Online Slots & Games

Video slot machines

Over the course of time, slot machines have continued to evolve. The first official mechanical slot machine was the “Liberty Bell” in 1895. The machine with 3 reels and the ability to pay out winnings itself was developed by the German Charles August Frey, who lived in the USA at the time. As the development of slot machines continued, there were good times and bad times for gambling. At one time, slots were completely banned in America and you could only win chewing gum or sweets with them. But then there were also the glory days with the boom of Las Vegas when the “one-armed bandits” celebrated their entry into the casinos.

The beginnings of video slot machines

After the first electromechanical slots appeared in the 1960s, they were replaced in 1976 with the introduction of the so-called video slots. Fortune Coin developed the first video slot machine, which people were very suspicious of. A game of chance that only takes place on a monitor and there are no real reels spinning seemed very suspicious to most people. After many tests and the final approval by the Nevada State Gaming Commission, he found the first locations in the casinos of Vegas.

Distrust in slot machines

Although slot machines had developed and become more modern in the previous decades, there had never been such a leap in development before. Why most players were unsure at the beginning was due to the modern technology, which they did not yet understand or know.

With electromechanical slots, the lever on the side of the machine, which is where the name one-armed bandit came from, was no longer needed. But in order to maintain the familiar feeling for the players that they themselves controlled their luck and set the reels in motion by pulling it down, they wanted to keep it. And now there were no more real reels, everything was digital. They rather suspected a scam behind it and no longer believed in chance.

Random number generator

It was assumed that the operator or the casino could control the random number generator and adjust it as they wished. This would have meant that people would have won 0nce or less often. But the authorities were able to convince people with their release that pure chance still decides whether one wins or not.

Today, the Random Number Generator (RNG) is still used. The games and the technology have of course evolved, but the basic principle behind it is the same. The software in online casinos regularly checks the RNG in order to exclude any kind of manipulation.

5-reel slot

But it wasn’t just that with the introduction of the video slots, everyone had to come to terms with the fact that there was no longer a lever and everything happened on the display. Suddenly there were also 5 reels, albeit not real ones, instead of only 3 as before. Some were rightly very irritated, because the additional reels suddenly resulted in completely different combinations. But most of them quickly understood that this actually gave them more rather than fewer chances to win. The two additional reels created more opportunities to win something and there were also suddenly completely new paylines and bonus games. What seems perfectly normal to us today, overtaxed some players at the time, because they couldn’t quickly understand what exactly was happening. And the next step, the multi-screen machines in which a completely new game opens in the bonus round, was not long in coming.

Video Slots in Online Casinos

Of course, there was no end to the technical development; new video slots are still being programmed and developed today. New themed worlds are created and more and more happens around the actual game as well. So the introductory videos are often great fun, as are the bonus rounds and additional winnings, which have changed.

Due to the progress of the internet, it was only a matter of time until the first online casinos were founded. And right at the beginning they enjoyed great popularity. The software was then easy to transfer and right at the beginning there was a lot of choice through the video slot machines.

Special features of video slot machines

Video slot machines differ from classic slot machines not only in the number of reels, but also in some other special features. Even if you are already familiar with the bonus games and know that there are many paylines, there are still terms that you might not be able to understand at first.

Wild symbols

The wild symbol is different in every game, but usually always a very typical one that reflects the title or theme. The wild symbol can be compared to a joker. It substitutes for another symbol to make your winning combinations possible. For example, if two identical pictures are already in a row, the wild replaces another one and you win. Therefore, it is certainly one of the most popular symbols among all players, because it can be used as any other symbol.

Scatter symbols

The so-called scatters are certainly just as popular. You will find them mainly in the newer video slots and they can have various functions. On the one hand, they can multiply a winning amount and thus serve as a multiplier. If you see two or more appear, then a bonus game starts where you can really win. Depending on the combination, you also get free spins with the scatter. In any case, it always provides a surprise that works out in your favour.

