Advancements in Machine Gaming

Slot machines have truly come a long way, since the days of their mechanically-driven predecessors’ of the 19th century. Modern machines are electronic and controlled by a computer. Technology has helped to transform the user experience into something that you just couldn’t get with those old, coin-operated machines.

Random Number Generators

The computers inside of modern machines are constantly generating thousands of numbers per second – even when no one is playing on them. A program known as a Random Number Generator is at the heart of this function. As soon as the machine is powered on, this random number generator and the computer are working in unison, to perpetually generate a random string of numbers.

From Physical to Virtual Reels

The reels inside of slot machines used to be physical; they were literally rows of wheels notched with the symbols, or ‘stops’ as they are commonly known. Nowadays, the majority are high-tech gaming systems, that give a virtual representation of spinning wheels and stops on a high-resolution video screen. For the most part, it’s the same traditional feeling, except the user is now treated to video animation and sound effects that further enhance the experience.

Virtual reels offer a major advantage over their metal disk counterparts – bigger payout potential. This technology allows game designers to increase the amount of symbol combinations on each reel, that go far beyond what was capable in the past. Consequently, the odds of hitting the jackpot may be more difficult, depending on how many virtual stops are programmed into any given machine.

Evolution of Payment

There was a time when coin-operated slots were once the industry standard. You would still occasionally come across one in the 1980’s and maybe even the early 90’s. They have been replaced with machines that are not only capable of validating dollar bills, but they are also designed to read bar-coded payout tickets and detect counterfeit money. The fact that modern day slot machines print out a winning ticket, as opposed to shooting out a bunch coins, is a major improvement that tends to go overlooked at times.

Enter the Internet

Arguably, no technology has been more responsible for the massive improvement to the user experience, than the proliferation of the Internet. For example, progressive jackpots used to be confined to that one singular machine. Because of the internet and its connected networks, multiple games can now be linked to share a cumulative jackpot; this enables the possibility for huge jackpots that were not possible before networks existed.

And the best part about what the internet has done to change the game – online slot gaming. For fans of popular TV shows and movies, that is an added bonus that online gaming offers. Movie themed machine games are readily available for your enjoyment, as are popular TV show themed slot machine games.