September 11, 2024
7 Minute Read
The Complete Guide to Slot Machine Symbols
Slot machines have come a long way since Charles Fey created the first three-reel slot machine at the turn of the 20th century. Back then, the matching symbols consisted of a horseshoe, a diamond, a spade, a heart, and a bell, which Fey based on the Liberty Bell—and gave it its name.
Since then, slot games have grown in popularity, proliferating from traditional brick-and-mortar casinos to online casinos around the world.
This article will give you a clear understanding of the various slot machine symbols, how slot machine symbols work, and their roles in the game.
What Are Slot Machine Icons?
Slot machine icons or slot symbols are images displayed on the reels of a slot machine. They are part and parcel of the game’s appeal because predefined combinations of symbols result in a payout.
There are several different types of common slot machine symbols, such as basic symbols, classic slot machine symbols, wild symbols, scatter symbols, and bonus symbols that trigger bonus rounds or free spins. These slot machine icons represent different meanings, with each symbol based on objects often associated with luck.
In the best online slots, particularly in modern video slots, the symbols match the underlying slot game theme. iGaming software publishers create special symbols with sleek, stylish icons and visuals to create a more immersive, fun gaming experience to attract more players.
Traditional Slot Symbols
Slots have been around for a while—and so have some of the most enduring symbols that have endured the game’s evolution. Each symbol on a slot machine has specific meanings and far-ranging implications that could affect a player’s chances of winning. Let’s take a look at some of the traditional slot symbols that continue to appear on slot machines worldwide to this very day.
- Fruits. Fruits are a throwback from the days when they represented the flavor of chewing gum a player could win when landing a winning combination with them, these fruit symbols are a fixture in traditional or retro-themed slots.
- Bells. Bell symbols originated from the original Liberty Bell slot machine designed by Charles Fey, and often represent high paying symbols on classic slot machines and video slots.
- Bars. Bar symbols in slot machines used to be represented by gum packets. Now, bar symbols have replaced them, with single, double, or triple bars standing for different payouts.
- Sevens. The number seven is associated with luck in most cultures. Seven symbols in slot games generally offer bigger payouts due to their perception in cultural beliefs as being a lucky number.
- Playing cards/suits. Playing cards or the suits that they represent are often associated with low paying symbols.
Fruit Machine Symbols
Slot machines are colloquially referred to as “fruit machines” because of the fruit symbols that they have been synonymous with over time. Back in the day, early slot machines would pay out winning prizes with fruit-flavored chewing gum or candies, hence the symbols being created to represent fruit.
Fruit symbols, which are unassuming and entertaining to watch, were created to skirt regulations on slot machines that pay out wins in currency. Whenever a player lands a winning combination, they would be paid in the same flavor of chewing gum or candy. Those same machines would eventually pay out fiat currency once gambling restrictions were, but the fruit symbols remain to this very day. These symbols would typically include cherries, apples, watermelons, lemons, and plums, among others.
High-Paying vs. Low-Paying Slot Symbols
Traditional slot symbols are generally categorized into two: high-paying slot symbols and low-paying symbols.
Low paying symbols represent the traditional slot symbols such as suits or face cards from playing cards, such as Jacks, Queens, Kings, or Aces, or classic fruit symbols. They tend to pay out smaller wins compared to other slot machine symbols.
High paying slot symbols are usually special symbols that correspond to the underlying theme of the slot machine in question. For instance, a slot machine with space-themed gameplay may feature high-paying symbols such as planets, rocket ships, or heavenly bodies like comets and meteors that offer larger payouts than low-paying symbols.
Special Slot Machine Symbols: Wilds, Scatters, and More
Slot machines have drastically evolved over time. So have the variety and functionality of the symbols they use. While traditional slots symbols remain mainstays of the current milieu, contemporary video slot games offer a wider variety of symbols with unique features that feature bonus games, free spins, and bigger potential payouts aligned with the game’s theme.
Let’s take a closer look at special slot machine symbols in the following sections.
Wilds
A wild symbol can substitute for nearly any other reel symbols (with the exception of scatter symbols and bonus symbols) on a given payline to help create winning combinations and increase your chances of winning larger payouts. For instance, if you land two matching symbols and a wild symbol within the same payline, you could win double or triple your original payout.
Scatters
Unlike wild symbols, scatter symbols are one of the most used slots terms and they don’t need to land on an active payline to trigger a winning combination. Instead, they can land anywhere on the reels and trigger bonus rounds, bonus games, or free spins. Wins arising from scatter symbols are typically known as multiplier slot symbols and are multiplied by the total stake instead of the winning payout associated with regular wins, meaning larger payouts.
Free Spin Symbols
Free spins slot symbols trigger bonus rounds where players can spin the reels without wagering real money. The bonus round often increases your chances of winning, resulting in multiple free spins and big-time payouts that significantly enhance the slots gaming experience. Free spins symbols can come in the form of scatter symbols that don’t need to land on a specific payline to trigger the bonus round, or as a bonus symbol that is specifically designed to trigger the free spins, or bonus games.
How Slot Machine Symbols Work: The Mechanics Behind the Icons
Slot machines, regardless of whether they are mechanical, video, or digital slots, rely on symbols that determine if, how, and how much a player wins or loses. The placement of these symbols is controlled by a random number generator (RNG).
Random number generators are computer slots algorithms that generate a sequence of numbers that are randomized. This means that each number in the created sequence is equally likely to appear, with no specific pattern or predictability as to how the sequence is created. In slot machines, RNGs generate a random number sequence corresponding to a specific slot machine symbol on the reel. The number defines where the symbol lands when the reels are spun.
Slot machine symbols are determined by RNGs to guarantee a fair and unpredictable result.
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Learn more on slots:
Frequently Asked Questions
How many symbols are in a slot?
The number of symbols on a slot mahcine varies depending on the type of slot machine. In gneeral, three to five reel slots may have 20 or more slot symbols per reel. This indicaes that a slot machine could have anywhere between 15 up to 100 symbols strewn across its reels.
What symbols are on a slot machine?
Common slot machine symbols include fruits such as cherries, watermelons, oranges, plums, or lemons; single, double, or triple bars; sevens, diamonds, horseshoes, and stars, and other luck-associated symbols. Themed slots games, meanwhile, will feature symbols associated with the game’s underlying theme. Specific symbols can vary depending on the slots game you choose to play.
How can you read a slot machine?
To read a slot machine, first, you’ll need to identify the symbols and learn the value of each symbol. Then, you’ll need to understand the paylines by identifying the payline indicators that appear on the reels or the screen. Next, check the pay table, read up on the payouts and winning combinations, bonus features, and jackpot rules, if any. Finally, determine the minimum and maximum bets, RTP, and volatility.
What are wild symbols in slots?
Wild symbols are the “chameleon” of slot symbols. They are versatile symbols that can substitute for any other symbols on the reels to land winning combinations. They can boost your chances of winning by filling gaps in potential winning combinations on winning paylines.
