What is a penny slot?

Just hearing the words ‘penny slot’ conjures up images of old school American memorabilia, but what exactly is a penny slot? And is this an American-only creation, or can other players give them a go? Read on to find out more about penny slots and find out where you can play them online.

Penny slots explained

In the North American language, a penny is one cent, which means a penny slot is a machine powered using one cent coins. In other words, a penny slot is exactly the same as any other slot game, but each bet is valued at $0.01 per spin. In an economy where one cent is practically worthless, penny slots are popular at land based casinos around the USA with players hoping to strike it lucky betting next to nothing.

Penny slots can be a little tricker than they sound, with many penny slot machines now coming in multi-payline formats. This means while you can bet just one cent per spin, you may only be betting on a single payline in a game that has a potential 25 or 50 paylines spread out over five reels.

What many players don’t realise is a lot of games require the maximum number of paylines to be activated in order to trigger the games jackpot, so many play 0.01 bets hoping to strike it rich without realising it won’t be possible.

You can choose to increase the number of paylines activated per spin, but each line will require an additional $0.01 bet. When playing a penny slot, you can end up paying well over $1 per spin in order to activate all the paylines, which can sometimes catch players unaware and burn through bankrolls much quicker than expected.

If you’re aware of the restrictions in playing a single payline will entail and you’re happy to play under the conditions of the $0.01 spin, penny slots can be a great way for the more recreational players, or those with smaller bankrolls, to enjoy playing slots for real money.

Can we play penny slots outside of America?

Thanks to the introduction of online play, punters can now play penny slots or one cent slots for real money on the Internet. Reputable casinos like the ones recommended on our site accept deposits using a range of trusted payment methods, so you deposit however much you like (usually a minimum of $10 or $20 is required) and then use said money to play games at one cent per spin.

Playing penny slots online

Playing at an online casino is the best way for most players to play penny slots, with plenty of games to choose from which allow a minimum bet of one cent. As an example, Microgaming powered casinos like Royal Vegas offer these one cent slot games:

• Mega Moolah
• Break da Bank Again
• Thunderstruck
• Serenity
• Spring Break
• Tomb Raider
• Big Bad Wolf
• Forsaken Kingdom
• Cashapillar
• Hitman

This is only a small sample of the penny slot titles, with much more variety for the lower wager punters than you’ll find in a land based casino.

Are penny slots worth playing?

Whether playing a penny slot is worth your time or not completely depends on your budget and what you’re hoping to get out of the game. If you simply want to play for fun while enjoying the cheap thrill of the possibility of claiming a small win, playing penny slots is well worth it.

If you only have a small budget to play with, it’s recommended you set yourself a limit as you’d be surprised how quickly you can burn through your money just by playing one cent spins.

If you’re a high roller, you’re better off playing the maximum bet in order to win as big as possible, while those hoping to win a games jackpot should be aware of the minimum number of active lines required to trigger this. Although rare, it’s not unheard of for players to win a large jackpot from a simple one cent spin.

Penny slots are available at all of our recommended real money casinos. Follow our links to sign up for an account with an online casino and you’ll receive a welcome bonus upon making your first deposit, giving you the chance to boost your bankroll from the get-go.