Overview of Slots
No other game in the casino comes even close to being as popular as the age old slot machine. Ever since the first mechanical slots made their appearance, the slot machine has captivated gamblers. It’s tantalizing symbols spinning round and round always seem to just barely miss paying out the big prize and beg for just one more spin.
The slot machine has come a long ways since those first 3-reel machines. Today’s slot machines come in all shapes and sizes and accept bets that range in size from just a penny to hundreds of dollars. Some slot machines remain true to their simple roots and others have embraced the technology age with blazing graphics, flashing lights and interactive storylines in some cases.
Reel Slots
The classic image of the slot machine, with 3-reels and fruits for pictures is the perfect example of a reel slot. These slot machines are simple and straightforward. You put your money in, spin the reels and wait for a payout. There’s not a lot of extra things there to distract you from what you’re there to do: play slots.
Older reel slot machines were controlled by mechanical means but most slot machines today are controlled by computers. Random number generators inside the slot machine determine where the reels will stop as soon as the button is pushed. Some slot fans don’t like the idea of a computer controlling their spins but today’s slots are actually more random than mechanical reels from way back in the day.
Video Slots
Video slot machines mimic reel slots except their reels aren’t physical – they are digital representations of spinning reels. Video slot machines have the advantage of being highly customizable and interactive. These slot machines often have bright, bold graphics and entertaining bonus games.
Bonus games are a major advantage that video slots have over classic slot machines. When you activate a bonus game in a video slot, you get a chance to play a miniature side-game. For example, in one golf-themed slot machine, you get to play a hole of miniature golf during your bonus game.
Multi-Line Slots
Both video slots and reel slots can fall under this category. A multi-line slot machine means there are more winning paylines than just a single horizontal line right across the middle. Some slot machines might have additional paylines located above and below the main payline in the middle.
Other video slot machines can have up to 99 paylines. Some paylines are diagonal and others look like a heartbeat graph. You can activate these paylines by placing additional wagers on each line. For example, if you play at a 20-line slot machine that accepts $0.05 bets, you will wager $1.00 per spin if you activate every payline.
Progressive Jackpot Slot Machines
Any time you see a slot machine offering a six or seven figure jackpot, it’s almost always a progressive jackpot slot. Progressive jackpot slot machines are able to create such massive jackpots because they rely on the power of numbers. Out of every bet placed at a progressive jackpot slot machine, a small percentage of that bet is added to the progressive jackpot.
At a single slot machine, that wouldn’t be too impressive, but progressive jackpots are linked together across many machines. Some are even linked across different casinos. With hundreds of machines out there accepting bets 24 hours a day, the jackpots are able to grow to astounding heights in a short time.
The thing you have to remember about progressive jackpot slot machines is that there is usually some minimum amount you have to wager per spin to qualify for a chance to win the jackpot. Sometimes it’s less than a dollar but it will usually cost you $3 to $7 per spin at the biggest progressive jackpot slots.
How Slot Machines Work
Slot machines in days past relied on the energy generated by a person pulling on the lever on the side of the machine. That lever interacted with a series of gears and other internal mechanisms that set the reels to spinning. The reels slowly came to a stop and then payouts were awarded based on the final resting position of the reels.
Nearly all slot machines in existence today are controlled by computer chips. The key component in these slot machines is the random number generator (RNG). When you push the button, the RNG creates a completely random number and that number is then fed into a formula that determines the final resting place of each reel.
In the early days, people had a problem creating truly random numbers with computer chips. The problem was that computers can never be truly random. Computers are programmed and can only follow the exact instructions given them. No matter how many formulas you use, you can’t create a truly random number from scratch with a computer. Some can produce numbers that look random to the naked eye but patterns emerge over time.
To fix that problem, RNGs were designed to start with a truly random seed number. Seed numbers can be found from random sources in the environment such as random noise in the casino, radio interference and other places. With a random starting number, the RNG can then generate a truly random number.
In order to keep their gaming licenses, modern casinos must submit to independent testing of their slot machines. With the help of modern RNGs, casinos are able to pass these tests and remain certified as truly random, fair games.