Types of Slot Machines

Slot machines have come a long way since the first Liberty Bell slot machine was invented. Today there are hundreds of different games and countless variations on the theme. This guide explains the different variations so you have a better understanding of the games to choose from.

First up let's look at jackpot types. All slot machines will fit into one of the following categories. While they may look different and have different themes the categories are as follows.

Fixed Jackpot
The top prize is always the same. The jackpot will be indicated on the pay table and never changes.

Progressive
The top jackpot grows as players play. These games tend to offer the biggest prizes and are often linked with multiple casinos.

Now you know about the two different jackpot types let's have a look at the various types of games. These can all be either fixed jackpot or progressive. It is easy to tell. If the game has a ticker with a growing prize the game is progressive if it has a static jackpot it is a fixed jackpot game.

Three Reel
These games are the classic Las Vegas style slot machines. They have three spinning reels and tend to have between one and five win lines. They can have a separate bonus game such as a Wheel of Fortune style wheel or a pick a box bonus.

Pros : Very simple, low maximum bets
Cons : High variance, low hit rate

Five Reel
Also known as video slots these games have five spinning reels and most commonly use a video screen to display the reels. Five reel games can have anywhere from 5 to 50 win lines. These games often have a bonus game such as free spins.

Pros : Low variance, low maximum bets
Cons : Wins can be smaller than your bet size

Fruit Machines
While they fit into the slots category, UK style AWP machines are technically very different from Vegas style slots. They have defined streaks and pay out according to the amount of money put in.

Pros : Low maximum bets, frequent features
Cons : Low jackpots, payout percentages,

Bonus Slots
The word bonus slots can be used to describe any game that has an additional way to win on top on the reels. Bonus games range from free spins to advanced multi level pick a box style bonuses. The majority of new slot have some sort of bonus feature.

Pros : Highly entertaining
Cons : Chasing features is a bad idea, higher bet levels

There you have the main categories of slot machines. As you can see while there are hundreds of games they all fit into just a few categories. If you are new to playing slot machines then we suggest trying out a range of different formats to see which games you prefer.