Land-Based Arcade Vs Online Slots

Discover which online slot providers also offer land-based arcade slots machines! – Developers that operate in brick and mortar and casinos online – Playtech, Bally Wuff, Merkur, Barcrest, Inspired,  Realistic Games, Reflex Gaming & more!

Welcome to our casino guide comparing slot machines from arcades, a.k.a., land-based slots with the online slot scene. In this guide, we’ll look at slot manufacturers with video slot cabinets in land-based venues as well as slots online.

  • We’ll make all the obvious comparisons between arcade and online slots
  • We’ll look at the features and how the gameplay compares
  • We’ll give you a list of slot developers that provide slot titles to both the land-based and online slots industry
  • We’ll also give you a list of slots available in slot arcades and casinos as well as at online casinos.

Retail, or land-based slot machines (Slot machines from arcades), are not available in all countries across the world, but no matter where you are, you will always find online slots. Even where retail slots are legally available, usually in a local casino or slots arcade, the lion’s share of slot enthusiasts prefer to play online. As online casinos are not limited by floor space, there is little restriction to the number of video slots an online casino can accommodate, thus the casino is able to offer a wider selection of slots to play.

Also, compared to traditional slots with mechanical reels, online slots tend to offer more flexibility in design, animations, gameplay, features, and reel mechanics. However, this technological gap between online slots and land-based slots has been closed somewhat. This is because land-based casinos can now feature most online slots using cabinets with computer screens that allow virtual gameplay. These cabinets are effectively arcade slot games using processors, computer code, and RAM to display the same animations and graphics as an online slot.

Differences between land-based slots and Arcade Slots online

Game selection, queuing times, return to player, and progressive jackpots are the key topics to cover when comparing land-based slots with online slots. As mentioned above, there is very little difference in technical capabilities in modern land-based slot gameplay thanks to the introduction of video slot TV cabinets.

  • Return to Player (RTP): RTP is comparatively lower for online slots compared to their land-based counterparts. Land-based casinos or arcades need to make the highest profit possible from each square meter of floor space. They also rely on walk-in traffic, which offers far less exposure compared to online casinos which are reachable as long as you have an internet connection. Consequently, land-based casinos tend to reduce the RTP to as low as 85% in some cases. Conversely, online slots come with an average RTP of around 96%. Learn more about payout ratios/RTP here.
  • Flexibility to increase game portfolio: If an online casino wants to add more slot titles, it is just a matter of adding them to their server. As long as the server has the processing power, the integration is seamless. Therefore, most online casinos have from 2,000 up to 5,000 slots in their game portfolio. For a land-based casino to extend the number of slots it hosts, it would need to either purchase more land, build an extension to its building, or move profitable table game floor space to make way for more slots.
  • Queuing Times: Another key difference between land-based and online slots is queuing time. Online, there is no need to queue because multiple players can play the same game simultaneously. On the other hand, if a slot title is popular in a land-based venue, you may have to wait your turn to play. Many slot shops and casinos will have more than one cabinet for their most popular slots, but the knock-on effect of this is a less diverse selection because accommodating the same slot title usually means removing another slot cabinet to make way.

What about jackpots? Progressive jackpot slots use a percentage of each bet to build their coffers. A single online jackpot slot not only has an unlimited reach across the World Wide Web, but it can also network with multiple casinos. That’s why you will see jackpot slots like Mega Moolah available at multiple online casinos. Land-based jackpot slots do not have any of these luxuries. They are usually linked to a single casino or casino brand (although networked technology is changing this) and rely on walk-in traffic. As such, the jackpots in brick-and-mortar establishments pay out far less often than online jackpot slots.

Functions of arcade slot machines explained in brief

Arcade slots, otherwise known as land-based slots, are stationery cabinets found in bars, clubs, pubs (UK), and slot clubs. In brick-and-mortar casinos, you will usually find an area dedicated to slot machines, while casinos also spread these arcade-style slot machines around by fitting them into random areas. This way, the casino can maximise its profits from every square meter of floor space available.

Two types of slots you will find spread around land-based gambling venues:

  • Video slot cabinets: A video slot is any slot machine that uses graphics and animations. In other words, an online slot or video slot with a TV screen housed within a cabinet. The spin buttons and any other feature options are below the main video screen. These slots are capable of offering the exact same gameplay as an online slot. You can check out Playtech retail equipment for more information.
  • Mechanical slots: These are the original style slots that we, as slot fans, should pay homage to because they instigated the birth of video slots and online slots. They are mechanically driven using physical reels that you can see rolling through a small window. Another key feature of these slots is a backboard above the reels with a novelty bonus game lit with LED lights.
Arcade Video Slots

What do they have in common? Regardless of what type of slot you play, they all operate using an RNG (Random Number Generator). Mechanical slots use a computer chip that randomly stops the reels, while video slots and online slots use a complex computer-generated algorithm. Also, both types of slots offer players similar features, which we will take a brief look at below.

Slot Features Brief Description of Feature
Slot Structure

Bet structure: Indicates the min-max bet of the slot and the slot’s volatility. Most online casinos offer bets between €-€-$ 0.10 and €-€-$ 100 per spin. In land-based casinos, the minimum bet is usually around €-€-$ 1.00 per spin.

Paylines

Paylines: These are the lines that symbols must arrange themselves along after a spin in order to form winning combinations. That said, some modern slots do not use pay lines. They can use clusters that form anywhere on the reel face in various shapes, while slots such as 243-ways, 1024-ways and Megaways only need symbols to land on adjacent reels to form a combination win.

