The sheer number of online casino sites that are available, is a testament to a booming digital gambling industry, which is expected to be worth around €127.7 billion across Europe in 2025. While casino sites provide convenient access to everything from live table games to bingo and game show features, slots are the main driving force behind the online casino industry’s popularity.
These modern, digital slots come in many shapes and sizes, with an astonishing array of game mechanics worked into them. Online slots are developed and designed to replicate the feel of physical machines that players can see when walking into a physical location. But how do online slots work and what is it about them in particular that gives them so much appeal?
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Lots of Slots
Slots mean big business for online casino platforms like Betway, one of the leading licensed casino game providers. The range that one operator has, across a widely appealing array of themes and mechanics, can easily number into the hundreds. But why does this particular game type dominate over traditional table games?
The Origins of Slots
It was in the late 19th century that the first mechanical slots came out, and they were innovative pieces of machinery, complete with physical reels and levers. Game play on them was a lot less complex than today’s modern video slots. The first pioneering slot was called ‘The Liberty Bell’ and it sparked a craze that remains strong today.
From those humble, mechanical beginnings, the giant leap forward came in the mid-1990s when what was previously only available as traditional land-based machines, went digital. Online casinos began to appear, and they were populated with slots, which is now the most-played form of gambling at platforms.
How They Work
Online slots don’t have the mechanical nature of their precursors, instead they have a lot of incredible software running them. At the heart of online slots is software called Random Number Generators (RNG), which is the all-important algorithm that determines unpredictability, which is essential for fairness of play.
The slots at online casinos don’t run off patterns and sequences, as the RNGs keep things random. Each number that’s generated within the software corresponds to a certain outcome, so every spin carries the same chance for any player.
Also, importantly, a previous spin has no bearing on what the outcome the next one is going to be, as they are all completely independent of each other. Other elements like symbols being weighted differently to others will play a part in determining how often certain ones show up, plus the volatility of the game and its Return to Player percentage.
The Bonus Adventures
Slots software is highly complex and is rigorously tested before hitting the market. The robustness of video slots is crucial for a smooth playing experience, as they can take players on a long, engaging journey. Digital slots are far removed from those old-style mechanical slots which needed just three matching symbols on one payline. Now one of the biggest and most alluring aspects of slot mechanics are bonus games.
Slots have special symbols like wilds and scatters, and these can trigger secondary events that take players out of the base game. Pick-and-win type mini-games are very common and are a good example of the type of interactive challenges that come with bonus rounds.
Free spins are another popular feature of online slots, and these can lead to things like multipliers, further free slots and special bonuses like expanding reels or where a particular symbol changes to wilds to boost chances of winning.
The Allure of Jackpots
A lot of people are drawn to slots simply because of the potential of a jackpot payout. While these are statistically extremely difficult to win, there’s no doubting the appeal that they have. Some slots carry life-changing jackpot total amounts, and progressive slots have taken this format of play to the next level. The more that gets staked on a progressive jackpot title, the more the prize money goes up until it is finally won, and one slot will be networked across many different online casinos.
Why Online Slots Appeal
Slots are created to be appealing, and that’s done by giving them a theme and adding features like bonus games. There is an abundance of different game types to choose from as well, from those that replicate the simpler classic-style slots to Megaways with hundreds of paylines.
But underneath the surface, the biggest appeal of slots is that they are accessible and convenient. There’s also no steep learning curve for them like there is for roulette and poker, which makes slots more enjoyable for a casual gambling experience.
