CREDIT Yamaguchi先生, Las Vegas slot machines, CC BY-SA 3.0
There’s no doubt iGaming is booming, and that is certainly the case in Canada, which appears in the top eight spenders worldwide. MadeInCA, a website promoting Canadian business and products, reports there are approximately 19 million active online gamblers spending a combined $20 billion off and onshore. And with players keeping 100% of their winnings, it is a very attractive market with each province having their own differing regulations and providers offering a wide selection of games to sate that demand.
With all the advancements in technology we have witnessed in recent years, it is no surprise to see how the humble slot has moved beyond trying to get a row of cherries or melons to incorporate more advanced game types featuring themes and brands as well as different pay lines. It’s certainly the case that iGaming providers have had to innovate to attract new customers and we’ve seen that with a number of different slot games evolving over time.
We’re going to have a look at some of the innovative slots out there and see how they’re pulling in the punters.
Classic
We’ll start with an oldie but still a goldie. This is the game many of us would have grown up with in bars or casinos back in the day. Back then, the lights, spinning reels and sound effects were state of the art and held us entranced, but now they seem almost ancient. A basic three-in-a-row game that was never quite as easy as it looked, it still holds its own in this modern age with nostalgia buffs and those taking their first tentative spins.
Slingo
Slingo combines slots with bingo and is proving to be a massively popular genre. Gamers are given a bingo card to mark off and then a spinning reel to provide the numbers. To keep the experience fresh, Slingo games come in all brands and themes. The range of Slingo titles from Gala Bingo perfectly demonstrates this; Slingo Bells and Slingo Who Wants to Be a Millionaire are different themes and branding but around the same principle. The former is a Christmas-themed game with 12 pay lines and comes complete with baubles and fairy lights. Even the traditional grid is done up to resemble Santa’s grotto. Meanwhile, the latter replicates the popular TV quiz show and even comes with the show’s own music to complete the experience! Both are very different themes but use the same innovative principle.
Megaways
Megaways slots feature a random reel modifier which can display more than one symbol per position on each reel which ultimately varies the pay lines. With six reels and up to seven symbols per position, it means more pay lines, and of course, more pay lines equal more chance of winning. It’s claimed there are up to 1,000 pay lines or more on some Megaways games, which underlines the attraction for players. As with Slingo games, many Megaways slots are developed around a theme like El Dorado or even leaning on a popular television franchise such as Game of Thrones. While adding a contemporary twist, this diversification of themes also helps attract new players.
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