How do casino slot machines work?

How casino slot machines work for most players is that when you press the spin button the reels start spinning and you could win or lose. Over the years and through technological advancements slots have changed quite a bit, although the idea remains the same, the reels spin and stops in random positions, should three or more identical symbols form a combination then the player wins.

Years ago, all slots in casinos were mechanical powered by gears and levers, while a braking system stopped the reel and sensors informed the machine what to pay out according to the symbols. The mechanical slot machines have now been replaced with video slots powered by microchips, controlling the process via a motherboard. All slots whether land-based or online award random outcome due to the random number generators and each outcome is independent of the previous result and software are subject to regular test by independent auditors such as eCOGRA and TST.

But when it comes down to how online slots work it all starts with the ways to win, which includes patterns of symbols in a horizontal shape starting from the leftmost reel, patterns formed in a diagonal shape and even in a zig-zag shape. To discover all the winning patterns, it is best to visit the paytable section of the slot.