Video Slots are the most popular form of slot games that are played in casinos and online. Since their arrival on the scene they have totally changed the industry. Now games can offer so much more to those who play them and are more reliable too.

When slot machines first came into existence they were mechanically operated. This limited the number of reels that they contained. Three reel games became the norm and often had a lever on the side that was used to set the reels spinning. That’s how they got the nickname ‘one-arm bandits.’

It was towards the end of the 1970s when the video age arrived and changed slot games. The mechanical slot machines found themselves being replaced by games that had fewer parts. Rather than mechanical reels being used there were computer screens that showed the various symbols.

Whether it be on the machines you play in the arcades or casinos or online, video slots have allowed games to do so much more. There’s the introduction to games that are almost like mini-movies. When you get into the actual game itself it looks far more exciting with its fantastic graphics.

In terms of the game play, there could be more features included such as expanding wilds and cascading reels. The bonus games became far more complex and exciting too, rather than simple games such as spinning wheels or choosing the colour of the next card, all of a sudden second screen bonus games came into existence.

For example, in Playtech’s ‘The Incredible Hulk’, the Smash Bonus sees the green monster in action destroying police cars.

Slightly more exciting than the old cash ladder some of us were used to. Monty Python’s ‘Spamalot’ (Playtech) has some excellent and hilarious bonus games as you battle with killer rabbits and courageous knights who just don’t know when to give in.

Another bonus is that you can include videos. The ‘Game of Thrones’ slot game includes some scenes from the popular series. The soundtracks that accompany games have also seen major advances.

With the arrival of the internet online video slots have grown enormously in recent years. Now we can play our favourite games in the comfort of our own home or on our mobile devices whenever and wherever we want.

For the producers of slot games, the arrival of video slots has been important in their battle against slot cheats. The new video slots raise the bar and are much more difficult for cheats to try and manipulate to their own advantage.

It’s also possible to introduce far more paylines into a game. Then there are video slots that have multiple ways to win. As technology continues to progress heaven knows what video slots will be looking like in the future. More complex graphics and bonus games and plenty of new features seem to be the exciting future for the video slots we know and love.