All types of Online Slots UK in casinos

Video slots is a gambling genre that exists in the largest number of varieties. They differ in the number of reels and lines, rotation mechanics, bonuses, ways to compose combinations. It is difficult to consider all types of slot machines and slots in casinos, because the providers are constantly creating new solutions.

All types of slot machines

The gambling entertainment industry requires manufacturers to constantly look for new solutions. Slots have become the genre with the most intense evolution. Therefore, a strict classification of such games is difficult to achieve. Initially, winning combinations were built on paylines. In the first one-armed bandits their number ranged from one to three. Slot machines can be with a fixed and adjustable number of lines. Prize symbols in them can count in one or both sides. Over time, new ways of creating combinations emerged.

Machines differ in the way they activate prize functions. Most often they are triggered by certain combinations of pictures. In new slots, there are purchased and cumulative bonuses.

There is a classification according to the level of volatility. There are three types:

• Low | Winnings fall out often, but in a small amount.
• Medium | The ratio is about the same
• High | Winnings fall out less frequently, but with large odds.

Classic

The first one-armed bandits appeared more than a hundred years ago. During the evolution of the genre has changed, and in the modern slots sometimes difficult to recognise the prototype. However, the classic machines have not been forgotten and are still popular at online casinos. They have a familiar set of symbols. These are fruits, sevens, bells, etc. The number of reels is five or three. The combinations are built on paylines. In addition to spins, gameplay may include such features:

• Free spins.
• Risk game with cards.
• Respins.
• Progressive jackpot.

Classic video slots have simple rules. This makes them suitable for players with any level of experience in online casinos.

Modern

New generation slots come in many varieties. Many of them use 3D graphics. Such games create the effect of presence and contribute to the maximum interest of the user. Modern machines are produced in a variety of themes. They are developed on the basis of comic books, movies, fairy tales. Many providers produce games specifically for holidays: New Year and others. Most brands have video slots with a national flavour, such as Asian.

If in classic developments symbols with special functions were limited to the wild and the scatter, in modern ones this list expands considerably:

• Stacked. On a roll occupies several cells vertically.
• Expanding. In certain game situations, it grows over the entire reel.
• Giant. Takes up multiple horizontal and vertical positions.
• Sticky. Stays on the playing field for a few spins.

The new machines use different types of bonuses:

• Item selection games. The user clicks on the pictures and receives payouts.
• Respins. Repeated spins, during which no money is withdrawn from the account.
• Themed rounds on a separate screen. Mini-games on the plot of the slot.
• Bonuses. Prize options that are triggered after the accumulation of conditional points.
• Transformation of symbols. Some pictures are changed into other pictures.
• Random bonuses. The feature can be activated at any point in the game.

The machines released in recent years are available on PCs and mobile devices.

With cascading reels

According to the principle of spins, slot machine types are divided into standard and cascade. In slots of the first variety, the spins follow a standard pattern. The reels stop, if there is a win, it goes to the user's account, then a new round begins. In machines with cascades or avalanches another principle is used. If a combination appears, the symbols that made it up disappear. Their places are taken by adjacent pictures. Often with each new cycle, the additional payout multiplier grows. In some games, a series of avalanches opens up access to free spins or a prize round on the principle of a cumulative bonus.

The first slot with this technology was Gonzo's Quest from NetEnt. It was released in 2011. 3D graphics and original gameplay did not leave the novelty without attention. 10 years after its release, the machine remains one of the brightest in the provider's collection.

Megaways

The new mechanics were introduced in 2016 by Big Time Gaming. Its main difference is that the field consists of six reels, each of which can display between two and seven symbols.

As a result, the number of possible winnings reaches hundreds of thousands.

Above the main reels there may be additional horizontal reels. Prize features are most often represented by free spins with winnings multipliers and other features.

With cluster payouts

In automatons with clusters, combinations are not built along the lines, but on adjacent positions. Identical symbols touching horizontally and vertically are counted, resulting in more exciting gameplay. The principle was taken from casual games like Tetris. More often than not, such slots use cascading spins.

The list of bonuses can include freespins and prize rounds. One of the most famous slots of this type is Aloha Cluster Pays with 6 reels from NetEnt. It takes the user to the beach and offers to evaluate combinations, during which winning symbols remain on the field and the rest are replaced.

