The first online slot machine was launched in the mid-1990s. Since then, dozens of game development studios have released thousands of slot machines with themes inspired by pretty much everything from fish and bikes to the secrets of ancient Egypt and the hidden treasures of the Amazonian jungle. Over the years, many of them became major hits. But which ones are the most popular?
As you might expect, this question has a more complicated answer than it seems.
Tastes differ
The tastes of people differ from one household to another, from one city to another, and from one continent to another. This is reflected in trends in fashion, music, movies, and even slot machines. A slot machine that’s popular in India might not even make it to the top 100 in Romania, and vice versa.
To stick with the above example, Starburst, one of NetEnt’s classic slot machines, is highly popular in many countries, including India. But it doesn’t even make it to the top 10 in Romania, where Novomatic’s Book of Ra and Amusnet’s Shining Crown constantly top the charts.
Bonuses draw players in
The popularity of a slot machine is in large part determined by what it has to offer players. After all, most of them play in the hopes of winning big. The more chances to do that a game offers, the more players will play with it.
To attract more players, developers add various features to their games—features that players are hoping to trigger. These range from bonus free spins (which are common) to progressive jackpots.
Some providers add more generalized bonuses to their games. Pragmatic Play, for example, has Drops & Wins, which distributes bonus wins randomly to players. Amusnet, on the other hand, has a jackpot that’s associated with each game they have, and they add it to their latest online slots. This can be won by any player at any time; the bonus game is triggered completely at random. No wonder so many players choose their games all over the world.
Let’s not forget about fun
But not everyone plays the slots for the wins. There are plenty of players who genuinely enjoy playing them. For them, it’s not the wins or the bonuses that matter, but the entertainment value of the games themselves.
Even for those going for the wins, the entertainment value of the slot machines is important. After all, they are called “games” for a reason: playing them shouldn’t feel like a burden. People are constantly returning to the slot machines they enjoy playing—most often games with low volatility and a fun theme.
So, which online slots are the most popular?
The tastes of players differ from one country to another and from one continent to another. But we can certainly conclude that slot machines with generous bonuses that are fun to play tend to be the most popular ones.
Also read: What Slots are The Best To Play on Mobile?
