People often think of the United States as a place in which online casino gaming has essentially been kept from developing. This is true in many states in which such activity is legally prohibited. Despite the fact that only some parts of the country allow it, however, iGaming has become a major industry in the U.S., and it’s largely thanks to the casino games people can play online.
According to some of the latest online iGaming data, the industry is now worth roughly $9.5 billion in the U.S. alone. And while much of that value is tied up in sports betting, casino games are a major part of the industry as well. Meanwhile, information from the Entertainment Software Association also indicates that more people in the U.S. are playing video games of all kinds than ever before these days. Some 67% of adults in the country, in fact, are engaging in this kind of activity. Add these pieces of data together, and it’s clear that there are a lot of us in the U.S. who are playing online Betting games.
All of this also means that U.S. gamers are being exposed to the newest and best casino games more than in years past. And lately, in addition to the newest slots, poker rooms, and live table gaming experiences, this has meant the introduction of Slingo games via casino platforms available in parts of America. Then again, if you haven’t personally come across these games yet, or you’re not familiar with the word, you aren’t alone. So below, we’ll provide a brief introduction to online Slingo.
What are Slingo games?
First, the simple question: What exactly are Slingo games? The simplest definition is that they are combinations of slots and bingo. In fact, as simple as that sounds, it’s a fairly complete description, too! Expanding on the concept a little bit, Slingo games draw components from both types of games as they exist online. Players are first presented with digital bingo cards. Rather than filling them out via traditional drawings, they are next challenged to spin slot machines. The results on the slot reels determine what can be filled out on the bingo cards, and that’s about it! Of course, different individual Slingo games add their own twists, but the core concept is the same across the board.
What are the popular examples?
As is typically the case with online casino games, it’s difficult to assess total popularity. This is primarily because different gaming sites will showcase different games (often in accordance with the developers they have business partnerships with). With that said, the Slingo page at Foxy Bingo has, for a couple of years now, acted as a sort of flagship space for these types of casino games. As such, it tends to highlight the Slingo options gamers enjoy the most –– such as, at the time of this writing, Slingo Rainbow Riches, Lucky Larry’s Lobstermania Slingo, and Slingo Reel King. As is the case in virtually all categories of gaming, the names at the top are always fluid.
What makes a popular Slingo game?
With modern online casino gaming, sometimes there’s no predicting popularity. This is true with Slingo as well, though there are two tactics developers make regular use of to attract attention to games. The first is simply to take titles that have already become popular as slots and turn them into Slingo experiences. For instance, the aforementioned Rainbow Riches and Lucky Larry’s Lobstermania games are based on slots of the same names. Similarly, smash-hit slot arcades such as Starburst, Centurion, and Da Vinci Diamonds have been adapted into leading Slingo games.
The other tactic is to promote Slingo games that are based on popular television shows, with current examples including Who Wants To Be A Millionaire and Friends Slingo titles. These may not seem like go-to options where popular TV is concerned in 2022, but digging a little deeper, it’s clear the developers know what they’re doing. Millionaire, for instance, is still a hit in the UK, and even a U.S. revival in 2020 and 2021 regularly attracted around three million views. And while Friends has been off the air for almost 20 years, the Slingo game emerged right around when the show had a major streaming revival. According to an article at The Wrap, the sitcom became HBO Max’s most-viewed show in the months following its addition to the platform in 2020. Simply by tapping into these kinds of popular properties, it seems Slingo developers are able to craft successful games.
And that about tells the story! Slingo is not a new concept, but it’s one that’s surged at online casinos of late and one worth exploring if you haven’t yet. We hope this has served as a useful introduction, and invite you back to Map Mod’s blog to read more about gaming and a range of other topics soon.
