Since Connecticut has offered online gaming, I’ve become more familiar with the types of gaming options that are available online. There’s a level of innovation happening in the online game space that isn’t translating nearly as quickly, if at all. This means there’s some really awesome game types that simply aren’t regularly available on the casino floor.
While certainly it makes sense that limited casino space means risk taking is going to be limited, it’s definitely something that is lacking in physical casinos to not have a few of these game types more available. Today, I’ll share some examples of game options I think should be more prevalent on the casino floor.
Variable Reel Heights (Megaways)
Online casinos are often chock full of Megaways games, a game type that has proven quite popular online. The concept of this is that on each spin the reels can be a varied number of spaces tall. The games are all ways pays games, so the more spaces each reel has, the more ways you can win.
Aristocrat and IGT have dipped their toes in the water with Buffalo Gold Max Power and Da Vinci Diamonds Masterpiece, respectively, but given the absolute popularity of these games online, it feels like they’d find a regular home on casino floors, and perhaps it’s just a matter of time at this point.
Buy a Bonus
Buy a Bonus features have periodically found their way onto games on the casino floor, but the Buy a Bonus concept has definitely proliferated online. Many online game providers have bonus buys a pretty standard feature of their games. The paybacks are in line with the base games, so it’s just a bigger swing at a big win on the bonus.
Some games on the casino floor are really all about the bonus anyway, so why not let players just buy there way in? Imagine if you could just buy a bonus on a game like Huff N’ More Puff. I’m sure many players would get into that idea
Unusual Reel Types
Online games are often more experimental with unusual reel types. WMS gave it a shot 10 years ago with Cool Jewels, and IGT tried Cleopatra Tiles, among other variations, but the online games have gone into all sorts of directions, such as clump pays, infinite reels when you keep winning, and so forth.
Finn and the Swirly Spin, above, has been around for a few years and does something different in that it’s styled like a match game with a reel that winds its way from the outside into the center. Getting a key, which always starts in the bottom left, all the way to the center triggers the bonus. There’s a variety of features and stars (wilds) which come out when matches are made, and it makes for a pretty well structured game.
Granted, many of these models creates volatility that can get tough, which online providers can offset by offering smaller bets that might not be viable on a casino floor. But the right game offerings should be able to stand their own, and being unusual or different draw in players that are looking for something innovative.
Are there game types you wish would show up at land-based casinos? Share them in the comments!
