Paytable: a slot’s pay screen
A paytable is the screen inside a slot that lists what each symbol combination pays, how the special symbols and features work, and the rules that decide a win. This entry breaks the paytable into its parts, explains why its numbers move when you change your bet, and points out the useful things it leaves out.
By the Best Slots UK team. Last checked .
Key takeaways
- The paytable lists symbol pays, features, paylines or ways, and usually the RTP in the rules section.
- Values shown in cash change with your stake; values shown as ‘x’ are multiples of a stake.
- Check whether pays are multiples of the line stake or the total stake: it changes the maths a lot.
- It won’t show how often symbols land or features trigger, so it can’t predict a session.
- Category
- Game information
- Also called
- Pay screen, game info, help
- Opened by
- The ‘i’, menu or ‘?’ button
- Shows
- Pays, features, lines or ways, rules
- Usually also shows
- RTP and max win (in the rules)
What a paytable is
On a pub fruit machine the paytable was printed on the glass. Online, it sits behind a button and usually runs across several swipeable pages: symbol values first, then special symbols, features, paylines or ways, and finally the written rules. Together these pages are the game’s own description of how it pays, and they are the only authoritative source for that game at that casino.
Reading the paytable is the quickest way to understand what a game is trying to do. A slot with one dominant top symbol and modest everything else is built differently from one with flat values and a powerful feature. Our step-by-step guide on how to read a slot paytable walks through a full example; this entry focuses on what each part means.
Where to find the paytable
- Load the slot in real-money or demo mode (demos need age verification in Great Britain).
- Tap the ‘i’, ‘?’ or menu icon, often beside the spin button or in a corner on mobile.
- Choose ‘Paytable’, ‘Game info’ or ‘Help’ if the menu offers several options.
- Swipe or scroll through each page; the RTP and max win are usually near the end in the rules text.
- Close the screen to return to the reels; opening it never affects the next spin.
What a typical paytable contains
| Section | What it shows | What to look for |
|---|---|---|
| Symbol pays | What 3, 4, 5 (or more) of each symbol pay | The gap between low and top symbols |
| Special symbols | Wild, scatter and bonus symbol rules | Whether wilds pay on their own or carry multipliers |
| Features | Free spins, respins, modifiers and how each triggers | Number of spins awarded and any retrigger rules |
| Lines or ways | Payline map or ways-to-win count | Whether wins pay left to right only or both ways |
| Rules | Malfunction clause, RTP, max win, stake range | The live RTP figure and any win cap |
Some special symbols do more than one job. In Book of Dead, for instance, the book acts as both wild and scatter, and the paytable explains both roles. Starburst pays its 10 lines in both directions, which the lines page makes clear.
Why paytable values change when you change your stake
Most modern paytables show pays in cash, calculated at your current bet. Raise the stake and every value rises in proportion. Others show multipliers, such as ‘20x’, which stay the same whatever you bet. Neither changes the odds: a symbol’s chance of landing is the same at 10p as at £5.
| Total stake | Paytable shows (cash mode) | Paytable shows (multiplier mode) |
|---|---|---|
| 10p | £2.00 | 20x |
| 50p | £10.00 | 20x |
| £1 | £20.00 | 20x |
| £2 | £40.00 | 20x |
| £5 | £100.00 | 20x |
Line stake or total stake: the detail that changes the maths
On payline slots, some paytables express pays as multiples of the stake on one line, not the total bet. On a 10-line game at £1 total, each line carries 10p. A symbol listed at ‘50x’ of the line stake pays £5, not £50. Ways-to-win and cluster games usually express pays against the total bet instead. The rules page normally says which basis is used, and older games may talk in coins, which our coin value entry explains.
The difference matters when you compare games. A ‘500x’ line pay on a 25-line slot is 20x your total stake, which is a modest top prize. Always convert to multiples of the total bet before drawing conclusions.
What a paytable doesn’t tell you
A paytable shows prices, not probabilities. It won’t show how often each symbol lands, how often the bonus triggers, or how the RTP is split between the base game and features. Volatility is sometimes given as a rating but rarely explained. That is why two games with identical paytables can play very differently. To fill the gaps, combine the paytable with the published RTP, the volatility rating and, if offered, the hit frequency.
The paytable can also differ between casinos running different RTP versions of the same game, so check it where you play, not on a review. Our question why does RTP differ between casinos explains why.
Paytables and UK rules
UK-licensed games must make their rules and pay information available to players before they bet, including how wins are calculated. That is why every slot on a licensed site has a help screen, and why the RTP is normally stated there. The same rules require the game to show your balance and net position during play, and stop it presenting a return smaller than your stake as a win. Our UK slot rules guide lists the main requirements, and how to check a slot is fair explains the testing behind them.
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Frequently asked questions
What is a paytable on a slot?
A paytable is the information screen inside a slot that lists what each symbol combination pays, explains wilds, scatters and features, shows the paylines or ways to win, and sets out the game rules. On most games you open it from an ‘i’, ‘?’ or menu button. Values may be in cash at your current stake or as multipliers. The RTP and max win are usually stated in the rules pages at the end. Our guide to how slots work puts the paytable in context, and how to read a slot paytable walks through an example.
Why do the numbers in the paytable change when I change my bet?
Because many paytables show pays in cash, recalculated at your current stake. Every value rises or falls in proportion to the bet, so a pay of £2 at 10p becomes £20 at £1. The underlying multiplier and the chance of landing that combination stay exactly the same. Games that show values as multipliers, such as ‘20x’, don’t change when you adjust your bet. Set your intended stake before reading the paytable to see real amounts. Our total bet entry and what stake should I play explain how stake choice affects a session.
Does the paytable show the RTP?
Usually, yes, though not always on the first page. The RTP is normally stated in the rules or help section that follows the symbol pays, sometimes with a separate figure for features or jackpots. That number is the version running at the casino you are on, which can be lower than the developer’s headline figure because many slots come in several RTP versions. Check it each time you play a game at a new site. Our RTP guide and RTP range entry explain why figures vary.
Is the paytable the same at every casino?
The symbol layout and features are usually the same, but the RTP version can differ between casinos, and that can be achieved through changes to symbol frequencies, feature frequencies or occasionally the pays themselves. Stake ranges can also vary. The only reliable way to know what you are playing is to open the paytable and rules at the casino you are using. A review’s figures describe the developer’s published version. See why does RTP differ between casinos and our page on best payout slots.
Can a paytable tell me how often a symbol lands?
No. A paytable lists what combinations pay, not how often they occur. Symbol frequencies, reel strips and feature trigger rates are held inside the game’s maths and rarely published. Some games give an average hit frequency or feature frequency in the rules, which helps a little. To judge how a game is likely to behave, combine the paytable with the RTP and volatility rating. Our entries on hit frequency and feature frequency explain what those figures mean and where to find them.
What do the ‘x’ numbers in a paytable mean?
An ‘x’ figure is a multiplier of a stake: 20x means twenty times the stake it is based on. On ways, cluster and pay-anywhere games this is usually the total bet, so 20x at 50p pays £10. On some payline games it is the line stake, so 20x on a 10-line game at 50p total (5p a line) pays only £1. The rules page should say which applies. Max win figures use the same notation. See our max win and paylines entries for worked examples.