea of what the real money version would be like – minus, of course, the element of risk and the associated adrenaline rush.

How to Play Free Slots Online

It's easy to play free slot machine games without downloading or registering. All you need to do is browse our extensive collection at the top of this page. You can filter the games and sort the list by RTP rates or sort them from newest to oldest. Filter by Progressive to find the games that have proper jackpots. Of course, you can't win the actual jackpots without playing for real money, but it's always interesting to give them a test run to see how they work.

Alternatively, if you want to play free casino games at a slot site in your area, just choose one of our recommended casinos and sign up. The process is usually fairly straightforward once you verify your address and identity, and you can be playing great slot games in minutes. The beauty of this approach is that you can test the casino site, check out all the games available, and you can switch to playing real money slots by simply making a deposit. Then you can have a go at winning those progressive jackpots.

Step 1: Select an online casino

Choose a casino from our recommendations on this site. It's important to go for a casino that's legal where you live to ensure it is regulated, licensed, and safe. Don’t make the mistake of playing at an illegal, offshore online slots site that doesn’t have the same safeguards or assurances.

Step 2: Create a username and password

The registration process at most casinos is quick and painless. Create a unique username and enter information such as your name and address. You may have to provide the last four digits of your Social Security number and other identifying information.

Step 3: Find the slots lobby

Before you play real money online slots, you may have to upload a scan of your passport or driver's license. However, you can normally start playing free slot games right away. Depending on the casino's user-experience level, you should be able to filter the games by the slot theme, game provider, or game type. At some casinos, you can add slots to your “Favorites” list for easy access later.

Step 4: Playing the games

Find a slot game you like and click the “Demo Play” button, if available. The slot will load instantly in your web browser. Most free slot games are powered by HTML5, so your gameplay should be smooth, and the game should adapt to suit your device, whether you play on mobile or desktop. 

Free Spins

Free Slots vs Free Spins

One thing to be aware of is the difference between free slots and free spins. Free spins are bonus stakes handed out by a casino that does not dip into your real money bankroll. You’ll typically find them offered as part of a casino welcome bonus or reload reward. Free spins usually have a pre-set value on a pre-selected game and are a way of playing real money slots for free.

The term "free spins" is also used when referring to a slot’s mechanics. Many fan favorites will contain a bonus round or a free spins round, where you win in-game spins that don’t require an additional stake. This freebie is an excellent addition to your gameplay, but you won’t receive them anywhere except within the game itself.

On the other hand, free slots are demo games you can play that don’t offer real money rewards. Every spin in a free slot game is considered a free spin since you’re not using real money to wager with. Yet, when we refer to free slots, we are referring to these free demo replicas of real money games, which allow you to learn about the gameplay and how to win on slots.

 

The Different Types of Free Slots

Most casinos offer demo versions of all their slots. Simply select the Practice Play or Demo Play tab in the lobby to load up free slot machine games.

3-Reel slots: 3-reel video slots resemble the classic games you’ll find in your local casino. 3-reel slots feature a handful of paylines and nostalgic symbols like melons and bells. These classic slots also tend to lack complex bonus features.

5-Reel slots: The majority of new slots today have 5 reels. With 5 reels, it’s possible to fit more paylines into the game. It also allows the developer to cram in as many bonus features as they like.

The number of available paylines in a 5-reel slot can vary, but it’s common to see anything from 9-99 win lines. Some modern 5-reel slots have expandable reels that can accommodate thousands of win ways.

Progressive slots: In a progressive slot, a portion of every qualifying bet contributes to a giant jackpot. You can trigger the jackpot by playing a special bonus game. Some progressives, however, are awarded totally at random.

You can even try out a progressive free slot game. You won’t be able to win the jackpot, but you can get a feel for the mechanics.

Branded slots: Branded slots are usually produced in partnership with film or media companies. They might be based on the career of a musical group or themed around a hit Hollywood movie. Branded games usually feature authentic video and audio footage – perfect for fans.

Video slots: The original land-based video slots used computer chips and video screens to display the action. Now, all online slots are video slot games. They use computer graphics and random number generators to determine the action.

3D slots: The advance of technology has made free casino slots more immersive and fun to play. The latest 3D slots boast amazing animation and slick graphics to draw in the player. They often boast innovative bonus features too, that make full use of the reels and symbols.

Megaways slots: Megaways slots are hugely popular and widely available at legal online casinos in the US. In a Megaways slot, the number of paylines varies from spin to spin. In a Megaways slot by BTG, for example, you can cram in as many as 117,000+ win lines on your spin.

Free Mobile Slots

All of our recommended casinos offer free mobile slot games, obviously including mobile casinos. allowing you to gamble on the go from any iOS, Android, or Windows device. These demo games are built on and optimized with HTML5 technology, which ensures they are just as responsive as their desktop counterparts and adapt to any screen size.

Simply load your chosen game on your mobile browser, and voila! Alternatively, you can access free demo versions of your favorite slots by registering at a licensed online casino. The sites we recommend offer free mobile replicas of real money games. Playing them on your mobile device allows you to access free mobile slots from anywhere, anytime.

