A common feature on slot machines today is the concept of selecting which denomination you want to play. Sometimes players wonder why:
Why do slot machines have different denominations?
Dean R.
The origination of denominations goes back to an earlier time with slots and the simplicity of those mechanical reel machines. It was easier to take the same game with the same bet options, and introduce denominations, to allow a wider array of betting options without making the game or the machine more complex.
This was before the days of modern slots with a bunch of different betting options on a wide bet screen. Back then, there were just a few buttons, like “Bet One Credit,”, “Max Bet,” and of course “Spin.” You can still see these games on casino floors, especially in high limit rooms – just look at the denomination choices on classic machines like Double Top Dollar or Double Diamond, for example.
The logic of taking the same game and making it available on multiple denominations carried forward into modern slots too – it’s a simple addition to offer the same slot bets on a 1 cent and 2 cent denomination, but it doubles the range of bet options that a game has available with not a lot of extra development work. Casinos can often then set the payback by denomination, rewarding those betting higher with a higher return to player setting, and often do.
Another thing it allows for is variations within the game. If you look at many modern slots, the number of lines once you hit the 5 cent denomination steps down from the 1 cent or 2 cent denominations. This lowers the minimum bet to make them more accessible than if the line count remained the same.
For example, a low limit Dragon Link will have 50 lines at 1 cent and 2 cent, but only 25 lines at the 5 cent denomination. That change reduces the minimum bet to $1.25, vs. the $2.50 that would be required on a 50-line game. So sometimes this allows for a more curated set of bet options at each denomination.
Of course, denominations aren’t required. Online slots often dispense with the idea of denominations in favor of a set of overall bet levels. And some game makers have experimented with dispensing with denominations. A great recent example of this is the Tiger and Dragon game series, which just set up a wide array of betting options all on a single denomination.
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