Online Casino Slots Differences

Online slot games are what is referred to in the gambling industry as "video slots." Players who frequent brick-and-mortar casinos will find many video slot games there too, but online we are, of course, restricted to video slot type games.

A video slot game is one in which there are no mechanical parts - the game is purely a computer generated image of the slot machine. Online players will find a wide variety of video slots, ranging from the very traditional styles that look exactly like old-style mechanical slot machines, complete with bells and rattles and the whirr of spinning reels, to completely video experiences where there are animated graphics on the reels and illuminated paylines that highlight winning combinations when they are hit.

Nonetheless, often in the online environment, traditional single payline games are referred to as "reel slots" whereas the bigger, multiple payline games are called "video slots." Here are some of the significant differences that players should know about slot games.

Multiplier or Bonus Multiplier: Games that offer Multipliers, sometimes called Bonus Multipliers, give bonuses in payback based on how many coins are being played. For example, playing a single coin may give a 100x multiplier to players, while 2 coins gives a 200x multiplier. On the same game, you might find that 3 coins pays 300x and 4, 400x (you can see the logical progression going here), but when you get to the 5 coin level, suddenly the multiplier jumps to 1000x. In this type of game, the strategic value is placed on playing the maximum number of coins.

Multiple Payline: Multiple payline slot games are the natural progression from the traditional single payline games. On the traditional three reel games, the payline was the center line of the reels as the player was facing the machine. Normally there was a slim line going through to make it easier for players to determine when they had hit a winning combination. Later, additional paylines were added above and below. As more reels were added, various diagonals and more complex paylines were added too. A payline is simply a line on which a winning combination is recognized by the game. Many machines have 20 or 25 paylines now, and some have 30 or more. Each payline is activated by a coin in play, so a 25 payline game will take 25 coins to get all the paylines into play. As a result, the more coins played, the better the odds of hitting a win.

Buy-A-Pay: Buy-a-pay games reward larger bets with more options for payout by activating symbols. For example, a single coin may activate cherries, so the cherry combo is the only one that pays. If you put in a second coin, perhaps 7's are activated. A third coin may activate bars. As a result, the more coins played, the more likely a winning combo will be hit.

Progressive Slots: Progressive slot games are games that rely on the number of players playing that game to build the jackpot instead of having a fixed coin payout. During tournaments, these jackpots can grow to the many thousands of dollars or more. Once the jackpot is hit, it returns to a default minimum, and starts growing again. Many top players stick to progressive games because their potential for huge payouts is greater than on any other casino game.

Choose the Best Online Slots Casino and Get Playing!

Players will find an overwhelming number of casinos online now. Most of them have large selections of great slot games, and many specialize in slots. Places like Silver Oak Casino and Royal Ace Casino offer tremendous selections of the latest and hottest slot games, so find a top casino that appeals to you, get registered and start spinning those reels tonight!