When you picture a casino, the first images that spring to mind are the bright lights of the slot machines. They dominate the floorspace of most land-based casinos and the sound of reels whirring and cash falling into the trays is synonymous with the gaming experience.

Popular the world over and going by many names; you’re just as likely to hear the Brits refer to them as ‘fruities’ (derived from the term fruit machine) as you are to hear the Swedes exclaim "spela online slots". They’re called ‘puggies’ in Scottish English and ‘pokies’ in Australia and New Zealand—short for poker machines but in reference to slot machines, not the card game—and some know them as one-armed bandits.

Fruit machines don’t only come in one flavour. There is a wide variety of designs and options for players to choose from. Here’s a guide to the varieties you might encounter.

The Three Reel Slot Machine

The simplest version of a slot machine has three spinning reels and just one horizontal win-line through the center of them. The player spins the reels with a button or a handle and if the symbols match, you’re a winner. Different values are assigned to the symbols or combinations thereof, with the Liberty Bell traditionally representing the jackpot.

Five Reel Slots

An additional two reels of symbols has become more common. The chance of matching five symbols is slimmer so the jackpots on five reel machines are usually bigger. Some novelty machines at casinos can have up to ten spinning reels and other multi-reel games feature several three reel games one above another.

Multiple Pay-line Slots

To expand on the core idea of the slot machine, larger reel windows allow the player to see symbols above and below the central win-line; this makes it possible to utilise multiple paylines. They can be parallel to the middle line, above or below, or diagonally through the reels.

Some win-lines zig zag through the reels and can number as many as thirty on the most complex five reel machines—even more on online games. The addition of multiple pay-lines means more chances of winning. Most machines with this feature allow the player to choose the number of win-lines in play at the cost of an increased stake per spin.

Video Slots

Video slot machines contain no physical reels. A screen simulates the spins and hence these machines can be more versatile. Video slot machines have proven well-liked and now share casino floors with their mechanical counterparts.

Video machines have the capacity for more impressive graphics and feature gameplay that wouldn’t be possible on traditional machines. Casinos can easily load new game software onto them so it becomes very easy for casinos to update their slot collection.

Some love video slot machines at land-based casinos while some prefer the conventional machines, but one thing is for sure, the popularity of fruit machine apps—which are essentially a form of video slot—is enormous. A large number of existing and new players have taken their gaming habits to online casinos and apps on their smart devices.

Wild Play Machines

A ‘wild’ symbol on a slot machine can substitute for any other symbol when it’s included on a win-line. It can make winning lines out of spins that otherwise would not have been successful, which is an attractive feature to players.

The ‘wild’ symbol can also act as a multiplier or access bonus features but their function varies between machines so always check with the machine you’re playing on. A win including a multiplier can result in huge immediate payouts.

Progressive Jackpot Slots

A progressive jackpot accumulates every time someone plays the machine and doesn’t win the jackpot. A small amount is incrementally added to the jackpot total which, if the jackpot is not won for some time, racks up vast jackpots.

The biggest slot machine win on record was $39.7 million and was won on the Megabucks slot machine at the Excalibur Casino in Las Vegas in 2003. The machine costs $100 per spin and has a progressive jackpot which had reached the dizzying sum when it was finally won. The chance of winning was approximately 1 in 50 million.

Touch Screen Machines

In the last decade, many casinos have replaced a percentage of their slot machines with more modern touch screen alternatives. Unrecognisable from their one arm bandit ancestors, younger players have taken to the new machines because of how integrated touch screens are in modern society.

These machines usually allow the player to choose from a library of games and can even accumulate winnings across different games.

No matter your preference, there’s a variety of slot machine for everyone. And with the choice available there’s plenty to experiment with—you might just find a new favourite.