It is amazing how closely linked the land-based and online video slot industries are today. Thanks to the continued technological advancements in slot gaming, you can play slot machines found online in land-based venues and vice versa. We explain the differences between land-based and online slot gameplay and how software providers are bridging the gap between the two.
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Table of Contents
Land-Based Video Slots
To begin this guide, we are going to look at land-based slots. One point you will notice when reading this section is that today’s modern land-based video slot machines offer the same gameplay as online slots. Video slots are also the reason why we rarely see the old-style mechanical slot machines available in brick-and-mortar gambling venues today.
Mechanical Reel Slots
You will rarely find mechanical reel slots today. These games use physical reels to host symbols. Some also come with an LED backboard for the bonus game. The disadvantage mechanical slots have is that they take an entire cabinet for a single game.
That means one game taking up let’s say, one square meter of a land-based venue. One of the key reasons land-based venues, including bars, casinos, and high street bookmakers, don’t use mechanical reel slots is because of the introduction of video slots. Modern video slot machines take up 1 square meter but can host hundreds of games.
Naturally, the owners of these establishments prefer video slot machines because they can offer their clientele a more diverse array of games.
Land-Based Video Slots
A video slot machine uses a TV monitor to display the slot game. As a result, the gameplay is very much the same as playing an online slot. To give you an example, think of a standard arcade game in an amusement arcade and how these games use graphics on a video screen to give you a digital gaming experience.
Game developers sell cabinets with a built-in computer screen. These cabinets are know so sophisticated that many of them use touchscreen technology. It’s almost like having a giant-sized iPad or Touchpad with a selection of online slots and other casino games in front of you.
Thanks to video slots, some software providers can bridge the gap between online casino slot entertainment and physical video slot machine gaming. For example, the Playtech software provider produces slot machines for the land-based an online casino industries with game-like.
Playtech reports its online and land-based Cash Collect slots are popular in online and land-based venues.
| Sample of Online and Land-Based Slot Machine Providers |
|---|
| Playtech |
| Inspired Gaming |
| Belatra |
| Blueprint |
| Reflex Gaming |
| IGT |
Online Video Slots
You will find online slots available in both real money, cryptocurrency, and social casino websites. As these games are available via a desktop or mobile website, you will see this industry, also referred to as the iGaming niche. Furthermore, in all three environments, you will come across many of the same software providers and slot games. The only difference is that real money casinos offer fiat currency or cryptocurrency betting, while social casino gaming technically offers free slot gaming.
Real Money Online Casino Slots
If you play at online casinos, typically, the largest number of casino games available are digital slot machines. You can play these games on your mobile or desktop devices, and they are accessible 24 hours a day.
There isn’t much difference between a land-based video slot machine using a TV screen and an online slot. Software providers can easily take an online slot game and plug it into a video slot machine and vice versa.
Even Play’nGo has taken its slots into the land-based gambling entertainment environment via a deal with the William Hill bookmaker – Book of Dead Land-Based Slots to Launch in William Hill Stores. It was a case of plugging in the online slot version of Play’n GO games into the William Hill land-based Fixed Odds Betting Terminals (FOBTs).
Sample of Land-Based and Online Slots
| Slot Games (Developer) |
|---|
| Book of Ra (Novomatic/Greentube) |
| Rainbow Riches (Barcrest) |
| Cleopatra (IGT) |
| Buffalo (Aristocrat) |
| Fishin’ Frenzy (Blueprint Gaming) |
Live Casino Video Slots Online
Live casino slots bridge the gap between live casino games streamed via webcams and online slots. Playtech was one of the first major software providers noticed for its efforts in bringing video slots to the live casino scene.
The idea of live video slots is to enhance the fun of playing slots by giving players a community slot gaming environment. Every game comes with a live community chat that all players participating in the gameplay can comment on.
Another exciting aspect of live video slots is that they are housed in a dedicated studio. There’s a large screen in the background with all the reel spin action and a live presenter commenting on the gameplay.
However, unlike other live casino games like blackjack that replicate an authentic land-based experience, live slots do not. They are simply slot games in a studio where players can come together to experience the highs and lows of slot gaming together rather than playing alone.
Live Casino Video Slot Titles
| Live Slot Game (Developer) |
|---|
| 9 Pots of Gold™ StreamIcon™ (On Air) |
| Age of the Gods: God of Storms Video Slot (Playtech) |
| Buffalo Blitz (Playtech) |
| Crazy Coin Flip (Evolution) |
| Extra Chilli Epic Spins (Evolution) |
Social Online Casino Slots
There has long been an argument as to whether social online slots are gambling. When you sign up for these casinos, you receive free chips to play with. Also, there are challenges and other competitions that help you win more free chips. In effect, the idea is to play online slots without the risk of losing real money or crypto.
However, social casino sites also have the option to buy more chips if you run out of free ones. Buying more chips using real money is where some people argue that social slot gaming is still a form of gambling.
Yet, to put this into perspective, you can buy 1,000 chips for, let’s say, $/€ 10.00, 200 Rand or ₹ 800. For 1 chip per spin, you can get 1,000 spins. If you bet the minimum bet of $/€ 0.10, 20 Rand or ₹ 80 in an online or crypto casino, 1,000 spins would cost $/€ 100, 2,000 Rand or ₹ 8,000. Also, you can break down your social points into 0.10 or 0.20 per spin bets in the same way as you can playing at a real money or crypto casino. As a result, let’s call social casino gaming a more conservative way of gambling.
Land-Based Versus Online Slot Machine Bonuses
You can benefit form bonuses and promotions playing online or land-based slots. Yet, there are some slight differences between the ways in which land-based and online casinos offer their clientele value for their spins!
