Currently, online gambling experiences huge interest and demand. That’s why there are many companies that develop games for online casinos. Over the past few years, thousands of different gambling products have appeared. Most of them are slots. Newcomers to gambling may feel challenging to figure out and choose the right slot because of the great range.
Type of Game
Despite the fact that there are several thousand online slots, there are only three main types.
Classic
Online slots of this type have designs inspired by standard one-armed bandits from land-based casinos. Most often these are 3-reel games with the simplest interface. Most classic slots have the following features:
- Select the bet amount.
- Launch a spin.
- Place the maximum amount.
- Start the slot in automatic mode.
- Exit.
- Settings.
These games very rarely have special symbols, bonus rounds, a large number of paylines. Classic slots are ideal for beginners. A limited set of features and concise design will quickly help to understand the basic principles.
Fruit Slots
If we evaluate the mechanics of the game, these slots can be classified as classic. The user spins three reels and receives winnings from just one line. Fruits are distinguished by the symbols that appear on the reels. Most often it is plum, lemon, orange, grape and for some reason a bell.
Casino software developers are experimenting with classic games. They add risk rounds, additional symbols, and respins. Also, they increase the number of paylines. However, as experience shows, old-school machines retain their popularity.
Video Slots
This group includes almost all games that have been released after 2010. They stand out for high-quality graphics, the presence of visual and sound effects and plot. Video slots can be dedicated to a movie, a book, a musical group, and so on.
They often feature a character, such as Indiana Jones. According to the plot, he has to find a hidden treasure represented by a special symbol. These games have a lot of bonuses, risk rounds, and special characters that help build a combination, as well as replace the regular symbols, and so on.
Slots with Progressive Jackpot
The total prize pool in such machines is collected from the bets of all the users who play this slot. The jackpot will go to one user who collects the necessary symbols. The idea of prize pools common for many players belongs to Microgaming. This is one of the largest and most famous developers of software for online casinos.
There are the following types of jackpots:
- For one slot. Collected only during the game on a particular slot. The winner is determined among the most active gamblers who played the slot.
- For the casino. Jackpot is formed by all the slots that are in the establishment.
- Network. The prize pool is collected from the games of the same provider or line.
Some providers add a fixed jackpot to the machines. In this case, the amount of bets and the number of users of the slot do not matter. The casino determines the jackpot size and gives out when the right combination is collected.
3D Games
This is the most modern type of slot in online casinos. Emphasis is placed on graphics and visuals. In addition, developers often add an interesting story. Otherwise, 3D games do not differ from other machines. They also require to collect winning combinations on one or more lines.
Types of Games Depending on the Number of Lines and Reels
In gambling, the visual and story component is not as important as the technique of collecting combinations and counting winnings. According to the number of reels, slots are grouped into the following categories:
- 3-reel. They are considered the standard version. That’s what the first machines looked like in land-based casinos.
- 5-reel. This is one of the most common options at the moment. Most providers are engaged in the development of such slots. They often add multipliers, and additional Wild and Scatter symbols.
- 7-reel. This is a much less popular type than the previous one. Nevertheless, it has its fans.
Also, you can see 9-reel slots in online casinos. They are more suitable for experienced gamblers, as they are often equipped with additional features.
Slots have another feature – the number of lines where combinations are counted. The more there are, the higher the chance to get a winning combo and hit the jackpot. However, games with a large number of lines offer low multipliers for bets. In classic games, such as classic 777 slots free, combinations are counted on one line only.
Types of Slots by Volatility
Volatility is a marker that shows how often and how big the prizes can be received. There are three standard levels of volatility:
- Low. Machines accept small bets and offer low multipliers. The chance of winning is the highest of all.
- Medium. This is a balanced option. Winnings are quite large, compared with the previous type, but less frequent.
- High. Such machines are suitable for high rollers and true fans of excitement. Winnings in this case are received out very rarely but the multiplier can reach up to x10,000.
Волатильность очень сложно определить эмпирическим путем. Дело в том, что даже за Volatility is very difficult to figure out in practice. However, gamblers can check the limits on bets and multipliers. The higher the multiplier for a certain number of symbols is, the higher will be the volatility.
| Volatility | Prize amount (% of the bet) | Possible deviation (%) |
| Low | 25-30 | 5 |
| Low to medium | 30-40 | 5 |
| Medium | 40-50 | 6 |
| Medium to high | 50-70 | 7 |
| High | 70-100 | 10 |
Choosing a Slot in an Online Casino
After you have chosen the games based on volatility, design, and availability of jackpot, you need to pay attention to one of the most important indicators – RTP rate.
Currently, the standard indicator is 94-95%. Machines with an RTP rate of 91% are rare, as well as with an RTP of 98%. However, it is important to understand that this is only a theoretical figure.
RTP can manifest itself during 100 spins, or during 10,000. Nevertheless, it is better to choose games with high RTP rates because there is at least the possibility of such a return.
Conclusion
First, decide on the style of the game. If you want frequent winnings, pay attention to slots with low volatility. If you prefer a rare but large prize, then choose high-volatility games. Don’t forget to pay attention to an RTP rate because you can lose your entire bankroll very quickly playing slots with a low RTP. Risk rounds, special symbols, and respins are also very important.