Read this oddschecker guide about all the slot types that exist. Claim exclusive offers and win at casino slots with no deposit bonuses or free spins no deposit!

Apr 13 2025, 6:09pm | 12 min read

Believe it or not, there are many different types of slots out there. Some let you play one coin at a time, others have progressive jackpots, and some of the best multiplier slots have interesting bonus rounds.

There’s a world of choice out there. So, in this guide, we’ll take you through the different types of slot machines you can play online and offline, and which specific games are worth looking out for.

Introduction to the different types of slot machines
What are the most popular slot machines?
Best online slots that you can’t miss out on 4. FAQs: Types of slots

5. Slot guide chapters

Introduction to the different types of slot machines

There’s one thing that most slot machine types have in common, and that’s the reel-spinning mechanic. Place a bet, and the game’s reels will spin – and if you get a line of matching symbols, you win a prize.

Of course, there’s more complexity to the different types of slots machines than just paying in and matching symbols. Even online, there has been a marked evolution in the types of video slots you can play on the go.

In this guide, we’ll take you through the most popular slot machine types and some of the newest slots on the block.

What are the most popular slot machines?

Some of the most popular types of slot machines are those that have been around for a long time. From our experience and research, these types of slots can be broken down into:

Single coin slot machines
Multiplier slot machines
Slot machines with flat top or progressive jackpots
Video slots
Slot machines with different number of reels

Let’s explore each of these in more detail.

Single coin slot machines

Single coin slot machines are traditional games that you normally see in arcades and some casino lounges. As the name suggests, these games let you play one coin at a time, and it’s normally a small amount. These machines are sometimes called ‘fruit machines’, and it’s these games that have inspired some of the biggest video slots you can see in online casinos.

Single coin slot machine games are a little less common now due to the rise of video slots and multiplier games. That said, they are still very popular! These traditional games usually have a button system, but the older models have pull levers. Single coin slot machines are popular with many casino fans. They’re symbols of a bygone age in gaming and gambling, and while slot gaming has evolved massively since their heyday, they’re still very fondly thought of.

Popular video slots that copy some of the simpler slot machine mechanics include Big Bass Bonanza, which has a few extra bonuses thrown in. Razor Shark is another modern slot game that uses old-school mechanics such as nudging.

For a game that borrows from traditional machine symbols but adds its own modern twist, take a look at Cash Eruption.

Multiplier slot machines

Multiplier slot machines, or multi-line slots, take the single coin concept to the next level. Most modern slot machines are multi-line – this usually means that there’s more than one simple line to match symbols on.

Multi-line slot machines give you a series of set paylines or patterns to land symbols in and win prizes. Traditional slot machines might have only one or two – but over the years, technology has advanced to allow players to match paylines on multiple lines at once.

It has grown to such an extent that some of the most popular online slots let you play on thousands of paylines. One of the most popular ranges of these video slots is Megaways – where games reset the number of lines you play on each time you spin. In some Megaways games, you can play on over 100,000 different paylines. Check this article to learn which are the top 5 Megaways slots to play at online casinos!

Multipliers in slot machines, meanwhile, let you boost the potential prizes you stand to win. Some slot multiplier features, for example, are activated when you land a specific symbol on the reels; or you might unlock them during a bonus round.

Regardless, multiplier slots and multi-line slots were a natural progression of traditional one-coin games. And, as you’ve probably seen, they’ve only progressed from there.

Some of the biggest multi-line games to appear in recent years include Dancing Drums, Almighty Buffalo and Bonanza. Popular games that offer money multiplier slot features include the popular Sugar Rush.

Slot machines with flat top or progressive jackpots

As slot machines and games have evolved over time, their prizes also have grown. Generally, you can expect slot machines with jackpot prizes to split into one of two categories: flat top and progressive.

Flat top jackpot slot machines have fixed prizes. This means that there’s always a top prize available to win, and the odds stay the same throughout a game’s lifetime. For example, a basic slot machine might have a flat top jackpot of $500, which stays the same regardless of who wins it.

Progressive jackpot games have popped up over the past few decades due to the rise of online slot gaming. These titles have large prizes, but they are shared between different casinos.

This means that anyone playing a progressive jackpot game at one casino will have the same chance of winning the same prize as someone playing at a different casino. These prize pots can grow to be worth millions of dollars.

Many progressive jackpot slot games have multiple prizes to win at any time. Some, for example, have four or five pots that players can trigger at any time.

Gold Blitz, Rich Little Piggies and Fortune Coin are great examples of slot games with multiple flat top prize pots. Some of the most popular progressive jackpot slots available include Sweet Bonanza and Divine Fortune.

Video slots

Video slots is a term used to describe games with no physical reels. The games you play at online casinos, for example, are video slots. You’ll also find some video slot games built into cabinets available at land casinos. However, there are no physical or mechanical fittings – it’s all programmed with code.

Video slots are the most popular types of slot games available in the modern age. They’re fast to load and are relatively easy to develop and manage. Maintenance is a thing of the past – it’s all in the code.

That said, there are plenty of video slots out there that take inspiration from the classic one-coin and physical slot games of old. These tend to have the same classic symbols, such as lucky sevens, fruit and liberty bells. You’ll know a traditional video slot when you see it.

Starburst is one of the most recognizable video slots to have emerged in the past few years. Popular in-person video slots include games that form part of the Ultimate Fire Link range. Double Diamond is a great example of a physical game that has made a big leap online.

