What is Virtual Reel?

A virtual reel is the internal list of stops a slot's random number generator actually selects from, which is then mapped onto the reel the player sees. The two lists are not the same length. A visible reel might show a dozen symbols, while the virtual reel behind it holds many times that number, with several virtual stops pointing at the same visible symbol. The generator picks a position on the virtual reel; the game then displays whatever visible symbol that position maps to. This is why symbols on the same reel do not appear equally often even though they appear once each on the strip. It is also the mechanism behind the near miss: a jackpot symbol can be given very few virtual stops of its own while the blanks immediately above and below it are given many, so it lands just off the payline far more often than it lands on it. The behaviour is disclosed in the game's maths submission to the testing lab, not on the paytable.