Best 7-Reel Slots (Highest RTP/Payouts): Full List
The history of gambling began at the end of the 19th century. The prototype of the first slot machine consisted of three reels and 5 symbols. That all changed with the arrival of casino games from the land-based realm to iGaming. Not only did the games become colorful, but they also became technically sophisticated. Three reels changed to five reels in one model, then six and now seven. The industry is evolving, and its representatives are looking for new solutions to surprise.
Despite the huge variety of slots in terms of the number of reels, a large proportion are 3 and 5 reel models. Many players choose these slots because of their simplicity and accessibility. Only true connoisseurs of gambling, the adherents of innovation in video slots choose more modern options. One of them is a slot machine with 7 reels. The choice of such slots to date is small and as a percentage of the total mass is about 2-3%. These slots are actually quite rare. You will be happy when you meet them. It can only happen at an online casino. No iGaming software developer I know of has released a 7-reel slot for land-based casino customers.
Best Paying (RTP) Online Slots with 7 Reels
What are 7 reel slots?
The reels are an integral part of any video slot. They are vertical columns with 1 to 10 symbols on them. The reels are put together to form rows. So you get a game grid. At 7 reel slots on the same playing field can be 7-70 characters. The algorithm of these games does not really differ from the algorithms of more traditional models. In fact, these games do not differ from them at all. Is that with more reels providers have a larger area for experimenting with mechanics. Thus, the number of active lines in a single machine has increased, and new ways of paying out have emerged.
Payouts in slots with more reels give players a better chance of winning. Up to 4096 ways to win, as well as Megaways and Cluster Pays mechanics, are more commonly used as payout tools. The latter two techniques appeared just a few years ago. They offer an innovative approach to the way payout chains appear. In the first case, this involves matching symbols on adjacent reels. In the second, the need to collect several of the same symbols sides by side. Only a small proportion are slots, where the payout is of the classic, i.e. linear, type.
7 reels slots are only present in the library of a handful of developers. Their names are on everyone's lips, even if they are new to iGaming. These include Red Tiger, Playson, Betsoft, Evoplay, Play'n Go, Microgaming, NetEnt, etc. It's not uncommon for this modern type of slot to be inspired by very young studios as well. I can think of Iron Dog Studios, Fantasma, and Hacksaw Gaming as examples.
How to play 7 reel slots?
The main rule when getting to know a new slot is to familiarize yourself with its technical specifications. These include RTP, betting range, payout mechanics and more. In short, I don't advise you to mindlessly spend your money on the unknown. Unfortunately, nowadays slots with so many reels have one important drawback in my opinion. It involves a mediocre video slot RTP. On many 5 reel slots, you will get 97% of your winnings back, these games rarely give you more than 96%. Only a few slots I have no complaints about.
Essentially, all 7-reel slot machines have the same settings. This applies to both additional settings (music, auto-rotation, fast rotation mode) and basic settings (bet size). And if with the first one everything is more or less clear, because it is a matter of taste, the second parameter is very important. The range of bets in 7-reel slots varies a lot. The maximum bet per spin can be as high as 500 USD, while the minimum often starts at 0.1 USD. Due to the ability to make small bets, these games are worth considering for those with a severely limited budget. You should not rely on any strategies. A slot strategy is not a good thing, even though many gamblers believe it works. Perhaps the only valid strategy is to play responsibly.
To activate the movement of the reels, you must press the relevant button each time. It is often labelled 'Start', 'Spin'. Sometimes it's just the biggest and brightest button on the screen. All video slots of this kind modern use Auto Spin. Thanks to it, you can sit back on a cushioned chair and just watch how the winning combinations are formed on the game grid.
What's special about 7 reel slots?
7 reels slots are the industry's most striking representative of the rapid evolution of the industry. They combine all the modern industry trends, from the use of innovative features to big winnings. Taken together, this makes such games unique for their time. Some models from this group have even managed to become role models for other providers. This is Reactoonz from Play'n Go, for example. This slot is often at the top of many online casinos, and the operators themselves use it as a slot machine for wagering bonuses.
The popularity of three- and five-reel slots are becoming a thing of the past. And there's another explanation for that. Let me give you a comparison. Take a five-reel slot with 30 paylines. Such a game will offer fairly standard features by the standards of experienced players, and the payout process itself will also leave no doubt. In contrast, let's take the 7-reel slot. This is a fairly new mechanic. Its operation is not always clear to those who have never played this type of game. Include in it all the same features as in the standard slots and get ... lack of interest in them from the players. Judge for yourself: why choose obscurity when there are more understandable mechanics? that's what forces providers to look for new non-standard features, creating exciting gameplay and leading the player to frequent and big wins.
If you haven't figured out what kind of diamond might end up in your hands yet, I'll explain. Thanks to the inclusion of many innovative features in the slots algorithm, players can come up with big winnings, even with a bet of 1 USD. You get the idea, right? While classic slot players are out there strategizing and shelling out big bucks, you can open up a simple 7-reel slot and win anywhere between 100,000 and 10,000,000 USD. On average, the winning potential of a slot machine with 7 reels ranges from ×10,000-×20,000. So do the math. By betting as little as 20 USD you could win 400,000 USD!
Common features of 7 reel slots
As explained above, along with the increase in the number of reels, the developers have to find new solutions. These concern both the payout mechanics of the slots themselves and the bonus features they include. More often than not, games with 7 reels use cutting-edge features. These are more typical of this kind of game grid:
Expanding reels
I want to focus on each of them in more detail. Megaways is a development that entered players' lives in 2016 and has been rapidly gaining ground ever since. It gives players up to 1,000,000 chances to win the maximum prize. To do so, users must form unbroken winning chains of identical symbols on each reel. This can also activate additional bonus features, and thus lead to substantial payouts.
Cascading Reels are used in many slots with more than 5 reels. Once a winning chain is formed as a result of a spin, it disappears and new symbols appear in its place. The spin continues as long as wins are created. In this way, you get even more chances to win without using any extra money.
Buy bonus is a unique feature. It was only introduced in 2017 with the aim of speeding up the bonus. But there is one condition: this feature can only be activated for a fee. Its value depends on the slot model itself and can be as much as x2,000 of the bet. Yes, the amount seems incredibly large, but don't jump to conclusions. The higher the price of the bonus, the better it works.
Expanding Reels. Some slot models initially have fewer reels. By activating this feature, they can expand to 7 units. This, in turn, increases the chances of winning.
Cluster Pays. This unique payout system involves collecting 4 symbols side by side to receive a payout. The only drawback is that the developers haven't yet figured out how to combine this payout scheme with the progressive jackpot feature.
The lack of high demand for 7-reel slots is not really proof of their poor quality. Rather, it is the fear of most players to discover something new. The gambling industry is very changeable and always open to new solutions. This gives an impetus for developers to find new schemes, and mechanics and to improve what has already been invented. In the coming years, the 7 reel models can be expected to break through and strengthen their position in the players choice.
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