Online Slots - Play Slot Machines for Free or Real Money

Old vs. New Slots

Land-based slot machines are vending cabinets found on casino floors all over the world and were the first form of slot games available to the public. The game revolves around multiple reels on a screen that spin to land various combinations. If you are lucky enough to land matching combinations of usually 3 or more icons over a demarcated payline, you will win back a cash prize in accordance with the wager you placed. It is usually a multiple of the wager placed per line.

The first slots machine’s reel rolls were triggered and rolled manually by analogue gearing systems. The ‘one arm bandit’ machines are a classic example of traditional slots, where a player would trigger the reel spin by pulling a lever on the side of the machine.

These analogue machines were eventually replaced by digital button-operated machines, where the reels could then be virtually rendered by way of computer-generated graphics. These graphics have been enhanced over the years to provide beautifully designed games with complex processing abilities and multiple special features. The online slot games are based on this form of video type virtual rendering and are made playable from your PC, laptop and even mobile device from online casino operators around the globe.

The processing abilities of modern computers and devices, coupled with the advancements in developing software, now make the most beautiful slot offerings available to you from the comfort of your own home, via multiple casino operators in the web-based sphere. Just a click of the mouse or a tap of the screen could see combinations unfold on the virtual reels before you to win you instant cash prizes.

'On the go' gaming with top online slots

Already having surpassed the popularity of standard online casino slot gaming, is the mobile casino game technology. Modern advancements in technology allow for convenient ‘on the go’ gambling fun where ever you might find yourself whether you are waiting in a cue or taking a flutter on your lunch break.

As long as you have a steady web connection, you can play a multitude of online slot games from your favourite device - mobile phone or tablet/iPad.

Tech talk

Nowadays, most online slot games can be played directly from your internet browser. All you will need to play on your desktop or laptop is a secure internet connection. There is no need for Adobe Flash Player to be installed on your device. Adobe blocked Flash content since January 2021.

If you want to play from your mobile device browser, most modern slots are created for in-browser play through advanced HTML5 technology, which makes gaming integration simple, accommodating seamless play from all modern touch phones, including those operating via Android and iOS operating systems.

Slot games have one of the highest house edges of all casino games, which means that you need to approach playing them for the fun of it and realise that you are on the backfoot the moment you take the first roll of the reels.

However, the fairness of such games is guaranteed by the use of Random Number Generators (RNG), which make sure that the games payout at random and are in no way rigged.

Slot types

The style of the machine and the themes offered differ dramatically. If you think this provides enough choice, think again, as there are many other things that set slots apart from each other:

Paylines – the number of paylines differs from slot to slot. Classic machines can offer as little as 1 payline, and modern slots can offer 10, 15, 20, 25, 50, 100, 243, or even 1024 different pay ways. The more lines there are, the more chance of winning, but it could also result in a more expensive round, as you often pay per line.

Volatility/Variance – Games can come with either low, medium or high variance, which is an indicator of how volatile a slot is. Low volatility means that wins remain quite constant, with smaller prizes. High volatility means there are long swings between wins. Here, you may wait longer for a string of wins, but when they come, they usually pay well.

The four more easily demarcated styles of online slots include:

1. Classic Slots

These are generally slots with lower reel numbers and offer far more simple gameplay, devoid of multiple bonus features (there are exceptions). One of the easiest ways to pick out a classic slot is to look at the reel symbols, as they often incorporate the classic traditional fruit symbols, accompanied by bells, bars, stars, and sevens. The sound effects are generally quite arcade-like and generic.

2. Video Slots

Video Slots embrace far more technical graphics and features. 3D Video slots render first-class quality visuals and are usually accompanied by better sound effects than those found in the classic slots. Bonus features, such as free spins, pick features and other bonus material usually accompanies top video slot ensembles.

3. Vegas Slots

These are usually slot games that mimic those found on land-based casino floors. Game studios, such as IGT, will often remake their most popular brick and mortar casino games for the online and mobile industry. These can range from famous fruity classic games to world-renowned video slots, like Buffalo De Luxe. Check out our list of the top Vegas slots online selected by our WOW team of slot players!

4. Progressive Jackpot Slots

These higher variance games usually have a network-wide accumulating jackpot attached to them. The jackpot progresses with each wager made on that game throughout the online slots casino network. Jackpot slots are extremely popular amongst players because of the extremely large jackpot wins that they can muster. A classic example of networked progressive slots is found in ‘Playtech Gaming’ and their progressive jackpot network incorporating all their MARVEL branded slot games.

These four slot styles are by far not the only styles of slot games available to online gamblers, but broadly outline the more popular types of games played. For an in-depth look at all of our slot games styles on offer have a close look at the list on this page.

Free Slots

CasinoWow has free slot gameplay on many of the hundreds of titles found online. Make sure that you test games and their volatility before spending your hard-earned cash on online slots. Please take a look at our list of slots in free play mode.