lots and Sports go Hand in Hand in These New Games
Pokies, penny slots, fruit machines or one armed bandits – no matter what you call them, the name will refer to the same device: a slot machine. Since its invention over a century ago, the slot machine has grown into the one most popular game in Las Vegas and beyond. Just take a look at any casino, online or otherwise, and you’ll see that each one has several times more of them compared to any other game. People have been excited about the slots since the very beginning, and even today they are attractive – both because of their ease of use and the promise of major wins.
Slot machines have been inspired by an incredible variety of things. If you like it, there will be a slot machine about it somewhere – even if it’s just a social game on Facebook. So, why would sports be an exception? Let me tell you – they are not. Actually, sports are quite popular among slot machine developers and players alike.
My favorite games are sports-based slot machines at Euro Palace‘s Sports Star Series. These games share the same mechanic and general visuals, but each edition pays tribute to a different sport: football (actually soccer), cricket, basketball and rugby. And hockey as well, although that game is not “officially” a part of the series.
It all began with Break Away, a hockey-themed video slot machine released by the Euro Palace a few years back. It was a quite popular one, with its many win lines and beautiful animations. So, when the 2014 FIFA World Cup started in Brazil, the developers have decided to release a follow-up to the game, Football Star. And it was a huge success – especially since it has been released so close to a major event. The slot was followed almost a year later by Cricket Star (in the wake of the Cricket World Cup in the UK) and Rugby Star, with its release also tied to a major international sports event. The final part of the series, Basketball Star, was released last November. Again, this was not tied to a major event, but it is a success nonetheless.
Euro Palace players, but also visitors to their website, can play the Sports Star slots free of “for real”. The games have their reels filled with symbols related to their respective sports. What makes them interesting is that whenever a winning combination lands on the reels, it disappears, leaving space for other symbols to fall into their place. This can trigger a cascading win, which ensures a bigger payout.
I hope Euro Palace will add more slots to the series. There are quite a few sports to explore after all – they haven’t touched baseball, American football, and other games just yet.