In the USA, a player can play a slot machine by entering tokens, cash, or – in the latest devices – a paper ticket with a bar code. Then, the slot machine is operated using a lever, a key, or by pressing the touch screen located on the front side – in the machines of the latest versions. The game itself may suggest some skill on the part of the player, or it may not. In some cases, an illusory impression may be created that to participate in the game some skill is required, whereas in reality it is nothing but a game of chance. The goal of the game is to win money from the machine. Usually the game is based on the coincidence of characters – either on mechanical reels that stop after rotation, or on a video screen. These symbols are usually brightly colored and easily recognizable: images of fruits, simple shapes – bells, tambourines or worms.

In most games, there are a number of winning combinations of symbols, which are usually shown on the front panel of the machine. If a player drops one of these combinations, the slot machine gives the winner money, or a win in some other form, for example, provides him with additional free games.

In Las Vegas and Atlantic City casinos, decorated with mosaic panels, there is an abundance of a variety of slot machines, which, of course, are the dominant games of American casinos, in contrast to the gambling establishments of the old Europe, where the queen – roulette dominates. By the way, the web resource Roulettetactics.info will prove to you: to win at roulette in an online casino, you need an integrated approach and a combination of different game systems. But the famous Martingale system, which many perceive as “roulette”, can be successfully used in online sports betting.

One of the most popular types of slot machines is video poker, in which players hope to get a combination of symbols corresponding to a winning combination of cards – like in poker. You can’t remember that the very first slot machine was created in 1891 by Sittman and Pete on the basis of poker, the most popular gambling card game in the United States. There are a lot of video poker players: from standard five-card machines to “giants” in which you can play hundreds of hands at once.

More and more popular are 9-line slots. Usually, these are themed slot machines, with graphics and music based on popular films or television programs, such as, for example, The Adams Family, and bonus games. Most of them provide for the possibility of playing for a different number of credits, usually from 1 to 5 credits per line. The higher the bet, the higher the prize payout.

Of course, typical “one-armed bandits” are still in use – standard 3 – 5-reel slots of various types.

One of the main differences between video slots and reel slot machines is how wins are calculated. In a game on drum slot machines, the only way to win the maximum jackpot is to play for the maximum number of tokens (usually 3, sometimes 4, or even 5 tokens at a time). In video slots, fixed payout amounts are multiplied by the number of tokens that are put on the line. In other words, people playing on drum machines should bet the maximum number of tokens, and it is recommended to play on video slots on the maximum possible number of lines, but, from the point of view of calculating the prize payout, it makes no sense for the player to put more than one credit on each line. (It sometimes happens that when playing on a video slot it is required to put the maximum number of credits per spin in order to be among those who claim the maximum prize payout, but this is an exception to the rule.) Example: a player on a Wheel of Fortune drum machine must bet three tokens per spin in order to qualify for the bonus game with a probability of winning a jackpot. On the Wheel of Fortune video slot, the chances of a bonus game or maximum jackpot are completely independent of the number of tokens that a player places on each line.

Large casinos offer slot machines with rates ranging from $ 0.01 (the so-called penny slots – “penny machines”) to $ 100 or more for a loan. High-stakes slot machines are usually separated from the rest of the casino, often providing special service personnel to high-rollers playing here.

Slot machines used in casinos are becoming increasingly complex. Most of them provide players with the opportunity to receive winnings in credits that can be “spent” on additional games.

In recent years, new, so-called “multi-level” slot machines have appeared. Playing on such a machine, you can choose the dignity of each loan that you bet on from a whole list of possibilities. Based on the player’s choice, the slot machine automatically calculates the number of credits received by the player in exchange for the cash deposited, and shows the player the credits at his disposal. For example, a player may choose a bet level of one dollar on a 5-cent slot machine. This saves the player from the need to search for a specific slot machine with the desired bet level, he just needs to find the machine of the desired type and set such a bet on it.

Recently, casinos are increasingly taking advantage of the concept of “tokenization”: one token represents more opportunities than one credit. A casino can change the settings of slot machines with different bet levels so that they accept the same type of token. For example, all one-cent, five-cent, 25-cent and one-dollar slot machines can be configured to accept one-dollar tokens. This significantly reduces casino costs. The reconfigured slot machine automatically calculates the number of credits received by the player in exchange for the lowered token and shows it to the player. When a player decides to collect his credits and presses the corresponding button on the machine, the slot machine automatically calculates: it divides the number of credits on the counter by the value of one token and informs the client about the result. In this case, in the event of a balance, it can not be obtained, but you can only lose.