Online Slot Bonuses
Online slot players benefit from bonuses on a much larger scale than land-based slot players. The main reason for this is almost every online casino has a promotions page with welcome bonuses and regular bonuses.
Players can simply visit the promotions page, claim the bonus and attempt to play through the wagering requirements. The first experience most online casino players will have as new players is the welcome bonus, which is generally the largest bonus the website will offer.
With online casinos being so flexible with their web design, they can also offer an array of other bonus deals. We are now seeing online casinos with gamification built-in so you can complete missions and challenges to earn bonus money. On top of this, there are bonus shops and VIP loyalty programs. Plus, there are software provider network promotions with thousands in real money with 0x wagering requirements available.
Land-Based Slot Bonuses
Land-based gambling entertainment venues don’t have the same flexibility as online casinos to offer deposit bonus deals or free spins. There isn’t a website to allow this, and the slot machine games don’t have a deposit mechanic built in to allow deposit bonus deals. In other words, they lack the online infrastructure.
Instead, land-based establishments have come up with another way to offer players value for their spins.
The Land-Based Loyalty Card
- Players can top up a loyalty card with cash, or when they bet using cash, they can also insert their loyalty card.
- Loyalty cards can reward players cashback on their losses.
- Another feature is when players build up a certain number of points, and they receive physical prizes. For example, a free gourmet meal, entrances to prize draws to win a trip overseas, or cash prizes.
- In the same way as online casinos, players can also work their way up a tiered VIP loyalty system using their land-based loyalty card.
Pros and Cons
There are pros and cons to playing land-based slots versus playing online slots. In this section we highlight some of the most commonly mentioned for each niche. If you feel we should add other pros or cons to the lists, please feel free to leave a comment on this page.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Online Slots
| Pros |
|---|
| Access to Free Play Demo Slots to Test Slots Before Playing For Real Money |
| Bonus Free Spins, Gamification, and Deposit Match Bonuses |
| Networked Prize Drop & Software Provider Pomotions with 0x Wagering |
| Larger Variety of Slot Games to Choose From |
| Access to Online Slots 24/7 Via Device Connected to the Web |
| Cons |
|---|
| Lacks the Atmosphere of Playing in Land-Based Gambling Venues |
| Lack of Social Interaction as Some Players Play Slots Alone |
| Access to Winnings via Withdrawals Can Take Time |
| Some Online Casinos are Frauds and Don’t Pay Out |
| 24 Hour Access to Slots Can Lead to Gambling Addition |
Advantages and Disadvantages of Land-Based Slots
| Pros |
|---|
| Land-Based Establishments Have a Socialable Atmosphere |
| When You Win, The Slot Pays You in Cash Instantly |
| Access To Exclusive Slot Games Not Available Online |
| Loyalty Points Available If You Play In The Same Establishment Regularly |
| No Technology Issues With Signing Into An Account or KYC Check Delays |
| Cons |
|---|
| No Free Play Demo Mode on Land-Based Slot Games |
| Higher Minimum Spin Bets Required |
| RTPs on Land-Based Games Are Often Lower Than Online Slots |
| Fewer Online Slot Titles Compared to Online Slots |
| Queuing For Popular Slot Games on Busy Days |
Bridging the Gap Between Online and Land-Based Slots
In today’s modern slot machine gaming sphere, online and land-based slots can co-exist. Thanks to the introduction of video slot machines in brick-and-mortar venues, land-based gambling establishments can take games designed for online casinos and offer them on physical slot machine cabinets. The same principle applies when online slot developers take games from the land-based environment online. In both cases, whether players play the same slot online or offline, they experience the same gameplay.
However, as per the pros and cons, there are some gaps between online and land-based slot gaming that cannot be bridged. Land-based venues may also come with in-house dining and entertainment, which we know Las Vegas is famous for. Also, the social aspect of meeting new people is another aspect of land-based gaming that has not been bridged. However, with the introduction of VR and metaverse worlds, the social aspect, although virtual, may change.
As technology improves, we expect the gap between land-based and online slot gambling entertainment to shrink. For example, land-based machines via loyalty points can help players set responsible gambling limits. Also, we are already seeing online casinos that approve withdrawals almost instantly.
Land-Based Vs Online Slots FAQ
Are all online casino games available on land-based slots?
No. There are far more online casino slot titles compared to land-based slot titles. However, there are some slot developers like Merkur, Playtech, and Blueprint Gaming that produce land-based slots also available at online casinos and vice versa.
Who are the most well-known land-based and online casino software providers?
There is a long list of land-based and online slot developers. The availability of their slot games will depend on the country you live in. However, some of the brands that are available globally include Inspired Entertainment, IGT, Reflex Gaming, Novomatic, Ainsworth, Design Works Gaming, EGT, and those mentioned in the FAQ question above.
Are progressive jackpot slots better online or at land-based venues?
There are far more progressive jackpot slots online. Although land-based jackpot slots are often networked into pools of slot games to increase the jackpot amount, they pay out far less often than online jackpot networks. As for the amounts won, you can win millions playing online or land-based progressive jackpot slot machines.
How do I track my winnings in land-based versus online slots?
Tracking your winnings at an online casino is easy via the website’s interface under your account profile history. If you play land-based slots, the only way to track your winnings is to play at the same venue using a loyalty card. The loyalty card can track your winnings, and the establishment will often provide an online portal you can log into to check your spending and winnings.
What is the most popular video slot available in land-based venues and at online casinos?
This is a tough call because it all depends on your personal preferences. However, some games that spring to mind include Eye of Horus and the selection of Rainbow Riches video slot titles. If you live in the UK Book of Dead is available on William Hill FOBTs in the high street stores.
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