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Written by: Filip Gromovic Reviewed by: Nashon Khamala

Read time: 14 minutes

Online slots have changed the dynamic of the industry since becoming popular in the 21st century. A century before, physical machine terminals in highly regulated brick and mortar casinos were the only options available. The majority of these electrically controlled machines had three reels, with only a few boasting bigger numbers and rewarding bonus features.

The legalization of remote gambling in 1994 inspired Microgaming, now Games Global, to create the first slot in 1996. The developer and a few other software studios capitalized on the acceptance of the first remote machine success and released many more selections. 

Today, there are different slot games in the online space, each with unique characteristics and twists. Some maintain the classic appearance and features of land-based machines, while the majority have innovative features for improved engagement and payout.

Currently, the online space has hundreds of software developers with multiple releases under their belts. There are over 10,000 distinct machines that you can find on different digital platforms. Some of our recommended sites have over 4,000 selections, so you are really never out of options. Also, the majority of different slots are optimized for mobile. You can play them with your Android or iOS smartphone as well as tablets.

We will walk you through the workings of these special games in this piece. Discover the different types of slot titles that you can spin for cash as well as their features. Also, take a look into the expected innovative technologies that are likely to shape new-generation designs in the coming years.

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Classic Types of Slots

Classic slots were the first generation designs to enter the industry and were notable for their compact reel-presentation, small paylines and straightforward paytables. Also, called traditional machines, these selections paved the way for more innovative releases in the mid-2000s. 

To date, classics are still very relevant, with thousands of variants available online. Many software developers are consistently creating more releases for patrons who still love the experience that early digital machines bring. Also, many new gamers prefer to start their sessions with simplistic classical reels. So, the classics are still important to the industry, with new ones created every year.

Traditional 3-Reel Slots

The standard classic traditional slot has a 3-reel by 3-row compact presentation, several symbols and limited paylines. Usually, the symbols are about 5 or 6, each with unique payout multipliers. The number of paylines in these types of slots could be 1 and up to 5. It is quite rare to find traditional designs with up to 10 winlines.

As for the paytables, they are quite easy to understand. Usually, these selections only offer standard wins when players match 3-of-a-kind on winlines. Players do not have to deal with many special bonus features if there are any at all. Wilds and scatter symbols may be available, with the former substituting regular characters to complete combinations.

The underlying theme of traditional releases is their simplistic gaming. Also, their graphics are simple and typically look dated to enhance nostalgia among players. We should point out that these titles can set off nice wins and even earn you profit. It is a balance of old-time fun spin and nice wins with these ones.

Fruit Types

While there are different slots in the classic category, fruit types probably lead the way. The fruit machines are known for their colorful graphics, fast-paced music and, more importantly, appealing fruit symbols. Watermelons, lemons, cherries, apples, plums, berries, oranges and grapes are popular symbols in fruit slots. 

Fruit designs were arguably the most popular classic selections in the early digital gaming days, enjoying widespread appeal from players. Most providers at the time were all about outdoing each other with their fruit-themed releases. The competition inspired innovation from creative studios and made early fruit classics some of the most graphically advanced machines at the time.

The competition among providers and widespread adoration for fruit classics has barely waned even today. Newly released fruit machines still maintain the three reels and three rows designs. A few do have more than three rows though. Their small winlines or betways are a common feature, with many having only 5 lines. They are not big on bonus features. Players just only need to place their bets, spin the reels and score wins based on relevant symbol multipliers.

Some nice classic fruit selections to spin for wins are NetEnt Fruit Shop Novomatic Sizzling Hot Deluxe, NetEnt Mega Joker and Classic Fruits.

Single Coin Machines

One of the oldest types of slot machine in the classic category, single coin releases allow players to bet only one coin per spin. These are fun titles that protect your bankroll, offer standard wins and ensure you have a fun time overall. While they are not as popular as most traditional classics, they are a great pick if you are a newbie and just want to have a fun time.

Usually, the gameplay is very simple. Like most traditional machines, you spin a 3×3 reel, deal with less than 10 paylines and can win money on a very small budget.

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Modern Types of Slots

The world of online machines has evolved over the years. More innovative providers entering the industry have engineered designs of more modern releases. These new selections boast more reels, more symbols, more features, better immersive graphics and improved payout potentials. They are often called video or bonus versions and there are a wide range of them available in the digital space.

If you like to score nice payouts, including big life-changing jackpots, then your focus should be on modern types of slots. The majority of these titles have 5-reels, 7-reels and up to 9 reels. Their paylines or betways can range from anywhere between 20 lines to 100,000+ ways. We take a comprehensive look into the most popular ones in the subsections.

