Online slots have been a popular part of the online gambling experience since the turn of the century, but the changing technology used has ensured that this casino game genre hasn’t stood still during that time. By looking at some of the latest features, we can see how the market is growing and evolving.
Linked Jackpots Cover a Network of Games
Progressive jackpot prizes have been an attention-grabbing part of the slot’s category for decades, but the latest changes have seen a greater variety of ways of playing for this type of win. Megabucks by IGT was the first jackpot slot to hit the mainstream, arriving in physical casinos in the mid-1980s. It introduced the idea of taking a small part of each stake and adding it to a growing prize fund that would eventually be triggered by a lucky player.
The list of Paddy’s new bingo games includes a variety of fresh online slots, including The Lost Boys Rapid Fire Jackpots and Anubis Rising Jackpot King. These games are both part of jackpot networks, where the top prizes are available on a series of games. The Rapid Fire Jackpots are typically smaller than Jackpot Kings prizes but are paid more regularly, with slots like The Goonies and King Kong Cash recently added to this network.
Area Link Replace the Classic Free Spins Round
While the free spins round has long been a big part of the overall slots experience, the Area Link bonus introduced on several newly released games has added an extra way of trying to earn the biggest prizes with the help of a set of free spins.
Area Link Phoenix by Light & Wonder includes the Area Link bonus, which has already been introduced in other games by the same slot creator. In this slot, the fireball symbol triggers three re-spins, with the fireball remaining in place during them. Different upgrades can be won during the feature, which has shown that the classic free spins bonus can be re-imagined to add extra appeal.
Bonus Features
As the slot category continues to grow and diversify, we can see new bonus features added. These are varied ways of triggering special prizes, helping to make new slots different from one another. The likes of Hold & Win, Link & Win, and Lucky Tap all provide unique ways of winning and are added to new themed slots based on traditional settings like Egypt or the Irish countryside and mythology as well as newer themes that have been introduced to attract new players.
These bonus features are built into games in addition to the classic slot format of gameplay explained by HowStuffWorks, where winning combinations of symbols land on a set of reels to trigger a prize payout. This means that the latest slot releases provide players with a familiar setup but extra added features. These changes have helped to keep the slots market fresh and varied, while ensuring that they retain the simple gameplay of the past. Expect to see more features introduced that make the genre more varied.