Slot Machines Definitions

What is a slot machine game?

A slot machine or “slot” is a game where the player places a bet (stake) and spins reels featuring various symbols. If the symbols line up on the pay line(s) in a winning combination, the machine or game pays out according to the pay table. The lowest a winning combination pays, the most likely it is to show. The best thing about slot machines is that you can win many many times your stake.

What is a fruit machine?

A Fruit machine is the same thing as a slot machine. It’s a name for slots used mainly in the United Kingdom (UK).

What are the different types of slot machines?

- Straight Slots (flat tops): Slots with a fixed paytable (no Progressive jackpot)

- Progressive slots: Slots with a progressive jackpot i.e. a jackpot that grows as people play (a fraction of each player’s stake is added to the jackpot)

- Video Slots: Slot machines with a video screen (usually touch screen)

- Virtual or Simulation slots (sim slots): Slot machine games that are not physical slot machines like the ones you find in a casino or arcade. These slot machines are just a piece of software that emulates real slots. They however provide a similar experience to real slots and work in the same way. Web slot machines (online slots) are virtual slots.

- Three reel slots: slot machines with 3 spinning wheels on which the symbols appear. 3 reel slots
- Five reel slots: slot machines with 5 spinning wheels.

- Multi-line slots (Multi pay-line slot machines): Slot machines that pay on more than one line. The most common multi line slots are 3 or 5 line slots. The player can usually select the pay-lines to bet on. The more pay lines selected, the higher the total stake but the higher the chances of having any win on each spin. Multiline slots usually are 5 reel slots.

- Multiplier slots: Slot machines with variable stakes (number of coins and/or coin value). The winnings are a multiple of the stake chosen)

- Bonus Multiplier slots: Multiplier slots where the winnings are proportionally higher if you bet the maximum stake (maximum number of coins)

- Casino slots: Slots found in a casino (online or in the real world). Can be any of the above types of slot machines. - Free slots: Slots that can be played without paying any money. These slot games are usually free virtual slot machines.

What does payout percentage mean?

It is the average percentage of money bet that the slot machine will return to the player. For example, if a player plays 100 on a 95% payout slot, the slot machine will return 95 on average. But of course, this is an average.

This means that one player may get less than 95 (even nothing) and another one will get more (possibly a high win). But over millions of plays, the slot machine with a 95% payout should return very close to 95 percent of all the money put into the slot.