How Many Lines Should Social Slot Games Have?

Regarding slot game lines, everyone is quick to offer advice: Lines should be here, not there; more is better than less; less is better than more, etc. As a player, it’s always important to have clear line rules. Let’s take a step back for a moment and explore this topic in greater detail. Consider a classic slot game – any game will do. These are typically fruit slots, but other classic slots exist too.  

A gentleman named Charles August Fey pioneered the first slot machine in 1894 in San Francisco, California. It was known as the Liberty Bell. This fruit slot featured just one winline – that’s right, folks. This mechanical slot showcased three spinning reels and a metal lever. However, it also had an automated reward system that activated when the same symbols landed on the center line, initiating the coin drop in the dispenser. 

Three Liberty Bell symbols on the center line paid ten nickels, the equivalent of $0.50. This rudimentary system paved the way for nationwide mass adoption of slot games. They became so popular that his company could scarcely keep up with demand. The Liberty Bell featured ten symbols on the three reels, including ten stops. This means that there were 1000 X combinations of possibilities (10×10×10). 

The Liberty Bell featured bells, stars, hearts, diamonds, spades, and horseshoe symbols. The game even had a pre-formulated RTP (return to player) percentage of 86%. That means every dollar deposited into the machine was programmed to win back $0.86 over the long term. Such was the ingenuity of the Liberty Bell slot machine game that terms such as ‘bell-type machine’ were bandied about as the gold standard. 

*Source: https://www.immigrantentrepreneurship.org/entries/charles-august-fey/ 

From Fey to Today – The Rapid Evolution of Slots Games 

In this case, just one winline sufficed. By the early 1900s, Charles Fey was the most successful slot manufacturer of his time. He was business savvy, and his hands-on approach was essential for success. But because he never patented his machines, competitors swooped in, repackaged his concepts, and made a fortune. The one-armed bandits of the early 20th century typically featured a small number of winlines. That all changed when mechanical slots disappeared and were replaced by video and online slot games. Fast forward to the present day.

The meteoric rise of social casino games  – with no real money needed – has revolutionized how people play slot machine games. Absent the risk of loss, people are far more willing to play multi-line slot machine games. Several aspects of the games change when players move their game from a single winline or low volume winline slot to 20+ lines slot machine games.

Remember, more significant numbers of lines may be associated with higher volatility. Viewed differently, slot games with many lines tend to be, though not always, infrequent big-winning slots. Slot games make smaller wins more frequently when the volatility levels are lower. The number of lines typically features in these paradigms.

While the greater the number of winning combinations can sometimes lead to lower overall volatility, this isn’t always the case. We see evidence of this aplenty in the premiere social casino sites like PlayFame. Here, slot fans can enjoy a treasure trove of classic slots, video slots, hold-and-win, and feature-rich slots. Determining the number of lines in any given slot is fairly straightforward.

For example, Slot Machine by BGaming is the picture of a classic three-reel slot. It boasts fruit symbols, bells, and red 7s. This classic slot features five lines – modest by modern standards.  Players need to land identical symbols in combination to win a reward. The info button on any slot game, including classic slots, video slots, or jackpot slots, always indicates the number of lines or ways to win, as in the case of Megaways slots.

What’s the Maximum Number of Lines in a Slot Game?

While there’s a correlation between the number of winlines and volatility, it’s important to note that the game’s overall design, including winlines, reward structure, and bonus features, ultimately determines its volatility. The greater the number of winning combinations can sometimes lower volatility, but it’s not a universal rule. In terms of the maximum number of lines to play, these differ from one software provider to the next. Let’s take a look!

That’s how we break the lines down in slot machine games. The classic slots tend to showcase fewer lines, smaller bets, and lower prizes. But the video slots feature many additional in-game elements and bonus rounds to ramp up the action with more lines in play. It all boils down to personal preference!