Online slots are continuing to grow in popularity in the UK, with the remote betting and casino sector increasing its Gross Gambling Yield by 18.4% between April 2020 and March 2021. The UK Gambling Commission has since decided to implement new measures to make slots safe for everyone, but there are still many types of online slots to discover and have fun with.
Before playing online slots, you’ll need to find a casino that offers you the games you want. In this regard, Casumo is quickly becoming a casino favorite for us and for many UK players in general. This article is a guide to the different types of online slots and what makes each unique.
Three-Reel Slots
Three-reel slots are also referred to as classic slots or fruit machines because they’re inspired by the machines found in land-based casinos. As the name indicates, these slots feature three reels and the simplest rules. Each symbol has a value, and landing three identical symbols in the middle row pays you. The biggest prize you can earn is the jackpot, and any beginner can learn the rules within minutes.
With the rise of online slots, you can now find games that revisit this “old school” game with improved visuals, bonuses, and more paylines, but the base game is the same.
Five-Reel Slots
Five-reel slots also have roots in the land-based industry, but they have evolved since their inception in the 1970s. These games are also known as video slots, replacing the lever of the fruit machines with a button to press and a digital display allowing for five reels to be displayed.
The use of a screen allowed game creators to give each machine unique graphics and sounds, and that led to the online slots we know now.
Like the three-reel slots, these have symbols you have to align to win, but more reels mean more ways to win. You can win different amounts by aligning three, four, or five symbols, but not only in the middle of the reels. Since these slots are not mechanical, it’s possible to win with diagonals as well.
The New Mechanics
With the arrival of the internet, online slot creators have used the base of three-reel and five-reel machines to implement new features that are only possible thanks to the numeric format and the arrival of the internet.
Cascading Symbols
New online slots offer this feature, which can greatly increase wins per spin. When you land a winning combination, the symbols will explode to let more symbols fall down and create more combinations.
Scatters & Free Spins
The Scatter is a special symbol you’ll find in many modern games. When you align at least three of these, the game will give you free spins. Sometimes these free spins will activate a bonus round, which will give you more wins, more free spins, and if you’re lucky enough, a jackpot.
Wilds
Over the years, game providers have played around with the concept of the Wild symbol so each game can have its own Wilds with different features. However, the Wild always serves to help you complete a winning combination and increase your chances of winning. Some Wilds will stick to the reels, some will expand to cover the whole reel, and some even stack on top of each other.
Ways To Win & Paylines
The payline is the classic system to determine how the machine pays, and it pays from left to right. However, adding in different Ways To Win gives you more options. You can still win from left to right, but you can also win in a variety of other ways depending on the game.
Visual Innovations
Online slots have evolved visually, and you can now play games with 3D graphics, but also online slots that you can play in VR if you have the necessary equipment. Going from physical machines to virtual slots also allowed providers to make the games more colorful with detailed animations, characters, and even a story told through cut-scenes.
Our recommendations
For each type of slot, we will recommend you a game you can try to discover the mechanics and what it has to offer:
- Mega Joker: The best three-reel slot — RTP: 99%
- Book Of Dead: The most popular five-reel slot with mini-game — RTP: 94.25%
- Age Of The Gods: Prince Of Olympus: The most gorgeous 3D slot — RTP: 96.04%
- Cluster Tumble: Most original Avalanche system — RTP: 96.4%
- Gonzo’s Quest: Megaways: The best Megaways slot — RTP: 96%