Regular Symbols

Regular Symbols: These are the symbols that form combination wins. You will see these on the slot’s paytable. Slots use different symbols to match their theme, but for the sake of simplicity, let’s imagine a fruit-themed slot. Regular symbols could be cherries, melons, grapes, lemons, plums, red 7s, and bars. Just avoid mistaken identity, commonly these symbols’ only function is to form winning combinations.

Wild Symbol

Wild/Wildcard: This symbol is a wildcard. It can act as any other regular symbol on the reels. Therefore, if a combination is missing an alike symbol and the wild is the space that the missing symbol should be in, then the wild will fill in to complete the combination win. The wild usually does not substitute for scatters or bonus symbols. That said, on a small number of slots, it doubles up as a scatter. It can also act as both a wild card and a symbol combination.

Scatter Symbol

Scatter Symbol: The scatter can have multiple functions. It can also land anywhere in view on the reels to serve its purpose. Usually scatters trigger the bonus round, and as such are often referred to as the bonus symbol. Scatter can also pay multipliers of your spin bet for landing them anywhere on the reels. Plus, they can trigger bonus games and pay multipliers.

Free Spins

Free Spins: As the name implies, if you win a free spins game, usually triggered by the scatter, you get free spins. I.e., you do not pay for these spins and get to keep the winnings. They are often the most lucrative features a slot can offer and can come with extra features not available in the base game. You will also find free spins bonuses are a common online casino promotion.

Jackpots

Jackpots: There are two types of jackpots. Progressive and non-progressive (fixed). On a progressive jackpot game, a percentage (%) of every bet contributes to the jackpot, which in turn continues to rise in value until someone wins it, then it resets to a seed amount. A non-progressive jackpot has a fixed payout amount. Learn more!

Payout Ratio (RTP)

Payout Ratio (RTP): The amount a slot pays out to players is determined by the theoretical ‘Return to Player’ (RTP). Due to its simplistic explanation, it is often misunderstood, so be sure to find out more about how it works. Most land-based slots have a theoretical RTP of 85% to 90% while online slots average at around 96%. I.e., in the long run, the slot’s reels are set up to return 96% of the amount all players put into it. However, the variance in probability affects these percentages.

Volatility (Variance)

Variance (volatility): Slots come with a low, low-medium, medium, medium-high, and high variance gameplay. Low variance slots pay out small amounts but quite often, while high variance slots do not pay out small or large wins very often at all, and in many cases, you’ll need to make a large investment before you see any considerable return. That return will come via a high paying bonus round or another feature that pays out large sums.

Random Number Generator (RNG)

Random Number Generator (RNG): An RNG does not decide the result of a reel spin, but it does make sure the outcome is 100% random, and it does this rather cleverly. It is a sophisticated algorithm that uses billions of strings of code, and within each one is every possible reel combination. These strings tick through a central point similar to a ticker on a wheel of fortune game. The only time it stops is when you click the spin button, and the combination on the central you unwittingly chose is the result that will appear on the reels after the spin. This means the only reason the reels spin is just to add excitement to the gameplay, as the outcome has already been decided. For mechanical slots, the process is slightly different.

In the section below we look at slot developers that are currently supplying the land-based casino industry with their titles as well as software that also allows these slots to be played in online casinos across the globe.

Online & Land-Based Slot Developers – The best land-based & online video slot brands!

If given the choice, most players will play the online slot version of their favourite land-based video slots, and vice versa. Yet, there are few online slots created with land-based versions of themselves. For example, you would be hard pushed to find a Microgaming, NetEnt, Red Tiger Gaming, or Yggdrasil slot in a land-based arcade or casino venue because these companies target online gambling markets.

However, there is still an army of casino game developers in the business of creating video slot titles released onto both the online and land-based video slot markets. In the list below, you will see many of these companies started out as land-based video slot suppliers across Europe and the UK before entering the iGaming market. Good examples include Merkur, Barcrest and Bally Wulff. You will also see new software provider brands entering both offline and online video slot markets such as Inspired Entertainment, 2 by 2 Gaming, and WSG, while there is an extensive list of brands operating in both the land-based and online slot market for decades.

Quick Fact: Microgaming (established 1994) is the oldest online video slot developer followed by NetEnt (established 1996), yet neither brand supplies the land-based video slot industry. Check out the list below to see which brands are operting slot businesses both online and offline.

Automatenspiele aus der Spielhalle
Developer Founded Land-Based Slots? Online Slots? Country
Merkur (Gauselmann Group) 1957 Yes Yes DE
Bally Wuff (Scientific Games Owned) 1968 Yes Yes DE
Barcrest (IGT Owned) 1968 Yes Yes US (Vegas)
Konami 1969 Yes Yes JP
SG (Light & Wonder) 1973 Yes Yes US
Novomatic (Novoline) 1980 Yes Yes DE
IGT 1990 Yes Yes US (Vegas)
Amatic Industries 1993 Yes (+Auto Roulette) Yes AT
WMS (Scientific Games Owned) 1994 Yes Yes US
Microgaming 1994 No Yes IM
Ainsworth 1995 Yes Yes AU
Aristocrat 1995 Yes Yes AU
NetEnt 1996 No Yes SE
Play’n GO
(Since 2023 at William Hill Stores)
1997 Yes Yes SE
Playtech 1999 Yes Yes UK
Blueprint Gaming 2001 Yes (Many UK Slots) Yes UK
EGT Interactive (Amusnet Interactive) 2002 Yes Yes GI
Reflex Gaming (Owned by Dransfield UK) 2004 Yes (Many UK Slots) Yes UK
Design Works Gaming (DWG) 2005 Yes Yes US (Arizona)
Apollo Games 2007 Yes (Playtech cabinets) Yes CZ
Quickspin (Owned by Playtech) 2011 Yes (Playtech cabinets) Yes UK
Gamomat 2013 Yes Yes DE
Inspired Entertainment 2014 Yes Yes US
Everi 2015 Yes Yes US
Wild Streak Gaming (WSG) 2015 Yes Yes US (Vegas)
2 By 2 Gaming 2016 Yes Yes US (Chicago)

Many of the above-mentioned game developers are covered in our best online casinos section. Also below, we pick the top 5 game titles available in online casinos as well as land-based casinos around the world as video slots fitted inside a purpose made arcade cabinets.

