Slot machines are all about having a fun experience. Newcomers to the world of gambling may not be familiar with the many shapes and sizes that slot machines come in. The machines have been keeping pace with modern times. At first, they came in the form of mechanical slots, and over time as technology progressed, video slots came into existence. After the internet went mainstream, online casino websites came next.

To have an enjoyable experience playing slot machines, it is a good idea to have a better understanding of the different types of slot available today. Over the years, the gameplay has remained fairly consistent, and the differences between them are minimal but important nonetheless. The most obvious differences that one can take notice are the reels. The simplest forms of slots come with three reels which are based on the classic vegas slots, and the first one created was at the end of the 19 century, and they became the foundation of the next versions of slot machines that came after.

Video Slots

The majority of slot machines found in land-based casinos today are mostly video slots. They became very popular since they were first introduced back in the 90s. This is the most recent and most popular form of a physical slot machine. It has no moving mechanical parts, and everything is represented with a graphical interface. With the use of graphics, companies that manufacture these machines were able to introduce a lot of variety into their design. Some of the themes used in developing the graphics of the machines were inspired by classic Vegas-style slot machines or other themes taken from popular cultures such as movies and music.

When visiting a casino establishment, one should not be surprised to find a large number of slot machines spanning an entire floor of the casino. The number of machines present in a respected casino establishment varies between a few hundred to a few thousand. Most of the video slots come with five reels compared to their old mechanical counterparts, which only had three. This offers more variety and gameplay features and makes the entire experience more complex and enjoyable.

Online Slots

Online slots are the newest trend, and they have been around since the internet went mainstream when the act that permitted casinos to operate online, was passed during the 90s. It was around the same time that video slots came around. Since their introduction into the online world, the games have quickly gained popularity, and more people started playing them. Whether it is mechanical or digital, slot machines have reels which come in different numbers depending on the machine. The reels have symbols on them, and for many years these symbols were fruits. Today fruit symbols can mostly be found on the classic mechanical slot machines while modern video slots come in many varieties and themes.

Main Differences

In current times, most people seem to prefer online casinos which, besides the amazing slot machines that they offer, the websites also feature other games such as poker, blackjack, roulette, etc. Slot games are the most prevalent on casino websites, and the number of them is quite impressive. The themes that they come in a range from old-school vegas style slots such as the popular Sizzling Hot or the more modern variants such as Book of Ra and Lord of the Ocean, as well as Lucky Lady’s Charm.

Playing online is even more enjoyable with mobile devices such as a smartphone or a tablet, and the games themselves are optimized in such a way that players can enjoy a seamless experience while playing them. An important detail that land-based casinos don’t have is the convenience factor that online casinos provide. Being able to play from anywhere is a major appealing factor. On the other hand, choosing to play online, you will miss the interaction that you would have with people in a real casino.

There are many free online slots that can be found on the internet, and many newcomers to the gaming world will find them very appealing. Many of them can be found in social casinos which and can be played for free. These social casinos can be visited in the browser or downloaded as an application on your smartphone.