When you log into any online casino, you can’t help but to take for granted the fantastic symphony of a flawless UX experience and UI design. However, you can’t help but to notice the incredible catalog of slot games that seem to grow each time. That’s not a coincidence. Emerging iGaming technology continues to fuel the meteoric evolution of slot games. From the humble three-reel origins to today’s massive six-reel wonders, this article takes on the journey of the slot game evolution in online casinos.
The Rise of Online Slots
When online casinos first became legal and went online in the mid-90s, the foundation of the game library where the three-reel slots. These early digital pioneers were the digital replications of the traditional three-reel slots that you find in the heart of retail casino lobbies. However, it didn’t take long for the early slot game developers like NetEnt and Microgaming to begin evolving the online slot game experience in these ways:
- Diverse Themes: It doesn’t take long to get bored with the formulaic three-reel slot with a crank and only one pay line. The early game developers like Playtech began developing themes. The variety of themes continues to be the benchmark of today’s top online slots games.
- More Reels and Pay Lines: There’s no question that the centerpiece of the slot game evolution was expanding the reels and pay lines. Even the three-reel games that exist today have more than one pay line to entice members to play. The biggest leap came from gradually adding more pay lines. By having between 10 to 20 new pay lines, slot players can experience bigger payout potential, as well as exert more control in the game-playing process.
- Bonuses: The first wave of slot games was noticeably devoid of bonuses. At best, you might have a free spin round. However, with improved technology came the rise and improvement of bonus play. The free spins continue to become more complex. The re-spins continue to evolve into hold-and-win and hold-and-spin features.
The beauty of the evolution of slots is that each game developer adds a unique wrinkle to the formula. This allows players to compare the different slots from older generations to determine classic games from the rest. As part of that evolution, even the older generation of online slots that are fan favorites are re-tooled our have new variants to celebrate them.
The Evolution of the Jackpots and Megaways
Of all the impressive evolutions of slots, the jackpots and the megaways aspects continue to shine bright. NetEnt started the ball rolling in 2012 with the release of Gonzo’s Quest. Microgaming ushered in the modern-day progressive slot experience in 1998.
- Jackpots: With the birth of progressive slots in the late 90s, the evolution of the jackpot reached the crescendo with multi-million dollar jackpots like Mega Moolah. The evolution even has the same game with multiple progressive jackpots, all of which can hit playing the same game.
- Megaways: Gonzo’s Quest pioneered the path with the avalanche feature. With the rise of Pragmatic Play, the next generation of online slots evolved into the megaways feature, where the reels can expand to well over 100k.
The megaways feature continues to evolve even more. Other popular subsets include the tumble reels, which operate in a similar matter, but also increase the winning multiplier in addition to expanding the reels.
The Future of Online Slots
With much-improved technology, the leading slot game developers continue to use AI tools to provide more personalized slot game experiences. Also, AI tools are used to fast-track the development of new slot variants based on what members prefer. The usage of augmented reality also continues to enhance the current slot experience even more. With augmented reality, slot lovers are not becoming part of the game experience itself.
