The Different Types of Online Slots
Online slots are digital versions of traditional slot machines found in casinos. They come in many forms — from simple 3-reel games to advanced video and 3D slots packed with bonus features.
Slots are by far the most popular option for most casino players. Simple to play and mostly requiring no knowledge or strategy, slots attract both inexperienced players and casino veterans alike, promising big potential rewards. All you need to win is a bit of luck by your side.
Each type offers a different experience, whether you’re chasing big jackpots or enjoying quick spins. In this guide, we’ll look at the popular slot types, how they work, and what makes each one unique. Whether you’re a beginner or seasoned player, there’s a slot style that fits your playstyle.
Table of Contents
Classic Slots
Although technology has come a long way from early days of casinos, there are still players who prefer simple, straightforward games.
If you belong to this group, classic slots will likely be just down your alley.
Featured at many online casinos, these games take after original slot machines. This means they usually have only three reels and a few paylines, without many special bonus features. To win at classic slots, you’ll simply want to line up three of the same symbol on a payline.
In terms of symbols, these games usually feature graphics such as cherries, oranges, lemons, watermelons, bells, 7s, etc. Because so many symbols in these games are actually fruits, classic slots are often called fruit machines or fruities.
With some of these classic slots, you’ll encounter some very simple bonus features and free spins as well but this is more of an exception than a rule. Simplicity is the main characteristic of these games.
Example of some of the more popular classic slots
| Slot | Provider | Reels | Key Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mega Joker | NetEnt | 3 | High RTP (~99%), retro fruit machine, Supermeter mode |
| Break da Bank | Microgaming | 3 | Classic vault theme, wild multipliers, fast gameplay |
| Double Diamond | IGT | 3 | Vegas-style slot, single payline, simple but iconic |
| Fire Joker | Play’n GO | 3 | Classic fruit symbols, re-spins, multiplier wheel |
Lucky Diamonds
Play’n GO is a modern slot developer that focuses on fresh games and novel ideas. However, they also have a few classic slots in their portfolio, including Lucky Diamonds. This game is as classic as it gets, with three reels and one payline, and sound effects that will take you back in times. Symbols featured on the reels include cherries, single, double, and triple bars, 7s, and, of course, diamonds. Lining up three diamonds on the payline will pay the 2,500-coin jackpot when playing on the max bet.
Multi-Payline Slots
As slot technology evolved, developers began adding more paylines to make games more exciting and increase winning chances. Early multi-payline slots often had just 9 lines, but that number quickly grew — first to 10, then 20, 25, and eventually up to 100 paylines in some games.
These paylines can take on complex patterns across the reels, giving players many ways to land winning combinations. In some slots, you can choose how many lines to play, while in others the number is fixed. This gives players more options and control over their bets and gameplay style.
Example of some popular Multi-line Slots
| Slot | Provider | Paylines | Key Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| Area Link Phoenix Firestorm | Greentube | 50 | Hold & Spin feature, free spins, fire-themed design |
| Legacy of Dead | Play’n GO | 10 | Expanding symbols, ancient Egypt theme, high volatility |
| Big Bass Splash | Pragmatic Play | 10 | Free spins, fishing bonus features, retriggers |
| Kong 3: Even Bigger Bonus | Blueprint Gaming | 20 | Branded slot, bonus wheel, stacked wilds, high-action gameplay |
Ways-to-win Slots
As online slots evolved, players began to expect more than just paylines. Traditional 3×5 slots were limited to about 100 paylines at most, so developers introduced a new system: ways-to-win.
In these slots, you no longer need to match symbols on fixed lines to win— As long as the same symbol appears on reels one after another, starting on the left, you win, no matter their position. This allowed for new formats, such as 243, 1024, or even 4096 ways to win, which quickly became a hit.
Developers continued to push boundaries by expanding reels and symbols. Then came Megaways™, which randomizes the number of symbols on each reel with every spin. A typical Megaways slot has 6 reels, each showing up to 7 symbols — allowing for up to 117,649 ways to win (7×7×7×7×7×7).
But it didn’t stop there. Today’s most popular slots use even more advanced mechanics like:
- Cluster Pays – wins form in symbol clusters, not lines.
- Scatter Pays – symbols pay anywhere on screen.
