Slots: Variations and Gaming Options

Since slot machines make up a large percent of the income of casinos, it comes as no surprise that a number of slots variations have sprung up. Chances are big that in every casino, dozens of slot machine variations are available for your gambling needs. For instance, casinos offer slot machines with different numbers of reels -- many of which may have numerous pay lines.

A lot of these multiple pay line machines give slots players the chance to pick how many lines they want to play. As a rule of thumb, minimum bets will only have access to a single pay line that runs across the reels in a straight line.

More bets means more access to other different play lines such as lines running in a horizontal manner above or below the minimum bet pay line. There are even diagonal lines that criss-cross their way across the reels.

Then there are slot machines with multiple bet options. Most of these machines will only reward jackpot prizes to players who make maximum bets. This is one reason why slots experts advice players to always make the maximum bet.

Slot machine variations also come with payout schemes. In most modern slot machines, there exist a number of different payout schemes. Set payout amounts are common among straight slot machines and generic flat top ones. The payout amounts on these machines always remain the same.

Progressive slot machines have an entirely different payout scheme than the one mentioned above. Instead of having a constant payout amount, this figure will increase steadily with each bet. When someone wins the jackpot, the payout amount will then be reset to its starting value.

Variations on slot machines can also come from their appearance. These are mostly aesthetic in nature, and do not change the mechanics of the game. One common example is video slots. The play mechanics of these machines doesn't differ that much from regular ones. Instead of the usual rotating wheels on regular machines, video slots have a video image installed.

The first time casinos made these machines available to the public, a lot of players questioned the integrity of the machines. It was understandable, since the exclusion of the spinning reels made the games look like they were rigged.

In an effort to further cash in on slot machines, casinos and game manufacturers are keen on developing more variations of this popular game.