Slots have always been popular with the public ever since they were first invented and despite outright gambling bans in the past, these games still managed to return with their popularity unscathed.
Instead of the interest in slots waning over time, these games attracted more and more gamblers because of the fun and inventiveness they brought to gambling. Advances in technology also ensured that the momentum in the development of the best games remained constant.
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The Digital Revolution
In 1996 gambling took a big step into the brave new world of the internet. This proved a wise move because it increased the potential market for gambling games, as online casinos could be accessed at a click of a button by potential punters in their own homes. This attracted millions of new players to gambling and online slots proved to be the most seductive of all the gambling games on offer. This was and still is down to their simplicity and the exciting entertainment they offer players.
The Current State of Play
Slots remain the most popular form of gambling in the world today. Online slot popularity eclipsed land-based slots years ago and there is very little evidence to suggest that land-based slot machines are staging anything of a comeback. Some countries have taken to online slots more than others and this is mostly down to relaxed gambling laws and the ease with which the public can join and access online slot sites.
Online Slot Hotspots
The United Kingdom has become one of the biggest consumers of online slot gambling in Europe, if not the world. It is thought that most of all gamblers in the UK are young adults. Revenue from these games recently surpassed the £2 billion mark and this has been fuelled by a rise in gamers playing online and, on the go, courtesy of mobile devices.
More females have made the move from bingo to slot games and slot/bingo hybrids called Slingo have been pivotal in this development. Progressive jackpots have also helped swell the interest in slots because some of these games offer life-changing amounts of money as jackpot prizes.
Ireland, Australia, Russia, and Estonia have large sections of their population that love to gamble, and online slots make up the lion’s share of these countries’ gambling statistics.
Future Prospects
With the numbers of people gambling continuing to rise and gambling addiction in online slot hotspots becoming a problem, governments such as those in the UK, are introducing more restrictive gambling laws regularly. Whether this changes the gambling landscape across the UK, remains to be seen, but any further laws could see the numbers of online gamblers in the UK slowly start to drop away.
However, with slot games becoming more sophisticated and the promise of the introduction of virtual reality slots very shortly, it is hard to see the relaxation of the stranglehold that online slots have on the gambling public of the world, being witnessed in the foreseeable future.