Bonus rounds

If you get the right symbols in combination or the same one several times on a payline, then a bonus round starts. Depending on the game, free spins can start immediately and multiply your winnings. You then play several rounds without your account being debited – so you have already won a few rounds of free play in the online casino in any case. New slots also like to open another game in which you play your bonus rounds and in which you have also already won, as you don’t have to make a bet of your own.

Paylines

The paylines show you which winning combinations there are in a game. These vary for each individual game and can be completely different. They go across the five reels and do not just run horizontally but also zigzag, which of course gives you all the more chances. If three of the same symbols are on a winning line, you win. The more identical symbols that follow each other, the higher your winnings. Often you can set yourself how many lines you want to play, the more the higher your chances, but of course the stake also increases.

Whoever thought that Microgaming, with 243 lines, had the most in a slot machine, was mistaken. NetEnt offers the most lines in Reel Rush. You can play a total of 3125 paylines to make sure you never miss a chance.

Payout odds

The payout odds are interesting, but not so decisive for your game. They tell you what percentage of the stakes are paid out to the players. In online casinos, the odds are higher than at slot machines in a gambling house, for example. On the internet, they average 95%. Some games are higher and pay out 98%, while others only pay out 92%. Since the games are also about luck, one person can win more than he has bet, while another loses more.

Risk games

The risk games are available in some slot machines as soon as you win something. You can multiply your winnings and always have a 50:50 chance. It is usually a simple betting game, for example, you have to bet on red or black and cards are revealed. If you guess the right colour, your winnings are doubled. If it is the other colour, you lose your winnings. You can repeat the game several times in a row as long as you are right until you end it and your winnings are credited to you.

Summary

All in all, the video slot machines not only promise a lot of excitement and entertainment. With their different themed worlds and elaborate graphics and animations, they provide a lot of fun. When you win, you will be celebrated by the flashing or dancing symbols. Moreover, additional games await you with the bonus rounds, which provide variety in between.

But even if you don’t win, it’s fun to watch the colourful animated videos and escape into a whole other world. Whether you want to hunt down criminals with Jack Hammer, go on a voyage of discovery with Gonzo’s Quest, go on a treasure hunt in ancient Egypt with Rich Wilde and the Book of Dead or dive into the fantasy world with Game of Thrones. The games simply provide so much fun that you will definitely be entertained and there will be no trace of boredom.

Classic slot machines on the Internet

The classic slot machines are still familiar from bars or if you have ever taken a look in a gambling house. With their flashing lights and occasional noises, they always attract attention. In recent years, they have also found their way onto the internet and are now available in almost all online casinos. However, there is a difference in the games, because not only modern video slot machines, which are elaborately programmed and provide a lot of show elements for atmosphere, are represented. Because the classic slots are also on offer and they have a firm fan base. They are also suitable for many who are taking their first steps in the online casino, as they are easier to understand than the elaborate games.

The history of slot machines

First of all, let’s look at the development of slot machines. It’s hard to believe, but they have been around for more than 120 years. In 1895 to be exact, Charles August Fey, a German emigrant, introduced his “Liberty Bell”. A further development of the conventional poker machine, he built it with 3 reels and simple winning combinations. This made it the first mechanical slot machine that was also able to pay out winnings independently. None of the previous attempts could do that.

Popularity of online slot machines

His machine was so popular after a short time that he founded his own company to produce them professionally. By renting out the machines, he was able to secure a share of the machines’ profits early on and was not just out for pure sales. He named the slot machine after the Liberty Bell, which was rung during the recitation of the Declaration of Independence. In keeping with the name, the main prize was also to be won with the three bell symbols in a row.

Symbols on the reels

After there had already been some poker machines, the first slot machines also took over the symbols of spades, hearts and diamonds. And the horseshoe was to serve as a lucky symbol at the end of the 19th century. After the first slot machine was named after a bell, this was also one of the first symbols. To this day, you can still find exactly these images on the classics.

Fruit slot machines became another trend. These actually arose more out of necessity. Gambling for money was forbidden for a while and you could only win chewing gum. The fruit symbols indicated the flavour you had won. To this day, you can find cherries, oranges, lemons and so on, and the fruit theme in the games is very popular.

