What are Video Slots?

In terms of sheer volume, video slots are the most common of all casino games. When a casino advertises 400 online slots on their website usually at least 75% of those will be different slot styles.

All virtual slot machines follow the same basic mechanics. Within that formula, though, there’s some incredible room for variation. In this article, you’ll get everything you need to know about online slot games and learn about some of the most popular slots which online casinos offer.

How Video Slots Work in a Casino

No matter how fancy the graphics or types of bonuses are, video slot machines for online casinos work in the same manner. There will be a certain number of ‘reels’ (columns), each of which has symbols spaced evenly along with it. When you begin the game, after deciding how much you want to stake, you’ll click a button. The reels will start to spin, and if you match a certain number of symbols along a particular line – a ‘payline’ – then you win. The number of paylines will vary from slot to slot, with more pay lines giving you a better chance of winning prizes.

While physical slots are incredibly popular, virtual versions have more room for creativity and variety. They blur the line between slot gaming and video gaming. The higher-end games will have high-quality graphics, animations, and sound effects. There will usually be a distinct theme and setting too, these include a historical theme, Norse theme. There are also Adventure-Themed slots, Animal-Themed Slots.

Modern Slots in your web browser have special features too. Certain symbols might become wild symbols, scatter symbol, or bonus features, each giving you a special boost and extra prizes. You might win free spins or trigger an entire free spin round. Many online casinos will dish out these free spins via casino bonuses, and other offers – like ‘cashback’ deals, deposit bonuses, or

How They Differ From Physical Slots

In most important respects, online video slots don’t differ from physical ones in a brick-and-mortar casino. The most important difference, though, is how your win is calculated. With brick-and-mortar slots, the result is random.

You pull the lever, the reels spin, and hopefully, you get lucky. That’s not possible in the same way with a virtual, online casino. Instead, the software developers use an RNG (random number generator) to determine the results. This might seem a little suspicious. If all the calculations are hidden, how are you supposed to know the game is fair? Thankfully, there are regulatory bodies out there which test and verify that video slots are legitimate. Before using a slot, always check that it has been licensed and regulated by either the UK Gambling Commission or the Malta Gaming Authority.

You should also check the RTP (return to player). This is a percentage figure which estimates how much of your investment you should make back over an extended playing period with that slot. If it’s 97%, for example, and you bet £1 million in total, you should theoretically get a return of £970,000.

Most Popular Video Slots

With hundreds of fully licensed casinos offering hundreds of video slots each, it’s fair to say you have quite a bit of choice when it comes to picking a slot! The quickest way to narrow down your options is to play slots from a particular developer. The likes of Ash Gaming, Gamesys, Netent, PlayTech and WMS – for example – are all well-regarded for the consistent quality of their slots. 

If you want to dive straight in, though, here are a few of the best video slots for you to get started with.

Jewel Blast

Jewel Blast is a perfect entry-level slot, created by Quickspin. It has a standard format, with five reels and 25 pay lines. It also has a couple of straightforward but valuable features, including a wild symbol and Blast Bonus. It can be played on desktop or mobile, has a solid RTP of 96.52%, and the graphics are colourful and fun.

Street Fighter II

Fans of retro gaming will adore this slot, but gambling veterans will enjoy it just as much. Developed by NetEnt, this creative take on the iconic Street Fighter 2 world blends fun slot action with retro graphics and sounds. You begin by picking a fighter, then spin the reels on a 5×5 grid. There are plenty of wild symbol icons and wild symbol combos, and even Beat the Boss Free Spin levels to complete. The RTP is 96.06%, and you can hit a maximum jackpot of 7,142x your stake.

Video preview here.

Wings of Ra

Wings of Ra has an intriguing Egyptian theme, and this is nicely evoked via the shiny graphics and sound design. It plays well too, offering ten pay lines across a slimline five-reel, three-row grid. While using standard card symbols – J, Q, K, etc. – it innovates in other ways, particularly via its intriguing Mystery Coins feature. You can win up to 3,000x your stake here, and the RTP is 95.5%.

Final Thoughts

As video poker has surpassed traditional poker in many ways, so video slot games have surpassed classic slots. They’re quicker and easier to play, there’s more variety in both themes and features, and there’s an unlimited amount of choice in which games you play. Crucially, they’re probably fair nowadays too.