Types of Slot Machines

At online casinos and big land-based gambling establishments, you can find a huge variety of slot machines.

From classic one-armed bandits to multi-payline progressive jackpots and everything in between, it's never been a better time to find top slots for real money.

So, what types of slots can South African players like you find in 2024, and how do they differ? Let's take a look at some of the common types of games you'll find in a casino. Then, why not click on one of our exclusive links and sign up for a top real cash account?

Penny Slots

Online slot machines can come with a wide range of buy-ins, but penny slots cater for micro-stakes and casual gamblers. They are also hugely popular in the big Las Vegas casinos.

Penny slots normally - as the name suggests - carry minimum bets of just $0.01, but players still have the chance of hitting some big jackpots and generous bonus features.

Video Slots

You're more likely to find video slot machines online, but most big land-based casinos will have banks of video slots packed with special features.

In video slots, the reels are depicted on-screen with state-of-the-art computer graphics and reels are spun by clicking or tapping the 'Spin' button. The pay table can be seen with a simple tap of the screen or a click of the mouse.

The first video slots were fairly basic but in 2024 the best games have slick intro sequences, in-depth bonus features and animation on the reels.

Bonus Slots

Most modern slot machines feature special bonus rounds that can be triggered by lining up special symbols on the reels.

Bonuses can include anything from free spins, wheels of fortune or instant real cash wins. The aim is the same, however: to win you extra cash and keep you playing longer.

More recently, online slot machines have moved into 'skill bonus' games where you have to play a Shoot'em up game or mini-sports game to win real money. This introduces more of a skill element into slots as opposed to the random 'button slamming' you normally find in Internet slots.

Fruit Machines/Classic Slots

Classic slots, or fruit machines as they are commonly known in the UK, have minimal paylines (normally 1 to 3) and a focus on fruit-themed icons.

They were also known as AWPs (Amusements with Prizes) in the US as early versions of fruit machines awarded fruit-flavoured chewing gum instead of cash to get round prohibitive US gambling laws.

The classic cherries, melons and lemons have been around since the first slots appeared in the US, and you can still find classic fruit machines at online casinos today. Updated video slot versions of old-school fruit machines can be played at most major brick 'n' mortar casinos.

Some fruit machines come with 'Hold' and 'Nudge' buttons. The Hold button lets you 'hold' a reel in place for the next spin while the Nudge function allows you to move certain reels up or down to form winning paylines.

Multi-Payline Slots

The beauty of video slots is that they can carry as many paylines or bonus games as the developer can fit in.

Most video slots are 5-reel games but can run from 20, 30 or 50 paylines up to 1,024 lines on the big multi-way slots.

While most slots require you to line up symbols from left-to-right on the reels, some of the newer online slots have paylines that run right-to-left too. This gives the player more paylines, more action and more chances to win big.

Progressive Jackpots

At the bigger live casinos and many online casinos, you will find slots that carry progressive jackpots.

Progressive jackpots are made up of small portions of each player's bets to form a huge prize pool. These can then be won by landing a certain winning combination or triggering a special bonus feature.

Progressives normally start with a set base amount but can reach record-breaking amounts. The world record for an online progressive jackpot is €17,861,813 (246,900,613 ZAR), won on the Mega Fortune slot by a Finnish gambler. His total stake was just €0.25.

iSlots

A new generation of online slot machines, iSlots are video slots with interactive 'journeys' much like video games. Players start off the slot game on a map or mission, and 'progress' through a story triggering more bonus features and winning bigger prizes.

How to Play Slot Machines

Whether you're playing in a live casino or at an online casino on your computer, slots work pretty much the same way.

Slots are played on reels (normally 3 or 5) filled with around 15-30 symbols each. On pulling the mechanical arm, hitting the 'Spin' button or swiping the smartphone touchscreen, the reels will spin and come to a stop. Pay-outs are made by lining up symbols along winning 'paylines'.

Players can pick their 'coin size' first and set the stake per line as well as choosing how many paylines they want to play on every spin. Most modern slots carry an 'Auto spin' button which lets you program the machine to automatically spin up to 50 spins without you touching a button.

Depending on what game you are playing, bonus wins can be bagged by making up paylines with 'Wilds' which substitute for other symbols in the game or bonus 'Scatters' which trigger special prize features.

Players can sometimes 'gamble' their wins by trying a double-or-nothing game after a winning spin. Here, you have to guess whether the next card drawn will be red or black. Choose correctly and your win doubles; choose wrong and you lose.

Bonus features in video slot machines typically consist of free spins, a 'Pick Me' bonus which requires you to pick from hidden pots of cash on-screen, or a 'Prize Trail' which rewards players the further they progress along a set path.