The iGaming industry has experienced a real boom of late, with revenues around the United States seeing a significant uplift.
For example, iGaming Business reports that Delaware broke revenue records in August, again, and it is by no means alone in showing an improving trend. Across the country, at least in states with provision for such games, revenues are up, and the tax dollars are rolling in.
The iGaming industry comprises many sectors, from sportsbooks to online poker and online casinos to online video lottery games. Legislation is patchy from state to state; some have blanket bans on all aspects of IGaming, and others have some legislation for certain areas, making it a challenge for developers to have a clear strategy for growth.
Instead, those companies behind online casinos must be adaptive and progressive in how they steal market share. With such a limited market, it can be hard to stand out. That is why there are often multiple unique game types on an online casino site that are either rare in casinos or are trying to recreate the physical experience through improved technology faithfully.
This fall, you may be in a state with online casino provision, and as the leaves turn red and the nights draw in, you may try an online casino for entertainment. If you do, these are three game types you might not be familiar with.
Live Casino
One method that developers use to lure in customers is by recreating live games, much like those you’d find in a casino. Expect to find Blackjack, Roulette and the like, but hosted by a real person, as if you were sitting across from them in an actual location.
There are also variations on this theme, adding a unique twist to increase the appeal. This includes game show-style games, such as Alice in Wonderland, which is essentially a wheel-spinning game with a host in fancy dress and plenty of imagery based on the theme. It’s not the only theme; it demonstrates how innovative game designers can be.
Slingo
Slingo is a hybrid of bingo and online slots, using the principles of one and the game design of another. Players are presented with a bingo card featuring numbers and are given a finite number of spins of a reel to fill that card. Each reel spin reveals numbers to be crossed off, as in bingo.
As with live casino games, developers add something different to them to make them unique. That might be popular branding, as with the Gala Bingo Slingo games Deal or No Deal and X-Factor. The games often have themes rather than brands, so they are based around Ancient Egypt, the Roman Empire or other popular periods. Even characters from pop culture, such as Thor, have featured in games.
Megaways
Megaways might sound like a huge grocery store, but it’s actually a popular version of online slots. Like Slingo, it uses a different premise to a standard slot, with many pay lines for the customer to aim for. If a standard four-reel slot has perhaps ten ways to win, Megaways can have several hundred thousand. This comes from the gameplay featuring on a game card, much like Slingo, but the reels spinning within the game card.
As with the other games, developers then add themes to their games to attract players with different tastes. A Megaways game is essentially the same, whether based on Thor, a game show brand such as Deal or No Deal, or a period like Ancient Egypt. However, each theme would appeal to a different target group, despite the same main game premise.
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