How online slots are created and the technology behind a casino

Slot machines have come a long way over the past couple of decades – Image via Pexels

The online gambling industry is in rude health right now, with experts forecasting it could be worth more than $100 billion by 2026.

One of the biggest contributors to the success are online slot games, which are hugely popular with millions of people across the world.

The earliest incarnations of online slots were fairly basic affairs, but advancements in technology over the past couple of decades has transformed the landscape.

Read on as we take a closer look at how slots games are created and assess the technology that is used to power an online casino.

Online slots development

Developing an online slot is a labour-intensive process involving several specialisms including game design, graphic design, animation and web development.

After discussing elements such as gameplay, graphics and sound effects, the development team are tasked with building a prototype version of the game.

Once this has been completed, any initial issues are resolved and a primary version is created which is taken into final development.

The game undergoes stringent testing at this point to rectify any remaining bugs, before the slot is added to the development company’s list of available titles.

How online slots work

When slot machines were first created they were powered mechanically, but things changed when video technology arrived on the scene.

Random number generator (RNG) software was used in early video slots and this has continued since slots games gravitated into the online arena.

Developers incorporate an RNG into every game, with the software generating a number that is linked to the game symbols each time a player presses the ‘spin’ button.

Combining the RNG with the return to player (RTP) percentage rate and volatility ultimately determines how often the game pays out.

Incorporating the slot into the casino

The leading slots developers have forged partnerships with the top gambling operators to supply them with online casino games.

Generally speaking, the game software is provided to the casino who then use in-house or external web specialists to integrate these into the online casino platform.

The process to build the casino website is equally labour intensive, with front-end design, customer support software and payment gateways amongst the elements which need to be addressed.

The incorporation of messaging software and a content management system for marketing purposes are other factors that are included in the finished product.

Online casino payments

Incorporating payment gateways is a crucial part of online casino development – Image via Pexels

As we have just alluded to, there are several additional elements beyond the games which help to create every online casino.

One of the most important things to consider are the payment gateways, which allow the operator to process deposits and withdrawals safely and securely.

Card payments, digital wallets, mobile payments and open banking methods are amongst the most popular ways this manifests itself.

Each of these options must be optimised to work across all digital devices, to ensure that players can fund their accounts whenever and wherever they want.

Instant messaging software

Another hugely important software item that features in online casinos is instant messaging software, which is used primarily in two key areas.

The first of these is customer support, with many of the leading operators offering 24/7 live chat facilities to casino players.

The software provides a real-time line of communication between players and customer support agents to allow for queries to be resolved in a speedy manner.

Instant messaging software is also used alongside casino games to provide players with an extremely easy way to chat to other people on the site.

Mobile slots optimisation

In terms slots development and creating an online casino, optimisation for mobile is arguably the most difficult hurdle to overcome.

When online casinos were first created, very little consideration was given to how the site would load onto smaller digital devices.

With smartphones now the ‘go-to’ device for millions of players, casino operators can ill-afford to neglect this side of their operations.

Most online casino sites are now fully optimised to work on a mobile browser, while the top operators have developed standalone apps to make it even easier to play slots games.

Slots, casinos and technology in the future

The past couple of decades have seen a massive evolution in the way online slots and casino sites are developed, and this trend looks set to continue.

Increased adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) technology has been widely forecast to have a major impact in the industry over the coming years.

The technology is already being used to enhance customer support functions by handling common queries that do not necessarily need the input of a human agent

AI can also be utilised to gather user data which is then used to inform future developments within slots and other online casino games.

Those developments are likely to include a steady rollout of virtual reality (VR) casino games, particularly now the supporting hardware is living up to expectations.

The technology has largely been used within the social gaming sector thus far, but this is expected to change as casino operators wise up to the possibilities.

VR slots games are likely to become commonplace over the next few years, further highlighting just how far technology is pushing the envelope in this sector.