Online slot machines are easy to play, convenient and mobile friendly. They’re popular with players of all ages and experience levels across Canada. However, there are some misconceptions about how they work that can lead to grave errors. These mistakes can include believing that hot and cold streaks in slots are real, thinking that different slot games have varying payout percentages and misunderstanding how the RNG works.

Online slots use a piece of software called a random number generator (RNG) to determine the outcome of each virtual spin. This piece of code generates random numbers every millisecond and uses these to determine where symbols land on the reels. This ensures that each spin is fair and that no one player has a greater chance of winning than another. This math is the core of what makes online slots so fair and fun to play.

Various factors influence how much you can win in a slot game, including its pay lines, jackpots and bonus features. The RTP and variance of a slot are also important to consider. The return to player rate is the percentage of money that a slot pays back to its players over time, while volatility measures how often it will pay out small wins and how big the wins will be.

New online slot games are being released all the time and they’re getting more innovative than ever before. From new bonus rounds to higher maximum potential wins, online slot game mechanics are changing all the time. Whether it’s a simple twist like a tumbling reel or a fully-fledged Megaways feature, these changes can be enough to make a slot game stand out from the competition.