Over the last century or so a newcomer to the global gambling world has completely and utterly flipped the script, revolutionising the very concept of casino games, and attracting millions of new gamblers in the process. Back then, illegal gambling was still rampant. And who is this mysterious newcomer?
Slot machines of course! First created by a genius Californian engineer called Charles D. Fey, slot machines have consistently risen in popularity since their arrival in the 1890s – now they are everywhere!
In many ways it is hardly surprising that slot machines have become so successful, because they offer so much more variation than your typical casino table games. These days in particular there are countless different distinct slot types for gamblers to choose from, which means you can always be sure to find a game that perfectly suits what you are looking for. Read on for an article on distinct slot types explained!
Slots types in the 20th century
As you might imagine, because of the online slot world that has flowered over the last two decades there are way more distinct slot types now than ever before, although most of these still use the slot types of the 20th century as foundations. It’s always nice to look back in slot history, so here are some distinct slot types from the 20th century:
- Progressive jackpot slots: Progressive jackpot slots were immensely popular in the 20th century, and continue to be now. You may have heard of the Las Vegas Megabucks slot, a game that has paid out over 10 million dollars to multiple gamblers – crikey!
- Video slots: It wasn’t until the 1980s that slot developers managed to use Random Number Generators in order to create slot machines that worked using a video screen. When they did there was absolute pandemonium in the industry.
- Fruit machine slots: When slots were first created they were actually illegal, which led to engineers making slots that didn’t pay out coins, but fruit sweets instead. The legacy of this survives with fruit machine slots, games that are still popular today.
What constitutes a traditional modern online slot type?
When talking about slot types in the 21st century most of the conversation will naturally be centred around online slots, and in this area of games there is definitely one major slot type. When online slots fans mention a traditional modern online slot type, they are most likely referring to a slot game that works on a 5 reel grid, with something like 20 pay lines.
These traditional modern online slots will also feature scatter and wild symbols, which will result in bonuses like free spins and multipliers.
Some of the most distinct slot types in 2021
Traditional modern online slot types aren’t the only ones available in 2021, however, here are a few more:
- Progressive Jackpot Network Slots: Progressive jackpots on online slots are even more exciting than on land-based slot machines, because their network is much larger. Just look at Microgaming’s progressive jackpot network as proof.
- Megaways online slots: Big Time Gaming blew many of us away with their new Megaways mechanic, something that offers 100,000 ways to win and is quickly becoming a major slot type.