- Hold & Win / Money Collection – land cash symbols, hold them in a bonus game.
- Infinity Reels – new reels are added with each win.
- Tumbling / Cascading Reels – symbols fall and reset after every win.
These systems offer more action, bigger win potential, and a faster-paced experience, which is why modern mechanics are quickly overtaking classic paylines in popularity.
Modern Slot Win Systems
| Mechanic | How It Works | Popular Example | RTP / Volatility | Play |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 243+ Ways-to-Win | Win by matching symbols on adjacent reels from the left. No paylines. | Immortal Romance | 96.86% / High | Play Now |
| Megaways™ | Reel sizes change every spin, with up to 117,649 ways to win. | Bonanza | 96.00% / High | Play Now |
| Cluster Pays | Wins formed by groups of 5+ matching adjacent symbols. | Jammin’ Jars | 96.83% / High | Play Now |
| Scatter Pays | Symbols pay anywhere on screen regardless of reel position. | Sweet Bonanza | 96.51% / Medium-High | Play Now |
| Tumbling Reels | Winning symbols disappear; new ones fall into place for chain wins. | Gonzo’s Quest | 95.97% / Medium-High | Play Now |
| Money Collection | Cash-value symbols are locked in bonus rounds with respins. | Big Bass Splash | 96.71% / Medium | Play Now |
| Infinity Reels | Each win adds a reel and increases the multiplier. | Giza Infinity Reels | 96.45% / High | Play Now |
| Pay Anywhere | Symbols pay regardless of adjacency or reel position. | Fat Rabbit | 96.45% / Medium | Play Now |
| Link & Win | Matching symbols trigger hold-and-win jackpot bonus rounds. | Cash Falls | 96.20% / Medium | Play Now |
Immortal Romance
Microgaming was one of the early adopters of the new 243-ways technology and they created quite a few titles in this group. However, their Immortal Romance slot remains one of the most popular and sought after games. The game features a classic vampire theme and a bonus feature with several different choices that you get to unlock as you play.
Bonanza
Created by Big Time Gaming, Bonanza is one of the first slots to take advantage of the variable number of symbols on the reels, kicking off the sub-genre of megaways slots.
On any single spin, Bonanza can produce up to 117,649 ways to win, creating opportunities for some truly stunning wins. Add to this the bonus feature where the total win multiplier increases with every single win combination, and it is no surprise this quickly became one of the most popular slots of all times.
Bonus Slots (Video Slots)
The most popular games Bonus Slots, often categorized as video slots, make up a large group of games that offer special features as part of the gameplay.
Read more about all the different video slot machine features
A majority of modern slots are bonus slots, as most of them feature at least free spins that players can win by landing scatters or special bonus symbols. Some, however, go a step further and offer additional mini-games.
Slots with bonus features are particularly popular among players because they offer something to aim for. Often, you’ll want to play a particular slot until you manage to unlock the bonus because these games are usually capable of producing their biggest wins during the bonus.
| Slot | Provider | Bonus Features | RTP / Volatility | Play |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gates of Olympus Super Scatter | Pragmatic Play | Super scatter pays, free spins, multipliers up to 500x | 96.50% / High | Play Now |
| Pirots 3 | ELK Studios | Symbol collecting, upgrades, unlockable bonus levels | 94.00% / Medium | Play Now |
| Sweet Bonanza 1000 | Pragmatic Play | Scatter pays, tumbling reels, 1000x bonus multipliers | 96.03% / High | Play Now |
| Duck Hunters | PopOK Gaming | Free spins, sticky wilds, hunting-style bonus game | 95.90% / Medium | Play Now |
| Le Bandit | Hacksaw Gaming | Coin collection, multiplier chests, bonus buy options | 96.34% / High | Play Now |
Age of Asgard (A Fun game to play)
Age of Asgard is a rather unique and highly entertaining slot developed by Yggdrasil. It is, in our opinion, nearly as good as the best slots ever made.
The game features not one but two sets of reels that spin at the same time. This is another slot inspired by Norse mythology that promises a lot of fun.
Each set of reels can trigger the bonus, during which players are awarded 10 free spins and the grid expands to 5×6, creating more space for winning combinations.
A very cool feature is if five free spin symbols show up, it has a super free spin wheel, where you can win extra good free spins or cash prized on top of your free spins.
