How Slots Are Becoming the Most Popular Casino Game

6 min read
11 October 2022

The earliest slot machine was the Liberty Bell machine, first seen in New York in 1891. The game of chance was simple and easy to play, and modern slot machines and online video slot games have retained that simplicity – making them a popular choice for players in both physical casinos and online.

In fact, when the first video slot was unveiled in Vegas in 1976, it became an instant hit – and machines were installed in bars and malls across America as well as in brick-and-mortar casinos.

Technology has developed in such a way that today you can play your favourite casino game – including slots – at home or on the go. Online casinos like Rainbow Riches Casino have developed to allow players to get in on exclusive poker tournaments, play social bingo games, and win some slots on their mobile phone, which has made gaming so much more accessible to more people.

The Rise of Online Slots

The video slot machine introduced people to the idea that they could play a ‘one-armed bandit’ in a simpler way – and video slot machines could provide casinos and other establishments with an uncomplicated way to make money and attract customers.

As innovation developed, video slots became networked, which meant that you could be playing for a progressive jackpot that was made up of all the stakes made in the network.

What really boosted slot popularity is the advent of the internet and new levels of accessibility for everyday people. In the early 1990’s, internet access became more affordable and easier to arrange, and by 1996 InterCasino and Microgaming were working on the first online casino.

While these were limited on the games they could offer, it began to usher in a time where software companies created online versions of popular casino games, from poker to blackjack and even roulette and slots. A player could get the buzz of being in the casino from their home PC.

Mobile technology and advances in graphics have meant that online slots are available to players who are on the move – and the games are made to work specifically with mobile technology, fitting the screen perfectly with an intuitive user interface so players can be fully immersed. Online slot games now feature rich graphics, exciting bonus games, and in some cases, they even include movie-quality cutaway scenes that you would expect to find in the latest game release from Sony or Microsoft.

The Stats

Globally, the casino and online casino sector is worth somewhere around $231 billion, and this is only set to grow.

There are around 2,000 online casino operators globally, and around 55% of players access online casinos via their mobile phone.

In the UK in 2021, online gaming was worth around £4 billion in Gross Gambling Yield (GGY), of which slots accounted for £2.9 billion.

Using the data from the UK as a guide, this means that around three fifths of revenue from online gaming comes from slots – and there are several reasons for this.

What is So Great About Slots?

Online slots (and the machines in casinos) allow players the opportunity to get all the excitement and anticipation of casino, without needing any specific skills, practice, or knowledge.

Slot games are all about chance, and whether you hit a payline comes down to true randomness. Using modern technology, algorithms allocate wins without any prejudice; they are regularly assessed to ensure true randomness while adhering to the Return to Player (RTP) percentage that represents both the amount that gets returned to the player and the ‘house edge.’

For most people, though, the technology is a secondary consideration to the fun themes that can be found in online slots. With so many different backgrounds, symbols and ideas that are available in online casinos, you can play slots based on your favourite movie franchises, games based on TV shows, or ones that are related to hobbies. Of course, there are also the fun thematic slots that take icons from Egyptian art, from Irish folklore, or traditional ‘fruit machine’ design.

What makes slots accessible is the fact that you can play wherever you are, and choosing the right slot is as simple as looking for a theme that you think might be fun – whether you are a keen angler, or you enjoy the Tomb Raider franchise. Anyone can pick up the simple rules – in most cases, you just select your stake and press spin. While add-ons and bonus games might add multipliers and boost your wins, slot games tend to follow the same basic rules which makes it so much more straightforward to play than games like poker or blackjack.

Some Fun Slots to Try

Rainbow Riches

One of the most popular slots franchises, Rainbow Riches uses Irish folklore and a lucky Leprechaun as the basis for a series of games. Featuring simple mechanics and lots of opportunities for multiplying your stake, Rainbow Riches is a solid option for the beginner player who wants a straightforward game to play.

Mystery Reels Megaways

A version of traditional slots where there are many more opportunities to win, the Megaways mechanic allows for up to 117,649 paylines. In the Mystery Reels game, the mystery symbol can clone itself multiple times across the reels, and the final symbol will show the amount that will be added to your winnings.

Zeus

This classic game has 30 fixed paylines, and it couldn’t be simpler. The scatter symbol just offers free spins, and all you need to do is get the right symbols into the payline to win – and the RTP rate is almost 96%.

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Alex 5.3K
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