Gambling or playing slots is one of the most thrilling activities for many people out there. That is because you always have a chance of winning a prize that will change your luck. Of course, if you are new to playing slots, you must know what slot machines are and all the various types available.
Here is your complete guide to slot machine types for making an informed decision.
The Basics Of Slot Machines
Slot machines include three or more reels with various symbols. A physical slot machine can have twenty or more symbols per reel. However, digital technologies allow slots to have over 200 symbols.
Each slot will have a combination that will payout a certain amount of money. The combination of such symbols is known as paylines. Each slot machine has random number generators that can quickly generate more than thousands of numbers each second.
The loss or win depends on the random number generated when you active a play. If the play matches the payline, you win the slot. Keep in mind that each spin on the slot machine is independent and does not link to past or future spins, which is why one can never predict what will happen during a play.
The Top 5 Types Of Slot Machines By Functionality
There are many types of slot machines you will find. Each machine is unique and offers something fantastic to the user. If you want to understand the functionality of slot machines, here are the top five categories you will find:
1. Single-Coin Slot Machines
You must remember that single-coin slot machines are rare in this age and day. That is because slot machines in the 21st century accept bills or many coins during each spin. That is why the single-coin slot has slowly become obsolete.
Many casinos and other gambling places offer new and advanced technologies that provide more to the user. Besides that, the latest machines offer the most entertainment, which is the top priority of any casino owner. Single-coin slot machines are also not as lucrative as newer machines.
However, there are a few gambling establishments that still have these machines. After all, there are a few people who appreciate the classic slot machines and spinning experience. So, you might find them at the oldest casino establishments worldwide.
2. Option-Buy Slot Machines
These slot machines are also known as Buy-Your-Pay or Buy-A-Pay machines. Such a slot machine will accept between one and five coins during each spin. The number of activated winning combinations will depend on the number of coins you insert.
For example, if you insert one coin, it might count three bars as the only winner. So, even if you hit three lemons or cherries, you will not win. On the other hand, if you insert more coins into the machine, there will be a higher number of winning combinations.
Even the Buy-A-Pay machines are not as popular as they used to be. However, there are casinos that still offer these machines to the customers. The best way to win with this slot machine is to insert maximum coins so you can unlock more combinations.
However, you must avoid these slot machines if you can. That is because you can land a jackpot using a one-coin bet, but you will still not qualify for the prize because of the stake. So, many people find these slot machines frustrating due to this reason.
3. Multipliers
Bally Technologies was the first one to introduce a multiplier slot machine in 1987. It was a success in casinos because it enabled casino patrons to encourage players to place high bets. For example, if a player bets using one coin and land three sevens, they might win five dollars.
On the other hand, if the player bets two coins, they will win $10 if they land the same combination. So, as a general rule of thumb, multiplier slot machines payout proportionally on each winning combination. Of course, there are exceptions to this rule, too, especially when it is lucrative.
Most casinos employ multiplier machines as they are highly popular and always in demand. While such machines offer a single-coin play to the user, many players prefer betting maximum coins so they can win a large sum. There are also straight and bonus multiplier machines under this category.
Straight multiplier machines pay you the same amount for each winning combination on each coin you use to bet. Every column in the paytable is the payout for one coin multiplied by the coins you use. It is best not to play more than one coin per spin on the straight multiplier because you don’t get an increase in per coin payout.
On the other hand, a bonus multiplier will pay you a bonus for playing full coins. With these machines, you can get a high long-term payback when you play with full coins. That is why many people prefer playing with bonus multiplier slot machines.
4. Multiple Payline Slot Machines
The general standard is that a slot machine will only have one payline in the middle of the screen, where the winning combinations have to line up for a person to win. However, there are machines that come with more than one payline to ensure players stay interested. Such machines are known as multiple payline machines.
In these machines, each extra payline will require one more credit to be activated. An extra indicator will light up when a coin is inserted into the machine to show that the payline is active. You can find slots with many different paylines.
For example, online casinos offer slots that will come with more than fifty paylines sometimes. However, many people think that playing with more paylines increases the chances of hitting a winning combination. That is not true, but playing with multiple paylines does not hurt your chances either.
Each slot machine you find will have a unique payout ratio, which the manufacturer will set. Such a ratio is usually defined by the casino, and the slot machine manufacturer includes them in the machine.
5. Progressive Slot Machines
Such slot machines usually represent a group of slot machines that will pay out a joint jackpot to players. Every time you insert a coin into one of the linked progressive slot machines, the jackpot will increase. The total jackpot will keep on increasing until you hit a winning combination.
After you hit the winning combination, the machine will reset to the beginning amount and start growing once more. Progressive slot machines are one of the most popular slot machines in the casino industry. Casino owners understand this demand, and that is why they keep introducing new features and bigger jackpots to keep the people.
Many gambling businesses have even come together to link slot machines from various casinos in the same state. The Megabucks jackpot in 2014 is one of the most popular examples of a jackpot won through progressive slot machines. The lucky winner won $14 million.
Now that we even have online casinos, progressive slots have grown even further in popularity. You will see many casinos offering you to hit a progressive jackpot on their websites.
The Top 4 Types Of Slot Machines By Cabinets
Each slot machine we have mentioned above will come in a unique cabinet design. Here are the top four cabinet designs of slot machines you must know about:
1. Upright Slot Machine Cabinets
Upright slot machine cabinets are one of the most common cabinets when it comes to slot machines. As the name suggests, the slot machine is upright, and most slot machines come in this cabinet. The best part about this machine is that everything will be in your direct line of sight.
You will not have to lean forward or slouch down when playing an upright slot machine. Many slot machines come in this cabinet as it is one of the easiest ones to use. When you start playing on these slots, you will never want to use any other cabinet type again.
2. Slant Top Slot Machine Cabinet
You will not find many slant top slot machine cabinets in casinos anymore. That is because such cabinets were popular when slot games were now. After that, there were many modifications, and now people prefer to use newer slot cabinets.
However, there are establishments that have a slant top slot machine cabinet. That is because there are still a few games that come with these machines. Playing video slots is one of the most amusing things on the slant top slot machine cabinet.
3. Highboy Slot Machine Cabinet
A highboy slot machine cabinet is a tall machine that offers various games to users. They are also wide and come with a high-resolution LCD screen to offer you the best graphics. Many slot machine manufacturers offer highboy slot machine cabinets with the latest games.
However, these are rare to find in casinos as not many keep them in the establishment. One reason for this is that highboy machines are tall and take space. That is why casino operators prefer other machines.
4. LowBoy Slot Machine Cabinet
The lowboy slot machine cabinet is lower in height as compared to the highboy slot machines. These are more compact and offer users a convenient way to play slots. There are new games that come with the lowboy slot machine cabinets.
However, even these are not available that much anymore. Only a few manufacturers create lowboy slot machine cabinets for casino patrons. So, you might find them in a few establishments.
Final Words
That was your complete guide to the various types of slot machines and cabinets that many casinos worldwide offer. Each slot machine is unique, and you must know how it works so you can know what to expect when playing the slots. It might increase your chances of winning as you become more familiar with the machine.
The most popular slots are progressive slot machines, and they are available in almost all casinos worldwide. After all, everyone wants to compete and stay ahead of the game. Of course, most casinos offer almost all types of slot machines and cabinets to users for diversity and to cater to everyone’s needs equally.