The global iGaming market recorded a valuation of $63.53 billion at the end of last year, while it’s forecast to grow at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 11.7% between now and 2030.
Interestingly, slots are now firmly established as the dominant driver of iGaming growth and revenue. For those who would like to explore the different types of slot games at the best slot sites, this guide can provide you with information about their bonus rounds, payouts, and average return-to-player (RTP) rates.
But have you ever wondered what technology underpins online slots? We’ll explore this in the article below while asking how innovation may influence the next generation of slots.
Slot Technology at the Best Slot Sites
In truth, slots have evolved markedly over the course of the last two decades, both in terms of their inspiration, transparency, and production quality.
Innovation has played a key role in influencing each of these factors, so here’s a brief introduction to the technology that underpins slot gaming in the digital age.
#1. Random Number Generators (RNGs)
Random number generators (RNGs) are deployed by all online slots in order to fairly determine the outcome of each spin during a slot game.
In simple terms, RNGs describe special algorithms which generate numbers that correspond to symbols on the reels. This ensures that the outcome of every single spin is random and completely fair while making it impossible to predict the next winning combination or lineup of symbols.
Generally speaking, two types of RNG exist, with ‘pseudorandom number generators’ utilized in online slots. Software-based PRNGs use algorithms to mimic a selection of a particular value and approximate true randomness, which is more than adequate for safeguarding online slots.
But why the use of the word ‘pseudorandom’? Well, from the technical perspective, PRNGs don’t generate truly random numbers because computers use an algorithm based on a distribution that’s deterministic.
So, it’s technically possible for developers and individuals who know the ‘seed’ number to predict the generation of numbers, but this advantage wouldn’t be available when playing an online slot.
So, although PRNGs aren’t as effective or secure as ‘true random number generators’ (which use an external and unpredictable physical variable instead of a computer algorithm and are used on physical slot machines), they’re perfectly suited to the world of online gaming and more than fit for purpose.
#2. Coding and Programming Language
When you’re working your way through the list of the top slot sites in the USA, the games’ libraries you encounter will have been programmed using a specific code that helps to interpret languages and automate actions.
Coding is a truly modern profession that underpins every game and website that you come across, while it’s characterized by a huge array of trusted coding languages that can be learned over time.
In the modern age, most slots are coded using the basic web protocol HTML, which has the advantage of being supported by mobile and PC devices. More specifically, the advent of HTML5 allows developers to program a single game that is accessed seamlessly across multiple devices, negating the need to create specifically coded titles for each platform.
Historically, it was Java that was used to program mobile slots, with this once the most common coding language deployed across all major smartphone manufacturers.
Java remained popular throughout the early years of the smartphone era, and it was even incorporated to help run early operating systems.
However, advancements in HTML technology and the launch of more advanced smartphones quickly saw this coding language gradually phased out, with the last update (Java 7) being released way back in April 2015.
#3. Graphics, Audio, and Sound Effects
While real money online slots are largely played due to a desire to earn significant cash returns, these titles also provide an immersive gameplay experience in the digital age.
In fact, playing slot games for real money often exposes you to titles with the best graphics and animations, which can encourage you to play for longer and increase your total stake over time.
While each slot has its own unique theme and design elements, these are usually constructed and developed using similar techniques.
For example, software houses and creatives will use an array of tools to create graphics for their games, including Photoshop and Adobe After Effects and less well-known applications like Blender.
The latter is a free and open-source graphics tool and one that allows you to edit elements to create truly unique and bespoke graphics.
2D (and increasingly 3D) animations are also used to introduce a new visual dimension to online slots, from the spinning reel grid to the use of ‘additive animation’ and the layering of still images to introduce moving characters.
Each of these visual elements is becoming increasingly sophisticated, as are in-game audio effects and the soundtracks used to create even more immersive gameplay.
The Bottom Line
So, there you have it; our brief guide to the technology that underpins the top US online slots to play in 2023.
Even more exciting technologies are set to be developed further in the near term, with three-dimensional slots now increasingly prevalent and able to offer a completely authentic and immersive experience in the comfort of your own home.
