Classic slots are perfect for two types of players: those looking for a traditional experience, and new players looking for slots with unrivalled simplicity. Here at DogSlots we provide a huge catalogue of the best classic slots around, all of which are available to be played for free in demo-mode. This means that you can play on all of our classic slots instantly without having to sign-up to a casino, and without having to spend any of your hard earned cash.
Our team of gambling experts work hard to provide our players with reviews of all of the world’s favourite classic slots. If you want to jump straight to playing, scroll through our list and take a slot for a spin. If you want to learn more about classic slots, read on: we go over everything you need to know below.
The developers Sittman and Pitt create the first 'Gambling Machine' in Brooklyn, New York. This is considered to be the precursor to the slot machines we have all come to know and love. Instead of symbols, this machine was based on the 50 card faces used in Poker.
The first slot machine with 3 reels is invented by Charles Fey. This device is the first to allow for automatic payouts and is named the “Liberty Bell”.
Slot machines are further developed by the inventor Herbert Mills, who named his creation the “Operators Bell”. Famously, this machine is the first slot to feature fruit symbols.
Another landmark was reached in 1964 by the company Bally Technologies. Significantly, this marked the arrival of the first electric slot machine called “Money Honey”.
1975 is the year in which the first video slot was created. Walt Fraley’s “Fortune Coin” is considered to be the first slot to come with digitised reels.
Microgaming assert themselves as pioneers within the online casino industry by creating the first online slot. This marks the age of the online casino, in which slots players around the world could play from their desktop.
The popularity of online slots skyrockets. WMS Industries innovates, and creates “Reel ‘Em In”. This is the first video slot to come with bonus features, and sets the trend that has lasted to this very day.
HTML5 technology becomes the main platform for mobile devices. This (coupled with the recent surge in smartphone accessibility) allows online casinos to optimise their games for Mobile Devices.
Classic slots are simple to play and work easily. You find wide variety in these games in terms of themes but the basic similarity is there in all: they come with 3 reels and have a very antiquated look about them. The classic slots you find at online casinos are usually copies of what you get at land-based casinos say, in land-based casinos in Vegas and other such gambling hotspots.
The way they work is simple. You sign up with the online casino and deposit funds for real money play. You zero in on the classic slots available here and click on the one you want to play. Choose your coin value and then place your wager by zeroing in on your coin size to avoid frustration and helplessness later. Aiding you in this decision is the paytable; it gives you a good idea of the advantages the different coin sizes come with.
Most classic slots have a single base game; there are no extra bonus rounds to spice things up. If at all any one of these has a bonus round it will have more than a single payline. The payouts for these games are not too high but they are fun to play.
You get different kinds of classic slots to try out when you are playing at an online casino.
The most commonly seen ones include:
These games have 3 reels and a fixed jackpot. The number of coins allowed is also less, and they have a fixed jackpot as the title says. You have the liberty of playing with anywhere between 1 and 9 coins.
These are classic 3-reel slots that come with a progressive jackpot that can completely change your life for the better. You can play for the progressive jackpot only if you qualify to win it. You stand the chance of winning the progressive jackpot only if you play Max Bets.
These slots give you extra bonuses should you opt to play in Max Bet mode.
Also called wide area progressive slots (WAPS) and could have up to 4 reels. The first of these was developed by International Gaming Technology (IGT) back in the 1980s. Because there is a progressive jackpot attached, the chances of winning are less.
Also called Variable State Slots, they pay out bonuses only if you land your bouquet of winning symbols or permutations and combinations of them in a bank. It is only post this that the bonus gets activated.
Almost every online casino software provider, especially the veterans in the industry including names like Microgaming, NetEnt, Playtech, and many others offer classic slot games to players. These games all resemble the slots games of yore and are themed on stories from the future, the present, and the past.
The following are some of the top classic slots that you get at online casinos across the world:
Classic slots tend to have only three reels. This is very similar to many video slots also, but just because a slot has three reels does not automatically make it a classic slot. Another way of identifying a classic slot is the symbols they use, many of which you will be familiar with, such as:
All slots (including classic slots) have a predetermined RTP (Return to Player). This number determines the slots odds in the following way: the higher the RTP of a slot, the more likely it is that you’ll spin a winning combination. For example, if you wager £100 on a slot game with an RTP of 98%, you will win back, on average, £98. Our top pick of classic slots with a good RTP% (and great gameplay), includes the following:
Rank | Slot Title | Software | RTP |
1. | Triple Profit | Playtech | 98.72% |
2. | Jungle Boogie | Playtech | 97.40& |
3. | Hot Shot | Bally | 97.15% |
4. | The Rat Pack | Microgaming | 97% |
5. | Diamond Mine Deluxe | RTG | 96.43% |
There are many software providers which excel when it comes to classic slots. However, it can be argued that classic slots games have been overtaken, convincingly, by video slots in terms of popularity. Nonetheless, the software provider, Playtech, has a number of classic slot games which are popular amongst players looking for a more traditional experience.
Yes, you can play classic slot games for free. You can do this using two methods: by playing on slots in demo-mode, or by claiming a No Deposit Bonus. The most obvious difference between these two methods is that you cannot win real money when playing on slots in demo-mode, whereas if you win using a No Deposit Bonus (and fulfil your T&C’s), you will be allowed to withdraw a portion of your winnings.
Yes, you can play classic slots directly from your mobile phone. This works in the exact same way as it does on your desktop, that is, by opening the game in your mobile browser. All major mobile platforms are supported, including:
Browse our list of recommended free and real money slots and find the best games for you