23 Oct 2026
Slot Guide · Glossary
Slot games come with their own language. This glossary from DBB66 Malaysia explains the 40 terms you will see most often on slot apps and browser slots, grouped by topic, plus a short history of how slot machines evolved.
Key takeaways
Terms are grouped by topic so you can learn them in order: first the maths, then the reels, then features, then words you will meet on Malaysian slot apps and promotions. Each definition is kept short and practical.
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| RTP (Return to Player) | The percentage of all bets a slot pays back over millions of spins, e.g. 96%. |
| House edge | The casino’s long-term advantage: 100% minus RTP. |
| Volatility (variance) | How wins are spread: small and frequent (low) or big and rare (high). |
| Hit rate (hit frequency) | How often a spin returns any win, e.g. 1 in 4 spins. |
| RNG | Random number generator, the software that decides every spin. |
| Max win | The largest win a slot allows, often shown as a multiple of your bet. |
| Theoretical loss | Your expected average loss: total bets multiplied by the house edge. |
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Reel | A vertical column of symbols. Most slots have 3 or 5 reels. |
| Row | A horizontal line of symbol positions. |
| Payline | A line across the reels where matching symbols create a win. |
| Ways to win | Slots that pay for matching symbols on adjacent reels in any position, e.g. 243 ways. |
| Megaways | A system where reel heights change every spin, creating up to tens of thousands of ways. |
| Cluster pays | Wins formed by groups of touching symbols instead of lines. |
| Pay anywhere | Wins for a set number of matching symbols anywhere on the grid. |
| Paytable | The screen showing symbol values, rules and features. |
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Wild | Substitutes for other symbols to complete wins. |
| Expanding wild | A wild that grows to cover the whole reel. |
| Sticky wild | A wild that stays in place for several spins. |
| Scatter | A symbol that pays or triggers features wherever it lands. |
| Bonus symbol | A symbol that triggers a bonus game. |
| Multiplier | Increases a win, e.g. 2x doubles it. |
| Low-pay symbols | Usually card ranks such as A, K, Q, J and 10. |
| High-pay symbols | Theme symbols that pay the most. |
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Free spins | Spins awarded at no cost, usually by scatters. |
| Retrigger | Landing more scatters during free spins to win extra spins. |
| Cascade / tumble | Winning symbols disappear and new ones drop in. |
| Respin | One or more reels spin again while others stay fixed. |
| Hold and win | Coin symbols lock while remaining positions respin. |
| Bonus buy | Paying a fixed price to enter the bonus round directly. |
| Gamble feature | An optional double-or-nothing game after a win. |
| Progressive jackpot | A prize that grows with every bet until won. |
| Fixed jackpot | A set top prize that does not grow. |
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Game ID | The username for a slot app such as Mega888 or 918Kiss, created by live chat. |
| Transfer | Moving credit from your main wallet into a slot app wallet. |
| APK | The Android install file for a slot app. Download only from our mobile guide. |
| Turnover (rollover) | The amount you must wager before bonus funds can be withdrawn. See our turnover guide. |
| Rebate | A percentage of your turnover returned to you, often daily or weekly. |
| Free credit | Bonus credit given by a promotion, with its own rules. |
| Jackpot digit | The last digits of an in-game jackpot that qualify for an extra prize on our Mega888 jackpot page. |
| Demo mode | A free version of a slot with no real-money wins. |
The first widely known slot machine was the Liberty Bell, built in San Francisco in the 1890s by Charles Fey. It had three reels and five symbols: horseshoes, diamonds, spades, hearts and a cracked Liberty Bell, which paid the top prize. Early machines paid in coins or, where cash prizes were banned, in drinks and cigars. This is where fruit symbols such as cherries and lemons came from: some machines paid out flavoured chewing gum.
In the 1960s, electromechanical slots added motors and bigger payouts. In the 1970s, the first video slots replaced physical reels with a screen, and in the 1980s the random number generator allowed far more symbol combinations and much larger jackpots. Online slots arrived in the 1990s, and mobile slot apps followed after smartphones became common.
Today, the same principles still apply: a random result, a paytable and a theme. What has changed is the variety of features, such as cascades, Megaways and linked progressive jackpots, and the ability to play anywhere on your phone.
Next step: put these terms to work with our online slot tips and slot bonus round guide.
RTP means return to player: the share of all bets a slot pays back over millions of spins. A 96% RTP slot has a 4% house edge.
A wild replaces other symbols to complete wins. A scatter pays or triggers features wherever it lands, usually free spins.
A game ID is the username for a slot app such as Mega888 or 918Kiss. Live chat creates it after you register.
Charles Fey built the Liberty Bell slot machine in San Francisco in the 1890s.
Slot TipsSlot RNG & RTPBonus RoundsTurnover GuideSlot GamesMobile App
18+ · Play responsibly. Set a budget, take breaks and never chase losses. Read our responsible gaming guide and terms and conditions.
Home
Tournament
APP SLOTS
Sportsbook
Live Casino
Slots
Fish Hunter
4D
Promotion
Tips
VIP