Basically speaking, slot machines are understood to include both cash gaming machines and amusement machines. This means that not only classic slot machines such as Book of Dead or Starburst belong to the category of slot games, but also machines without the possibility of winning money, such as pinball machines or arcade machines.
In casinos, the Slot machine game is often referred to as the "small game". The "big game", on the other hand, is a classic game of chance such as Blackjack or roulette. A characteristic feature of the slot machine game is the fact that the outcome of the game cannot be influenced by the players, as a random generator decides when a win will occur. Thus, slot machine games offer absolutely no control, but are exclusively dependent on chance.
Among other things, slot games are characterized by high speeds in the game sequence. A pleasant atmosphere as well as entertaining sound and light effects also increase the thrill while playing. Compared to other types of gambling, slot machine games therefore have a high Risk of addiction.
Usually, slot machine games display various winning symbols on reels. As soon as several symbols are displayed on a specified payline, the gambler has earned a win. The so-called Paytable shows which symbol combinations result in which win.
In most online casinos and online gaming arcades, users can test the slot games for free and without risk in play money mode, sometimes even without prior registration. This possibility does not exist in stationary arcades or casinos.