Slot machines were invented over a hundred years ago, gradually featuring more intricate mechanisms, flashy looks, and compelling play options, but it was the net that took online slots to a completely new level. How have slot games changed because they entered cyberspace, why were those innovations required, and what other changes can players and casino owners expect?

Online slot games made their debut nearly a hundred years after the original Liberty Bell slot that started all of it. At first those web slots were the clones of Las Vegas slots. The creators of the very first web slots were so resolved to maintain the original format and feel that they practically copy-pasted the boxy look to our display screen. The pragmatic design limitations produced from mechanical necessity of non-virtual casino slots surpassingly impinged on the artistic freedom and flair that web design tools could have provided for anyone pioneering slots online.

Granted, perhaps too ingenious designs might have alienated the traditional players, however it's bold creative approach that sets internet casinos far apart from land based casinos on the subject of slot machines. After a somewhat dull start it seemed that casino designers were ready to march the new market of players to the twenty first century. The one-arm bandit lost its famous limb for stylized buttons as well as the traditional box frame made way for interesting 3D settings with unconventional inventions. Examples of exciting slots that demonstrate what it means to think outside the box are CasinoLux.com's funny Eureka! designed as a mad scientist's lab or the picturesque Faerie Tale slot themed as a magical forest where the symbols burst out of petals in charming animation. More good online slot examples can be found at Money-Casino.com for example the nostalgic Drive In Slots where the symbols are projected on movie screens, or perhaps the horror film inspired Haunted Slots set in a grim cemetery and rising specters from the grave instead of spinning the old fruit reels.

A designer with a more traditional approach may wonder what's so great about slot games that at a first glance don't look like slots at all? Well, the human eye is hungry for surprise and novelty. That is how it was back in 1895 when the first slot was the very last scream, and it is the same now. So how can we expect the twenty first century player - so comfortable with fast computer games and constantly bombarded with fascinating visual stimulation- to be satisfied with the old routine? The internet had injected new blood to the area - it created the largest market ever by reaching individuals that never had access to land based casinos before. On the contrary, you will discover so many online casinos available. Table games can not be visually modified too much, and thus look quite similar within different casino softwares. Imaginative slots will keep a casino remembered. Fresh look and approach are worth a thousand banner advertisements.

The visuals must accompany profitable rewards. Twenty first century slot games, or video slots as they are sometimes called to distinguish them from classic slots, sport an extraordinary variety of bonus features that leave the monotony of their ancestors light years behind: in addition to wild symbols and scatter pay, computer technology enables to generate games within games, double-your-win bets, bonus rounds, and a lot more. Variation options will be practically infinite, and the visual effect combined with play experience is astonishing.

Other than superior visuals and engaging play features the thing which make online slot games better than land based casino slot machines is the fact that they offer the ability to play for practice at the comfort of the player's home - free slots allow players to study the slot machine of their choice and see for themselves if it's loose or tight. A big selection of slots, or fruit machines as the British call them, guarantees longer play time as players are often eager to try out the different games and designs, always trying to find innovative ideas.

A reliable indicator to the growing popularity of online slots among old-timers and novice gamers alike is the fact that the computerization of slots has also spurred the development of niche literature. The players preoccupation with slots is evident from numerous Google searches for slots rules and basic online slots guides as may be found at the increasing range of best-selling gambling strategy books as well as online ebooks and ezines exclusively dedicated to slot games. Of course we must not forget the liveliest features of the internet - forums, discussion boards, and communities - featuring vivid discussions of the-latest and greatest slots online, updates on new slot machines, slot recommendations and warnings.

What does the future hold because of this engaging game? My guess is the fact that slots will keep on sub-dividing to genres. Casino's game suites will have to cater to the customer's thirst for diversity. Traditional classic slots (usually refers to single-reel slots, or 3-reel 1-line slots) will always be here, but we shall see new takes on the 1-liners in forms of bonus features. Multiline slots will keep on breeding new lines - they even make 100-line slots now with a tremendous five thousand max bet. As skill games becoming quite a riot I believe that casino software developers shall offer a new type of slots that can feature more intricate inner games and gambling options that leave room for decision making, aesthetically inspired by quest games, or even combat games. Whichever new face this game may take it shall undoubtedly remain one the most common gambling games in the world.