Ever since they appeared in the late 19th Century, slot machines have been evolving. Back in the day, slot machines would have had a single payline and some rather simple symbols that would pay out. Now? We have online slots that boast thousands of potential paylines, features and more.
A book can easily be written on the evolution of slot mechanics. We’re not going to do that, though. Instead, we’ll give you a brief rundown on the evolution of technology from the 19th century to now (and the future).
Traditional Reels
Slot machines, as we know them, first appeared in 1895. Liberty Bell was the first game that could properly be referred to as a slot machine.
As you can imagine, back then slot machines were simple. They were mechanical reels with the traditional slot machine set-up. This means three reels and a single payline, something which many physical slot machines still have, as well as a few online slots that have the same setup, too.
Mechanical reels continued into the 1960s, when electromechanical slots appeared. The format of the game didn’t change all that much, though. Electromechanical slots still had single paylines and physical reels. However, these games also offered the ability to change the size of your bet, and some simple bonus payouts.
Video Slots
It was in the 1980s that we started to see a major change in the way in which slot machines worked. While physical slot machines would continue to dominate online casinos, there was a new contender on the block. This came in the form of video slots.
Rather than have physical reels, there would be a video screen with digital reels. This would allow games to have far better features, including:
– More than one payline
– Cool animations that would keep players engrossed in the game
– Unique features, including free spins
Many of the online slots that we play nowadays have taken inspiration from the earliest video slots. More powerful computers (and better programming) have made video slots better over time. If you head to a land-based casino nowadays, video slots will almost certainly dominate the casino floor.
Multi-Line Slot Machines
From here on out, the slot mechanics that we find will be an evolution of the video slot.
Back in the early 2000s, we started to see more slot machines that had a ton of unique payout options. This meant slot machines with more than 100 paylines.
These slot machines would also boast a far better experience than the older video slots. This included expanding symbol features, integrated mini games, more customisation over bet sizes, etc.
It is around this time that slot machines started to appear online. Most online slot machines still have these mechanics integrated —lots of paylines, and cool features to keep players enjoying the game.
Megaways
Back in 2016, the world of slot machines changed forever with the invention of the Megaways mechanic. Developed by Big Time Gaming, Megaways slots provide more than 100,000 different ways to win.
On every spin, the number of displayed symbols can change. This means that the number of paylines can change each time a person places a bet. Having more than 100,000 different paylines doesn’t necessarily mean a player will be winning more, but it does provide some unique winning combinations that slot machines before wouldn’t have offered. For example, older slot machines would have paid out if slot machine symbols were touching each other in a straight line. Megaways slots pay out in some unique combinations.
These Megaways slots also incorporated a few other cool slot machine mechanics that have been used in non-Megaways games, too. This includes cascading reels, where winning combinations disappear, allowing new symbols to fall into place, potentially creating more wins.
The Future of Slot Machines
Slot machines will continue to evolve. They have done so for well over a century now. Expect a lot of the innovation to happen on the paylines front, since every time an innovation has happened, there has been an increase in the number of potential winning paylines. Expect there to be different features incorporated into games, including free spins, bonus payouts and more. One area that we’ll see constantly improved upon will be cluster pays, which offer a unique payline option.
Don’t worry if you’re a fan of the more traditional slot machines, though. They’ll continue to exist! There are plenty of online slot machines that follow the typical one-payline style. Just don’t be afraid to enjoy a few of the more unique games, too. You might end up loving them a lot more.
