Well, my dearest reader, it’s September and there’s one particular event many of us associated this month with. What do you think that is? The end of summer? The start of autumn? Nah, you gotta do better than that. Remember, you’re at Epic Slots: The Gaming Magazine! Try something more slotty than autumn! But I will not push you anymore and risk pushing our friendship on the rocks. Wait, did I say rocks?

Yes! Let’s talk about a slot that rocks. If you’ve been following NetEnt and their Rocks series, you’ve probably already enjoyed the trippy, psychedelic tribute to the artist thought by many to be the greatest guitar player of all times, the one and only Mr. Jimi Hendrix. And I bet you’ve created a lot of sweet memories with the bad boys of American hard rock, whose every studio album has gone multi-platinum, Guns N’ Roses. And if you’re a NetEnt fan (Duh, are there any slot fans that aren’t?), you’ve probably been waiting for the next big rock slot machine for months.

And on September 22, slot fans were rewarded with the long-awaited third and final slot game in the NetEnt Rocks series – the one dedicated to the original rockers, the band that epitomises all things rock ‘n’ roll, the band of the late Mr. Lemmy Kilmister – Motörhead.

The last addition to the slot series comes as a well-deserved tribute to the band that has always remained the self-proclaimed rock ‘n’ roll band. Many have called them a heavy metal band, a speed metal band or even a thrash metal band. However, they have repeatedly shunned those genre labels. If you’re into the heavier genres of rock, you must admit Motörhead’s important role in shaping all those genres. And if you’re a Brit, then a game dedicated to Lemmy and his mates must hold a special appeal.

But let’s have a look at the Motörhead slot. It’s a 5-reel, 76-payline video slot, which is playable across all platforms. You can bet as little as 20p or as much as £200 per spin. When you enter the game, you’re treated to an invigorating rock-packed intro and then you’re invited to the badass rock stage of this legendary monster of a band. You have the speakers and the rock guitars and there’s the ‘rock mode’ which on activation turns the music up as you spin the reels. An important symbol to look out for is the Ace of Spades wild symbol, which substitutes for all symbols except the scatter. And then, there are three features: the Mystery Reel feature, the Free Spins feature, and the Bomber feature. These are additional games that could potentially increase your winnings in a number of ways.

Wanna try this brand new slot? Make sure you only play at the top rated online casino sites. That way, you’ll not only have the fun of gaming but also be able to get your hands on juicy bonuses and other promotional offers, while enjoying cutting edge technology. And if you’re a fan of both rock music and casino games, treat yourself to the ultimate song about gambling – the Motörhead anthem ‘Ace of Spades’.

Welcome back reader! As you’ve probably gathered by now, I loves me some slots. Given you’re on this page, I’m guessing you do too. So it seems only logical that my next post should fill you in on where you should be playing them. I’ve had some pretty bad experiences with dodgy online casinos in the past, and I have learned from my mistakes. So to save you from wasting your time with the bad eggs, I have put together a few simple tips to help you find the diamonds in the rough. By following these guidelines, you can be sure that you will find a top slots casino that is right for you.

Safety – No if, buts or maybes, you should trust only safe and secure online casinos to play at. Yet how can you be certain that a casino is safe, you may be wondering. Well it’s easier than you might think. Simply check that the operator is licensed by the UK Gambling Commission. Any operator that provides services to players in the UK must possess this licence by law. It is proof that the operator adheres to strict standards regarding player safety and protection. These include using sophisticated technical security and encrypted transactions to protect you against fraud. It also confirms that the fairness and integrity of their games and payouts has been tested and certified by an independent authority, such as eCOGRA or GLI. In short, if an online casino is not licenced in the UK, avoid it like the plague.

Game Selection – Once you’ve confirmed that the casino is licenced, the next important thing to consider is the game selection. The best slots casinos provide a rich selection of games, with superb graphics, innovative features, as well as some big progressive jackpots. Some casinos will offer games exclusively from one provider. Some of the best include Playtech, NetEnt and Microgaming. Other operators will build their game selection from a wide variety of developers, which creates a unique and varied choice. A quick look through the slots selection should help you decide if the operator offers the type of games that appeal to you. It is also a good idea to check out the mobile slots selection. Some online casinos provide a huge selection of games that can be played on smartphones and tablets, whereas some can only offer a handful. If you like to play slots on the go, this is an important factor to take into consideration.

Bonuses and Promotions – Pretty much all online casinos provide a bonus to entice new players to join. There are various types of offer available, and you should look out for one that matches your personal needs. Check the T&C attached to any offer before you take it to make sure that it has favourable wagering conditions, includes the games you want to play, and is valid for a decent length of time. The best casinos will also provide a variety of regular promotions that reward loyal players and not just the newbies. Such promotions can include extra deposit bonuses, cash back, free spins and slots tournaments.

Online slots have never been more popular, literally! Every single year the online casino business keeps growing and growing and growing, with seemingly no end in sight, and we all know that online slots are the most popular casino games there are, so by that logic online slots are at the height of their popularity! What, you didn’t know that? Come on, how much more obvious can it be? All it takes is a single visit to an online casino or even this website about online slot machines for real money to see the entire place overwhelmed with online slots! People just crave them like they crave air, or sweets, or superhero movies! Alright, maybe not that much, but you get what I mean. Still, not all slots are craved equally – some rise up to the forefront of gamblers’ consciousness while others sink to the bottom of the barrel, never to be heard from again. What makes a slot stand out from the rest? Let’s find out!

A Good Hook

That’s probably the most important thing that grabs the player’s eye, so I’m putting it first. Think about it – when you’re browsing the new slots on your online casino of choice, each slot is mostly represented by a picture and a name. That’s it. That’s all you have to judge the entire slot. This picture and the name need to sell you on the slot’s entire premise, they need to show you that this is something that you’ll be interested in. Hell, a lot of times, a good, recognizable name is ALL you need! You people know a lot about Game of Thrones, right? What am I saying, of course you do – it’s only the most popular TV show of all time. It is so popular, in fact, that its slot adaptation immediately became a giant success despite the fact that it wasn’t all that great. When it comes to slots, don’t underestimate the power of a good first impression!

A Unique Feel

So, imagine this scenario – they release a slot which is, say, based on “Guardians of the Galaxy”. I know, I know, Marvel’s deal with Playtech expired and we’re sadly never going to see a slot based on “Guardians of the Galaxy”, but just bear with me here, alright? So, as it turns out, “Guardians” is exactly like another slot called, say, “Tiny Bobby’s Adventure In Candyland”, except “Tiny Bobby” has a bigger RTP and a bigger jackpot. While the big name recognition of “Guardians” will work for a while, eventually people will gravitate back towards “Tiny Bobby”, because why play the other slot that is exactly like it, but worse? Every slot needs to have its own, unique feel – or if it doesn’t, it needs to do everything better than the rest!

A Monetary Incentive

Let’s not kid ourselves here – as much as we like to talk about bonus games, the overwhelming majority of people play slots to win money. As such, one of the most important things is to make sure that the player is able to win lots from your slots. Maybe it has some kind of jackpot, or maybe the winnings are just frequent, or perhaps the bonus games pay tons? Either way, a slot that doesn’t pay much is not a slot that a lot of people will play.