There is really not a great distinction between land-based slots and online slots. This is because they now both count on digital computer chip technology to generate their reels and slots, and also the outcomes of spinning a reel. In earlier times, slot machines had a real handle that you pulled to manually spin the reels. Currently, while slot machines may still provide a handle for the sake of nostalgia, the inner workings of the slot agent machine are computer-based. In lots of cases the handle has also been replaced by a button that you press to start the reels spinning.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 inside the machine and stop at a specific point, much like a roulette wheel. On the other hand, there are actually increasing numbers of land-based slot machines that have a digital interface, meaning that the reels are represented virtually, within the same way as they are on your display screen whenever you play online.
Thus the main difference among land-based slots and online slot machines will be the way you connect to 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 among online slot machines and ones in land-based casinos. This really is that the payout percentage at online casinos is often higher than at real-world ones. This means that 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 all of it adds up eventually, and may be the difference between ending up slightly ahead or slightly down.