Top 5 Playtech Video Slot Machines—Online & Land-Based Arcade Slots

Playtech entered the casino industry in 1999, which in the online casino industry makes it a mature brand. Conversely, in the land-based casino space, Playtech is a relatively new competitor compared to the likes of Merkur, Barcrest, and Bally Gaming all of which have several decades on Playtech in this department. Naturally, in the iGaming space, Playtech is one of the top slot developers in the industry with live casino slots, established progressive jackpot titles, and an army of online video slot titles.

Its brilliance in iGaming has spilt over into the land-based sphere, and despite being a relative newbie on the scene, if you can call a brand that has been in the industry for 2 decades now, Playtech is now one of the top arcade slot machine providers around. The company has taken its most successful online slots and its incredibly popular Age of the Gods jackpot network to the land-based scene with innovative cabinets and an established supply chain. Here are some of Playtech’s most popular slot titles found both on and offline today.

Top Playtech Slots
Slot Title What are the best Playtech arcade slots & online video slot titles?
Age of the Gods (Playtech)

Age of the Gods Slots: The Age of the Gods slot release was in 2016 as a 5×3 slot with 20 pay lines using the ‘Pay Both Ways’ feature. It also came with 4 progressive jackpots, with the Ultimate jackpot unlocking the largest wins. Today the Age of the Gods progressive jackpot network is the largest in the world with over 25 slot titles, a live dealer Age of the Gods God of Storms version and a live casino roulette table version. Today, you will also find Age of the Gods slot titles in land-based venues using the Playtech Videobet Gaming Platform (VGP). For more information, you can find out more about Age of the Gods slots here.

Jackpot Giant (Playtech)

Jackpot Giant: Jackpot Giant is another one of Playtech’s impressive progressive jackpot titles. Its popularity both online and as an arcade style slot machine has made it a fan favourite in the world of slots. You’ll be spinning the reels on a 5-reel 50 pay lines slot in search of a bonus round in which you’ll pick out volcanos to reveal big wins. There is also a stacked giant symbol, a scatter that pays multipliers, and if you line up 5 wild symbols on line 1, you’ll land the Jackpot Giant progressive jackpot prize.

Buffalo Blitz (Playtech)

Buffalo Blitz: A hugely popular 6×4 reels and 4,096 ways-to-win Playtech slot available across 3 Playtech slot niches. It’s an online slot, a live dealer slot titled played via webcam with a game host commentating on the action, and it is also available as an arcade slot machine via Playtech’s VGP retail gaming cabinets. It has a theoretical RTP of 96% and is packed with features including 8, 15, 25 or 100 free spins that come with up to 5x multipliers, and in both the free spins and base game there are stacked buffalo symbols. The original Buffalo Blitz caused such a buzz amongst slot players, Playtech released a sequel—Buffalo Blitz II and Buffalo Blitz Megaways.

Great Blue (Playtech)

Great Blue: Great Blue is perhaps one of the most found land-based slots from the Playtech collection, while you can also play the online slot version at Playtech casinos. You’ll embark on a colourful under the sea theme with orcas, dolphins, oysters, seahorses, starfish, turtles, and fish symbols rolling on 5 reels with 25 pay lines. The wild doubles all combination wins it helps to complete, and it is the slot’s wildcard symbol and the highest paying combination. And that’s not all. The Sea Shells bonus comes via the oyster scatter, from which you can land up to 33 free spins with multipliers worth as much as 15x. The online version of this slot has a theoretical RTP of 94.3% to 96%.

Halloween Fortune (Playtech)

Halloween Fortune: Halloween Fortune is a 5-reel 20 pay lines slot and is popularly found on land-based casino floors as well in all Playtech casinos. Set off on a scary adventure into the dark Halloween night on a slot machine that dishes out an impressive theoretical RTP of 97.96%, although that’s online. The arcade slot version’s RTP will vary depending on where you play. Features include a bonus game in which you’ll help the witch clan brew up magic in their cauldron, which could land you 20 free spins or a 10x multiplier. Other features include a wild symbol which can also pay out 10,000x your spin bet if you line up 5 on a pay line, plus there is a scatter that pays spin bet multipliers.

There are also plenty of other land-based arcade-style slot machines from Playtech available as an online slot and mobile game titles at Playtech online casinos. Next time you searching for arcade slots to play, lookout out for Tiki Paradise, Full Moon Wild Track, and Full Moon Fortunes. Furthermore, as Playtech owns Quickspin, you may even run into the popular Big Bad Wold and Sakura Fortune housed in Playtech slot cabinets.

Top 5 Novoline (Novomatic) Video Slot Machines—Online & Land-Based Arcade Slots

Novoline operates under Novomatic. It is an Austrian brand operating in over 50 countries globally and records somewhere in the region of €5 billion a year. The company originally opened by Johann Graf in 1980, has long supplied European land-based casinos with arcade slot machines. It has since moved into the iGaming space with a line of online slots re-engineered from the popular Novoline land-based video slot portfolio, which includes progressive jackpot games that pay millions of Euros.

