There is really not only a great difference among land-based slots and online slots. This is because they now both depend upon digital computer chip technology to generate their reels and slots, as well as the outcomes of spinning a reel. In earlier times, slot machines had an actual handle that you pulled talking to manually spin the reels. Right now, while slot machines may still provide a handle for the sake of nostalgia, the inner workings of the slot machine are computer-based. In several cases the handle has also been replaced by a button that you press to start the reels spinning.

Some land-based slot machines have actual spinning reels that spin within the machine and stop at a certain point, much like a roulette wheel. Conversely, you will find increasing numbers of land-based slot machines which have a digital interface, meaning that the reels are represented virtually, in the same way because they are on your screen when you play online.

Thus the main difference among land-based slots and online slot machines will be the way you interact with them. You physically take some action with a land-based machine, for example pulling a handle or pushing a button. Online everything is accomplished by clicking your mouse button.

There is just one other area - that could be of great interest to you - where there is a subtle but important distinction between online slot machines and ones in land-based casinos. This is that the payout percentage at online casinos is often higher than at real-world ones. Therefore the casino's "hold" or it's advantage over you is slightly less, making your time spent online more profitable over time.

The difference is small, often not more than one percentage point, but everything accumulates finally, and may also be the real difference between ending up slightly ahead or slightly down.