Slot machines with different number of reels

Traditional slot machines have three reels and a few rows on which you can spin symbols into view. However, as time has progressed, slot games have become more advanced, and therefore have expanded to allow room for more symbols and features.

It’s not unheard of to find slot games online and in land casinos, for example, that have five or six reels. In the slot machine glossary, a reel is a vertical column – the more reels you play on, the more paylines you have, and the more winning combinations you can make.

However, it doesn’t always follow that you will stand to win more on these games. Your odds of winning will also certainly vary.

Online slot games with multiple lines and paylines include Hypernova Megaways and Immortal Romance. You’ll also find super-creative games that go against the grain, such as Reactoonz, at real-money casinos.

New types of slots

It’s easy to assume that video slots have evolved as far as they can – but you’d be wrong! Slots studios and developers are always finding new ways to innovate with the format.

Some of the most popular slot game types taking off right now include:

Progressive sweep slots
Crash casino games
Slingo games
VR slots
Bonus buy slots

Let’s check out each of these types in turn.

Progressive sweep slots

Progressive sweep slots are similar to progressive jackpot games, though there is one key difference: sweeps games and social casinos don’t require real money to play!

This means that when you play progressive sweep slots, you enter prize draws with digital tokens. Every time you play, you get a chance to win a progressive non-cash prize, such as online vouchers.

For many states in the US where playing casino games online for real money is illegal, progressive sweeps allow people to explore slots for free. Sweeps casinos also have lots of other games to explore.

Crash casino games

Crash casino games aren’t traditional slots. These games let you decide when to walk away before a ‘crash’ happens – for example, in the popular Aviator game, your bet total increases for as long as a plane flies. If you don’t cash out before the plane stops, you lose your bet.

These games are popular because many people enjoy the tension. These games started gaining popularity a few years ago and are now a common sight across top casinos in the US and beyond.

Slingo games

Slingo games take the mechanics behind both slots and bingo games and merge them together. In Slingo, you get a set number of plays per bet, and up to five numbers and symbols are revealed per play.

To win prizes in Slingo games, you need to make winning lines as you’d expect in traditional bingo. However, if you don’t win on one particular bet, you can choose to play again and keep spinning on the same grid.

VR slots

Yes, virtual reality is here, and for many casino-goers online, this means that it’s possible to get the real casino experience from home.

VR slots are somewhat rare at the moment because the technology is still fairly niche and in its early stages. However, popular VR slot games allow players to experience video slot action with added sound and ambience as if they’re in a real casino.

VR players can even interact directly with the slots in some cases – meaning that it’s possible for you to pull levers and push buttons to interact with the games. There are also some online casino table games you can interact with in VR.

Live dealer games and casino game shows are the forerunners of VR slots and are widely available.

Although VR slots might not be commonplace right now, as the metaverse continues to expand, these games are likely to start becoming more popular. It might be worth investing in a VR headset to take advantage!

Bonus buy slots

Bonus buy slots let players skip the waiting to get to a video slot’s bonus feature. They can simply tap or click a button that lets them ‘buy’ the bonus, meaning that they launch the feature right away at any time.

Bonus buy slots aren’t legal in all territories, so make sure to check the laws based on where you’re playing from. Some players like playing bonus buy games because they don’t want to wait around for the feature to spring up. However, other players feel that waiting for the feature to unlock is part of the experience.

Some popular games in which you can buy the bonus include Gates of Olympus, Big Bass Splash and Wanted Dead Or A Wild.

Best Online Slots that you can’t miss out on

Now that we’ve run through some of the best slot types available online, let’s break down some specific games you can explore right now.

Book of Dead: Join Rich Wilde on the adventure of a lifetime. This treasure-hunting slot game from Play’n GO offers a max win of 5,000x your bet, and a free spins bonus round to unlock as you explore ancient temples.
Wolf Gold: Pragmatic Play’s iconic 5x3 reel slot game serves up free spins, in-game respins and a fantastic Wild West aesthetic. The top prize is worth 2,500x your bet.
Buffalo Blitz: This slot stampede from Pragmatic Play gives you up to 4,096 ways to win. Look out for free spins in the main bonus round and occasional Wild Diamond multipliers.
Da Vinci Diamonds: One of the most iconic video slots of all time, Da Vinci Diamonds grants players a maximum of 5,000x their bet with a free spins round. It’s a straightforward game that has found plenty of fans over the years.
9 Masks of Fire: This fiery slot game based on traditional slot mechanics has a building prize wall that increases as you find hidden masks in the reels.

FAQs: Types of slots

Let’s close with some frequently asked questions and answers about types of slot machines and what they do.

What type of slot machines pay the most?

Jackpot games such as progressive slots have the most substantial prizes on average. However, there are no specific types of slot games that pay more than any other.

What kind of slot machines do casinos have?

Online and offline casinos usually have a range of video slot games, bonus buy games and progressive jackpots. You might also find some physical single coin games at land casinos.

What is the difference between slot machines?

There’s a lot that separates different slot machines. For example, some games have several paylines and reels. Traditional games, meanwhile, only have one payline and three reels. Other games might have bonus rounds and bonus buy features.

Which slots are best? Single coin or multiplier slots?

This all depends on your taste in games and how you like to play. Many people prefer the simplicity of single coin games, and the fact that they are low risk. Multiplier and multi-line slots, meanwhile, tend to offer more substantial prizes and more bonus opportunities.