When it comes to casino games, slots are some of the most popular. More people play slots over games like blackjack and craps. This is because they are easy and quick to play.
In recent years, video slots have overtaken their mechanical counterparts in popularity. They provide interesting visual backgrounds, catchy music, and fun animations. Video slots make it so that you are entertained, even if you lose.
The digital aspect of online slots made them easy to be transferred into online casinos. With the advancement of technology, you are able to play online slots from the comfort of your own home.
Below we have created a guide on what exactly video slots are and how they came to be so popular.
History of Video Slots
The first video slot machine was introduced to casinos in 1975, and while a few more would pop up around the 1980s, they weren’t particularly popular.
In the 1990s, video slots began to advance and started to catch the attention of the public. The first video slot machine to feature multiple games on one screen came out in 1994. Then two years later, the Odyssey video slot machine was released. This was considered the future of video slots due to its high-quality animations and videos.
Despite their advances, lots of people were still hesitant to play them. This is because they believed that the electrical mechanisms of the machine could be tampered with to decrease their chance of winning.
With home computers becoming popular in the mid-90s, many families started to trust technology more. Then in 1997, the ‘Reel ‘Em In’ video slot machine hit the market and became an instant success. This slot machine showed other manufacturers that the market was shifting to a digital one.
Features of Video Slots
One of the most appealing features of video slots is their theming. They typically reference pop culture, which includes celebrities, movies, and TV shows. This allows for people’s favorite characters to be displayed on the screen and almost personalizes the game to the player. Some video slots even offer the scores of the movie or clips that fit the theming.
Another feature video slots have that traditional slot machines don’t are bonus events. These events are usually the main drawing point of video slots. They are able to offer free spins, multipliers, and pick ’em bonuses, to name a few.
Video slots also benefit greatly from their ability to offer tiered jackpots. These entice players by having the possibility of winning a few dollars to thousands. Some common tiers are when one machine builds up a jackpot pool from the bets placed on it, or if nearby machines are linked, then they can all share one large jackpot pool. Some machines can even link across different casinos.
Random Number Generator
Video slot machines use a random number generator instead of spinning reels to determine the outcome of a spin. While nothing is ever truly random, random number generators are about as close as it gets to random chance.
Since video slots use code to determine their spins, it means they are able to fit a lot more symbols into their slot machine. The extra symbols mean that there are more winning combinations, thus increasing hit frequencies. Although there is a higher hit rate, the house still has the edge as it pays winners less than the odds.
Another benefit of a computer performing the spins is that the previous spin has no impact on the current spin. Some mechanical machines would have a natural number of rotations a reel would do before stopping.
Five Reel Slots
With video slots came the creation of five reel slots. Instead of the typical three reels, the space on video slots allowed for an additional two reels to be added, which completely changed the way the game is played.
This meant that you didn’t need to get all matching symbols to win. The first three symbols could match, and you could win money, or all five could match for you to win a large payout.
Some video slots many have unique rules and winning symbols programmed into them. A common example is if they feature rare symbols that require you to only match 2 in order to win.
Advantages of Video Slots
As we’ve already discussed, one of the main selling points for video slot machines is its bonus events. Developers are able to get really creative with what bonuses to add to keep the game fresh and give the player more chances to win.
Some additions that have come from the creation of video slots are wild symbols and scatter plays. You are also able to have multiple pay lines, so instead of just watching the middle row of the reels, you can watch the whole screen to see how you can win. This keeps the mind active while playing slots. These additions also give slots some variety for those who want to try something new.
A key advantage of video and online slots is that they are easy to change and upgrade. You are able to put in a whole new slot machine in no time at all. This works especially well for the slots which are based on current pop culture. Online slots are especially known for quickly changing themes or adding bonuses after the slot was launched.
Conclusion
Video slot machines are very easy to play; all you need to do is pick how many play lines to play, what you’re going to wager, and then spin. They give you that sense of thrill, while also being captivated by their aesthetics. Video slots are entertaining from multiple angles.
An important thing to remember when playing video slot machines is that the payouts are usually proportionate to how many coins the player has put in. This gives the player options on how much to pay. Just make sure you are responsible with your money when betting.