Paylines are the series of winning combinations that criss-cross the slots reels.

Slots can have a single payline or with much more paylines. 

The paylines are the winning arrangements of symbols that run through all slots. 

As you add more reels, and more rows, the game can offer more possible paylines. So, in a modern 5-reel slot with four rows, you may have as many as 25, 30 or 50 paylines. 

Bet One: This is the most simple option and sets the game to count the middle payline only (i.e. the horizontal payline running through the middle row)

Bet Max: This simple button automatically selects ALL paylines in the game.

Selecting Paylines: With many slots, you'll notice that the paylines are numbered from one to however many there are. You can, if you want, select any or all paylines manually. Just click on the numbers running up the side of the reels. You might select 2, 5, or 12 paylines to play. As you change the paylines, your bet size will also go up.

Paylines run from left-to-right, i.e. the winning combination begins with Reel 1 on the left, which connects to a symbol on Reel 2, Reel 3, and so on. Payouts are usually made by connecting at least two symbols.

For example, it's no good connecting four symbols on Reels 2, 3, 4 and 5 if they don't connect to Reel 1 in some way.

Every slot features a Paytable where you can find out more about symbols, jackpots and bonus features. You can also study the Paytable. This will list every single payline pattern in the game, and the game's RTP - Return to Player percentage. 

Paylines come in two varieties: variable and fixed. Fixed paylines means you're restricted to playing ALL the lines in the game. Fixed paylines commonly feature in multi-way slots with many hundreds of ways to win. Your stake is spread across all possible lines so that players of all budgets are included.

With variable paylines, you get to pick the number of lines to bet on before you hit the Spin button. As you select paylines, they will highlight across the screen horizontally. You might opt for five basic paylines from a 10-payline slot, or go for all lines. While it's expensive to play every payline on each spin, it's generally regarded as the best long-term strategy.

From classic one-liners to slots with thousands of possible combinations, there's an online slot to suit your preferred gameplay.

One payline - For decades, fruit machines in the UK featured one single payline played across the three reels. Typically, single-payline slots feature low maximum bets, no bonus rounds, and a limited range of symbols. 

Three paylines - As online slots improved, so manufacturers were able to include more paylines. 3-payline slots play like Classic Slots - played over a 3-reel format - with the horizontal and two diagonal lines of three the only paylines. As with single-payline fruities, bonus rounds in these slots are scarce but they are kinder on your bankroll.

Multi - payline slots. Five and more - With more bonuses and symbols like Wilds and Scatters, developers had to find a way to cram in every feature. Multi-payline slots were born, and depending on the developer you'll find thousands of slots with anything between five and 100 paylines.

Typically, the newer games come with 25-40 paylines: it's enough to reward lots of small wins for the player without making them bored and hunting elsewhere for another game. Multi-payline slots are typically played across five reels and three or four rows.

For players for whom 100 paylines isn't enough, the Multiway slots provide the ultimate answer. Developers have their own way of cramming in multiple paylines - changing the structure of the reels or awarding combinations that run right-to-left AND left-to-right - and some games can reach over 100,000 paylines. Let's take a look at a few popular multi-way slots variants.