Legacy of Egypt (One of Our Favorite games)
Featuring the ever-popular ancient Egyptian theme, Legacy of Egypt by Play’n GO is a fun bonus slot with 30 paylines and familiar symbols such as scarabs, pharaohs, and famous Egyptian deities.
The bonus is triggered by landing three or more pyramid scatters and features a multiplier of up to 10x on all wins. Furthermore, during the bonus, pyramids act as wilds as well and you can win even more free spins with a fixed multiplier by landing two or more scatters in the bonus.
Legacy of Egypt is one of the best online slots out there.
Jackpot Slots
Not all jackpot slots are the same! Here’s a quick look at the different types and what makes each one exciting.
| Jackpot Type | Description | Popular Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Progressive Jackpot | Jackpot increases with every bet across a network or single slot until it's won. Can reach millions. | Mega Moolah, Mega Fortune, WowPot |
| Fixed Jackpot | A set prize amount that doesn’t change. Easier to hit but usually smaller than progressive jackpots. | Book of Atem WowPot (base jackpot), Fire Joker |
| Must Go Jackpot | Guaranteed to drop before a certain value is reached (e.g., must hit before €250). | Red Tiger Daily Drop Jackpots |
| Time-Based Jackpot | Jackpot must be won before a set time (e.g. once per hour, day, or week). | Red Tiger Hourly & Daily Drop |
| Multi-Level Jackpot | Includes multiple tiers of jackpots — e.g., Mini, Minor, Major, Mega — offering different prize levels. | Divine Fortune, Mercy of the Gods |
| Local Jackpot | Progressive jackpot specific to a single casino. Prize pool grows only from that site’s players. | Exclusive jackpots on 888casino, LeoVegas |
| Network Jackpot | Shared across multiple casinos. Much higher potential due to larger player base. | Mega Moolah, Hall of Gods |
| Triggered Jackpot | Randomly awarded — doesn’t require a specific symbol or combination to win. | Age of the Gods Jackpot, Jackpot King Series |
Progressive Jackpots
In the world of slots, progressive jackpot slot machines have a very special place. While most modern slots have a potential to produce pretty big wins in comparison to the stake per spin, only jackpot games are capable of paying out truly life-changing money. Odds of this happening are, of course, slim, but that doesn’t prevent players from trying their luck, especially when jackpots are high.
These days, there are many networked jackpot slots that share their progressive prizes with dozens or even hundreds of online casinos. So, with some of the most popular titles, it isn’t uncommon to see the jackpot reach seven or eight-figure amounts.
Different slots have different rules when it comes to winning the main progressive prize. Sometimes, you’ll be required to play the maximum stake to have a shot. Sometimes, however, everyone has a shot at winning millions, even if you were to play just $0.10 per spin. So, in theory, you could just deposit $10 and play a few spins and, with a lot of luck, could become a millionaire.
When you think about this, it is hardly a surprise that players flock to these machines. And the best part about it is – the more players decide to play, the bigger the jackpot gets, so it’s like a big snowball that just keeps on rolling until someone finally strikes gold.
Mega Fortune
Mega Fortune is one of the best-known progressive slots from NetEnt. Featuring a rich lifestyle theme with symbols such as expensive cars, boats, and champagne bottles, this game may be old but this doesn’t make it any less popular.
To have a shot at the Mega jackpot, you’ll need to land three Bonus symbols on a payline. When this happens, the mini-game is triggered with a jackpot wheel consisting of several circles. If you’re lucky enough to go all the way and get to the final, smallest circle, you’ll win the Mega jackpot, which regularly pays millions of dollars to players from all over the world.
Wheel of Wishes (New Slot With a Mega Jackpot)
Wheel of Wishes is a fresh video slot from Alchemy Gaming, a smaller independent studio that entered a partnership with Microgaming. Now, Microgaming is famous for its jackpot slots, especially Mega Moolah and Mega Moolah Isis. Wheel of Wishes is another exciting jackpot slots to add to the mix, with the minimum main jackpot amount of $2,000,000.
Named the Wowpot!, this jackpot can be won from the Bonus Wheel, which is quite similar to the wheel in Mega Moolah. Namely, once you trigger the Wheel, you’ll have a shot at winning one of four jackpots: Mini, Minor, Major and, of course, Wowpot!