Aside from its video slots endeavours, Novomatic also supplies land-based casinos with other games such as tables and interactive gaming. It is also worth noting that over on our German, Swiss, and Austrian versions of Casinoplusbonus.com, this is one of the most popular video slot developers in the region.

Right now, Novoline is in cahoots with ‘Greentube’, which is now the main brand bringing video slot titles in land-based slot arcades to online casinos. This developer is active across Europe in online casinos such as LVBet and Conquestador under the Greentube brand, while at Casumo Casino you will find video slot titles from these brands under Novomatic. Now you have been fully acquainted, let’s look at the top 5 slots Novoline, Novomatic and Greentube have to offer.

Top 5 Novoline Slots
Slot Title What are the best Novoline arcade slots & online video slot titles?
Book of Ra (Novoline)

Book of Ra: The history of ancient Egypt is an extremely interesting period. A culturally rich time full of precious treasures, pharaohs, famous pyramids and burial chambers of kings and gods. Possibly the best slot machine of all time deals with exactly this topic. And you probably have experience with the Book of Ra slot as it’s one of the most well-known out there, the RTP of which is reported as 95.1% in the deluxe version, with a dozen or so versions of the blockbuster.

Sizzling Hot (Novoline)

Sizzling Hot: A simple slot game with easy-to-understand game dynamics, Sizzling Hot offers 5 reels of classic slot gameplay with the eternal cult symbols for slot machines – Red 7s. Another interesting feature of this retro video slot is its card gambling. Every time you win you can use this feature to double up on your winnings. Overall, this sizzling game offers a solid theoretical RTP rate of 95.66% and the Cash Connection extension to win jackpots!

Dolphin's Pearl (Novoline)

Dolphin’s Pearl: Dive into this 5×3 video slot and go on an underwater experience with stunning marine life. There are all sorts of activities going on when you are this far under the sea, as you come across fish, stingrays, seahorses, and crabs that each carry their own value. Landing a wild dolphin will pay you double when substituting for another symbol. These wins can be gambled on a card game where you try to guess the colour of the next card. Land precious pearl symbols for a chance at a free spins feature, where all wins have a 3x multiplier.

Lucky Ladys Charm (Novoline)

Lucky Lady’s Charm: A popular slot machine with a horseshoe, lucky clover and golden rings. The most generous feature in Lucky Lady’s Charm slot is the free spins bonus, which you can unlock with scatters and extend with re-triggers. The perky blonde Lucky Lady herself is the joker. It often gives you unexpected wins and applies a 2x multiplier, which doubles combinations containing the wild symbol! Novoline classify the theoretical RTP at 95.13%. If you happen to visit Genting Casino in London, look out for Lucky Lady’s Charm 6 Deluxe land-based slot, which comes with a £10,000 to £20,000 jackpot!

Always Hot Deluxe (Novoline)

Always Hot Deluxe: This series title is a 3×3 slot, which delivers scorching wins across 5 pay lines. The gameplay itself has been designed for classic game fans, with fruit wins and a gamble feature where you can try to guess the colour of the card. If you guess correctly, then your win will be doubled. Wilds can double all wins when they participate, and you can land scatter symbols to trigger 15 free spins, in a bonus round where there is a chance to re-trigger the spins.

We regularly cover new Greentube slot releases in our weekly ‘New Casino Games Report’ published every Monday. Cash Connection: Dolphin’s, Pearl, Apollo God of the Sun™ 10 Win Ways™, and Power Prizes™—Noble Peacock™ are just some of the Greentube slot releases mentioned in our early 2022 reports.

Top 5 Merkur Video Slot Machines—Online & Land-Based Arcade Slots

Merkur is another popular brand over on our sister site covering Switzerland, Austria, and Germany in German language. It is also a slot developer that has built a name for itself across English speaking and other European markets. Casinos using Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) and the Curacao eGaming licences will more often than not feature Merkur video slot titles, while you’ll also find its game portfolio available in high street video slot arcades and land-based casinos around Europe.

The company has plenty of experience creating top of the line slot titles since it got into the land-based casino industry way back in 1957. The birth of Merkur was thanks to Paul Gausellman, who started the casino industry giant known as the Gauselmann Group. Its first endeavours into the slot market were via its ‘Amusement With Prizes’ (AWP) slot cabinets when slot machines used mechanical reels. As technology advanced, video slots created a new demand for slots gameplay on TV screens, and Merkur adapted its business model accordingly, keeping the company in line with industry technology advancements.

With great management and excellent vision, Merkur took full advantage of its prowess in the land-based video slots space and soon recognised another technological shift in the online space. This is when the brand began to build a name for itself on the Web by producing online video slots adding to its land-based endeavours. Hence, today you will find Merkur slots both in land-based gambling venues and in numerous reputable online casinos.

Merkur Gaming Top 5 Video Slots
Slot Title What are the best Merkur arcade slots & online video slot titles?
Blazing Star (Merkur)

Blazing Star: This 5×3, 96.31% RTP title has all the components required of a classic video slot. On the reels, plums, oranges, cherries, melons, and lemons can bring plenty of wins across the 5 pay lines, but this title is called Blazing Star because of the lucrative sun symbol that can pay up to 100x. There is also the option to take these wins and gamble them for more on either the card gamble game or the ladder gamble game. The card gamble can double wins, and wins can increment in the ladder gamble.

Eye of Horus (Merkur)

Eye of Horus: Merkur takes you on an ancient Egyptian adventure in the Eye of Horus 5-reel video slot. On this mystical adventure, you will come across spiritual ancient Egyptian symbols that pay on the 10 pay lines, that can be helped with the expanding Pharoah Horus wild scatter. With its RTP of 96.31%, major wins in this slot come when landing 3 of these scatter at the same time, as it will trigger the free spins feature. In this round, whenever the scatter wild symbol lands, it will upgrade the lowest valued picture symbol and awards additional free spins.

