From the Mechanical to the Video Slot

by Staff & Contributors on July 13, 2020

in Gaming

Slot machines are one of the most popular casino games ever invented.They are completely random, which means no amount of skill is needed. This only contributes to the popularity of the game.

The original mechanical slot machine looked a lot different than the video slots we are used to. Not only that but it also worked differently. But how exactly does a mechanical slot differ from a video slot at Stor Bonus?

Keep on reading to find out how the mechanical slot evolved into a video slot.

The Original Mechanical Slot

When thinking of a slot machine, the image that comes to mind almost immediately is of a big and bulky casino game with a lever on one side. This is exactly what the earliest slot machines looked like.

Unlike modern video slots, the original mechanical slots were completely mechanical. These very first mechanical slots usually featured three reels. To set the reels in motion players had to insert a coin and pull the lever. The reels would stop on symbols, and if it was a winning combination, players would get paid out. Payouts were triggered by metal pins inside the machine and differed depending on the symbol combination.

Modern Video Slots

Slots as we know them today are played on video screens, hence the title video slots. Unlike mechanical slots, which can only be played in brick and mortar casinos, video slots can be played both online as well as in traditional brick and mortar casinos.

Video slots are most popular because of their ease of accessibility. No matter where in the world you find yourself, you will have access to an online video slot.

They are powered entirely by software. Instead of a lever you have a spin button or a touch screen button. Once the random number sequence has been generated, the software tells the game which symbols to display on the “reels”.

Technologically Advanced Mechanical Slots

To this day, many slot players prefer to play mechanical slots. Due to the continuing popularity of mechanical slots, some casinos do still have them on the floor. However, modern mechanical slots are not the same as the original mechanical slot. In fact, it shares a few characteristics with video slots. One of these is the fact that they are powered by software, just like video slots.

While the modern mechanical slots still have their reels. It does not work in exactly the same way as the classic mechanical slots. With classic mechanical slots the amount of symbols of the reels corresponded to a payout. However, this is not the case with modern mechanical slots. Instead the symbols are portrayed onto virtual reels, and a random number generator (software) means that the real game is being played internally on the game’s software, not mechanically.

Conclusion

Despite the fact that we have come a long way since the development of the mechanical slot, many player still prefer it to this day. However, some changes have been made along the way which lead to mechanical slots sharing many characteristics with video slots.

 

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