Watching a vintage Bond movie, you’d bet that baccarat or poker are the quintessential casino games. Or maybe you think it’s the old-school classics that dominate, the games that are hundreds of years old: roulette and blackjack.
Well, you know where we’re going with this. The answer isn’t any of these, despite their enduring popularity. No, in 2023 casinos, the most widespread casino game is the ‘humble’ slot. Here’s why gamblers love those spinning fruit machines (hint: they’re not just fruit machines now).
Lots of Choices
Blackjack is blackjack. And roulette is roulette. With slots, it’s a bit of a cheat code. Slot machines share a lot of common qualities. You pull a virtual lever to get it started. You’re looking for winning combinations, hoping for a bonus, jackpot, or big win. But that’s where the similarities end.
With slots, every game gives you a brand-new adventure. There are hundreds of different slot games for free out there. You could start playing one a day, and you’d still be going through a new title by next Christmas.
There’s variety in how games work, different art, graphics, gameplay, SFX, you name it. Some are based on ancient mythology, like the Egyptians or Aztecs, and others on modern IPs like Marvel or DC.
And studios are pumping out new titles on the regular. With most of us used to an abundance of choice with pretty much everything we do, with dopamine being the never-ending journey it is, slot machines deliver exactly what we’re looking for from a go-to leisure activity.
They’re Like AAA Games
With slots, it’s basically like playing video games. You wouldn’t say FIFA is the same thing as ‘Last of Us’ or ‘League of Legends’, right? That’s what gives slots an edge. There’s always a new game awaiting the player.
But it’s more than just about choice or variety. Slots are also increasingly becoming legitimate gaming experiences, and experts predict that they’ll come to rival what you get from your favourite AAA titles on a PlayStation or Xbox.
Of course, the game may not be quite as layered. But the high-end experience is what we’re talking about. Slots are not just fruit machines, looking for those sweet cherry or 7s combinations. It’s far more than that.
These games now have storylines, several ways to play (it’s not just spin and pray!), and lots of different gaming levels. They’re far richer and more complex than just a few years ago.
One of the reasons for this development is the talent involved in producing slots in 2024. These days, some of the best gaming software developers have ‘defected’ from major AAA studios to focus on slot machines.
That’s because slots are exciting, they symbolize the new wave of video game technology, garnering the interest of the best in the business. With companies also vying for the many gamblers looking to play online, it also means you can earn a pretty penny as a games developer.
The result is some serious competition for ‘traditional’ games.
Winning the Bonus (or Jackpot!)
With games like roulette and blackjack, your maximum winnings per bet are limited. With blackjack, it’s almost a 50/50 split. Sure, hitting 21/blackjack will give you a boost, but it’s still a limited multiplier. With roulette, it’s 35/1. Long odds, but nothing compared to slots.
Play slots and you can legitimately hope you’ll walk out a millionaire from a tiny bet. For example, a player hit a $12 million jackpot when playing at a Las Vegas casino. The game? Megabucks Triple Red Hot 7s Spitfire Multipliers.
And if not a major jackpot like that one, there’s also the bonus or free spins round. Usually, it either activates randomly or you need to hit 3 special symbols to get a bonus round going.
The bonus round usually means big money, with a small bet sometimes resulting in thousands of dollars. Of course, you should always play slots with the expectation you won’t win – you should think of the money you spend as an admission price for something fun, like going to a ball game – but if you’re lucky, you can leave the casino with more money than you walked in with.
They Will Keep Getting Better
There’s a reason the classic games are still around. Their formula doesn’t change because it works. You don’t fix what’s broken, people loved them centuries ago, and they’ll continue to love them. But they also have a drawback: the formula doesn’t change.
Their popularity will not diminish, but at the same time, there are limited ways to skin a cat. Yes, you have the live setups, the small tweaks and variations to create more versions of the game.
Here’s our parting message: slots will only continue to get better. Just imagine what VR and AR will do to slots, for example. Tech has improved games to turn them into unrecognisable beasts, but we’re only getting started. Watch this space.
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