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Why Esports and Online Slots Fit Perfectly
By Shane Addinall May 06, 2021 OpinionIn recent years there has been increasing interconnectivity between online slots and esports. Join us as we delve into the world of esports, pop culture and slot development to see why this is.In a recent press release, Esports Technologies announced its partnership with casino game developer Spinomenal. The agreement will see the traditionally esports betting company fully integrate Spinomenal’s range of Online Slots and other casino games into their platform.
Esports Technologies CEO, Aaron Speach, said:
“We are thrilled to be partnering with Spinomenal and believe its slot, dice, and roulette casino games bring a more traditional gaming experience to our esports-focused platform, giving our players more variety and enhancing their experiences.”
He also stated that in his opinion Spinomenal has matured into one of the “leading content providers in the wagering industry”.
Flipping the Script
Historically the interplay between casino games and other core skilled-based gambling verticals such as online poker and sports betting has achieved limited success. So much so that it was not that common to see focused betting venues offering more than a handful of slots and perhaps some blackjack.
More recently a 2018 study “Investigating relationships between video gaming, spectating esports, and gambling” by Finland’s Tampere University came to the following conclusion:
“The main findings of this research are that: first, there are no strong associations between the consumption of video games or esports and gambling activity,”
Yet in 2021 this is clearly no longer the case with most betting websites including esports among their catalogue of staking options, and most of these sites now including increasing numbers of casino games, specifically video slots.
Slots as Pop Culture Platforms
Some of the reasons that slot machines are becoming more prevalent in esports betting circles is that they are simple to play, offer incredible visual entertainment, can be enjoyed without much financial investment and have been tailored to suit a vast array of interests and tastes.
It is the visual entertainment factors and tailoring that really stand out when considering the current and potential impact of online slots on esports betting:
✓Easy on the Eye
Whether you’re looking at the colourful spells and characters of League of Legends or the fantasy makeover that transformed CS:GO into Valorant the games that make up the esports ledger are bright and vivacious, the very embodiment of “eye candy”.
In terms of offering casino-style entertainment that integrates with the current experience of the esports fan, online slots are the obvious choice. Game developers like NetEnt produce high-quality slots such as Starburst which deliver both exciting gameplay and the visual stimulus gamers demand.
✓I Love That!
The other connection between esports fans and video slots is the propensity for slot developers to build off pop culture trends when designing their games.
Fans of pop culture who grew into adulthood surrounded by cheeky cartoons, otherworldly superheroes, rich fantasy worlds and incredible sci-fi adventures will have a natural affinity to entertaining slots such as South Park Reel Chaos, Aliens, Battlestar Galactica, Avalon 2, The Legends of Shangri-La Cluster and Warlords Crystals of Power.
These developers have also incorporated specific art styles into their game development as can be seen in slots such as Koi Princess which was clearly designed to attract the attention of anime fans.
Video Game Themed Slots
Two extremely popular esports games are DOTA and League of Legends, both of which play out in magical realms full of rich lore and intriguing characters.
Fans of DOTA can hope onto Netflix today to enjoy a well written and excellently animated series set in the game’s universe, and it was recently announced that a similar series, set in the League of Legends universe, will be airing later this year.
It will be interesting to see if game developers take a page out of Netflix’s book and partner with these video game companies to release online, and mobile slots based on these worlds given the interest it would generate amongst esports teams and the betting community.
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