Your guide to Slots and symbols

Whether you're playing online or at an online casino, there are a variety of Slots symbols you'll want to get to grips with. So, no matter the game, no matter the time or the place, you'll know exactly what kind of symbols to look out for as they roll onto the reels. Read on to find out more.

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The history of Slots symbols

In 1891, the first slot machine was developed by New York based company Sittman and Pitt. This machine consisted of five drums and was made up of 50 playing cards. The idea was to pull the lever to make the reels spin, and line up Poker hands to win prizes.

The slot machine that inspired the machines we know and love today, however, was created between 1887 and 1895 by Charles Fey. The machine was called The Liberty Bell, and was the first to provide automatic payouts. The existing five drums were replaced with three reels and just five symbols: hearts, diamonds, spades, horseshoes and a liberty bell.

This machine became so popular that when playing the games for money was banned in 1909, they were adapted to provide winners with their prizes in chewing gym and sweets. The icons changed to fruit symbols to reflect the flavours available.

As technology advanced and slot machines evolved over the years, so did the symbols. New types of symbols were introduced, alongside themed games and more ways to win than ever before. Let's take a look at some of the symbols that make up the slot games we know and love today…

Wild symbols

Go wild for the Wild symbols, as these can replace any other icons on the reels, providing you with even more chances to win or bag a bonus! The main role of a Wild symbol is to help you complete your winning line, as it can represent anything other than the Scatter.

Many modern-day slot machines have different types of Wilds, in addition to the standard one, each helping you boost your bankroll in their own way. These include Sticky Wilds, Random Wilds and Expanding Wilds, just to name a few.

Scatter symbols

The Scatter symbol is generally representative of the game's theme, and can provide you with free spins, which means more chances to try and land that win! What's more, Scatters can be present anywhere on the reels to give you a win, and the more you land, the better the bonus. You might even find that the game's Scatter symbols also come with a multiplier to help you boost your bankroll further.

Standard symbols

Of course, every slot game has the standard symbols. These are generally represented by fruit symbols such as cherries, grapes and melons, as well as playing card symbols: Ace, Kings, Queens, Jacks and Tens. Of course, the base game symbols may also be reflective of the theme of the slot you are playing. The number of symbols a game has depends on the number of reels.

Multiplier symbols

Multiplier symbols aren't as common as some of the other symbols we've mentioned, but have the potential to increase your winnings from 2x your bet to 1000x or more! Multipliers can sometimes apply if you land Wild symbols, or during bonus games and free spins activated by the Scatters. You might even find progressive multipliers, increasing your winnings even more each time.

Bonus symbols

Bonus symbols are symbols like the Scatter symbol, but give you the opportunity to enter unique games and features, or free rounds that can provide you with multipliers, free spins and a variety of other bankroll boosting bonuses!

Marvin Fry

Update 06 March 2022