The global online gambling industry was worth $45 billion in 2017. By 2024, it’s predicted to reach a staggering $94 billion. It’s clear that people simply can’t get enough of online casino games and placing bets on sporting events. Even though gambling can have a negative reputation, that isn’t stopping people from spending real money, hoping to win big and make a profit. In this article, we’ll focus on casino games and look at why they’ve become so popular over the last few years.
Choice
What’s great about online games is that they’re incredibly convenient. When you’re at home on your desktop computer or laptop, you have access to loads of online casinos, such as Zodiac Casino, and thousands upon thousands of game titles. The choice is incredibly vast, and it keeps on getting bigger, with new releases constantly getting developed and new casinos coming to market fairly often, too.
There are well over 17,000 slots and other casino games from more than 300 providers available to play right now. The range of games you can play at online casinos is so diverse that whatever your own tastes are, there are loads of options that suit your needs. Anyone can easily find loads of titles to play. Part of what makes casino games so popular is that there really is something for everyone.
Features
Online casino games are way more advanced than the early physical gaming machines. These machines were hugely popular and found their way into many land-based casinos and other establishments around the world. Even though they were quite basic in terms of their gameplay, they still became a huge success. When video screen technology was incorporated, they were able to have more advanced features.
When online slots and other casino games hit the internet in the late 90s, this paved the way for casino games to become even more advanced. Nowadays, there are all sorts of features that can be found. In slots, for example, there are all sorts of bonus rounds and mini-games you can play, not to mention innovative features, such as:
- Megaways – which can give you hundreds of thousands of ways to win,
- Cluster Pays – where you win by forming clusters of matching symbols,
- Avalanches – where winning symbols vanish to be replaced by symbols dropping down from above, to name a few.
While some slots offer few, if any, special features and keep their gameplay straightforward, others have lots of them to offer. What features do is that they make the gameplay more exciting and unpredictable; they can also offer players extra chances of winning. Table and card games, such as blackjack, roulette and poker, have had various features and rule variations introduced, too, to offer players more variety and put a twist on classic sets. For example, there are roulette variations where several wheels are spun at once and poker with progressive jackpots.
Themes
Slots especially can come in an endless range of themes. Look through any online casino’s collection of slots, and you’ll see that they’re themed to all sorts of different things. Some of the most popular themes you’ll come across include ancient Egypt, the luck of the Irish, fruits, outer space, Chinese culture, under the sea, Norse mythology, Las Vegas and many, many more.
Branded slots, in particular, can be very popular indeed. These are slots that are themed to an existing intellectual property, such as a hit movie, TV show, recording artist or famous personality. Some of the biggest branded slots released in recent years include Game of Thrones, Jurassic World, Rick and Morty Megaways, Downton Abbey, Ted, Michael Jackson King of Pop and The Dark Knight. Many casino players enjoy being able to play slots themed to intellectual properties they’re familiar with and are fans of.
Mobile Compatibility
Another reason why online casino games are so popular is that you’re not restricted to playing them at home; you can play them pretty much anywhere you like thanks to mobile casinos. Practically every online casino these days has a mobile-friendly site that offers touchscreen-compatible versions of many top games. Many brands also have an app that can be downloaded and is designed to offer a superior mobile gambling experience.
So long as your smartphone or tablet has a steady connection to the internet, you can play casino games wherever and whenever you like. Many people enjoy being able to whip out their phone and have a spin of mobile slots while they’re out of the house. Mobile technology has essentially made online casinos games more accessible to people than ever before.
Winning
Gambling, by its very nature, has long been appealing. People can’t get enough of the thrill of spending their own money and taking a risk in the hope of landing a win and ending up with more money than they started with. Online casino games offer ample opportunity to place bets and hopefully make a profit. Even though no game is ever guaranteed to give you a win, some are more likely to pay out than others.
If you want to try your luck at winning some money from casino games, remember that the odds are against you. Be sensible when you’re gambling and never spend money you can’t afford to lose; always come up with a budget first and make sure you stick to it. Though casino games are fun and entertaining, they’re designed to take money from you. Gambling with real money shouldn’t be a problem so long as you don’t let yourself get caught up in it.
No Signs of Slowing Down
Online casino games are hugely popular for many reasons. They’re advanced games with lots of different themes and features, plus they’re very accessible and offer chances to win real money. These games are huge right now, and despite the negative things associated with gambling, they are only going to become even more popular over the next few years. Physical games you find in places such as land-based casinos will always be successful, but for many players, online games have the edge.
