Are Online Slots better than Land based ones?

The majority of people who have visited a land based casino have played the slot machines. These games require little, if any, skill and let's face it they are everywhere! But some players question the value of playing online slots and whether or not these are actually better than their land based counterparts.

Here we will take a look at the differences between online slots and those found in brick and mortar casinos and you can answer that question for yourself.

Common Features

Slots at land based venues as well as those at reputable, licensed and regulated online and mobile casinos share a few commonalities. One of the most important of which is that they are tested and certified by independent auditing companies and are checked on an ongoing basis to ensure fair game play.

You will occasionally find that providers who manufacture land based slots have licensed these for use in online casinos and as such the exact same games that you find on the casino floors of the world are available at some online casinos, although this is still more the exception than the rule.

This however is where the similarities end, and we'll now take a look at how online slots differ from land based games.

Greater Selection

This may seem impossible, given the fact that about two thirds of the casino floors are covered in slot machines, but online slots are not restricted to physical space and as such there are hundreds and hundreds to choose from, with new ones being added to online casino games lobbies each month.

So if game selection is a priority for you, then playing online is the best bet.

More Features

While the land based and online slots industries are on par when it comes to technological developments, both offering a host of advanced features within their games, however new online slots are launched more frequently, and as such, players get to enjoy more new additions to games more often than they do at land based venues.

Higher Payouts

In general online slots offer higher payout rates than land based machines, so your odds when playing these games on your mobile or laptop are considerably higher. The reason online casinos are able to offer better odds is that they have lower overhead costs and as such can pass along the savings to players in the form of better payout percentages.

Another great thing about online slots is that with a little research you can find the various payout rates so that you are able to choose the slot that gives you the best chance of winning.

More frequent Progressive Jackpot Payouts

Online casinos offer networked progressive jackpot slots - this means that for example, all Microgaming powered online casinos have a linked jackpot pool and a percentage from all progressive game play contributes to it.

While land based progressive machines are linked - they cannot make up for the sheer volume that a linked network of online casinos produces. This means that jackpots at online casinos grow faster and experience greater hit frequencies, thus making more big winners more often! The great thing is that mobile versions of these online casinos are also linked into the jackpots so you can literally be a part of the action from anywhere in the world as long as you have access to a mobile or tablet device.

In addition, online casinos offer progressive jackpot prizes on a variety of games from slots to video poker, with large numbers of variants to choose from.

Bonuses and Promotions

Online casinos cannot physically match the comps that land based casinos hand out in the forms of free rooms, drinks and meals, but they do offer a variety of cash and casino credits rewards, often with great values. In general, slots count 100% to fulfilling the casino's play-through and wagering requirements for these bonuses which means that you get more game play for your money.

While a visit to land based casinos offers an entirely different entertainment experience, when it comes to fun, convenience, game selection and opportunities to win, playing online slots cannot be beaten.