Double Triple Chance (Merkur)

Double Triple Chance: This slot was tailor made for those that love the classic video slot experience. With 3×3 reels, and a theoretical RTP of 95.65%. The reels are a basic design that will allow you to fully immerse yourself in the juicy wins that await when spinning in traditional fruit symbols. These wins can be gambled through a bonus card gamble game or a ladder bonus game. On top of that, land 3 full reels of the same symbol type for a re-win feature to trigger. Full reels can be won again if the light stops on a green field.

Fruitinator (Merkur)

Fruitinator: This slot is another classic fruit flavoured title from Merkur, built especially for those who just want to get down and play simple video slot action. You can land wins using all the classic fruit symbols on the 5×3 reels, but landing flaming 7’s on the 10 pay lines of this 94.31% RTP slot will award the highest payouts. You can then take the wins and risk them in either a ladder gamble game or the card game.

Joker's Cap (Merkur)

Joker’s Cap: Head off to a medieval castle, where you will be entertained by the joker of the land. There are plenty of hidden surprises inside the Joker’s Cap, with the joker playing a key role as a wild and the highest paying symbol. The King and Queen of the land are other high valued symbols. This slot has an RTP of 96.40%, 5×3 reels, and 10 pay lines. Look for the cap scatter symbol, as it can trigger free spins where up to 2 regular symbols can be transformed into wilds.

Merkur video slots are available both online and offline. You can play its online slots using a deposit match welcome bonus offer, which will give you bonus money valid for its slot titles. From time to time, Merkur slots are also available as part of a free spins bonus offer, as well as no deposit bonus deals.

Top 5 Amatic Industries Video Slot Machines—Online & Land-Based Arcade Slots

Compared to some other brand names mentioned in this guide, Amatic Industries was a latecomer into the land-based slots scene, opening its doors for business in 1993. At this time the online slots industry was still quite young with only around 20 video slot developers—a far cry from today’s 250+ developers all vying for their market share. The company built a solid reputation for itself in the land-based casinos and arcades before taking the leap into iGaming after 18 years of supplying video slot cabinets.

Across its entire land-based and online casino video slots collection, Amatic has over 150 game titles, all of which use the Amatic trademark for high-quality designs with simplicity in mind. One of its most successful titles is Book of Aztec making a name for itself across its online and offline slot delivery systems, while other titles like Eye of Ra, Wild Shark, and a huge number of fruit themed slots have all caught the eye of the slots playing world.

It’s fairly easy to come across Amatic online. Meanwhile, if you do find Amatic cabinets while in a brick-and-mortar casino or high street slot machine venue, you’ll probably also stumble into some of its other land-based casino ventures. This includes networked jackpot slots, and the brand is renowned for its state-of-the-art self-service and self-operating digital auto roulette terminals.

Top 5 Amatic Video Slots
Slot Title What are the best Amatic arcade slots & online video slot titles?
Book of Aztec (Amatic)

Book of Aztec: The Mayan culture is a popular slot theme in both land-based and online casinos and thanks to a payout rate of 96% and medium variance gameplay generating frequent winning spins. On this slot expedition, you’ll head straight into the cities of gold with adventurer Hernan Cortez in search of a lucrative free spins’ bonus feature, complete with an expanding symbol and re-triggers. Check out Book of Aztec online right away.

Eye of Ra (Amatic)

Eye of Ra: Join the sun god of the Egyptians who possesses the magic eye controlling the lands. You’ll start this epic Egyptian exploration quest by laying your eyes on 5 reels in 3-4-5-4-3 symbols per reel across reels 1-2-3-4-5, respectably. This set-up brings 720 ways-to-win, which with the help of the expanding symbol in the free spins bonus game – the key to landing big wins on this slot.

Hot Fruits 20 (Amatic)

Hot Fruits 20: A fruity gaming fun awaits you in this Amatic slot. There are 20 pay lines over 5 reels and a theoretical RTP of 96%. Land wild symbols to connect wins and scatters to multiply your spin bets. For those of you looking for classic video slot gameplay moved from 3 reels to 5 reels, Hot Fruits 20 is the perfect fast-paced slot game for you.

Wild Shark (Amatic)

Wild Shark: An absolute classic in the Amatic collection and loved by both land-based slot players as well as online slot enthusiasts. I guess we just can’t get enough of that grinning shark. You’ll submerge yourself into shark-infested waters with 5 reels and 20 pay lines full of action. Wins come easy on this slot thanks to its features such as stacked wilds linking up with the extended number of pay lines, a gamble feature that helps you double or quadruple your wins, and bonus scatters that not only awards free spins but also pays out a multiplier of your spin bet. Altogether, this slot offers a theoretical RTP of 96%!

Book of Fortune (Amatic) Book of Fortune: Another popular dual arcade and online video slot, and one of the most played Amatic slot titles today. 10 pay lines and 5 reels bring a 96% theoretical RTP. The main objective is to land the free spins bonus via a ‘Book of Fortune’ scatter symbol that pays multipliers of your spin bet before awarding the bonus spins. During the free spins round, one symbol is selected as an expanding symbol. When the symbol lands, its combination pays out in the same way as a scatter e.g., you get paid the value of its combination win when 3 or more land anywhere in view on the reels.

You will find these video slots at land-based casinos that host cabinets from Amatic. Many of these arcade style slots use ‘Multi Game’ screens, so you can select from a while range of Amatic slot titles from a single arcade video slot terminal. Meanwhile, if you want to play Amatic Indsutries slot online, many of the cabinet based titles are also available across an array of Amatic online casinos ready for desktop or mobile play.

