In this day and age, online casino games attract players from every corner of the world, and UK casino fans haven’t been immune to their alluring nature either. Out of the many game types played for decades, including the modern online live casino games, online slots have stood out as a fun and straightforward pastime anyone can enjoy.
To understand the irresistible appeal of online slot games, we went back to analyse their history and looked for some answers to how these popular games work.
How to Play UK Online Slots
Playing slots is easy, but you must take a few steps before you start spinning the reels. This is the first set of tasks every player must complete:
- Do thorough research and find the right site, such as the Prime Slots UK site or another live casino UK platform.
- Visit the chosen site and open an account by completing the sign-up form.
- If required, verify your account and deposit money as soon as you log in. Also, check whether the casino offers a bonus and make sure you qualify for one.
Now that you’re all set, you can move on to actually playing your favourite slots. Here’s what you need to do:
- Visit the casino’s game library and open the slot games section.
- Explore the game catalogue to pick an exciting title or look up a specific one using the search tool.
- Click on the game and wait until it loads.
- Choose the amount you wish to wager per spin and hit the Spin button. Repeat this last step as many times as you like.
History of the Slot Machine
The first slot machine was developed in 1891 by Sittman and Pitt in Brooklyn. Unlike most modern slots, this machine was poker-based and contained 50 cards arranged in five drums. Once a player inserted a nickel into the machine and pulled a lever, the drums would start spinning together with the cards they held, and the goal was to get the best possible poker hand as the drums came to a halt.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the country, Charles Fey of San Francisco developed a slot machine that later served as the blueprint for slots as we know them today. He developed a device with three spinning reels carrying five symbols: diamonds, horseshoes, hearts, spades, and Liberty Bells, which became the machine’s name. This game also had an automatic pay mechanism, and the payout was based on the symbols’ value.
Even though San Francisco banned slot machines within a few years of their initial release, they were in demand, thanks to venues in other states that could still offer this type of gaming. Soon after, other manufacturers started producing slot machines and copied the Liberty Bell model, after which they started adding fruit symbols to the reels.
Then, in 1963, Bally designed the first electromechanical slot, which replaced the classic slot machine. It was named Money Honey and used until 1976, when Fortune Coin Company manufactured the first video slot. The symbols of this game, also called Fortune Coin, were displayed on a Sony TV, and players got a chance to play in the Hilton Hotel on the Las Vegas Strip.
Two years after the game’s release, IGT bought Fortune Coin Co. and started working on similar projects, thus planting the seed for online gambling in the 21st century. As technology advanced, so did the online gambling industry, and many new companies started creating online slots. Today, not only can we access slot games online, but we can also do it on the move thanks to the development of mobile gaming available through our smartphones and tablets.
Different Types of Slot Games
After online slot games became an integral part of online casinos worldwide, game developers had to come up with innovations to stay competitive. This resulted in the creation of different types of slots, such as:
- Classic slots
- Video slots
- Multi-paylines slots
- Bonus slots
- Progressive jackpot slots
- Megaways
- 3D slots
All of these slot games target different types of players, and each category is regularly expanded with new titles from various software providers. For instance, old-school casino fans stick to classic slot games, while younger players prefer video slots. Those looking for advanced audio-visual effects will be best off with 3D slots, while high rollers typically aren’t satisfied with anything less than progressive jackpots or Megaways.
In other words, the options are numerous, and you won’t have trouble finding what you like as soon as you join any well-respected UK slots site.