Online slots are synonymous with casino gambling, so it is no surprise to find that slots are the most popular option at North Carolina casinos. And while the state does not allow you to play online slots, you can play slots online at social and sweepstakes casinos from within the state.
We share all the basics about playing online slots in North Carolina, including information about retail locations with slots and the current status of online slot options.
Are slots legal in North Carolina?
Yes, slot machines are a legal form of gambling in North Carolina, available at the state’s tribal casinos and online through social and sweepstakes casinos. You will find various forms of the classic casino games at the state’s tribal casinos.
It is also legal to own a slot machine in North Carolina, but it has to be of a certain vintage and not used for illegal gambling.
According to General Statutes 14-309.1, you can own a slot machine if “the slot machine was not intended to be used in the operation or promotion of unlawful gambling activity or enterprise and that the slot machine is an antique,” with “antique” defined as a machine manufactured at least 25 years before. In all other cases, owning a slot machine is against the law in NC.
You must be 21 years of age to play slots or any casino games in North Carolina casinos. At most social and sweepstakes casinos, the minimum age is 18.
Online slots at social and sweepstakes casinos in North Carolina
For players interested in playing online slots, social and sweepstakes casinos offer that option. These sites let you play games using virtual currencies, and in some cases, you can redeem your winnings for cash prizes.
All of the social and sweepstakes casinos below have solid slots libraries, with games featuring the same high-level graphics and sound effects as regular online casinos or live video slots. They also have very good sweepstakes casino apps that make playing slots and other games from your mobile device very smooth.
For other social and sweepstakes casinos without an app, you can access all of them on a browser via desktop or mobile devices, and they tend to scale nicely.
Therefore, they provide a great opportunity to try out free online slots and other types of casino games before playing their real-money counterparts at live North Carolina slots casinos.
Pulsz
A Yellow Social Interactive company, Pulsz offers over 200 slots. The site also features various table games like blackjack and roulette. As with other sweepstakes and social casinos, the slot titles are unique to Pulsz. Popular titles include Big Bass Bonanza, Disco Beats, Hot Triple Sevens, and Coins of Egypt.
McLuck Casino
McLuck Casino features a whopping 450 slots along with blackjack, baccarat, and live-dealer roulette.
A B-Two Operations Limited company, McLuck features a number of popular titles like Buffalo King Megaways, Gold Party, and Sugar Rush.
High 5 Casino Slots
High 5 Casino, owned and operated by High 5 Entertainment LLC, has a truly expansive library of slots, broken down by category, sub-category and slot type.
Some of its top performers are DaVinci Deluxe Ways, Fire Stampede, and Buffalo Canyon.
Funzpoints
Funzpoints is another up-and-coming sweepstakes casino. From Woopla Inc., the site features approximately 60 slots plus keno. It also offers jackpot drawings.
Some popular slots on Funzpoints include Barnyard Frenzy, Enchantress Luna, Kongo’s Adventure, and Fruit Party.
North Carolina casinos with slots
You can also play slots at North Carolina’s tribal casinos. Those casinos are:
- Harrah’s Cherokee in Cherokee is the largest casino in the state, with 150,000 square feet of gambling space. The casino advertises having over 3,000 slots, and at times it has had approximately 3,500 to 3,600 slot machines available.
- Harrah’s Cherokee Valley River in Murphy is a smaller property with about 50,000 square feet of casino space. Even so, it has a selection of over 1,000 slots.
- Catawba Two Kings Casino in Kings Mountain is North Carolina’s newest casino. The property is still under construction, so it only has about 30,000 square feet available, with slots as the primary attraction at the moment. The casino advertises about 1,000 slots currently, with plans to add hundreds more.
In North Carolina casinos, you’ll find both traditional reels and video slots, like those pictured in the foreground and background of the above image.
Difference between video and reel slots
Video slot machines come in many different varieties, though they often mimic the look of traditional slot reels on a flat screen.
Meanwhile, with actual reel slots, you can see the mechanical reels spinning through clear glass.
Video slots also often feature added sounds, animations, and graphics. Video slots will frequently offer many more paylines than you’ll find with “classic” slots. North Carolina casinos feature both traditional reel slots and video slots (with a lot more of the latter).
Popular slots in North Carolina
North Carolina casinos have thousands of slot machines for people to play in person. Here are some of the most popular North Carolina slot machine titles you’ll find:
- 88 Fortunes
- Bier Haus
- Buccaneer
- Buffalo Grand
- Cleopatra II
- Crystal
- Invaders from Planet Moolah
- Lightning Link
- Mayan Chief
- Monopoly
- Sex and the City
- Texas Tea
- Triple Double Diamond
- Wheel of Fortune
- Wolf Run
When you play slots in North Carolina, you’ll not only find a lot of variety in game titles, but also a selection of different types of slots from which to choose:
- Progressive jackpots — There are many examples of progressive slots in NC casinos. These slots are part of a network of machines that feature top prizes that increase every time someone plays without winning the jackpot. Progressive slots typically feature some of the biggest prizes in a casino.
- High-limit slots — Each of the casinos in North Carolina have high-limit slots where you can spend more per spin than at the regular machines. Whereas the slots on the main floor can be as inexpensive as a penny to play, over in the high-limit areas, the stakes may go as high as $25 per spin.
- Video poker — You’ll find video poker machines among the slots at casinos in the state. Options include Deuces Wild, Double Double Bonus Poker, Joker Poker, Jacks or Better and the like. Look for video poker both on the main casino floor and in high-limit areas.
- Electronic table games — North Carolina casinos also offer electronic table games that let you play video versions of blackjack, roulette, craps and other casino favorites.
Is there a strategy for winning at slots?
No, there is no winning strategy for slots.
When you play a slot machine, you are playing a game based entirely on chance with no skill involved. However, while you can’t necessarily increase your chances of winning at slots, you certainly can increase the likelihood that you’ll enjoy yourself and have a positive experience by practicing smart bankroll management and always making sure to play within your means.
Make it a point to practice responsible gambling and only gamble with money you can afford to lose.
Final thoughts on NC slots
Slots are by far the most popular type of casino game at both NC social and sweepstakes casinos and tribal casinos.
Playing online at sweepstakes sites is a good way to sample the many varieties of casino-style slots and learn about different paylines and jackpot styles.
As always, you can play these games for free at NC sweepstakes casinos, so be sure to do that if you’re new to slots or just haven’t played them in a while. There are so many new slot games that it can be overwhelming, and practice will help you get comfortable with all the NC slots on offer.