3D Slots
If you are all about the gaming experience and enjoying your time playing then 3D slots are probably your cup of tea. Thanks to modern technologies, developers are able to create games that go beyond just flat reels on the screen and actually use 3D models to create a more immersive and enjoyable atmosphere.
These slots feature a variety of different themes and in-game mechanics, so you’ll be able to find a game you like. Often, they’re based on popular movies or TV shows, so many players are attracted by the familiarity of the title and enjoy the fact these slots feature short cut-scenes from the movies they love.
Thanks to modern technologies, 3D slots are available on desktop computers and mobile devices alike these days. With mobile phones being what they are these days, there are no obstacles to players enjoying the full gaming experience on the palm of their hand!
Fairy Tale
Enter the stunning world of magic and fairies with the Fairy Tale slot from Endorphina. Taking you high up into the clouds, this 20-payline game is all about the atmosphere. While the mechanics and bonus features are nothing to write home about, the 3D setting of this Endorphina’s game will quickly immerse you into the magical adventure you’ll remember.
Enchanted
Enchanted is just one of many 3D slots developed by Betsoft, a company that focuses primarily on developing 3D games. Opening the doors to the world of wizardry and mystical wins, Enchanted features impressive 3D animations to accompany every single win, with symbols popping off the screen and characters dancing and jumping on the reels. Add to this interactive 3D bonus features and this game will easily capture your attention even at the lowest stakes.
VR Slots
The latest type of slots to appear in the iGaming world are Virtual Reality or VR slots. These games are still quite young and there aren’t many of them around but they represent the logical next step in online gambling.
Like everything else VR, these slots aim to take player from a passive observer and bring them inside the game. Instead of sitting in front of your computer and clicking buttons, you’re actually able to enter the game’s world and interact with it from the inside.
While some believe that VR will never really pick up in the world of slots, there is no reason why this can’t happen. Developers will simply need to come up with ways to animate players and make it worth their while to get the gear that’s required to enjoy slots this way. And, if there is one thing that casino game creators are good at it’s coming up with new ideas to get players more involved.
Jack and the Beanstalk VR
Jack and the Beanstalk VR is a remake of NetEnt’s classic. NetEnt is one of the first companies to adopt the idea of VR slots and they’ve been doing a fine job at it thus far. Jack and the Beanstalk VR has a familiar theme and setting but features enhanced graphics and allows players to enter Jack’s world and join him on his magical adventures. The game is about much more than just spinning reels and hoping to win.
Miss Midas VR
Developed by NextGen, Miss Midas VR features the legendary tale of King Midas but with a great twist. The game focuses on beautiful Miss Midas instead and in its VR version allows players to experience the adventure in a much more personal way.
Final Words
If your new to online slots and are not sure which ones to play, it can be a good idea to try them first in free play mode.
If you want to start playing right away, you can find the best online slots below:
FAQ
Progressive jackpot slots technically offer the biggest potential payouts since the jackpots can reach millions of dollars. However, your chances of actually hitting those massive wins are incredibly slim – we’re talking lottery-level odds here.
For more realistic big wins, high volatility Megaways slots or modern video slots with features like multipliers and bonus rounds tend to pay the most on a regular basis.
From my experience, slots with RTPs above 96% and max wins of 5,000x or higher give you the best shot at significant payouts.
Definitely! Megaways slots can produce some absolutely massive real money wins, sometimes even bigger than traditional slots because of all those ways to win and the cascading features.
I’ve seen players hit 10,000x+ wins on games like Bonanza and Gates of Olympus. However, they’re usually high volatility, which means your wins might be less frequent but potentially much larger when they do hit. Just make sure your playing at a licensed casino with proper payouts.
From a mathematical standpoint, slots with higher RTPs (96%+ is ideal) and medium volatility are generally the “safest” because they give you better odds and more balanced gameplay.
Classic slots and branded games from reputable providers like NetEnt, Microgaming, or Pragmatic Play are usually your best bet.
Avoid slots with RTPs below 94% or anything from unknown developers. The most important thing though is playing at licensed, regulated casinos – the slot type doesn’t matter if the casino itself isn’t trustworthy!