Classic slot machines in the online casino

When the trend came with the internet and the first online casinos were formed, a lot had already happened in the development of slot machines. Video slot machines that worked purely electronically and no longer had a mechanism that had to be started with the lever on the side had spread. These games, which already consisted of software anyway, could easily be prepared for the internet. Despite this progress, many customers asked for the classic one-armed bandits. Although you cannot operate a lever in the online casino, the interface of the mechanical devices was also programmed for the digital providers.

Download or browser version

For a long time, you first had to download the casino software to be able to use the selection of games. A download is now rarely necessary. The games are directly available in the browser and are also of very high quality and are in no way inferior to the download versions. The change also has a lot to do with mobile casinos. Because in the meantime, the casinos on the internet have adapted to the fact that many customers log in with their smartphone or tablet. The easiest way to do this, wherever there is internet reception, is via the mobile browser. The world of entertainment is thus available anytime and anywhere. Although some offer it, you no longer need to download an app for mobile devices, unless you are hoping for easier access to your favourite games.

Play slot machines for free

If you are unsure whether the games are right for you, you can simply give them a try. Play the popular slots for free without registering at almost every casino. They all offer a play money version of all titles for testing purposes. Here you play with a purely fictitious balance and can find out whether you enjoy it or not without taking any risks. If you no longer want to bet only play money, then you must create a user account for which you should also verify yourself.
At the latest when you request your first payout you have to do it anyway and if you think about it early enough, you save yourself waiting time afterwards to pay out winnings. Only when you play for real money can you keep the winnings for yourself. Although you play in fun mode with low risk, unfortunately you can’t keep or use any of it in case of a lucky streak.

Slot machines with random generator

The classic slot machines worked mechanically and so the reels were set in motion by pulling down the lever on the side. Suddenly they stopped and showed you the symbols or their combinations. Although the lever of the one-armed bandits no longer exists, the reels still stop all at once out of pure chance. Nowadays, a random generator takes over the function of the lever and also stops the symbols purely at random. The random number generator, which is regularly checked, ensures that everything in the game is always serious and that no manipulations are possible.

3-reel slot

Fey had simplified the slot machine for his purposes and used only 3 reels. This has remained the case with the classic titles to this day. The advantage of the 3-reels is that it always remains manageable, even as a customer, and you can understand the game quickly and easily. With the 5-reel machines, there are so many paylines that sometimes you don’t even know what a payline is and what symbols and sequence you need to win.

Bonus rounds in the 3-Reel Slot

The bonus rounds were actually only available in the modern video slot machines. However, after noticing how popular the bonus games are, they tried to introduce them to the classics as well. A special combination immediately starts the bonus game. You then have the opportunity to increase your winnings and make more out of them. The free spins also bring even more entertainment and a little more variety to the game.

New Slot Multiline Features

Those who choose a 3-reel slot usually want to play a simple game. The term “multiline features” alone scares many people off. Everyone fears that it will then be just as complicated as the video slots and that you will no longer understand whether and, above all, what you have just won. But it is not that complicated. Because there are usually only 3 or 5 paylines anyway. This results in new combinations that are not too complicated. The new combinations give you additional chances to win, so you will probably win more often.

Classic and video slot machines compared

The classics focus strongly on the reels and try to run as simply as possible. The customer immediately understands how it works and already at the first glance, when the reels stop, he knows whether he has won. The combinations are easy to remember.

Video slot machines, on the other hand, come with elaborate graphics, videos at the start of the game or even for each round. There are 5 reels and this multiplies the winning combinations. Many people find the vast number of paylines that can be played too complicated, but on the other hand, the chances of winning are higher. In addition to the elaborate special effects, eye-catching graphics and the many additional symbols, the bonus games are also different. They decide whether you increase your winnings or not.

