Online slots can sound like almost totally different creatures, but in truth they're really all sticking to basically the same basic rules that made slots machines so popular in the first place. Slots are simple to understand: balls spin round until the cue ball spins off course and lands into a slot. The best a player can do is hope that a ball falls into a slot where it will hopefully drop down and be picked up by an anchor. If the ball doesn't fall into a slot, then the slot reel may start spinning and the player will lose all their money. If the ball does fall into a slot and an anchor is picked up, the game is called a full house and the bet will not count because it was a spin, not a pull.
The traditional rules of slots continue to apply to online slots, with the main difference being that online slots use what are known as paylines. Paylines make it easy to tell at a glance how much someone is spending on a particular game. When you first hear the words "payline" you may think that this is some sort of new form of gambling, but it's actually a standard feature of most casinos. Paylines are used to determine the amount of winnings that a player is realistically entitled to; they keep people from getting too carried away and gambling more than they can afford to.
There are three main types of online slots to play, traditional slots, progressive slots and mega spin slots. Traditional slots are the least complicated, with a basic design consisting of four horizontal bars, two vertical bars and a center "arrow" to tell when to stop so that you don't overspend. Your earnings limit is set by the parable, the higher the pay table, the lower your limit. Standard progressive slots work in the same way, with a continuous progression of reels based on the initial spin.
Mega slots, on the other hand, have a much faster action than traditional slots, as you're spinning many reels at once. In a traditional slot machine, the reels move one after another, making it impossible to know where the next reel will stop. With mega slots you pull one, push a button to stop it and wind it up again. This gives the gamer the impression that many more reels are spinning at once, leading to an increased chance of hitting a jackpot. Mega slots are usually paired with a "progressive slot" in an effort to provide even greater excitement. In order to win big jackpots in progressive slots, you generally need to play longer.
Slots that utilize bonus codes or payouts of lotto-style numbers are essentially pay-to-play slots. The basic mechanics of how these games work involves paying a fee and then hoping that you hit a symbol (usually a number) that will let you win a prize. Payouts for these types of slots are typically made weekly or monthly, and some offer progressive spins as well.
In terms of graphics and sound, both options are excellent. Online slots can be colorful and have great sound effects, while playable versions are often simple affairs but still provide a good degree of satisfaction. If you're deciding between the two, remember that portable slots usually have better payouts than their online-only cousins. As with any online slot machine game, you should always read the terms and conditions before starting to play.