For many years slot machines have held a special place in the heart of the nation. From the era of the ‘one-armed bandits’, to the thrills, flashing lights and familiar theme-tunes of the casino floor, and all the way over to the portable slot games that have dominated casinos online and bitcoin casinos – the simplistic, reel-spinning game is one that has, and will always continue to be reinvented.
But the question remains: which is better? Playing Slots at an online casino site, or on a physical, iconic machine?
Read on to find out.
On-Land
The very first slot machine with automated payouts, the Liberty Bell, was created in 1894 by Charles Fey, in San Francisco. With three reels and one payline, the machine featured some of the familiar symbols we are used to seeing today. Following this, slot machines with monetary prizes were banned, so, in 1902 the machine was adapted to display fruit symbols that would correspond to the flavoured sweets and chewing gum you could win instead. The cherries, melons and grapes became just some of the symbols that stayed consistent even after the ban was lifted, and started the birth of the fruit machine era.
In 1964, the first electric slot machine was released. Money Honey still featured a lever, much like the older Slots, but the reels were later adapted to be spun by just the press of a button. Up to this point, prizes were handed out over the bar or counter, in the form of food and drinks, but Money Honeyincluded a bottomless hopper, allowing the machine to payout up to 500 coins automatically.
1976 saw the new era of the video slot, which initially used a modified 19-inch Sony TV for the display. Fortune Coinbecame widely popular on the Las Vegas Strip, and would only get better and better as technology progressed.
Slot machines are now typically found in pubs, bars, clubs, arcades, and even at service stations, so you can physically pull the retro-inspired lever or press the buttons and watch the lights flash in front of you. Not only does playing a slot machine at an on-land establishment offer a kind of thrill and nostalgia that’s hard to find anywhere else, but the social element – people around you holding their breath and rooting for you as the reels spin – is something that is hard to come by at an online casino.
Online
In 1996, the very first online casino launched, and shortly after, the much-loved slot games were welcomed onto our screens. Online, there is an incredible variety of Slots to choose from. Not only can you play retro-inspired Slots, but some mechanics, bonus games, multipliers and free spins rounds just aren’t available when playing on a slot machine on-land. An online casino is generally portable, so you can play anywhere, on your desktop, laptop, mobile phone or tablet. On top of this, some games offer the potential to play with over 100,000 paylines, on top of incredible jackpots and an even wider variety of themed games, as well as the classics.
Online, you can also play Slots in a demo mode, allowing you to experience the thrill of the game without spending, or winning any money. This keeps your bankroll safe and stable, so you can place bets on the games that you’ve already tried out, if it takes your fancy. Not only can you play games with the iconic symbols of the fruit machines, but now, more often than not, online Slots will feature their own, exciting themes, with symbols that coincide with whatever this is. For example, if you’re playing an underwater themed game, you might come across starfish, dolphins, turtles, fish, and seashells – so gameplay becomes even more immersive.
Which is better?
Whilst slot machines all feature the same, simple gameplay, they are also so different, and now there’s even more ways to play than ever before. Whether you prefer playing online or on-land is completely down to you, each offering different positives.
If you prefer to set the scene in your favourite pub, with your mates around you for moral support as you pull the physical lever or press the big flashing button to spin the colourful, retro reels – then finding a slot machine at a land-based casino, pub, or anywhere in between, is for you.
But, if you prefer to have the choice between retro gameplay, new technology and advanced mechanics all in one place – with more paylines, themed games, and accessibility – thenlogging in and getting comfortable wherever you are, at your favourite online casino, is what we recommend for you.
