Slot machines Online at VeraJohn
Slot machines are fun, easy to learn and come in many different variations and configurations – it’s not hard to understand why they are so popular and that is why we have chosen to include a wide and wonderful array of slots among our game selection here at Vera&John online Casino.
Join us for a look back at the history of slots in general and casino slots in particular. We’ll follow that walk down memory lane with a look at some of the most popular types of slots available today, including Jackpot slots, Pachislots, and Slingo. Finally, we’ll be sure to include a few links to some of our most popular slots for you to find your new favourite game!
A brief history of Casino Slots
The first slot machine was invented in the 19th century, but it was not until 1963 that the first electric slot machine, called “Money Honey”, was released by Bally Technologies. It took another 23 years before the first video slot machine was introduced to the market.
Have you ever wondered who invented the slot machine? The man behind the first ever fully automatic slot machine was a mechanic by the name of Charles Fey who tinkered with the one-armed bandit, Liberty Bell, in San Francisco during the late 1880s.
A lot of water has flowed under a lot of bridges since then and although the slot machines of today are reminiscent of the Liberty Bell in appearance, they differ in one very important aspect – the top prizes are so very much higher than the ten 5 cent coins that Fey’s machine paid out!
Slot machines were banned in most US states in the early 20th century, but lucky for us our history does not stop there. Instead, they were disguised as vending machines dispensing candy and bubble gum. Symbols on the reels were changed from the suits of playing cards to various fruit themes. Hence why even today we still sometimes call slots ‘Fruit machines.’
Know the Difference Between Online Casino Video Slots and Slot Machines
Classic slot machines are as famous as betting it all on red in Vegas. Picture the ladies sitting there with their coin cups, feeding quarters into the slot machines. Our slots aren’t as mechanical as the live ones, but we can offer you that same feeling, all in the comfort of your own home.
The difference between slots and video slots is that these days slots are a bit old-school. You can find easy-to-use classic slots such as Joker’s Jewels and Fire Joker in our slot game area. Did you know that slots are known as Pokies and online Pokies? They really are!
In contrast with the ‘Pokies’, Video slots – as the name suggests – hold an additional layer of glitz and glamour over the regular old online slot. In general, video slots come with added extras, like elaborate bonus rounds, and whole new sets of features that only unlock at certain stages of play. The truth is, these days most slots come packed full of fun features, and there are more differences to be found by looking at the genre of slot than at any broad category.
What other kinds of slot are there?
Let’s take a closer look at Jackpot slots, Megaways slots, Slingo and Pachislots. These are just a few of the fun new ways to experience slots online.
Jackpot slots
Jackpot slots aren’t much different from regular slots, with one exception. With normal slots, you have to bet big to win big. But when you play a jackpot slot, there’s always the chance your next bet might hit the jackpot and land a massive payout all in one spin!
There are any different kinds of Jackpot slots, for instance: fixed jackpots and progressive jackpots. Fixed jackpots are exactly like the name sounds, they come with a pre-set jackpot (often more than one!) and that’s the most you can win on that machine, regardless of how many players pay into it. Progressive jackpots build up over time, so if you play $1 on Mega Moolah, for example, a portion of your wager will go towards topping up the jackpot. Progressive jackpots don’t have an upper limit, so they can reach really big numbers.
Some jackpot slots for you to try include: Rise of Atlantis Jackpot King and Money Train Origins Dream Drop
Megaways
Megaways slots are a hugely popular brand of slot games featuring an innovative mechanic. Much as the number of paylines in 5-reel slots was seen as a massive advancement over traditional 3-reel slots, Megaways slots represent a quantum leap beyond that. While 5-reel slots can have anywhere from 5 or 10 or 15 paylines all the way up to 100 or so, Megaways slots can boast anywhere from 243 to several hundred thousand different ways to win.
How it works differs from one Megaways slot to the next. Some slots have a set of mini-reels that combine with the main reels in interesting ways. Others experiment with variable symbol sizes so that paylines can vary widely between spins. Megaways slots tend to be a bit swingy and quite volatile as a result.
Some Megaways slots for you to try include: The Dog House Megaways and Extra Chilli Megaways
Slingo
If you’ve ever wanted to mingle a bit of bingo in with your slots, then Slingo is the game you have been looking for. Slingo is the ultimate admixture of bingo and slots, and like most mix-ups, it ends up being a little bit bigger than both. Bingo, if you’ve never played it before (online or otherwise) is played on a bingo card, which is a card with numbers printed on it. A bingo caller reads out numbers as they randomly drop and the first to fill up their card gets to yell “Full House!” and wins a prize.
Like its big brother, Slingo is played on a card of approximately 25 numbered squares. The game generates a sequence of random numbers and checks them off on your card as you play. Whenever you complete a line, you advance one step up the reward ladder (with rewards based on your bet level), and if you fill the whole card, you’ll score a big prize.
That’s where the similarity ends, however, because instead of revealing one number at a time, Slingo’s random numbers are revealed five at a time with the spin of a reel, along with occasional wild cards and feature symbols for good measure. Wild cards allow you to fill a random number on the row where it appeared on the reel, and feature symbols act in different ways depending on the game. Some give you the chance to trigger a bonus round, while others grant you one or more free spins. Also, when your spins run out (depending on the game you’ll only get 10, or 20) you have the option to carry on by buying additional spins at a price that varies depending on your stake and how much of your card you’ve already filled in.
Which is all to say that Slingo is great fun. If you’re still on the fence, give one of these games a try: Slingo Money Train and Tutan’s Treasure
Pachislots
Have you played Pachinko? It’s a unique game that’s a combination of pinball, electronic arcade games, and occupies a niche filled by traditional slot machines in the west. Pachislots were created to emulate the look and feel of traditional Pachinko games – to provide a sense of the excitement and anticipation that playing pachinko provokes in a player.
Pachislots are a unique blend of genres, and really have to be played for you to understand them. If you’re feeling a bit lost, check out how-to guide to playing pachislots.
Try some of our favourite pachislots: moon princess 100 and Hawaiian Dream Jackpot
There’s such a huge variety of slot machines that it’s hard to do justice to them on a page like this one. Our recommendation to you is to scroll through the slots on our home page and pick a game that looks like the most fun and give it a shot!