Types of machines according to the number of reels

Casino machines differ in the number of reels. The most common types are:

• 3 lines.
• 5 lines.
• 6 lines.

The first type prevails in the classic slots, as the first one-armed bandits had exactly this structure. In machines with 6 vertical rows, mechanics are usually used as Megaways.

5 reels

This is the broadest category of video slot machines. These machines make up a large part of almost any online casino's collection. Thousands of slots with five reels are dedicated to a wide variety of themes. They come with all kinds of bonuses and extra features like risk games, reels, and cascade spins.

7-reel

Seven-reel machines are not yet that widespread. Providers such as Betsoft, Quickspin, Yggdrasil Gaming, Play'n Go, ELK Studios and Red Tiger have them. This structure gives freedom to producers and allows them to make machines that resemble casual games. Play'n Go's Reactoonz, for example, has an accumulation system that activates one of four prize features.

The most popular slots

The different types of slot machines are easy to see with the most popular ones:

• Book of Ra Deluxe (Novomatic). The slot legend has spawned a whole genre of games dedicated to Egypt. This is an updated version of another Novomatic machine, released in 2008. After a lucky combination, not exceeding the limit, the user can run the risk game. To win it, you must guess the colour of the card suit. If the goal is reached, the round can be continued. If not, the last winnings are burned, and there is a return to the main mode. Among the symbols a special role is played by a book. This is both the wild and the scatter at the same time. When three of these images fell out on the drums at the same time, runs a bonus. He includes 10 frispinov. Before the first spin, a book with flipping pages appears on the screen. Each depicts one of the rows of symbols. After stopping, it is known which of the pictures acquires additional functions. During the free spins, it will grow the entire row vertically and pay even on non-adjacent reels. The machine loses the new slots in terms of RTP (95.1%) and graphics quality, but the interest of visitors to online casinos to him is not going away, and now.
• Starburst (NetEnt). Machine produced in 2012 sends the player into space, but instead of stars and planets on the screen appear multi-colored diamonds. When spinning, the user gets an impressive chance of winning: combinations are counted in both directions. The star is the wild, which grows vertically across the entire row when it appears. All the other reels then spin again. Despite the unsophisticated gameplay, the slot remains one of the favourites in online casinos, also due to the clear rules. The RTP is 96.09% and volatility is low, which means that wins will be frequent.
• Crazy Monkey (Igrosoft). The Russian provider's machine has been popular since 2003. Its action takes place in the jungle, and the main character is a jolly monkey. The amusing plot is an important, but not the main reason for the success of the video slot. Users are attracted by the bonus round with two levels and insurance. It is triggered if three monkeys appear on the playing field. On the first level, the user needs to pull the ropes. As a result, a banana or an anvil may fall on the main character. In the second case the game stops, but if the user has made the maximum bet, a helmet appears on the monkey's head and the round can be continued. The next level requires opening one of the two boxes.The symbols line up in prize chains both from left to right and vice versa. The machine has a wild in the form of a mask. After the combination you can go to the risk game. In it you need to turn the card, which will be older than the open.
• Mega Moolah (Microgaming). Record-breaking slot machine has become famous for its unprecedented generosity. It has been in the news more than once because it has given players jackpots. In 2019, for example, a user won more than three million euros on it by betting just €7.25. The video slot is dedicated to the inhabitants of the jungle. The lion acts as the wild and the monkey as the scatter. This triggers a total of 15 free spins which multiply winnings by a factor of three.
• White Rabbit (Big Time Gaming). Released in 2017, the six-reel Megaways slot offered a new way to trigger prize options. It was the first machine in which you could not wait for the right combination to access the free spins bonus, but rather buy in for an additional bet. The manufacturer allowed players to reduce the cost of freespins. This requires saving virtual currency during paid spins. The video slot is also interesting with cascades, stacked symbols and the wild, which can activate additional multipliers. During the free spins, a picture appears that splits into two new ones. RTP machine - 97.72%.

How to choose?

Knowing what slot machines in online casinos, the customer can make a list of slots that are suitable for the number of reels and lines, bonuses, storyline, features control. The higher the RTP, the better the chances of winning are theoretically. If the machine has a demo, you can evaluate it without risk before betting for money. Only original video slots can be played. The fake ones have a low RTP and it is impossible to get payouts on them.