Slots remain extremely popular in online casinos and being so widespread, are a very competitive market. Providers keep innovating to keep players playing on their sites and at the same time, technological advances make more things possible. Below we detail some of the trends already making waves in 2020 as well as some we expect may take off very soon.

Decline of regular reel-spinning slots

Traditionally, https://australianslotsonline.net/free-money-pokies/ had three to five reels with three symbols on each. Over time, the number of reels and the symbols have changed and today, you may hardly recognise many slot games which resemble arcade games. Instead of regular winlines, players win on clusters of symbols.

Branded Games

Instead of games just being games, a great many slot machines are themed according to a myriad of popular TV shows, movies etc and provide a fully immersive entertainment experience. Players have great scope for choosing different environments to keep things interesting or find the few that they feel most comfortable with.

Gamification

Many slot games now incorporate various levels and as one ascends the levels, the bonus features change. Leaderboards and tournaments have also become more prevalent and players can win bonuses at multiple levels. They’re fun for players and earn casinos more income by keeping players engaged and by extending tournaments over a number of sessions, players play for longer.

Mobile-first

As with most sites, more and more people are accessing online casino sites from their mobile devices with estimates that 50% of players now play via mobiles. We can expect the market to move with this trend and increase the optimisation of their sites for mobile. Online casinos will likely also begin designing new sites and games first for mobile as opposed to optimising PC-based sites. In the hopes of attracting a younger audience, many slot games are designed to resemble those that players are familiar with from playing on their phone.

Even newer is the possibility of playing and betting via your smartwatch. This may well turn out to be a growing trend.

Virtual Reality Slots

Although not ubiquitous, virtual reality is being utilised more and more in creating a more absorbing experience. Whereas online slots can be a little lonesome, virtual reality adds a new level of fun while retaining the convenience of playing from home. Technology is advancing and making it cheaper and easier to mainstream VR.

Live Casino Games

Another way of bringing a social element to online slots is through live casino games where players can interact with both the croupiers and other players.

Rise Of Skill-Based Games

A big part of the reason for the popularity of slots is the low barrier to entry, ease and simplicity of the game and the fact that one doesn’t need to learn complex strategy. Some game providers have however tried to introduce an element of skill into slots games to hold the interest of more experienced players and reward them for their skills. These games look quite different from regular slots and as yet haven’t quite taken off. But let’s see what happens…