Slots are the most popular casino game. The basic rules of this game have not changed since 1899 when Charles Fay set up the first slot machine. A player bets and spins a set of reels with symbols. Each of these spinning reels stops at a random position. The player wins if the reels stop in a way that makes a line with the same symbols. The rarer the winning symbols, the higher the win amount. The win amount for each winning combination is defined in the pay table.
Today, the randomness of the reels, which were mechanically locked, has been replaced by random numbers generated by a computer, however the principles remain the same. These principles of randomness are honoured by all licensed game providers. The randomness of slots has several very interesting consequences, and it is important that all players understand these.
Most online slots continue to use reels to represent the outcome of each spin. Although the reels are processed by a computer, the mathematics of the game still have 3 to 5 sets of symbols (virtual reels) that stop at random positions.
Modern online slots have many new features that would not be possible with mechanical reels. Such as wild symbols, scatter symbols, free spins, bonus rounds and more.