Top 5 Bally Wuff (Bally Gaming) Video Slot Machines—Online & Land-Based Arcade Slots

Bally Wuff is also known as Bally Gaming. The company launched way back in 1968 in the midst of the rise of Las Vegas, which was home to the company’s head office. Today, its headquarters are in Berlin, and the Bally Wuff name is recognised as a huge brand now operating under the name Bally Wulff Games & Entertainment GmbH. As with most slot machine manufacturers that began operating before the turn of the millennium, Bally Wuff supplied land-based slot arcades and casinos with maniacal reel slots and then shifted to video slot cabinets when demand in the industry switched to creating slot games with reels hosted on a TV screen.

With Vegas and the rest of the US’s land-based casino industries booming, Bally Wuff recorded revenues into tens of millions. It also expanded its supply chain network reaching European markets—in particular the UK, Austria and Germany. Today, its operations still focus on land-based gambling via the creation of computer-operated video multi-game cabinets, while the company has also branched out into the online casino scene where it has built a solid reputation. Let’s check out some of the Bally Wuff land-based video slot titles that have found their way onto the internet where they are accessible to both desktop and mobile slot players.

Bally Wuff Top 5 Video Slots
Slot Title What are the best Bally Wuff arcade slots & online video slot titles?
Magic Book (Bally Wuff)

Magic Book: Magic Book is a video slot about an Arabian book that holds powerful abilities, with its 5×3 reels, 5 pay lines, and 96.18% RTP. The Arabian theme can be seen throughout, with magic carpet, scimitar, Arabian prince, and Arabian princess symbols which pay between 1x and 1000x. The magic book symbol is a scatter, a wild, and can pay between 2x and 200x. This symbol can trigger a free spins game, where a regular symbol will become a magic symbol, that will expand to fill its reel each time it lands.

Mighty 40 (Bally Wuff)

Mighty 40: This is a thunderous 5×4 title with a 96.03% RTP, and 40 pay lines. This game has high valued bells, bars, diamonds, cash bag, 7, and flaming 7 symbols, as well as a diamond wild that can substitute for all symbols except scatter. Trigger the free spins when landing star symbols, for a bonus game that has an additional wild. As well as the diamond being wild, the flaming 7 symbols will also be wild throughout the entire feature.

40 Theives (Bally Wuff)

40 Thieves: This is a 40 reel 5×4 slot based on the famous story of Ali Baba and the forty thieves played out on the reels. Land the amulets for up to 50 free spins, while you can also land big wins when thieves gang up on the reels. There is a rather low theoretical RTP of 88.08% and this is a high variance, which means when it does pay, it’s usually a high paying win. Plus, you can double your money via a gamble feature adding to the fun.

Maaax Diamonds (Bally Wuff)

Maaax Diamonds: A 5×3 classic video slot with the succulent fruit symbols of a classic. This slot has a 96.07% RTP, and you can play with 5 pay lines, or 10 – the choice is yours. The diamond symbol is a special wild symbol that can land on the middle reels. Each time it lands, it will expand to fill the reel, and create many more chances to win. Each win can be gambled in either a card gamble game where you can double your win, or in a ladder gamble game where winnings increase as you climb the ladder.

Book of the Ages

Book of the Ages: This 5×3 video slot follows a bloodthirsty Dracula who holds a book that contains exceptional power. With its RTP of 96.15%, and a choice of 5 or 10 pay lines, you can land wins using higher valued vampire-themed symbols, or lower-valued royal symbols. Wins can be gambled in a bonus ladder, or card gamble game. For the biggest wins, look to land the wild book scatter. These scatter symbols can trigger free spins, where a bonus symbol will be elected, and there is the chance for re-triggers.

If you are looking Bally Wuff slots, you may sometimes miss them because different casinos place the brand’s games under Gamomat, Bally, Bally Gaming or Bally Wuff are all used. Slightly confusing, but this is the way this software provider appears to prefer operating online.

Top 5 Barcrest Video Slot Machines—Online & Land-Based Arcade Slots

Where would any comparison of land-based slots vs online slots be without Barcrest? This is a company that has long been ingrained in the culture of arcade slots gambling. The company’s history dates back to 1968, so yet another golden oldie is revealed in this guide. Back when Barcrest entered the casino business, British Pubs and Casinos were rife with slot machines operated by mechanical reels known as ‘fruities’ or ‘fruit machines’. Many of these slots had 3 reels, 1 pay line, hold buttons for each reel, and a nudge feature.

As these fruit machines evolved, they came out with new themes and LED backboards used for a bonus game. These bonuses include user-interactive skill stops or random stops on prizes or to progress through the bonus game. Today, this style of slot still exists on the British gambling scene, and most of them are Barcrest branded. In 1998, American firm Scientific Games, soon to be Bet & Wonder, bought Barcrest. The company soon moved into the online slots’ scene, while also maintaining itself as a powerhouse in the land-based/arcade slots industry. Despite Barcrest producing online slots, it’s very rare to see the brand cross its online games with land-based titles or vice versa.

Top 5 Barcrest Video Slots
Slot Title What are the best BarCrest arcade slots & online video slot titles?
Rainbow Riches (BarCrest)

Rainbow Riches Series: The flagship slot title Rainbow Riches is a top 12 slot in the UK’s online casino market coming out ahead of a host of other slot developers. It is so popular that it now boasts an entire series. Look out for Rainbow Riches Pick ‘n’ Mix, Rainbow Riches Cash Cluster, Rainbow Riches Rainbow Frenzy, Rainbow Riches Original,  Rainbow Riches Pots of Gold, Rainbow Riches Free Spins, Rainbow Riches Power Mix, Rainbow Riches Cluster Magic, Rainbow Riches Megaways, Rainbow Riches Race Day, Rainbow Riches Leprechauns Gold, Rainbow Riches Reels of Gold, Rainbow Riches Drops of Gold, Rainbow Riches Fortune Favours, and Rainbow Riches Leapin’ Leprechaun.

