Types of Online Slot Machines

One of the great things that separates online slot machines from other casino games is the humungous variety of different types of games. This is simply why slot machines are the most played games at land based casinos and online casinos. The variety of games is huge and a slot machine player rarely gets bored easily with slot machines because he or she can always move on to a cooler or more interesting one.

Themes, game play, and slot machine type all contribute to the different varieties that you have access to when playing the slots. This article will talk about all of the different types of slot machines as well as some of the more popular themes on the internet. Knowing the basic idea of each type of game will give you a good heads up on which one you may or may not prefer, but the ultimate test obviously will come from personal experience.

3 Reel Slots

3 Reel slots are your more basic slot machine. Although they can be very basic, 3 reel slot machines come in different forms and may sometimes get complicated. Some variations in 3 reel slots that you may find online include the payouts, the number of reels, the number of players, and the coin denominations. Graphics and themes also vary from slot to slot.

Most 3 reel slot machines have between 1 and 5 pay lines, depending on the game. They are the most player friendly type of slots and that only makes sense because they were the first type of slot machine ever invented. 3 Reel slots have been satisfying players for over 100 years.

5 Reel Slots

5 Reel slots can be a lot more complicated than 3 reel slots and are for more experienced players. The obvious main difference is the number of reels that the game has. Once you get the hang of them however they can be more fun because you usually have a couple more options in them when it comes to the game play. They usually vary in the same things that 3 Reel slots vary in – like the number of pay lines, coin denominations, the number of players allowed, bonus features, and many other things.

It is very common to see video 5 reel slots online these days. 5 Reel slots usually come with more symbols than the 3 reel slots and you usually have to pay closer attention to what you are doing when playing them.

Progressive Slots and Bonus Slots

Progressive Slots and Bonus slots are two types of slots that are very popular. They add an extra quality of fun to the game because of the break from the most original slot machines and because of the different ways these types of slots make it possible to win money.

Progressive slots are slots that have a continuously growing jackpot. The jackpot is usually way bigger than your normal jackpot and the size of it depends on how much you are willing to bet. Progressive machines are a group of many different linked slot machines in a certain network. The jackpot is made by taking a percentage of the money and putting it in the machine. Your chances of winning the progressive jackpot are indeed very low but it shouldn’t stop you from playing these games as long as you can be realistic with yourself and the idea that you are not going to win the jackpot.

The three major types of Progressive machines are the Stand Alone Progressive, the In- House or Proprietary Progressives, and the Wide Area Progressive. Like the name suggests, the stand alone progressive is not linked to any other machines while the in-house progressive is linked to other machines. The wide area progressives are the progressive machines with enormous jackpots that are usually life altering.

Bonus games make regular slot machines a little bit more fun. Some players prefer slots with only one bonus rather than two or more because the other bonuses usually aren’t as fun as the main bonus and it gives you the “waste of time” feeling. The major types of bonus games include: Free Spins, the Wheel of Wealth/Fortune, Pick X of Y games, and Pick until collect.

Most types of free spin bonus games include what is called a scatter symbol, and usually you have to get the three symbols to line up on a pay line. When you do you will get a certain number of free spins where you can collect all of your earnings. Sometimes you win more free spins during your free spins. The wheel f fortune, or wealth, involves spinning a wheel to earn an amount of money. The Pick X of Y games include clicking on boxes or treasure chests (or many other forms depending on the theme of your slot machine) to unveil certain amounts of money. The “pick until collect” games are very similar except that you keep picking until you pick the “Pooper” or “booby” symbol, which will end your picking spree.

As you can see the bonus and progressive slots offer a variety of fun things to do to lure you away from the more basic games that can sometimes get very boring. Slot machine can be progressive and have bonuses or just one or the other.

Themes

There are many great themes out there in the online slot machine world. There are also very many basic ones too. For example, a slot machine software provider called Cryptologic owns the right to the MARVEL characters and it really does a good job of implementing them into their slot machine games. Wagerworks, another different type of software for slots, uses game themes like monopoly and real life to boost the number of players that use their software.

Themes are very important to a lot of gamers because it provides a fun new kick to things and it’s very easy on the eyes instead of always going with the boring and original symbols, themes, and colors. Games with the themes like MARVEL or Monopoly bring a lot more fun to online slots.

As you can see, there are many different types of slot machines on the web. Casinos are coming up with new games every day to keep their customers satisfied and up to date. It is very rare that a slot machine player sticks to one slot and one slot only, although it is very common for players to have favorite slot machine games. The only way for you to decide which online slot machine game is best for you is to get out there and try all of them.