Online slot machines today look very different to the ones that first appeared online in the mid-1990s when the world’s first legally permitted online casinos started popping up.
Let’s dive straight in to take a closer look at exactly how those first online slots differ from the ones we can play today at thousands of fully licensed and regulated iGaming sites.
What did online slots used to look like in the 90s?
As you can probably imagine, when the first online slots became available at a handful of licensed casino sites, they were rather crude compared to today’s standards. They were simple 3 or 5-reel slots with rather basic graphics, and there were no animated sequences apart from a few flashing lights.
Companies like Cryptologic, Microgaming (which was acquired by Games Global in 2022) and IGT were among the first to develop online slots for the digital world.
In those early days, their gaming catalogues were rather limited, meaning players only had access to a handful of slots, which is nothing compared to the more than 4,000 slots available online today.
Also, new online slots were released far less often back then, and players could only look forward to perhaps one or two new slots per month if that. The sound effects were also rather basic, but players still found them extremely exciting because they didn’t know any different.
Also, the games were made to resemble traditional/classic mechanical slot machines and popular pub fruit machines of the time, with standard symbols like cherries, 7s, single/double/triple bars, bells, watermelons, etc. You can still find these iconic symbols in some of today’s slots, but most games have their own unique symbols.
Those old online slots could only be accessed from desktop computers and laptops, and to get the best experience and access to the full suite of games, players often had to install a casino download client onto their computer. Flash and Java casinos were even more basic than the HTML5 casinos today.
What do modern online slots look like?
Modern online slots at a leading online casino Unibet PL look amazing compared to those early slots and can be accessed from almost any modern smartphone, tablet, laptop, or desktop computer.
Over 100 online casino software providers and game development studios make online slots today, and around 30+ of these marketing-leading companies have won industry awards for their impressive games.
The best online slots today come with 3D-rendered graphics and animated sequences that have brought the games and characters to life, and they all have some epic sound effects and background audio that add to the experience.
Some online slots, such as the Jurassic Park slots from Games Global and Microgaming, even have Parallax scrolling effects in the background, which makes them look even more amazing.
Today’s slots also have more in-play features and thoroughly immersive second-screen bonus rounds for players to enjoy. The best bonus features take place away from the reels, and when the feature ends, you are returned to the reels to continue with normal play.
Free spins bonus features also come with additional features to help boost your winnings, such as Multiplier Wilds, Random Multipliers, Expanding Wild Symbols, Megaways, Stacked Wilds, Growing Wilds, and so much more.
Some of today’s best online slots worth checking out are from the following market-leading providers:
- Big Time Gaming
- Microgaming/Games Global (and around 15+ partner companies, such as Triple Edge Studios, Gameburger Studios, All41 Studios, Just for the Win Studios, and Fortune Factory Studios)
- Playtech
- Red Tiger Gaming
- NetEnt
- Pragmatic Play
- Yggdrasil Gaming
Other trusted providers with excellent slots, to name just a few, are Play’n GO, iSoftBet, ELK Studios, Thunderkick, Inspired Gaming, Light & Wonder/SG Digital, and IGT.
Final thoughts
Technological breakthroughs in computer programming and various other advances have allowed companies to develop more complex and visually stunning online slot machines.
Players can now enjoy thousands of slots with many styles, themes, bonus features, and other innovative game engines and mechanics. We truly have come a long way since those early slots of the mid-1990s.