All online casino game categories derive from land casino counterparts. It is no different for online slot machines. A special type of slot machine was prevalent in in British pubs. It followed the classic three reel format but had some additional features. The interesting aspect of this slot machine was that it dispensed fruit flavored chewing gum to the winners. There were laws against gambling in pubs and this was a mechanism used to compensate those who played on these slot machines. Over time, these slot machines came to be known as fruit machines or pub fruities. There were also referred to as AWPs, which was an acronym for amusement without payment. There is a genre of online slot machines that replicates the special features of the pub fruities and is listed as fruit machines at most online casinos.

The two common features that online fruit machines have taken from their land based counterparts are Nudge and Hold. The Nudge feature may be available randomly after any spin by displaying Nudge below any reel. The player then has the option to activate the feature in which the reel moves down by one position. This can often lead to a winning combination in the payline. This feature can appear on more than one reel at the same time. The Hold feature also appears randomly. In this feature the marked reel is held fixed while the other two reels are spun again. The important thing to note is that no additional amount is wagered when the Nudge and Hold features are availed.

The Cash Ladder has become an integral feature of the online fruit machine. A win activates the first rung of the Cash Ladder. The player then has to guess whether the next number revealed will be higher or lower in a Hi Lo type game. If the player guesses correctly he will climb up one rung of the Cash Ladder. If he guesses incorrectly then he will be returned to the main game empty handed and the Cash Ladder will be reset to base level. As players climb up the Cash Ladder they will be entitled to better prizes. Players have the option of claiming the prize and quitting the ladder or trying to climb to the next rung. The top rung of the Cash Ladder usually offers a Cash Pot jackpot prize, which is an incentive for players to persist.

The Feature Board is the highlight of the fruit machine. It is usually triggered by a specified combination of symbols appearing on the payline. The players then move to the Feature Board, which has squares along its perimeter. A random is number generated, usually by rolling virtual dice, and the player moves accordingly on the Feature Board. When the player lands on a square he avails the benefit provided. The benefits include moving up the Cash Ladder, enhancing the amount of the Cash Pot and activating special feature games. The Feature Board also contains booby squares that terminate the feature.

All leading software providers offer fruit machines in their portfolios. Some of the popular Microgaming fruit machines are Cash ‘n Curry, Dubya Money, Game On and Pub Fruity. Cryptologic offers titles like Fruit Fight and Super Sideshow.