Summary

Classic slot machines are still very popular, and for good reason. Especially as a beginner, it is much easier to find your way around. With some practice, you’ll get the hang of it pretty quickly and no longer have to rely solely on what the casino software shows you. The use of bonus rounds and multiline options in the classic games make them just as interesting as the elaborate video slots. The games are nowhere near as boring as you might think and in many cases are even already optimised for mobile browsers. The 3-reel slot machines have evolved over time just as the modern online casinos are always changing and adapting. If you don’t need it quite so elaborate, but want to concentrate purely on the game, this is the right place for you. You will have a lot of fun and the selection of games is also very large, so that variety is ensured.

Progressive Slots

The selection of games in online casinos is really impressive these days. There is a slot for every taste and every theme, and you can always decide spontaneously what you feel like playing. The games are often pre-sorted and assigned to different categories. One of them is the jackpot games and among these you will also find progressive slot machines where you can win the huge main prize. If you win the jackpot, your life can change in one fell swoop.

You also get much more of a sense of winning in these games than in other games because there is more money involved. With the large sums being paid out and the jackpot slowly starting to fill up again, the winnings become more real. If you are online regularly and watch the amount, you can see the changes in real time. You can see how it increases, but also how it decreases again, because in that case someone has won something.

Winning chances in every online casino

Have you ever wondered in which online casino you have the best chances of winning? We can tell you that progressive slots offer you the same chances in every casino. The random generator does not select a particular provider where you have better chances and are more likely to win the jackpot. For a long time, many players believed in myths surrounding jackpots.

While some claimed that the probability is higher to play where many others also play. Others were sure that a small online casino where not so many people are registered would offer them better chances of winning. They were also told that you just have to play long enough at a stretch until you win. But all this plays no role at all for the random number generator.

Progressive slots are interconnected

The respective game is networked with all casinos, which is what makes progressive slot machines so interesting and allows the jackpot to rise so quickly and high. The jackpot is therefore not only accumulated in the casino in which you are currently playing, but all other players worldwide participate with their bets. Every bet that is made in any casino with the game goes to a certain percentage into the big prize pot. That is why the sum increases again so quickly after there has been a lucky winner. But accordingly, everyone has the same chances no matter where they play and luck can hit anyone in the middle of the game.

Play progressive slots on the move

Now that more and more online casinos also rely on mobile versions, playing on the go is no longer a problem. You can download the app to your smartphone or tablet and access it at any time from anywhere. Most sites are also optimised for the mobile browser, so you don’t necessarily have to download an app or other programme beforehand. Like the other games, the jackpots are also available. The only restriction are games that are not yet designed by the software developer for operation with a touchpad.

Jackpot rises indefinitely

But if you place your bet while on the move, you have the same chances of winning as on your PC, and your bet also increases the prize amount. Unless you hit the jackpot and are rewarded with a windfall in no time. But if you don’t win, the prize amount keeps rising. Progressive slots don’t have a limit, but the jackpot keeps rising indefinitely until someone wins it. This has already led to many a record and positively surprised many a lucky player.

Progressive slots with high winnings

One of the reasons why games like Mega Fortune, Hall of Gods, Arabian Nights, Mega Moolah, and many more are so popular is because of the prize amounts. Of course, it is extraordinary that you can win millions on a slot machine. As with the lottery, it is the thrill of changing your life from the ground up with such a win. Proportionally, there are many who hope for it and only a few who actually win. But you don’t want to miss the chance, because someone always wins. No one knows who will be next, because the random generator determines that in real time and you have to let yourself be surprised.

Different types of jackpots

If you take a look at the individual games in the jackpot slots category, you will immediately notice a difference. There are two types of jackpot games in the online casino and you need to think carefully in advance about which is the right type for you. There are games with a fixed prize amount as the main prize. Alternatively, there are progressive slot machines in many versions. The latter tend to be the well-known titles that you know at least from hearing about them and from which you can always observe the increasing prize sum in real time.

Fixed jackpot prize amounts

In some games, there is just one jackpot. The amount is already known in advance and you know exactly what to expect when you see the best combination on the reels. The winnings can accumulate in the course of the game and you can win more and more, but this so-called in-game jackpot is the maximum amount you can credit to your account. It cannot be doubled even with the risk game. It is not millions of euros that you can win. Nevertheless, it is usually a nice sum with which you can do a lot and fulfil a lifelong dream.