Cash Stax (BarCrest)

Cash Stax: Spin in wins using 7’s, Bars, and X’s in this 5×3, bandit-style video slot title. With an RTP of 94.12%, and you will get a bit of help from the joker wild along the way. Playing with higher stakes will bring up to 30 pay lines. Ring symbols turn into golden rings at random. If you can land a golden ring on each reel, then the free spins feature will trigger. The number of golden rings on the reels will determine the number of free spins. In the feature, light all segments for wins to be multiplied 5x.

Monopoly Bring the House Down (BarCrest)

Monopoly Bring the House Down: In this take on the classic board game, you will come across all of your favourite pieces that land on the 5×4 reels to bring cash awards. With 40 pay lines, and an RTP of 96.10%, the real pay day in this video slot is through the feature. In the feature, house positions will turn into persistent wilds, and if upgraded to a hotel then it becomes a wild multiplier. Pick a chance or community chest card for further rewards, which can bring hot zones, additional spins, symbol eliminators, or every spin is a winner.

Beetlejuice Megaways (BarCrest)

Beetlejuice Megaways: This slot is based on one of the most iconic films of its generation. Beetlejuice peers at you from the side of the reels encouraging you to roll in spooky wins. Other creepy characters from the film also feature, and make up for the highest valued symbols that land across the 5×6 reels hosting the popular BTG Megaways feature. If you can land a win, then more positions will unlock to bring up to 248,832 ways to win. Ghost symbols will transform into paying symbols, and you should also keep an eye out for the Betelgeuse sign symbol, as it can trigger the free spins bonus. In the feature, a persistent win multiplier will increment after each cascade, with no limit.

7s on Fire (BarCrest)

7’s on Fire: This 95.12% RTP video slot is a flaming hot 3×3 title, with 5 pay lines. With its traditional gameplay, you can land wins with classic fruit symbols such as melons, cherries, plums, oranges, lemons, Bars, bells, and stars. The highest valued symbols however are the 7 symbols, which can pay 50x, or the flaming hot 7 symbols which can pay 125x. On top of that, the flaming 7s are wild and can link with any symbol to create more winning opportunities.

There are still quite a few Barcrest slots that have not yet made it online. Double Easy Money, Flippin’ Out, Gimme Gimme Gimme High Denom, Gimme Gimme Gimme Low Denom, Psycho Cash Beast, Shark Raving Mad High Denom, Shark Raving Mad Low Denom, Triple Golden Cherries with Sprinkles On Top, and WildX-tra are all popular arcade land-based slot titles not found in online casinos. All these are powered by the WMS/Barcrest cabinets such as the Barcrest stepper cabinet powered by a CPU-NXT® 3.2 processor.

Mobile Slots—Playing online slots via your smartphone or tablet!

In modern casino gameplay, mobile video slots are the norm, but this trend only began around 2010. When touchscreen gaming via apps was the latest fad. With iOS and Android app downloads available, players could access the same video slots played on their desktops using their smartphones. This was around the same time most players used a desktop app to access their online casino(s).

Today, HMTL5 coded responsive delivery systems have meant we don’t even need to use an app to play slots. This new code allows you to access your online casino and load slots using your web/internet browser. Because of this new tech, most modern online casinos do not use apps anymore simply because they don’t need to. Today, popular browsers such as Chrome, Firefox, Opera, Brave, IE, Edge, Safari, and other brands can all do the same job as a casino app. You can save the casino as a shortcut to your device’s home screen, and when it opens in your browser, it looks exactly the same as a casino app.

All video slot developers use HTML5 when designing their video slots, and many rewound through their past releases to enable older slots for HTML5, too. When you request to load a slot, the delivery system detects your device’s screen size, hardware, and connection speed, and then sends a version of the slot with settings that will give you the optimal gameplay experience.

Today, modern mobile slots come with intuitive user settings such as landscape or portrait gameplay, left or right hand (finger) spin buttons, sound settings, perfectly sized betting panels, and/or a dedicated bet size menu to quickly select your spin bet sizes. Moreover, if you ever wanted to compare mobile slot play versus desktop slot play, there is rarely any difference between them. High-quality gameplay, Pixar quality animations, excellent graphic design work, and pitch-perfect sound depending on your device’s sound quality.

Mobile Slots Online
Mobile Slots Online
  • Play mobile slots using Android or iOS apps
  • Download apps directly from the casino
  • Play mobile slots via your web browser (no app)
  • Mobile slot versions are as good as desktop versions
  • Settings integrated especially for mobile players
  • Play using portrait or landscape

Rounding it all up: As a slots player, you have the best of both worlds. If land-based arcade slots are legal in your country and you also enjoy playing online slots, then you’ll have an army of titles and themes available to you. Many of the land-based slots are not available in online casinos and likewise, the lion’s share of online slots are not available in slots shops or walk-in casinos. However, from time to time, you will find land-based slots online and vice versa. And when you do, you can whip out your smartphone or desktop, and play the version to make comparisons with its arcade slot machine counterpart.

Questions and answers about slot machines from arcades Vs online video slots

Can I play using a video slot bonus in online casinos & land-based casinos?