Many online casinos also offer compatible mobile apps for iOS and Android, streamlining the process even further. Alongside alerts and notifications on the hottest game releases and the latest bonus offers, mobile casino apps also provide enhanced usability and connectivity. Mobile casinos are a great way to enjoy casino games on the go, wherever you happen to be.

You can now play hundreds of free slot machines on your smartphone or tablet. The good news is that nowadays, the games at mobile casinos are nearly as varied as those found at online casinos.

Top mobile slots look and feel like traditional online slots. The only difference is you make decisions by swiping the reels or tapping the game buttons. Some of the layouts and graphics may be different, but the bonuses and payouts will be identical.

To play free a free slot game on your smartphone, you may need to download a native app from the App Store or the casino website. Some mobile casinos also let you install individual free slots direct to your device.

Nowadays, you can play a lot of free slot machine games through your mobile browser without downloading anything. Just open the casino app and load up a game instantly.

Mobile Slot Games 3012
Mobile Slot Games 67
18+ T&C Apply. Play Responsibly. Full Terms Apply.
Mobile Slot Games 1386
Mobile Slot Games 100
Mobile Slot Games 1421
Mobile Slot Games 100

Free Slots with Bonus Offers

Most free slot machines provide at least one type of casino bonus online. You can trigger a bonus feature by landing special symbols called scatters. Some slot bonuses are activated at random during the main game.

Free Spins: Free spins are probably the most common type of slot bonus. A free spin bonus is triggered by landing three or more scatter symbols in any position. Some slots let you retrigger free spins indefinitely and even add a prize multiplier for every winning spin.

Multipliers: Multipliers are special symbols that can increase your prize win. Wild symbols – jokers that help complete winning combinations – often carry multipliers as an extra reward. Some slots offer a cascading reel mechanic with added multipliers. Every time you hit a consecutive winning spin, the prize multiplier increases.

Scatters: Scatter symbols are special icons that pay out whenever they land on the reels. You will receive a cash prize for each scatter. Land three or more scatters, and you may trigger a bonus game.

Megaways: Some developers, like BTG (Big Time Gaming), have adapted their game reels to offer many thousands of paylines. The Megaways range of free slots can spread over 110,000 possible ways to win on a single spin.

Re-spins: Reel re-spins are a good way of earning free money when you play. By hitting a certain combination, you may earn a single re-spin of the reels. You can keep triggering re-spins as long as you hit a winner.

Cluster Pays: Slots with Cluster Pays differ from regular games. When you match clusters of symbols horizontally or vertically, they will explode and disappear from the reels. The symbols sitting above will then fall into their place, possibly forming new clusters.

243 ways to win: In the majority of free online slots, you win a prize for matching symbols on designated paylines. However, in a 243-ways-to-win slot, you win cash simply by matching symbols anywhere on adjacent reels.

1024 ways to win: 1024 ways to win slots are similar to 243 ways to win games, with more chances to bag a jackpot. To fit in 1024 win ways, these slots usually feature 4 rows or an added reel.

Win Both Ways: Most online slots payout when you land matching symbols from left to right. However, win both ways free slots pay out when you match symbols from right to left too.

How to register

How to Sign Up to Play Free Slots Online

Some online casinos let you test drive free slots just by visiting their sites. Confirm that you are over 21, and then load up a free game in your browser window. Want to get the full online casino experience? You’ll need to open a gambling account. Once registered, you can take your pick of hundreds of free-play and real-money best video slots.

Here’s what you need to do:

  1. Create a username and password. Make sure your password is unique and hard to guess.
  2. Provide some personal information, including name, home address, phone number, email address, and possibly Social Security Number, depending on where you live.
  3. Now you’ll have to verify your email. Click on the activation email to complete the account setup. The casino will also check that your number and home address are valid.
  4. You can also enter a promo code to claim free spins or a welcome bonus. Plus, you can make a first deposit to play real-cash slots as long as you have uploaded the relevant personal documents. You’ll need to have your driver’s license or passport to hand so you can scan and upload them.

Pros and Cons of Playing Free Slots

Pros
Allows players to test game features and functionality before playing for real money.
No downloads are necessary, and there is no obligation to switch to real money play.
Take more risks and figure out if they’re worth repeating with real-money spins.
Cons
Some players find the risk of real money wagers the most exciting part of a game.
A run of luck on free slots does not imply similar results in real money slots.
Real money wins are not possible when playing demo slot games.

Other Casino Games to Try For Free

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.

FAQs

FAQ Icon Can I play free slots online on my mobile device?
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FAQ Icon What’s the difference between free spins and free slots?

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Fana Colette
Fana Colette Digital PR Specialist

Fana is a writer and content specialist who specializes in the dynamic world of international publishing. For the past few years, her area of particular interest has been in the evolution of gaming laws due to her legal background. You can catch her sailing or swimming at the nearest beach when she's not keeping up with the most recent iGaming developments or honing her poker abilities

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