Slingo in 4 lines
- Slingo mixes a slot and bingo: a reel under a 5 by 5 grid of numbers, and you mark off numbers the reel matches.
- Complete a row, column or diagonal and you've made a "Slingo". There are 12 on every card, and more Slingos climb a prize ladder.
- Most games give you 10 spins, then offer extra spins at a price that changes every spin. That's where the money goes.
- In the UK, Slingo is treated as an online slot: the maximum stake is £5, or £2 if you're aged 18 to 24.
What Slingo is
Slingo is a cross between a slot machine and bingo. The name covers a whole family of games, mostly made by Gaming Realms under the Slingo Originals name, and many are themed on well-known slots. The core rules are the same across them; the extras, such as bonus rounds and special symbols, change from game to game.
How a game works
- Stake. You choose a stake for the game, which buys your starting spins.
- The card. You get a 5 by 5 grid of numbers. Under it sits a single reel with 5 positions, one under each column.
- Spin. Each spin lands a number or a symbol under every column. If a number matches one in the column above it, that square is marked off.
- Make Slingos. Every complete row, column or diagonal of marked squares is a Slingo.
- Get paid. When your spins run out, the prize ladder pays out for the number of Slingos you made. In many games, reaching certain rungs also starts a bonus round.
The 12 Slingo lines
Every card has the same 12 lines: 5 rows, 5 columns and 2 diagonals. The number in each square is how many of them it sits on.
Rows and columns cross every square, so each sits on at least 2 lines. Squares on a diagonal sit on 3, and the centre square on 4.
0 Slingos
Jokers, Devils and other symbols
| Symbol | What it does |
|---|---|
| Joker | Lets you mark any square in the column above it. |
| Super Joker | Lets you mark any square anywhere on the grid. |
| Free Spin | Adds a spin to your count at no cost. |
| Devil | Blocks that position for the spin. In some games it can also take away a prize or a bonus. |
| Coins and others | Some games add cash symbols that pay straight away, or symbols that feed a bonus. They vary by game. |
Each game's rules screen lists its symbols and exactly what they do. Read it once before you play a new title.
Where to put a Joker
A Joker is the one real decision in Slingo, and the grid answers it. Every square sits on its row and its column. Squares on a diagonal sit on 3 lines, and the centre sits on 4:
| 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| 2 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 2 |
| 2 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 2 |
| 2 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 2 |
| 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
So, all else equal, put a Joker where it helps the most lines: the centre first, then a diagonal square. All else is rarely equal, though. A square that finishes a line you've nearly completed beats a busy square on lines you've barely started. Many games also offer to place Jokers for you automatically.
Extra spins: the part that costs most
When your starting spins run out, most games offer extra spins, one at a time. The price of each one is shown before you buy it, and it changes every spin. The game sets it from your grid: when you're one number away from a valuable line, the next spin is expensive; when nothing much is in reach, it's cheap.
The price reflects what the spin could win you, and the game keeps its house edge on every extra spin. Each one is a new stake taken from your balance, the spins you'll most want to buy are the most expensive, and the cost of a round can climb well past your starting stake.
Decide before you start whether you'll buy extra spins and how much you'll spend on them, and stick to it when the game puts a tempting price in front of you.
RTP: what each game gives back
Every Slingo game has a return to player (RTP), set by its maker, which is the share of all money staked that the game pays back over a very large number of games. Some games quote one RTP for the starting spins and another for buying extra spins. The game's help screen gives the figure for the version you're playing.
Many games come in versions with different RTPs, and a UK casino can choose which one it runs. Some lobbies show the RTP in the game's name, such as "(93)" for a 93% version. Small differences in RTP make a real difference to the cost:
| RTP | Expected cost per £100 staked |
|---|---|
| 92% | £8.00 |
| 93% | £7.00 |
| 94% | £6.00 |
| 95% | £5.00 |
| 96% | £4.00 |
A 92% game costs twice as much over time as a 96% one. RTP is an average across huge numbers of games: any single game can pay far more or far less. Our methodology explains RTP in more detail.
UK rules for Slingo
The UK government has said that games mixing slots with bingo, naming "the popular 'slingo' game", are meant to count as online slots. So the online slots stake limits apply: a maximum stake of £5, or £2 if you're aged 18 to 24. Those limits came in on 9 April and 21 May 2025.
Source: the Department for Culture, Media and Sport's consultation response on online slots stake limits, and the Gambling Commission's stake limit guidance, checked 8 October 2026.
Near misses and "due" Slingos
Slingo often leaves you one number away from a line. A near miss says nothing about the next spin: each spin is random, whatever the grid looks like. The same goes for a game that hasn't paid for a while. No title is ever "due" a big win.
Where to play
Slingo is an online game, found in the slots or Slingo section of UK-licensed casinos. Before you play a new title, open its help screen: it lists the symbols, the prize ladder, how extra spins work and the RTP.
Slingo questions
How many Slingos are there on a card?
12: the 5 rows, the 5 columns and the 2 diagonals of the 5 by 5 grid. Each Slingo you complete moves you up the prize ladder, and in many games reaching certain rungs starts a bonus round. The centre square sits on 4 of those lines, more than any other square.
Where should you put a Joker in Slingo?
Where it helps the most lines. All else equal, the centre square is best because 4 lines pass through it, then the other diagonal squares with 3 each. A square that finishes a line you've nearly completed still beats a busy square on lines you've barely started.
Should you buy extra spins in Slingo?
Decide before you start. Each extra spin is a new stake, priced from your grid: the closer you are to a valuable line, the more it costs, and the game keeps its house edge on every one. Extra spins are where a round's cost climbs fastest, so set a limit for them and stick to it.
What is the maximum stake on Slingo in the UK?
£5 per game, or £2 if you're aged 18 to 24. The UK government treats games that mix slots with bingo, Slingo included, as online slots, so the online slots stake limits apply. The £5 limit came in on 9 April 2025 and the £2 limit for younger adults on 21 May 2025.
What RTP does Slingo have?
It varies by game and by version, and a UK casino can choose which version it runs. Some lobbies show it in the name, such as (93) for a 93% game. At 92% you can expect to lose about £8.00 per £100 staked over time, and at 96% about £4.00. The help screen shows the figure.
Sources and checks
- Gambling Commission, online slots stake limit guidance
- Harris Hagan, DCMS announces online slots stake limits
The rules, payouts and quoted figures were last checked against these sources on . Every other number on this page is worked out from those rules, as how we check the numbers explains. If you spot a mistake, our corrections page says how to report it.