Types of Slots Online
Online casinos provide their members with access to all kinds of games, from poker and blackjack to bingo and baccarat. People who play regularly on casino sites will know that slots tend to account for the majority of games available. What many players do not realise, however, is just how many different types of slots there are to choose from online.
3-Reel Slots
The traditional type of slot machine features a 3-reel format. Found in most real-world casinos from Las Vegas to Monte Carlo, 3-reel slots are so popular and widespread because they are incredibly easy to use. Players tend to be drawn to the simplicity of 3-reel slots, which is precisely why they appear online in such vast numbers.
As the name suggests, 3-reel slots consist of three reels that spin for a time and then stop at random intervals - usually in sequence from left to right. The player wins a prize if he matches two or three signs (sometimes a prize is given for matching a single rare sign). The amount of money that can be won for each matching line is made clear to the player, who might win, say, £5,000 for matching 3 `flaming sevens` in a row.
5-Reel and Multi-Line Slots
5-reel slots work in much the same way as 3-reel slots, with the exception that matching combinations are based on patterns consisting of five signs. More substantial prizes are available for these types of slots, but players are not necessarily any more likely to win big playing 5-reel slots than 3-reels slots.
Multi-line slots offer more payout lines because the server does not require the player to match combinations horizontally. On the contrary, combinations can be made horizontally, vertically and diagonally, so players might be playing for up to 20 different payout lines with each spin. Multi-line slots tend to feature lower payouts, so players have more opportunities to win but the odds of winning large jackpots are more or less the same as for any other type of slot machine.
Progressive Jackpot
Most online slots feature fixed prizes, but some offer much greater rewards to lucky players. Progressive slots provide a rolling fund, to which a contribution is made every time a person plays the game but fails to win the top prize. This contribution goes towards the jackpot, which increases in value until somebody wins it. Though most progressive slots feature jackpots worth hundreds or thousands of dollars (or pounds), some payouts have been known to creep above one million.
Other types of online slots include those featuring more lines (sometimes up to 50), multiple jackpots, video bonuses and non-cash prizes. All online casinos use some type of software to generate a fair, secure and random game. Most slots in the UK use regulated RNG (random number generator) software to ensure that every player has an equal chance of winning.
One of the main benefits of playing slots online is that casino members can participate in other games. Poker, roulette and blackjack are especially popular, but bingo is played by millions of people every day. Players new to the game should avail of promotional offers such as the Virgin Bingo code, which applies to new members and first-time deposits.
