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Believe it or not, the very first online slots came about by accident. Two brothers were developing an online payment system in the 1990s and devised a low-key slot game to test it with – which became wildly popular. They then concentrated on developing more games and Cryptologic – the first full-time online slot development studio – was set up, inspiring larger businesses like Microgaming and Playtech to get in on the act.
How Do Online Slots Work?
Whilst online slots may look a little different to the traditional one-armed bandits we all remember, they work in exactly the same way, with spinning reels reproduced in digital form that operate using the same random number generators to ensure that each spin is completely independent of the one before it. There’s no need to understand exactly how slots work as there’s some fairly heavy math involved – but you can rest assured that online games give you the same chance of winning as their land-based cousins.
In fact, some of the best online slots for beginners look and sound identical to the physical games that preceded them, giving you a more reassuring experience if you’re not used to playing them. The only real difference is that you can’t physically feed coins into an online game. Instead, you simply use a payment card or e-wallet to fund an online casino account and then use some simple controls on the game itself to decide how much you want to bet. Starting the game then involves nothing more than tapping or clicking a start button on the screen, often found in a position where the same button would appear in a real-life casino. There are also autoplay options available on nearly every online game, which aren’t usually offered on physical slots, so it’s even easier to play online.
A Huge Selection of Options
With endless digital production facilities at their disposal, the top software studios are now able to make online slots to suit every taste, with themes covering every sector from sports to cars, movies, fashion, food, exotic travel and hundreds more ideas. With a never-ending list of gameplay features available and new ideas constantly coming to market it’s easy to see why people play slots in greater number than ever before, though there is, of course, one overriding factor that keeps players coming back for more – the money.
Big Prizes on Offer
Playing online games gives you the chance to win a life-changing amount of cash. If you’re unfamiliar with casino games you might base your opinions on what you’ve seen in the movies, with fabulously wealthy players sat round a roulette wheel or baccarat table – but one reason why people play slots is because of the colossal prizes that can be won. As well as offering five and six figure wins in return for lining up matching symbols, some slots offer prizes which can be worth even more.
Record wins have, in fact, been known to reach eight figures, so don’t assume that online slots can’t make you incredibly rich, as they’re just as capable of doing so as any other casino game – and often give you the chance at winning a huge prize without having to bet the kind of stakes you’d associate with a table game. For most players though, these enormous wins aren’t necessary – just the sheer pleasure of playing is enough to guarantee that the best slots will never go out of fashion.