Progressively increasing prize amounts

The other type of jackpot are the non-fixed ones. Progressive slot machines have large prize amounts that continually increase. With every bet a player makes, the expected winnings go up. Each time someone wins, the amount also goes down a little. Despite the fluctuations, there is usually an impressive amount waiting for a lucky winner. And before it rises to infinity, it is paid out by the Random Number Generator (RNG). In many games, this is only possible if you qualify for the jackpot. This is possible, for example, with a certain stake, the full number of paylines or via a bonus game. The exact rules are different for each slot machine. But they are usually very easy to find out.

Difference to fixed jackpots

If you take a closer look at both types of jackpots, you will notice that progressive slot machines do have some differences:

• The prize amounts are unlimited and increase quickly.
• The jackpot keeps rising until it is won
• Every player pays into the prize pot.
• The jackpot fills up very quickly after it is won.
• The probability of winning it is unfortunately lower than with fixed prize amounts.
• Progressive slots are only available in a limited selection.

In addition, you can usually only qualify for the progressive jackpot with the extra bet. This is the part that is paid into the big pot in addition to your stake and with which you have a chance of hitting it. It would be a shame if you forget to qualify and only realise when it’s too late.

Biggest online jackpot wins

Progressive slot machines have already caused quite a stir with their million-dollar winnings. The biggest online jackpot wins are impressive and there is probably no one who would not be happy about them. They can’t compete with the unbelievable winnings that many a jackpot winner has achieved in Las Vegas or other casinos. But they still change your life once they are booked into your account. The stories of the winners show that it really is pure chance who gets it.

Mega Fortune in the Guinness Book

Among the three highest jackpots ever won in an online casino, the popular game Mega Fortune can be found twice. The first entry in the Guinness Book of Records was in 2011, when a 20-year-old Norwegian won with the NetEnt game and could hardly believe his luck. In one fell swoop, he was 11.7 million euros richer. At the time, this was by far the highest win ever achieved in an online casino. Hence the entry in the Guinness Book. And no one could have guessed that Mega Fortune would surpass its own record just a short time later.

At the beginning of 2013, a Finn won the Mega Fortune jackpot and could be happy about 17.86 million euros. A new record entry was necessary, but he also caused a stir with his stake. Because he had only bet 25 cents and was able to clear the millions with it. To this day, this win is considered one of the most impressive and remarkable of all time. Even though it was surpassed a little by a Microgaming jackpot.

Mega Moolah Million Win

With Mega Moolah, Microgaming has developed a progressive jackpot that enjoys great popularity. In October 2015, it then managed to reach the top of the highest online winnings. A player from the UK hit the jackpot, which was full to the brim at the time. He was able to enjoy 17.88 million euros. He had played the game many times before and then one day he secured the dream win. So far, he is the biggest winner of all time, but who knows whether the jackpot sum can be topped again one day.

Summary

Progressive slots are something special in the online casino. Not only because there are not too many of them. Rather, the unlimited winning amount is simply fascinating. Because whoever cracks the jackpot experiences a life-changing payout. Thanks to the networking, it is possible for all players at the different casinos to pay into the same prize pot. This also makes the game interesting in the long run, because as soon as the main prize is won, it grows rapidly again and this until it is won again.

In addition to the sensationally high winnings, you also have to keep in mind that you have to qualify in order to have a chance of winning the big prize. The additional contribution to the jackpot helps the total to keep growing. You should be aware of the fact that you don’t win with the lowest stake here like in other games. With the temptingly high winnings, you could also run the risk of hope prevailing and becoming addicted rather than a game that doesn’t pay out as much when you win.

All in all, progressive slot machines promise a lot of fun and entertainment. They also allow you to dream about what would change if you won. And that can sometimes be a nice mental trip into another world, which is fun and entertainment should always come first in an online casino anyway.