4 Key Differences Between Online slots and Land-Based Slots

The key differences between slots at America’s most popular online casinos and land-based slots that played in-person at physical casinos.

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The history of the slot machine traces back to before the 20th century. Since then, the massively popular casino game has had multiple iterations. This applies for the the Online Land-Based Slots too.

Whether it was the Sittman and Pitt poker-based machine before the first slot, Liberty Bell in the late 1800s, the first electromechanical machine in 1963, or the first video slot in 1976, slot machines have been popular for well over 100 years.

In 2013, the first legal online casinos came online in New Jersey. Since then, Michigan, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Delaware and Connecticut have joined the party.

With this, there are land-based slot machines and online slot machines. The most popular land-based slots, such as Dancing Drums and 88 Fortunes, have been developed by games designers and are now extremely popular among online slots players too!

But what are the differences between online slots and land-based slot games? Well, outside of the obvious that you play one in-person and one online. Let’s dive into the key differences between the two.

Differences Between Land-Based Slots and Online Slots

Here are the four main differences between land-based slots and online slots.

1. Variety

When it comes to variety, online casinos are set up better for this.

With online casinos, all these platforms need to worry about is having the infrastructure to support a large number of titles and supplying the sites with games from internal development or other game developers.

As for retail casinos, they tend to be large. But there’s only so much physical space that can be dedicated to slot machines. The average slot machine is around 30 inches deep and 74 inches high.

Therefore, many retail casinos will use their online casino as a vehicle to offer more titles. Just look at how many slot games are on offer at Golden Nugget Online Casino, for example!

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2. Payouts

You might have a better shot at a land-based casino than online slots if you’re looking for a payday. The top jackpots online don’t come anywhere near some of the more well-known winnings.

For retail slots, the largest payout was at the Megabucks games in Las Vegas. The winner received nearly $40 million. In comparison, the biggest online jackpot payout was over $24 million on Mega Fortune slot game.

With online slots, you balance convenience with payout. For example, if you go to DraftKings Casino right now, the top jackpots are around $612k. Still, some are progressive, which means they climb until they’re won.

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However, you’ll likely have an easier time winning at online slots. On average, the Return to Player Percentage at most sites is around 95%-96%. This means, over time, $0.95 to $0.96 of every $1 wagered will be paid back to players.

There’s less overhead with online casinos, and more people can play them, which allows for a better average payout. That said, they all have built-in advantages.

3. Promotions

This should come as no surprise, but far more tangible bonuses and promotions are available to players online. Whether this is online risk-free play periods, free spins, or deposit bonuses, you won’t find these at land-based slot machines.

The closest thing you’ll find at retail casinos is some bonus plays for signing up for a rewards program. Rewards programs include MGM Rewards and Caesars Rewards, with plenty more in the industry.

4. Convenience

This one is pretty self-explanatory. Of course, online slot games are more convenient to play than land-based slots. One involves you simply opening an app on your mobile or a website on your computer. The other likely involves a substantial journey to your nearest brick-and-mortar casino.

Want some quick fun on the slots? Online slots is the way to go.

Strategies for Land-Based Slots or Online Slots?

If anyone ever claims to have strategies for slot machines, you should take them with a grain of slot.

Simply put, slots are a game of pure chance. There are no strategies you can apply, such as never buying insurance in blackjack. You just spin the wheel and hope for the best.

This applies to both land-based and online slots. Don’t think that one has a hold over the other in terms of gambling strategy!