The Top 7 Online Slots of 2002

As 2002 comes to a close we decided to take a look back at the year and select the top seven new online slots In coming up with the top seven we took a variety of factors into account including innovation, popularity, jackpots and most importantly of all entertainment value. After all having fun is the main reason most of us play slot machines.

This year has been a great year for slot players with a record number of new game releases, bigger progressive jackpots than ever before and a record number of new players trying their luck online. On to the awards ...

Slot Machine of the Year 2002 - Booster (Slotland)

Launched in January by Slotland Entertainment, Booster is a three reel, single line progressive slot with two great features. It is only available at Slotland and requires no download to play.

It is the innovative features that make Booster the game of the year. The Boost feature allows you to change your bet to the required level for the progressive but only when you are guaranteed to get at least one of the jackpot symbols. How does this work? It is quite simple. Every time a jackpot symbol is going to appear on the reels the game stops and you have the option to boost you bet.

What this means is you can bet just 50 for most of the spins and when you have a shot at the jackpot up your bet for the win. The second feature that makes Booster stand out from the crowd is the bank bonus Every bet you make that does not win is added to your personal bank. Hit three casino chips and you have the chance at winning it all back or losing it - you can also cash in 10% of your bank at any time.

Runner Up - Major Millions (Microgaming)

The first online slot to break the million dollar mark, Major Millions paid one lucky player a huge $1,594,649.21 jackpot. On top of this the game has paid out several other jackpots totaling over $2,500,000. The jackpots on Major Millions are so big for several reasons.

First the base level jackpot starts at $250,000 and second as Major Millions is available at well over 100 online casinos the jackpots grow at a very rapid rate. The game itself is a pretty standard three reel, three line slot with a fixed one dollar coin size. This makes for a max bet of $3 per spin.

Honorable Mentions for 2002

5 Reel Drive - The first non progressive 5 reel, 9 pay line slot.

Up until this year there was a distinct shortage of any nine line games online. 5 Reel Drive changed this and offered a range of coin sizes that would suit just about any budget. We are sure that this is just the start when it comes to more video slot releases.

Lucky 7's - With 7 reels and 21 pay-lines

Powered by Odds On Gaming, Lucky 7's is a very unique game. It has seven reels and a big 21 lines. Combine this with a lot of winning combinations and you have a video slot with a very high hit frequency

Goblins Cave - Multi Spin Video Slot with a Bonus Round

In November 2002, Playtech introduced a range of 8 new games with Goblins Cave being one of them. It is a cross between multi-hand video poker and a classic slot machine. To add to the excitement it also features a bonus game.

Wheel of Wealth - Wheel of Fortune Style Bonus Round

With Wheel of Fortune being one of the most popular slots of all time it is great to see a game with a similar bonus feature appear online. Wheel of Wealth is a single line three coin game with $1 coins size. Win up to $1000 on the wheel.

High 5 - With a 5X - 25X Wild Multiplier

Up until late in 2002 the highest wild multiplier feature was two times - four times. High 5 is a clone of the popular five times pay slots seen in casinos around the word. It has a big five times - twenty five times multiplier.

Final Word for 2002

Overall this year has been a great year for players. With more and more games being released we have more choice which is always a good thing. We are sure to see even bigger jackpots and better games in the coming year. Until then have fun, good luck and happy jackpots!