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Slot machines are big business. The revenue produced by slot machines is several times the combined income of all other forms of gambling. Slot machine types can be categorized according to how they work, type of pay-out they offer and form factor.
Slot machines like Online Slots N1 Bet are typically categorized as either three reel or five reel games, with the single reel being the oddball out. Generally speaking, there are two distinct categories for each number of reels: washer/coil-based games that operate on a principle similar to a standard pinball game, and video slots that rely on well-rendered graphics ala electronic gaming machines (EGMs).
Single Reel Slot Machines
The main difference between single reel slot games and their more common multi-reel counterparts is that there are no pay-lines. The payout for a single reel game is determined by how the object ball comes to rest on the reels after being launched up from behind the backboard. There are three main types of play:
- “Chances” or “Bingo”: Three or more stops on any reel line up, with each stop paying its own value
- “Scatters”: Anytime five balls come to rest equidistant from one another
- “Wilds”: A symbol designated as wild appears anywhere on the reels and substitutes for any standard symbol except scatters or multiplying symbols.
Video Slot Machines
Video slots offer considerably more in the way of features than their coil/washer counterparts. These games can be set up to accommodate pay lines, and offer symbols like 7s, BARs, etc. that all play a role in determining the payout.
To use an analogy: slot machines with three or more reels are like cars (they’re numerous and sometimes luxurious), while video slots are like sports cars (fewer moving parts results in faster gameplay).
The video slots offer several advantages over their mechanical counterparts:
- They have far more RAM and CPU horsepower to handle the demands of rendering graphics and handling sound.
- They can offer twice or more the number of pay lines, because all they present is a big grid instead of requiring overlays and mechanical linkages.
- They can incorporate bonus games like pick-em and progressive jackpots where spinning for three BARs might just award you with a huge payout.
Classic 3 Reel Slot Machines
The reel-based games operate on a mechanic similar to pinball in that they have bumpers and flippers to determine how many reels line up when they come to rest. The winning combination is still determined by which symbols stop where on the pay line, but the process of making them line up is not as simple as it seems.
Three-reel slot machines are all mechanical, meaning that there are no electrical components. The reels of this type of slot machine are spun by the player using a handle on the side of the cabinet. Pulling back and releasing the handle will cause one to three reels to spin until they come to rest on whatever symbols have lined up first.
There are several types of payout schemes for classic 3 reel slots:
- 1-3-2 pay scheme – Three numbers on one line give you your bet back plus two more credits, with four numbers on one line returning 100 times your bet.
- Scatter Pay – Reel 1 can be set to pay out for pretty much anything, while reel 2 only pays if it matches reel 3’s winning symbol. The winning combination is usually 2 of the same symbols, or otherwise easy to hit (like three BARs on three different lines).
- 4-3-2-1 pay scheme – Four numbers on one line give you your bet back plus triple the credits for that reel, while five numbers will return 10 times your bet.
- 7-5-3-1 pay scheme – Seven numbers on one line give you your bet back plus triple the credits for that reel, while five numbers will return 50 times your bet.
As a result of their simplicity, these games are relatively easy to manufacture and thus the most common type of slot machine around. The physical components (reels, handles) can be mass-produced and combined with generic electronics like a microprocessor for chip components.
Conclusion
No matter what kind of slot machine you play, keep in mind the old saying: “The House always wins”. Casinos have been known to hire external security firms to investigate possible cheating or collusion between casinos, so try not to get too carried away showing off your casino winnings.
Just remember to pick your machine, set your limit for how much you want to bet (insure yourself against big losses), and alternate between enjoying yourself on the free spins rounds and playing it safe when you play for real money.
