Different Types of Slot Machines: From Single Line to Progressive Jackpot Slots
Slot machines have transformed from the classic three-reel devices in land-based casinos to a myriad of types in both physical and online settings. Now, they boast intricate themes, multiple paylines, engaging bonus games, and vast payline structures, offering thousands of ways to win. This guide zeroes in on these various slot machine types, detailing their unique characteristics and what sets each apart. Whether on the casino floor or online, you'll encounter a wide array of slots, each providing a distinctive gaming experience and winning potential.
The Old School Classics
Sometimes simpler plays better. With straightforward gameplay frozen in their vintage and most basic form, these three-reel, one-pay line throwbacks conjure a nostalgic vibe whether played in brick-and-mortar casinos or at popular online casinos. Their iconic cherry and lemon icons harken to a different era of gambling machines known as one-armed bandits. While everything else strives to be modern and flashy, the classic traditional slot machines offer a pure no-frills experience.
Traditional slot machines with three reels still prove somewhat popular today, but we now have plenty of other types of slot machines to consider - as you'll see throughout the rest of this guide.
Classic Slots with Modern Features
If you prefer more than one payline, there are classic slots with three reels that come with modern slot game features to give classic slot enthusiasts the best of both worlds on top of the classic slot gameplay. Extra features like free spins via scatter symbols, multiple pay lines, and other special features bring the old and the new together.
3-reel slots with modern features:
Modern Video Slot Games
While traditional slots still appeal to a good chunk of slot machine fans, the majority prefer to play modern video slots boasting more bonus features, special symbols, jackpots, and innovative reel mechanics. Plus, most online slots today are five reel slots, while others have even more reels, or use Cluster Pays or Megaways mechanics. We'll get into all types of modern video slot machines below.
Multi-line Slot Machines: More Bang for Your Buck
Remember the frustration from just skimming by the jackpot symbol on early one-payline fruit machines? Now innovative multi-line slots open up 50, sometimes over 100 different line possibilities, spearing zig-zag patterns and diagonal across the reels. More lines equal more ways to nab those tantalizing winning combos every spin.
- Adjustable Payline Slots: Some of the earlier BetSoft multi-line online slots like A Night in Paris and Greedy Goblines allow you to toggle controls, allowing managing the number of lines in play each turn—though maxing them out ramps up the action. Also, the aforementioned original Rich Wilde and the Book of Dead allows you to change the number of pay lines from 1 to 10 and the number of coins played.
- Fixed Payline Slots: The ability to adjust the number of pay lines on video slots these days is not a feature software providers build in. Therefore, the vast majority of new online slots come with fixed paylines.
Mobile Video Slots
Although we have put 'mobile slots' as one of the different types of slots available, these days every online slot is available on mobile phones. You can even find land-based versions of video slots in land-based casinos. Look it up on your online casino, and it will be available as a mobile slot. For example, Book of Dead is available at Play'n GO online casinos as a mobile slot and also at William Hill land-based betting shops as a video slot.
Thanks to HTML5 development allowing smooth cross-platform gameplay, you can now finger-tap spin online slots anywhere with a data connection. The touchscreen technology allows the slot's interface to translate seamlessly from desktop to phone or tablet. With many mobile casinos operating exclusively online, hundreds of modern video slots stream easily without cumbersome downloads or bulky machinery. Quick access provides instant entertainment for gambling itches that flare up unexpectedly.
Cascading Reels: Multiple Wins in a Single Spin
An exhilarating type of slot machine, are games with cascading reels that feature symbols that explode upon forming a winning combination. The symbols above cascade down to fill the empty spots as new symbols appear at the top. This cascading effect can trigger consecutive wins from a single spin, leading to thrilling chain reactions.
Red Tiger Gaming's Rainbow Riches Drops slot game was one of the first to popularise cascading reels, but many others have followed like the legendary Gonzo's Quest offering multiple chances for multiple wins.
Some top picks of slot machines offering cascading reels:
Cluster Pays: Wins from Symbol Clusters
Doing away with traditional payline formats, Cluster Pays slot machines award wins for clusters of matching symbols without regard to fixed lines. The key is to accumulate a cluster of at least 5 (though some games differ - so check the payout table first) anywhere on the grid to grab a payout.
- The popular Reactoonz slot machine by Play'n GO takes cluster pays to another dimension, utilizing
- a 7x7 grid with exciting bonus features.
- Other outstanding examples include NetEnt's Aloha! Cluster Pays
- Cluster Pays and the eccentric Wanted Dead or a Wild by Hacksaw Gaming
With wins coming from clusters of winning symbols rather than pay lines, Cluster Pays video slots shake up traditional slot gameplay.
Megaways Slot Machines
Software developers continually push boundaries when programming slot machines, introducing first-of-their-kind mechanics. One trendsetting variety, Megaways™ slots created by Big Time Gaming, vary the number of symbol positions with every spin while awarding up to 117,649 winning combinations!
