An invention that has been with us for more than a century has necessarily had to undergo changes and modifications. This is especially true given their foray into the digital world, with the creation of 3D slots, for example. From the Liberty Bell of the late 19th century to the newest joker123 slots, there are different types of slots that have emerged. Let’s see what types of slots exist!
What types of slots are there?
The first and main differentiation between slots is whether we are talking about a physical slot machine or an online slot, that is, a slot software that you play on your computer or your smart mobile device. From these two different slot systems, we will see many other differences.
Physical slot types
This is the classic version of physical casinos. In these slots, there has been a huge evolution: the standard for decades was 3 reels and 1 pay line, although the introduction of electronic and physical video slots has greatly altered. Nowadays, video slots can be played in land-based casinos, with multiple reels and paylines, plus other additional features that have greatly increased their appeal. Let’s take a look at the main types of physical 3D slots.
Single coin slots
We start with this in a rather testimonial way, because today it is almost impossible to find a place that has basic one-coin slots. It only accepts one type of currency, and each match costs one. The prizes are always the same.
Multiplier slots
Bally was the company that realized the limits of the single coin slot and introduced the first multiplier slot in 1987. The concept of these slots is that you have different bet levels, which multiply the prizes as you scale up. For example, you can bet 1 coin, 2 coins, or 5 coins, and the same winning combination will give higher prizes for higher bets.
This has become the industry standard for all types of 3D slots, both physical and online slot machines. And it’s normal because this system opens the game to different types of players: those with little money to bet, and those with larger budgets.
Buy-a-pay slots
This is a variant similar in concept to the previous one, but with different mechanics. In the buy-a-pay types of 3D slots, you can bet one or more coins… but instead of “multiplying” all the prizes, what you do by betting more is “unlocking” other combinations, with which you would not receive anything in case of betting a single coin.
This system worked for a time, although today few remain. The reason is that these machines “force” the player to bet the maximum to have all the combinations. In the end, multipliers seem like the most attractive type of 3D slots for most players.
Progressive slots
This has been one of the latest innovations in 3D slot types, and they are extremely popular.
Roughly speaking, we are talking about slot machines that are connected to each other. This connection can span the same casino, multiple casinos in the same chain, or even an entire country! As players bet, a jackpot accumulates, which grows progressively.
In this way, huge jackpots are reached: in 2014, in the United States, the Megabucks jackpot gave a lucky player 14 million dollars! Not surprisingly, this scheme has been applied to online video slots as well.