Online casinos are renowned for offering new and existing slot players an array of video slot bonus deals. These can be free spins bonus deals, deposit match bonus offers whereby the casino gives you bonus money which you can use to bet on online slots. As for land-based gambling venues, bonus offers are a rarity, although some do give you free chips on occasion if you are a member or a regular player. That being said, these bonuses and nowhere near as frequent as the ones offered by online casinos.

Which game developer offers the best land-based slots & online slots?

Everyone is different when it comes to choosing the types of slots they prefer to play. Each slot game developer has its unique way of presenting gameplay, themes, features, and types of slot titles you can play. Some people prefer the simplicity of Amatic slot titles, while others enjoy all out and fast-moving animated action-packed gameplay. If I had to put my top 5 developers covered in this arcade slot machines Vs online video slots guide, it would look like this—but I am sure there are many of you out there with different tastes that would disagree.

  • Ainsworth
  • Amatic Industries
  • Aristocrat
  • Bally Wuff Gaming (SG)
  • Belatra
  • Barcrest
  • EGT Interactive
  • Gamomat (Bally Wuff)
  • Greentube (Novomatic/Novoline)
  • IGT
  • Merkur (Gauselmann Group)
  • Novomatic (Novoline/Greentube)
  • Playtech
  • Quickspin (via Playtech arcade slot cabinets)
  • Scientific Games (Light & Wonder)
  • WMS (Scientific Games/Light & Wonder)

 What are the best dual online video slot and arcade-style slot machines?

Once again, the best slot for you primarily depends on your gaming preference. Do you want to play slots that are simple and have that classic Vegas look feel and sound effects? Are you looking to play a slot that also offers the chance of winning a progressive jackpot? Do you prefer low, medium, or high variance (volatility) gameplay? Or are you looking for slots with pumping sounds, graphics and animations? For me, it is the latter, and I really enjoy Playtech slots both online and in land-based casinos or arcades with slot machines, so here’s my opinion which is entirely biased to my taste in slots.

  1. Age of the Gods (The ‘Pay Both Ways’ original by Playtech)
  2. Buffalo Blitz (Playtech)
  3. Book of Aztec (Amatic)
  4. Magic Book (Bally Wuff)
  5. Eye of Horus (Merkur)

What are the best online casinos where I can find these software providers?

Finding online casinos with software providers that provide both online slots as well as retail slots will depend on your licensing jurisdiction. Most of our readers play at online casinos licensed by the UKGC (UK Gambling Commission), Malta Gaming Authority (MGA), or those that hold a Curacao eGaming Licence.

  • LeoVegas: ‘Barcrest’, ‘Merkur’, ‘Novomatic’, Playtech’, and ‘Quickspin’ (via Playtech) slot titles. LeoVegas online casino is an award-winning online casino regulated under the UKGC and MGA. In 2021, it picked up the ‘IGA Online Gaming Operator of the year’ and the ‘EGR Operators Best Mobile Operator of the year’ awards. The year before, Leo Vegas won the ‘SBC 2020 Casino Operator of the year’ award for the third consecutive year.
  • Mr Green: ‘Barcrest’, ‘IGT’, ‘Merkur’, ‘Playtech’, ‘Quickspin’ (via Playtech) and ‘WMS’. Mr Green online casino is another award-winning casino, and it has virtually all the land-based slot developers that are also actively releasing online slots.
  • Platin: ‘Amatic’, ‘Bally Wulff’, ‘Barcrest’, ‘EGT Interactive’ (Amusnet Interactive), ‘Gamomat’, ‘Merkur’, and ‘WMS’.
  • Playzilla: ‘Amatic’, ‘EGT’, ‘Gamomat’, and Playtech’ slot titles.
  • Spin Bounty: ‘Amatic’ and ‘Merkur’ slot titles.
  • LVBet: ‘Bally Wulff’, ‘Gamomat’, ‘Greentube (Novomatic)’, and ‘Merkur’.
  • Conquestador: ‘Ainsworth’ and ‘Greentube’.
  • Casumo: ‘Novomatic’ and ‘Quickspin’ (via Playtech).
  • 21 Casino: ‘Ainsworth’, ‘IGT’, ‘Merkur’, ‘Quickspin’ (via Playtech), and.’Scientific Games’.

Find a complete overview of all the above on our online casino reviews page.

Are there differences between slot games online and offline?

Yes, and no, is the answer to this question. The most obvious difference is the way you operate the slot machines. If you are physically playing on a land-based video slot, then the minimum bets are usually higher, the RTPs are often slightly lower, and you may have to queue to play your favourite slot titles. The other key difference is that land-based gambling establishments cannot offer as wide a selection of slot titles and themes as an online casino for obvious reasons of floor space limitations.

As for a comparison of gameplay between the same slot title online or offline, usually, both versions of the slot will have the same number of reels and pay ways as well as features. Plus, the gameplay so far as graphics, animations, and sound effects should be similar because arcade slot machines use built-in computer screens and hardware processing power in the same way as online slots do.

Can you play in the arcade or online for free?

Arcade slot machines do not offer a free play mode. If land-based video slots had a free play mode, this could prevent a real money player from playing the slot costing the casino money. On the other hand, online slots can handle hundreds of players simultaneously playing using a real money or demo mode. In short, online casinos do offer demo gameplay, while video slots in an arcade or casino on land/offline do not offer a free play mode.

What mobile slots apps are available?

Mobile slot players love to have the ability to play slots while on the move, and luckily there are over 10,000 slot titles, all designed to use HTML5 technology. That means you can play these slots on your smartphone or tablet devices on demand. You can use an iOS or Android app if an online casino offers a download. However, most casinos do not offer an app download these days because their entire casino platform also uses HTML5 technology. This is a responsive code that allows you to access the casino and play video slots and other casino games via your web/internet browser.

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