Slots are all the rage and have been since they were first created back in 1895. But, since the early days of the 3-reel and single payline Liberty Bell slot, a lot has changed. There are more combinations, variations, and themes of slots than you can possibly imagine these days. No longer just a fast and furious form of gambling, slots are nothing short of being top-grade 21st-century entertainment.

While the world of online slots is filled with plenty of sizzle and style, there really are only two types of slots you can play – online slots and offline slots. Debates have rumbled on for years, but which is actually better? Which type of slot gives you the most freedom, the most fun, the most excitement, and the best win potential?

Today, we’re going to explore both and come out with an answer to all those questions and more!

What is an Offline Slot?

We’re going to start right back with the basics of what makes up an online and offline slot. So, let’s begin by explaining exactly what we mean by an offline slot. Offline slots are slots that you have to physically play, at a casino or amusement arcade for example.

Whether it’s in a pub, casino, bar, pokie hall, or even at the airport, these are all offline slots because they will work with no internet connection – hence the name offline slot. You may sometimes hear offline slots referred to as land-based slots.

Offline slots are great fun if you’re on a night out or are hitting up the local casino for a bit of action, and some types of offline slots can even give you a huge advantage over the casino – making them well worth playing.

What is an Online Slot?

Next, we come to online slots. Online slots are essentially any slot that you play on the internet from a desktop, laptop, tablet, smartphone, or any other internet-enabled device. These types of slots give you total freedom and flexibility, allowing you to play thousands of slots at any time of day or night from any location in the world that has internet access.

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You can play slots online in your pajamas from your bed, you can play slots online under the table in a board meeting, you even can play slots online while cruising at 42,000 feet. Online slots give you total freedom and flexibility to spin the reels from where you please.

Feeling Bored? You’re a Click Away from a Brand New Game

When you’re at a casino, providing they’re open, and you get bored of a slot, or fancy changing it up to try your luck on a different game, you’ve got to walk around, find a seat that’s free and look up the stats of the game. Whereas with an online slot, you simply have to click the back button and you can pick from thousands of games, all without moving from your seat.

The information and stats about each game are clearly displayed and easy to access. Best of all? There are no lurkers waiting for you to get up for a bathroom break to steal your thunder and the jackpot. You can take your tablet, mobile phone, or laptop with you and carry on playing.

What About Computer Viruses?

If you’re worried about catching a computer virus while playing online slots, then you’re probably playing at some very dodgy online casinos. Nowadays, all online casinos have to be fully regulated with the latest security protocols in place.

This means you’re not going to pick up any malware or scary viruses when you’re playing online slots at a leading online casino – the same can’t be said for offline slots and land-based casinos these days…

What’s the Best Time to Play Online Slots?

The thing about offline slots is that they’re often in buildings that are shut during certain hours or are inconvenient to get to. You don’t have this issue when it comes to playing online slots.

At an online casino, you can play any time of day or night – literally 24/7. The only reason you won’t be able to play an online slot is if your internet connection cuts out, and let’s face it, in this day and age that’s a rare occurrence.

Don’t worry about having to drive six hours to your closest casino or taking a day off work to spin the reels a few times, just load it up right there on your phone and you’re good to go.

There is no real best time to play online slots, simply play when is best for you and when you have the time. Ultimately, there’s nobody stood by the door waiting for you to finish and leave so they can lock up. When it comes to online slots, you can play wherever and whenever you want.

Is the RTP the Same?

The RTP for online slots is exactly the same for offline slots. A lot of offline slots get turned into online slots and vice versa. While the games might vary slightly between offline slots and online slots, the RTP will remain in the same ranges – between 91% and 100%, you just have to pick the right games to play.

You can find the most popular slots in both offline and online formats, with both versions of the same game giving you a shot at scooping a massive jackpot. As long as your casino game knowledge is on point, then you have the power to have an edge over both online slots and offline slots.

Which Type of Slot has the Best Graphics?

Obviously, when you’re playing slots, you want to see the best graphics to get the best experience. This appears to be one of the only scenarios in which offline slots have the upper hand.

Offline slot machines can be fitted with the very best displays, giving you UHD HDR 8k resolutions, so you’re going to struggle to get a better view than that at home.

Online slots are very much limited to your specifications. If you’ve only got an iPhone 6 or an Apple Mac without retina display, then you’re going to be stuck with an inferior visual experience.

The actual game experience varies very little no matter where you play. While land-based slots might have a bit of a hardware advantage, as long as you’re playing on the right device, any online slot will still look and feel the part – running smoothly no matter what you throw at them.

Can I Get More Free Spins Playing Online Slots?

Online slots have a huge range of advantages, and one of those is the number of free spins that you can get on certain games.

Most online casinos will do weekly free spins drops, as well as giving you free spins for creating your account or completing promotions. This is essentially free money that you’re not going to get from an offline slot.

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While offline slots will give you access to player clubs that can get you discounts on rooms and bottle services in the clubs, not everyone wants these rewards. Not to mention that it’s far harder to rack up enough club points to get these types of rewards than it is to get 200 free spins every week.

If you love playing with free spins and like to get the most out of those free spins, online slots look to be the clear-cut winner once more.

How do I Pick the Right Slot to Play?

When you’re looking to play a new slot, whether it’s online or offline, you should be keeping an eye out for a few major features. First up, you want to make sure the RTP is a decent amount. The higher the number the better. There are a couple of online slots that exceed 99%, but you’re going to struggle to find any offline slots with this type of RTP.

Next, you need to check out the volatility level. A low volatility level means that you’ll get more frequent wins, but the amounts won’t really be anything to write home about. On the other end of the scale is high volatility slots. These slots are the slots that have the biggest multipliers and the biggest payouts.

These big wins come around less frequently, but when they do, you’ve got a win that’s going to put you behind the wheel of your dream car and under the roof of a massive villa.

This information can be harder to find when playing offline slots, as you’ll have to sit down at an offline slot and flick through the menus, which can be a chore.

On the other hand, online slots have all this information shown in a quick and easy to read display that’s often located just below the online slot itself.

How Can I Play Slots Better Online?

If you want to play slots better online, all you have to do is sign up to a reputable online casino, ideally one with an epic welcome bonus. The process usually takes no more than 5 minutes to complete. From then on, you can access a huge library of games and start playing.

On the other hand, if you want to play offline slots you’re going to need to get showered, dressed, hop in a car, and make your way to the nearest bar, pub, casino, or pokie hall. Once there, you’ll have to pass through security, battle through crowds to find a free offline slot machine, change up your money into quarters or dimes and sit on a sticky seat. That doesn’t really sound too appetizing if you ask us, but each to their own.

The Answer is Obvious…

Long story short, online slots blow offline slots out the water like a Tomahawk missile. Online slots have so many advantages and are incredibly convenient when compared to the likes of offline slots.

While offline slots do have a couple of upsides, these advantages are just not enough to warrant being labeled as better than online slots in our books. If you’re after something very specific then perhaps offline slots might be better, but trying to find a specific slot that’s free for you to play could involve a lot of leg work.

There are hundreds of thousands of online slots waiting online for you to play. All you have to do is create an account at a top online casino and you will have instant and unparalleled access to an impressive catalog of games.

Online casinos launch new slots every couple of days, whereas offline slots seem to be stuck with the same games for years. For that reason alone, the choice should be clear, join the best online casino around today and start enjoying the ultimate online slots experience!