The diversity and selection of slot games have increased tremendously over recent years. There are popular 3-reel machines, and exciting five or 6-reel video slots. The latter tend to include many features and multiple paylines. As technology continues to improve, developers are continually on the lookout for innovative ways to entertain slot players. They tend to offer a rich gaming experience for a new generation of slot players brought up with video games. And for the tech-savvy generation, bitcoin gambling on slots has also been made available.
3-Reel Slots
3-reel online slots mimic fruit machines you can play in slot arcades around the world and at land casinos. They are the purest form of slot gaming and are easy to play. The grid displays three columns and several rows of symbols. They provide a straightforward introduction to online slots. As you gain experience, you can move on to 5-reel video slots; however, many players prefer 3-reel slots as a form of relaxation and pleasure.
5-Reel Video Slot Machines
Video slots tend to have 5-reels and an elaborate theme. Rather than only one payline, they could have as many as 100 paylines, serving up additional ways to win. They provide better chances of winning a prize, and include special features such as wilds and scatters. They serve up more winning possibilities. Betting on 5-reel video slots can be a bit more involved with more paylines. A stake of, say C$0.10 will cost C$5 a spin if you bet on all the paylines.
Bonus Features Slots
Bonus slots offer unique game features like free spins and bonus rounds that you can unlock with a Wild or a Scatter symbol. Random icons act as wildcards and replace others to form winning combinations with each spin.
Progressive Jackpots
Most slot games have fixed jackpots. With progressive jackpot slot games, every player contributes towards a common pool which subsequently increases with each player’s wager. The prize pool increases substantially, and such games may be linked at several online casinos at once. The more players wager, the higher the prize pool rises. Once a winner claims the prize, it resets and starts increasing again. Progressive jackpot slots can provide high payouts. The highest payout registered to date was a C$11.8 million on the slot game Mega Moolah. Other jackpot slots include Lucky Leprechaun and Fruit Fiesta slots, both released by Microgaming, and Mega Fortune by NetEnt. Lucky Leprechaun is a fan favourite that provides high payouts, and Fruit Fiesta is a traditional game. Mega Fortune has appealing qualities and substantially high payouts.
Free Spins and Bonus Rounds
Slots come with exciting features that add to the gaming pleasure. They serve up extra winning chances. Bonus rounds come in many forms, providing chances to win additional payouts. Bonus games are typically accessed when you line up symbols. They last a short period before returning to standard play. Some bonus games have sophisticated graphics and require a degree of skill. Free spins are among the most popular features. They serve up extra free spins that boost your wins. A free spins round may be triggered by linking up specific symbols. With free spins, winnings tend to stack up more as you progress. They are the most common types of bonuses you can find on any slot.
Wild and Scatter Symbols
To win a slot payout, you will have to line up identical symbols. The rule doesn’t always apply to Scatter symbols. They could land on any of the reels, or only on specific ones. They reward players with winnings, and the Wild symbol works in the same manner as a joker in a pack of cards. The wild symbol replaces others and completes winning combos. If you have four similar symbols and a wild on a 5-reel payline slot game, you are paid out as if you have five. Slot developers incorporate features into their games. Wilds come in many different forms, including expanding wilds, sticky, cascading and stacked wilds.
Paylines and Cascading Symbols
Cascading symbols fall onto the reel-grid, replacing any others. The payline is where the identical symbols land to generate your winnings. On traditional 3-reel slots, the single payline is on the central row with 3-reels. Your stake is separated between the paylines, and if you have to say 20 paylines, your bet is one unit on each. Most slots allow players to choose how many paylines to bet on and the amount on each one.
Paytable, Multiplier and Ways to Win
Some slot games have many ways to win a payout without hitting traditional paylines. Such slots have 243, 1024 and even more than 100,000 ways to win. They are called MegaWays slots, and the mechanic was first invented and patented by Big Time Gaming. Rather than using conventional paylines paying out from right to left, MegaWays slot games pay regardless of where the symbols are. The paytable provides useful information about the game and includes details about the scatter and wild symbols, the payouts for all the symbol combinations, and bonus features details. Certain icons can even multiply your wins by a predetermined amount. They range from 1x or 2x up to 100x or more, depending on each game. The standard ones use reels, while with others they form part of a feature or bonus round.
