If you’ve ever gazed at a modern slot machine as if it were a piece of alien aircraft, then you couldn’t have stumbled upon a better article. Consider this your handy toolkit to not just play slot machines, but to truly understand how they work.
WHEN WAS THE SLOT MACHINE INVENTED?
The first slot machine game was invented by Charles Fey in San Francisco back in 1894. It was the first variation of what we now call ‘fruit machines’ or ‘one-armed bandits’.
Although somewhat similar to modern slot machines, the Liberty Bell — as Charles Fey named it — only featured card suits, bells and horseshoes. Moreover, Liberty Bell only had three reels and one payline, but the entertainment it brought was previously foreign to the whole world.
As might be expected, Liberty Bell — then simply labelled a ‘gambling machine’ — had very rudimentary mechanics.
Players would deposit nickels in the coin slot and then turn the lever to get the physical reels rolling.
The lucky players who landed winning symbols would be greeted by the sound of a bell and a grand prize of fifty cents in a small metal shaft.
TYPES OF SLOT MACHINES
Liberty Bell was the foundation of all slot machines. Once technology and innovation picked up pace, the sky was truly the limit when it came to creating brand-new slots.
Here are the most common types of slots in the contemporary world of gaming.
CLASSIC SLOTS
For a long time, classic casino slot machines were the talk of the town. Slot enthusiasts would flock to their nearby land-based casino to spend time spinning reels in the hopes of bagging a bonanza, while casino managers saunter around the place to supervise and assist when necessary.
Classic slots are reminiscent of Liberty Bell, only that they are played on modern machines in equally modern casinos.
The physical reel made way for the virtual reel layout, visible on an in-built display. Most classic slots feature three reels and fruity symbols.
FIVE-REEL SLOTS
The innovation of five-reel slots allows for various features or bonus games to be implemented within the game, some of which might offer multipliers and even free spins.
In most five-reel video slots, a bonus game could be unlocked by landing a certain number of Scatter symbols, but this differs between slot games.
JACKPOT SLOTS
Jackpot slots usually take the form of five-reel slots, only that you could win a large sum of money with any random spin.
This could be done either by landing certain jackpot symbols, or simply through sheer luck.
The maximum jackpot amount is usually predetermined by the provider, but it is known to be in the thousands and, in some cases, millions.
Progressive jackpots work the same way, only that each spin contributes to the size of a jackpot.
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ONLINE SLOTS AND REAL ONES?
Although both online slot machines and mechanical slot machines work through digital technology, there are some key differences between the two.
Firstly, online casinos offer hundreds of slots — and in EnergyCasino’s case, thousands! These are all accessible through a single click, whereas physical slots aren’t as easy to browse through.
Physical casinos tend to pack multiple machines within a confined area, so if someone else is hogging a particular slot machine, you’ve got no choice but to wait.
Secondly, online slot machines are completely virtual. This means that there won’t be any need for dropping coins into a box and pulling a lever, since clicking the spin button will suffice.
HOW DOES A SLOT MACHINE WORK?
If certain symbols fall on a winning line, the slot machine pays depending on two factors: the bet amount placed and the value of the particular symbols on the pay table.
The minimum bet — just like any other very small bet — won’t net a player a big sum, as will be the case if a player lands low-value symbols on a payline.
Also, factors like Return to Player (RTP) and game volatility have a big say in the win frequency.
The RTP refers to the average payback percentage that the slot is expected to deliver over time, like a reverse house advantage.
The volatility — ranging from low to high — refers to the size and hit frequency of a winning combination.
DIFFERENCES BETWEEN MODERN AND PAST SLOT MACHINES
Placing Liberty Bell and any modern slot game side by side will be enough to outline some of the big changes to slots that have happened over the years.
Early machines were extremely basic — offering a select few symbols and no bonus game to keep things interesting.
In fact, it’s very likely that contemporary gamers would grow bored of an old slot game within minutes of pulling the spin lever.
The bar is understandably much higher with regards to newer slot machines. Nowadays, bonus features, high-definition graphics and polished animations are staples of casino games, and any of them that don’t include those elements stick out like a sore thumb.
WHICH CONDITIONS SHOULD BE FULFILLED BY THE PROVIDER?
Before releasing a game, slot providers work around the clock to make sure that their product is up to the industry’s standard.
This means that, prior to release, the product must tick the right boxes in terms of compliance and fairness.
Apart from that, QA professionals take care of rigorously testing the game before it is launched into the world of gaming. At this point, the game developers take a back seat and respond to the reports issued by the QA engineers.
WHAT IS THE SYSTEM BEHIND SLOT MACHINES?
Physical slots — also referred to as coin slots — used to work like a vending machine in their early stages.
In old slots, a braking system brings the reels to a stop if a win combination is landed. In modern slots, players can make the reels stop prematurely, but this doesn’t affect their odds of winning.
Both physical and online slot machines nowadays use a computer program to make the reels spin.
Additionally, they use a Random Number Generator to randomise a player’s odds of winning, as we’ll explain later on.
WHICH SLOT MACHINES ARE SAFE?
Nowadays, many reputable licensing companies provide certifications for legitimate slots, as long as they are, indeed, entirely lawful.
The good news is that you don’t need to travel to the glamour-saturated Las Vegas to play legitimate slots.
Such games are completely accessible at EnergyCasino through a simple web search! We’ve got thousands of slots in our game portfolio, featuring many different themes and categories for you to choose from.
If you want to take a break from slots, feel free to check out our other games, including table games and Live Casino games.
Our Casino is licensed by the Malta Gaming Authority — some of the most reputable gaming authorities in the world.
HOW IS A SLOT MACHINE PROGRAMMED?
The common denominator of all modern gambling machines is the Random Number Generator.
Legitimate slot machines use Random Number Generators to continuously cycle through millions of numbers, making the outcome of each spin completely unpredictable.
Although some slots include bonus features, this doesn’t take from the fact that all legitimate slot machines have a random chance of delivering wins.
HOW TO CHECK THAT SLOT MACHINES AREN’T RIGGED
Most casinos that have obtained reputable licences are quite a safe bet to make when it comes to taking any of their slots for a spin.
Having said that, all slots feature an in-built house advantage, which means that although you could win money in small bursts, losing money will probably happen too.
This doesn’t mean that most machines are rigged — that is simply the nature of slots.
HOW TO DETERMINE THE FREQUENCY OF WINNINGS AND THE AMOUNT OF WINNINGS?
The frequency of wins in a slot machine is roughly calculated by its volatility.
A low-volatility slot will deliver smaller wins frequently, whereas highly volatile slots pay more but not all too often. Medium-volatility slots fall somewhere in between.