Top-notch examples include Bonanza by Big Time Gaming and Gonzo's Quest Megaways™ from NetEnt. Additionally, certain slot machines even blend genres, like multi-line progressive jackpots or classic three-reel or five-reel slots with multipliers.
Check out multiple machines that use the Megaways mechanic below:
Bonus Multiplier Slots
Similar to straight multiplier slot games, Bonus Multiplier Slots payout wins based on the number of coins wagered. However, additional higher coin bets can activate bonus payouts and huge jackpots unavailable with lower wagers. So, players gambling with maximum coins stand chances for much bigger rewards. Still, experts often recommend minimum bets since the top prizes rarely strike.
Combination Slots
Living up to their name, Combination Slots blend attributes from two or more slot genres into one game. A popular example is multi-line slots with progressive jackpots merging two thrilling features into one machine. Combining slot formats creates more diverse games to enjoy. Other possibilities include classic three-reel slots with multipliers or perhaps bonus multiplier games with cascading symbols.
Megaspin Slots
Megaspin Slots incorporate multiple sets of reels that spin simultaneously with some spins. Games might feature three to five reel sets, even up to nine sets, delivering mega excitement! Usually, the multiple reels get activated randomly as part of free spins or bonus rounds.
Infinity Reels
You will find Infinity Reels and Infinireels from Yggdrasil and NetEnt software providers. Also, many of the partner networks on the Yggdrasil Masters platform, like Relax Gaming, Bang Bang, Reel Play, and 4thePlayer, use this feature for their online slots. On these slot games, wins can expand the number of reels an unlimited number of times, hence the reference to ‘infinity’.
Progressive Jackpot Slots
We've all dreamed about landing that massive progressive slots jackpot. Slot games linked over multiple slot machines allow progressive prize pools to accumulate, fueled by a tiny cut of every bet. The eight-figure sums flashing on those overhanging meters tempt everyone strolling by with the remote possibility of radically rewritten destinies. Progressive slots feature a shared jackpot pool, meaning players on different machines will contribute to a single jackpot.
These can grow to huge numbers, as witnessed as far back as 2013 when a Finnish chap won nearly €18 million on the Mega Fortune progressive jackpot slot machine network via a single fortunate spin. Since then, we've seen countless big jackpots and wins on progressive slots at multiple casinos, culminating in a world record €38.5 million payout recorded on one of the WowPot progressive slots in 2023.
Top networks with a big progressive jackpot:
- Mega Moolah (Games Global)
- WowPot (Games Global)
- Jackpot King (Blueprint)
- Dream Drops (Relax Gaming)
- Age of the Gods (Playtech)
These games are sometimes found all at one casino or across different casinos. One casino that has Mega Moolah, WowPot, Jackpot King, Age of the Gods, and Dream Drops is LeoVegas!
Non-Progressive Slot Machines
Another type of jackpot slot machine you'll come across at multiple casinos is fixed jackpot slots. These will not payout numbers the size of the aforementioned progressives, but there are still some hefty wins available. These slot machines will offer jackpots which do not grow but are fixed to a maximum number.
New Online Slot Machine Innovations
What is great about the continued evolvement of the slot industry is that top-notch iGaming developers are always coming up with new innovations. We've talked you through many of them above, but there are some other innovations currently causing a stir in the slot game sphere.
Yggdrasil, for example, has come up with many game engagement mechanics which add a unique element to gameplay through reel mechanics, the addition of special symbols and other symbols to a bonus round, and more.
Take a look at what Yggdrasil has come up with in recent years:
- TopHit - An extra "top hit" reel that turns high-paying symbols into wilds when they land fully visible. Also triggers multipliers.
- Gigablox - Can turn multiple symbol positions into a giant block that leads to big wins.
- Multimax - Allows for multiplying wins up to 10x during the bonus round or bonus game.
- Splitz - Splits reels into independent reels with up to 10,000 bet ways.
- Gagarise - Turns losing spins into winning ones by transforming high-paying symbols into wilds.
- Doublemax - Mystery symbol mechanic that can double scatter pays.
- Wild Fight - Battling wild symbols where more fights lead to larger payouts.
- Duomax - Two chance-based mechanics, including Respins and Upgrades, for multiple chances to win.
- Fastpots - Quick mini jackpots that rapidly fill up from bets to trigger payouts.
- Wildenergy - Collector mechanic where special symbols unlock Energized Wilds for big wins.
It isn't only the Yggdrasil software provider bringing in new real mechanics you can experience on multiple platforms. NetEnt has been influenced by Evolution with its XXXtreme gameplay from live casino making its way to video slot games, While BGaming has recently launched its MergeUp mechanic which enables clusters to merge and upgrade into high-paying symbols. Those are just some examples, too, as many developers have been bringing new mechanics to the tables in recent years!