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Advanced Slot Features

Apparently, there are different types of online slots out there and many have nice features. In fact, there are a good number of machines whose identities are built around their features and specialized bonuses. These titles have the capability to set off major payouts and are an excellent choice if you like to hit big combinations.

We take a look at some of these selections, highlighting their bonuses so that players know what to expect.

Progressive Jackpot Titles

There are specific modern selections with progressive jackpots. These types of slots are like most bonus video titles. They have many symbols, lots of winlines, bonus characters and nice features like free spins. However, they are quite unique because they also have a prize pot that is worth anywhere between hundreds of dollars to millions. 

The pots are progressive jackpots, growing steadily as players spin the reels. That is, anytime a player places a wager, the game takes a small portion of their stake and adds it to the pot. This sequence continues until the pot randomly drops on a lucky gamer account. This drop has the potential to give players a big break and even change their fortunes.

To win a progressive pot, you have to be an active player, spinning the particular game consistently. You could just end up being one of the benefactors when the drop happens. The Mega Moolah games from Microgaming are by far the most popular progressive jackpot releases in the industry. There are other top designs, though, like NetEnt Mega Fortune, Playtech Age of the Gods and Real Time Megasaur.

Interactive Games (i-Slots)

We mentioned how video and 3D types of online slot machines immerse players with their storylines and graphics. Well, interactive titles take these features a notch higher. These selections make you participate in the story. They often have an animated character that represents you and takes you through the details. Each spin outcome and feature activation introduces you to a new chapter of the story and plot, giving you a proper movie experience. The soundtrack and graphics also add to the surreal nature of the entire presentation.

Some top online casino providers have designed many interactive selections with wide appeal. Rival Gaming is particularly known for two great releases – Reel Crime Series and As the Reels Turn. Reel Crime Series is a crime-themed game where you lead your character through a successful heist. As the Reels Turn is a soap opera kind of title with episode-based gameplay. NextGen Gaming Psycho is another excellent interactive design to give a shot.

Special Bonus Features

Most modern titles have one or multiple bonus rounds that enhance your chances of landing winning combinations frequently and scoring sizable payouts. See some of the popular bonus features in video types of slots:

• Free Spins: This bonus is usually activated when you land 3 or more scatter symbols on the reels. You then receive a number of FS. Some titles may have unique activation requirements. 
• Cascades: A title with a cascade or avalanche feature works this way. When you hit a winning combination, the symbols contributing to the wins automatically leave the reels and are replaced with new symbols. These new additions may trigger another combination and repeat the process. With this sequence, you may hit multiple wins on a single spin.
• Mystery Feature: Mystery symbols are common bonus features in different slots. Usually, you have to hit certain sequences on the reels to set off the mystery symbol, which may reveal FS, money prizes or other bonus features.
• Expanding Symbols: This feature revolves around landing a symbol that can expand in winlines to set off payouts. 

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Casinos Where You Can Try Online Slot Machines

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Emerging Innovative Slot Technologies

The rise of online machines in the gambling industry has been due to the innovative technologies and solutions introduced by trend-setting creative providers. Years back, players could only spin reels on limited land-based machines that never offered an optimal experience. Now, there are different types of online casino games everywhere. You can access them with your PC and even your mobile device without any real limitations.

Creatives are not holding back and are now introducing newer technologies. We discuss these emerging initiatives and how they may influence players’ experience.

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Choosing the Right Slot

With many different types of online casino games out there, it gets a bit overwhelming deciding which specific title to choose. Well, we have been at this stage before and successfully navigated it with these sequential tips that you will likely find helpful:

• Determine Your Objective: You need to decide whether you are looking for big wins, frequent payouts or simply just in for the fun of the experience. Progressive jackpots, bonus buys and megaways are often the go-to choices for big payouts, while interactive and 3D types of slots prioritize entertainment.
• Choose High RTP Selections With Complementing Volatility: You have to choose a title whose volatility works well with what you want. Low variance titles like Starburst offer frequent wins, while high volatility picks like Dead or Alive 2 prioritize big payouts. Whichever game you choose, though, try to ensure that the RTP is at least 95%. The higher the value, the better your chances in different slots.
• Try to Go for Titles with a Nice Bonus Feature: Usually, the more bonuses, the better it looks for your chances. However, you should focus more on the quality of the feature than the numbers. Read the paytables to determine the right pick and employ well-researched strategies to improve your chances.

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Conclusion

The evolution of the gambling industry has seen the introduction of different types of online slots. We discussed the best of the lot here, highlighting their unique characteristics and why they are a great pick. You can join any of our top recommended online casinos and play these selections for wins. Most of our brands also give members the chance to spin for free, thanks to their demo mode features. All you have to do is pick one with a great welcome bonus and create a player account.