When looking at how do video slots work, you can’t put a price on the entertainment factor that comes with playing one of the most popular casino games of all time. Even inexperienced punters typically choose slots at the beginning of their online gambling adventure. When looking to create your own strategy, remember a vital fact. This game has grown into a separate and globally known casino category that has a home in every online and land-based casino on the planet.
Thanks to an incredible betting range available, these games are a favorite among regular bettors and high-rollers alike. One can play slots with anything from a nickel to a hundred dollars per spin. Despite featuring intricate mechanics in the past (spinning the reels by pulling a lever), today’s situation is different. Slot games nowadays operate with a processor and software programmed to generate random results. You need only press a single button, and the game works out a random spin on its own. Here’s how these games work in detail.
How Do Video Slots Work? The Games’ Inner Workings
Understanding how video slots work is crucial when it comes to information required to maximize your winning chances. Arming oneself with detailed knowledge of slot mechanics is the mother of all strategies. Consequently, the alpha and omega of every slot game is the Random Number Generator (RNG).
RNG technology is behind electronic casino games, including slots. Thanks to this software, casino games generate random and, therefore, fair results. In other words, RNG software is the brain behind software games that tells them how much the reels need to spin and when they should stop. This software is capable of producing billions of different combinations, which eliminates any possibility that the reels spin in patterns and are predictable.
However, even the RNG’s operation often isn’t enough to convince apprehensive players that casino games are genuinely fair. Consequently, when asking how do video slots work, casinos demonstrate to their members that these games provide unpredictable outcomes. This demonstration involves casinos subjecting their software to independent audits.
These audits put RNG software through rigorous testing annually by third-party agencies specializing in these procedures. If testing is successful, the agency provides the casino with a certificate that guarantees the software is genuinely unbiased.
How Does An RNG Work?
A Random Number Generator is a piece of computer software that generates combinations non-stop. In other words, this software is in perpetual motion, and the generated numbers correspond with the symbols each game has on the reels.
So, when a player presses the spin button, the software’s processor selects a set of numbers generated in that instant (usually a millisecond). Simultaneously, the game translates these numbers by immediately stopping the reels, showing which symbols correspond with the number selected.
So, when asking how do video slots work, keep in mind that every symbol has an equal chance of appearing on the reels. Therefore, you need thousands of spins to get the same combination of symbols to show up in the same positions on the reels twice. Try to think of playing this game as follows: each millisecond you hesitate to press the spin button is equal to missing a potential jackpot.
This logic derives from the fact that the RNG generates winning and losing combinations the entire time. So, winning the jackpot requires hitting the spin button at the exact millisecond it shows up in the never-ending combinations, which depends on pure luck.
Typical Video Slot Games: 3-Reel Vs. 5-Reel Video Slots
When it comes to this globally popular game’s origins, players could only enjoy bulky, mechanical games in land-based venues of the past. Additionally, most of these games only featured three reels, but they quickly evolved into five-reel titles. Mathematically speaking, every video slots guide casino jackpot resource correctly notes that more reels equals more fun and provides more chances for winning combinations.
On the other hand, three-reel online casino slot games are more straightforward to understand and enjoy. However, players can win less frequently in these games because they encounter limited betting options in such games. Additionally, three-reel games have only one payline, compared to more reels and more paylines in five-reel games. In other words, playing five-reel games equals a greater chance to win more on a shorter run.
Consequently, you’ll encounter more frequent payouts on five-reel games, but they also come with additional advantages. For example, these games come with more bonuses in different forms, like second-screen bonuses and online casino free spins. Also, these games similarly boast other symbols like wilds and scatters. These symbols activate multipliers that increase the payout several times over. Therefore, you’re looking at a different variety of outcomes in five-reel games.
When it comes to other differences, five-reel games usually come with better graphics and interfaces. The entertainment and excitement factors are also typically better in these titles since three-reel slots usually follow the classic design. There’s nothing wrong with either since many punters prefer three-reeled two-dimensional gaming with inanimate symbols.
On the other hand, when asking how do video slots work, five-reel games are usually 3D with movie clips or cartoon-like animations based on their design theme. All of these features provide a greater sense of entertainment to players.
Progressive Video Slot Games
The central aspect of progressive video slot games is their large jackpot. Generally speaking, these jackpots sometimes feature several millions of dollars and other life-changing amounts. Conversely, you typically need to hit astronomical odds to land a progressive jackpot, but there are numerous cases of players winning them. There have even been examples of players hitting a progressive jackpot twice within several months.
Progressive slots operate straightforwardly. These games represent a group of video slots linked together in a progressive network. To generate such whopping jackpots, these games take a small percentage of each wager made on a slot in the network. The jackpot becomes bigger as people play. It’s possible to win the jackpot by playing any progressive game within the network.
When it comes to answering how do video slots work, there is a crucial consideration. In terms of progressive jackpots, note that their amounts are almost too good to be true. On the other hand, since they are so life-changing, other winning combinations on a progressive video slot are usually much smaller than average.