The Emergence of Sports-Inspired Slots
The intimate relationship between sports and gambling has only grown stronger over the centuries. It has had ups and downs but ultimately became the mutually beneficial relationship we witness today, except when it is not legalized in your state.
Entertainment
Most casinos try to cater to every category of players from music and movie fans, lovers of myths, nature, cars and – of course – sports. Many casino outlets have games that cover every category mentioned above. However, sports games often stand out in terms of their popularity and features.
Sports-inspired slot machines are one of the most popular titles at new casino sites at newcasinos.com, and they are sometimes released in relation to major sporting events. For example, at least one slot machine was launched by major game developers in honor of the 2014 FIFA World Cup.
Money
Worth more than $100 billion a year (the regulated part), the entire sports betting industry business model is built on the reality of sports. Without sports being what they are, there would be nothing to bet on. That is why the regulated sports betting industry focuses on staying within the rules and eliminating the slightest doubt in its fairness.
The sports betting industry does not only make money off sports but also sponsors sports contracts among others. Because sports are followed worldwide, they are a perfect medium to promote various products and services including sports betting. Betting outlets usually sponsor either individual clubs or entire leagues and get exposure in exchange for their money.
Features of Sports in Online Slots
There are many features that casino slots share with sports. One obvious example is bonus rounds. When you look at rugby where you score a try or basketball where you land a basket, casino slots give you a chance to get more points while you are there with a bonus shot at the prize.
Occasionally, when you have landed a winning combination, you will get another chance with the option to gamble. It may be double or quits, quadruple or quits or similar. However, it is rooted in sports and operates on the same principles of sports as players try how best to maximize their winnings.
You will also encounter laderboards, point scores, as well as slots tournaments that are meant to bring on board the aspects of gamification to the traditional slots format. In other words, these are devices that make things more competitive making you want to come back for more.
Generally, the slot is a game with ups and downs. Just like sports, it is all about taking losses in stride and capitalizing on your winnings. However, there are unique similarities with some sports, including games themed around football, golf, boxing, and other popular sports.
Sporting Slots
An excellent example of the genre is football slots which tend to get heavy promotions during major football tournaments like the Euros and the World Cup. There are some slots like Champions Cup that try to recreate the excitement of tournament football and weave this competition into a slots format.
Usually, progressing to additional rounds of the tournament takes you closer to the jackpot or the bonus rounds where you can win more money on your spin. The mechanics of the game remain widely unaltered except that any specific bonuses or features offer a more realistic experience.
Apart from football, there are slots that are inspired by themes from motor racing, golf, boxing, horse racing, and other sports. Gambling fans tend to be huge sports fans too. Casino game developers have jumped at the opportunity to create slots that are loved by sports fans.
Sporting Hero Slots
Apart from Andre the Giant in Wrestling and Rocky Balboa in fictional boxing, there are a surprisingly limited number of slots based on sporting heroes. In the future, licensing agreements with individual sports stars could create more opportunities in casinos.
The same could apply to major football, tennis, basketball and golf stars in the future. There is no doubt that there is potential for games developers to collaborate with sporting starts to create a new chain of slot games. This will further service the relationship between online slot games and professional sports.
