Classic vs Video slots – Comparing the old and new slot styles

Slot machines have been a casino staple for over a century. The classic mechanical slots with their spinning reels and limited symbols dominated casinos for decades. But in the 1990s, slot play was revolutionized by the advent of video slots. These soon eclipsed their predecessors in popularity.

Look and feel

Classic slots consist of physical reels that spin and stop to display symbols. Their look is instantly recognizable – large, colorful reels with the lever on the side to activate spins. Fruits, bars, bells, and stars are the most common symbols. Coins cascade into the tray when you hit a winning combination. Video slots show spinning reels on a screen. Instead of a lever, buttons activate the spins. The reels spin vertically like classic slots, but video slots offer advanced 3D graphics, animations, and sound effects. Symbols are anything from traditional fruits to popular movie and TV characters. The credit meter is used instead of coins to track payouts. Video slots offer a more immersive audiovisual experience and their symbols have wider pop culture appeal. But some appreciate the nostalgic charm of classics.

Number of paylines 

Classic slots have a single horizontal payline across the center of the reels. You win by lining up matching symbols on this line. Their simplicity makes classic slots easy to play for slot newcomers. There are many paylines in video slots – some games have more than 100. This gives players more opportunities to win. Payline configurations go in all directions – horizontal, vertical, diagonal, and zig-zag. Video slots with lots of paylines and wild symbols hit payouts quite frequently. But their multiple paylines sometimes be confusing, especially when you are required to bet on all lines. With classic slots, you simply bet on that single payline.

Reel size and number of symbols

The mechanical reels in classic slots limit their size to just a few positions per reel. A common setup is 3 rows and 3 symbols per row, for 9 total symbols. It restricts the game’s math possibilities. Video reels are essentially unlimited in size. Popular sizes include 5 rows and 4 symbols per row, for 20 total symbols. Some games even have 7, 8, or 9 rows of symbols! More positions equal more symbol combinations and a bigger payout ceiling. Plus, with their limited reel size, classic slots top out at 10-20 potential symbols. Common classic symbols number 7-9. เว็บตรงอันดับ 1 ของโลก have hundreds of potential symbols, including special symbols like scatters and wilds absent in classics.

Bet sizes and denominations

Classic slot bets are restricted to one coin per spin, though the coin value may vary from casino to casino. A typical classic slot takes quarters, meaning bets range from $0.25 to $1 per spin. Their simple single line makes this betting structure possible. Video slots allow multi-credit bets to activate multiple paylines. It’s common to bet 10, 20, 30+ credits per spin. Coin sizes start at just a penny, making minimum bets of just $0.10 or $0.20 on penny slots. Video slots with high limits allow bets up to $500.