The technology age we’re living in today has seen mankind advance more in the past 10 years than in the past 10,000. It was a long and winding road from man’s first wheel to man’s first car, but we got there. However, when it comes to man’s first slot machines to the video slots of today, well, that’s another story entirely.

With slot machines, the new evolution didn’t even take a decade. Over the past five years, video slots have completely been reinvented, digitized, more heavily monetized and popularized to the point where, pick any gambling site on the web, and the odds are strong that they have a slot machine for you to play.

Whether you’re trying to spin for fun on some free video slots or trying to win a fortune on one of the latest progressive machines, you’ll be able to find a wide assortment of bright and colorful games. When the first Liberal Bell slot machine was created in San Francisco by Charles August Fey, it’s a safe be that he never envisioned a 7-reel, 30-pay-line digital machine that’s able to be controlled via a small screen in your home. In those days, it’s highly unlikely that anyone ever pictured slots becoming this popular of a game at all, much less this evolved in function and convenience.

Video slots upgrades aren’t mutually exclusive with the Internet either. On-location machines used in a variety of casinos and other gaming houses have always had their fair share of tweaks and tune-ups in order to deliver maximum entertainment value. One of the changes from the old style to the new on land-based machines was doing away with the arm and replacing it with buttons to push to control the spins and betting. A more recent feature was putting these options into a touch screen. The benefits are a more reliable machine for everyone involved and also a machine that’s more convenient and easy to use.

Over the past five years, video slots haven’t changed so much in function. The technology they use to function has changed. For example, video slots use a screen – and whether you’re playing at an online casino or in a land based casino, a better screen means a better game. With HD (plasma, LED, etc) technology giving amazingly clear and vivid pictures, even a simple game of video slots becomes more intense. Another recent change has to do with the trend of the iPhones and iPods out there. Some casinos offer “iSlots,” a game allowing you to design the slot machine you play – themes, reels, etc.

One of the biggest advancements over the past five years really benefits casinos more than players, unless you’re extremely lucky. With progressive slot machine jackpots up in the millions, the RNGs (Random Number Generator) used need to process billions upon billions of different combinations. With 5 and 7-reel options available with multiple pay-lines, the idea of “random” takes on a whole new meaning. Today’s RNGs are insanely advanced.

Other recent advancements are far less evident, but still are noticeable if you’ve been to an online casino recently. Some places have recently added free video slots to their lineup, allowing you to practice and get a feel for how the big games work before you put your money down. With the many ways video slots have changed over the past few years, it makes you wonder where they’ll be in a few more.

You can find out about ALL the latest video slots in our complete online video slots guide.