You won't get rich hitting up a 3-reel machine but the casual wins can be OK. This is why 3-reel machines are known for their fairly low volatility. Generally, the 3-reel games carry just the one payline - across the centre - which makes for lots of small regular wins but few big jackpots. Most 3-reel slots today are of the video variety (although even some video slots still have the old-fashioned mechanical one arm to spin the reels) but you'll still find old-school mechanical slots with physical reels in casinos around the world. In the US they were called AWP (Amusements With Prizes) as chewing gum or gifts were won instead of real money.Īnd while the cherries and melons may once have referred to the flavour of the gum you won from the slot, nostalgia means that you can still find hundreds of 'classic' slots online or in your local casino.īut in this age of 5-reel video slots with 720 paylines and bonus rounds galore, is there still a place for the 3-reel slot? How 3-Reel Slots Work
These 'Classic' games featured mechanical operations, minimal paylines and even fewer bonus rounds. Once upon a time, all slots could be classified as 3-reel machines.