The advent of multi-line slot machines in the 1990s revolutionized the gaming industry and changed the slot floor forever. As technology advanced, game developers started experimenting with slots that had more than one payline. These multi-line slots quickly became popular and paved the way for further innovation in slot machine design and features.
In this article, we’ll explore the evolution of multi-line slots, how they work, the key developments that made them possible and their impact on the industry over the past 30 years.
Before diving into multi-line slots on such platforms as Casino Crowngold and other legit sites specifically, it helps to understand the advancements happening with video slots in the 1980s. These early video slots were important precursors that made multi-line slot machines possible.
In 1976, the first electronic slot machine was introduced at the Hilton Hotel in Las Vegas by Fortune Coin Company. This new form of electronic gaming quickly gained popularity on casino floors. By the late 1980s, video slots were taking hold, which used television monitors to display the game rather than physical reels.
Some key developments with early video slots included:
These innovations paved the way for more dramatic changes just around the corner as the 1990s approached.
By the 1990s, video slot technology had improved to the point where game designers could begin experimenting with slots that had multiple paylines.
One of the first was Reel ’Em In by WMS Gaming in 1996. This slot offered an incredible 20 paylines, while most slots at the time just had a single horizontal payline across the center. The number of paylines that crossed the screen opened up all sorts of new possibilities.
Some other notable multi-line slots that emerged were:
|
Year |
Slot Machine |
Developer |
# of Paylines |
|
1996 |
Reel ’Em In |
WMS Gaming |
20 |
|
1998 |
Cash Express |
Aristocrat |
5 |
|
2000 |
Reel Magic |
WMS |
12 |
|
2001 |
Money Storm |
Aristocrat |
12 |
|
2003 |
Wizard of Oz |
WMS |
30 |
As the above table shows, the number of paylines in slots expanded rapidly from just 1 to as many as 30 by the early 2000s. Game developers were quick to capitalize on this new multi-line format, and competitive forces drove rapid innovation.
Rather than just a single horizontal payline across the center as with traditional slots, multi-line slots can have paylines going in all sorts of directions – diagonally, vertically, zigzag and more. Most multi-line slots today have between 20 and 25 paylines.
Having multiple paylines accomplishes a few things:
When the spin results come up, the machine checks the symbol combinations along each payline to see if there are any winning patterns based on the game’s programmed paytable. Some additional aspects to note:
With so many paylines crisscrossing the screen, multi-line slots can seem chaotic at first. But essentially the machine is just checking each line for symbol matches. Over time, players got comfortable with reading all the action.
One of the biggest impacts of multi-line slots was that they allowed casinos to offer games with much higher payout rates compared to traditional single-line slots, while still maintaining healthy profitability levels.
Instead of one payline where winning combinations had to land precisely across the center, having 20+ lines increased the probability of players getting some sort of winning combination each spin. Alone, this would increase the game’s payback percentage already.
But on top of that, game developers paired these multi-line games with bonus features like free spins, pick bonuses, interactive second screens and more. This vastly multiplied the number of ways players could win.
As a result, while single-line slots in the 1980s typically had payout return-to-player (RTP) percentages around 85-90%, multi-line video slots saw average percentages creep steadily upwards in the 90s and 2000s.
So multi-line slots benefited both players who got to enjoy higher payouts and casinos who got to offer more exciting games that were still quite profitable.
Another important technical innovation that dovetailed with multi-line slots was the widespread industry adoption of random number generators (RNGs) built into electronic slot machine software.
Whereas mechanical slot machines used physical spinning reels that were more limited in flexibility, computerized random number generators allowed developers almost endless creativity when programming slot games.
Modern slots randomly select each symbol on each reel for every single spin, injecting authentic unpredictability and variety into outcomes. This ensures fairness while also opening up possibilities for bonus features dependent on random triggers.
RNGs played perfectly into the strengths of multi-line slots and the growth of bonus features dependent on an element of randomness. Their adoption was another critical piece that propelled multi-line slots forward.
From the very first 20-line slot in 1996, it’s incredible to reflect on how much has changed in 25+ years. The multi-line format has become ubiquitous – today it’s hard to find any video slots that still have only 1 or 3 lines.
Game developers continue stretching the boundaries of innovation around multi-line slots:
As slots technology marches forward, the foundations laid by multi-line slots in the 1990s will continue opening new creative possibilities.
Multi-line slots radically changed player experiences and casino floors forever. And players today get to enjoy the fruits – exciting games with thousands of ways to win and payout rates averaging 96% or more.
From simple beginnings with just one payline in the 1970s, multi-line video slots have certainly come a long way thanks to innovative game developers. The future continues to look bright for the slot machines!
