The gambling industry is massive with approximately £14.5 billion spent by the UK each year based on figures from the Gambling Commission who looked at gambling from October 2017 to September 2018. A large part of the growing industry is slot games and it won’t come as a surprise to most slot players that around £5.5 billion was spent on online gambling, including slot games, which equates to around 38.8% of the total spent on gambling as a whole. This has seen online gambling and online slots especially soaring in popularity over the past decade.
The people who will most likely play slot games are people between the ages of 25-35 and this will usually be at least once a month, with the majority of this group playing on a weekly basis. It has been reported that men are more likely to play slot games, making up around 37% of those who play slots regularly. As many players might expect, the majority of slot games were played on either a mobile or a laptop at home. What does this all tell us about why slots are so popular? Let’s delve a little deeper and find out some of the reasons why slots have become the central hub for gamblers to frequent – check out Star Slots.
Reason 1: Technology
It’s easy to see just how far slot games have come from their humble beginnings in bars and small establishments to being played across the globe by millions with the help of advancements in technology. This is one of the biggest if not the overarching reason why slot games are so popular in the 21st century. And how can it not be? Our whole lives have been completely transformed in the last few decades alone thanks to advancements in technology and this has given us even more leisure time to enjoy our hobbies and thanks to the next reason, many people choose to spend their free time enjoying slot games.
Reason 2: The Power of Advertising
Advertisements tempting us to spend our time is practically all around us. No matter where you go, whether you go to work, go shopping, go to a friend’s house or even just stay home, thanks to technology you will be exposed to advertising in some form – which will try and influence the way you spend your time and of course spend your money. Advertising has played a big part in how slots have become so popular, and before you snub this idea thinking that you’re not susceptible to advertising, the figures report that 4/10 players have played an online slot game after viewing an advertisement of some kind. The power of advertising in gambling is evident and there are so many more advertising outlets than ever before now available thanks to social media platforms, which leads us to another reason why online slot games are so popular…
Reason 3: The Visual Appeal of Slots
We are very visual creatures and slot games are very visually stimulating, so it’s no wonder players are drawn to them! Half of our brains is devoted to processing visual images we see, which is huge! Your brain can process images in just 3 milliseconds, sending endorphins rushing around with pleasure when you’re processing appealing images. Graphic designers for slot games know and understand the importance of creating visually stunning games and capitalise on this opportunity to make players want to play their games. Also, around 80% of people are visual learners so easily learn how to play slots and understand their features by playing them and enjoying the visual aspect of the slot games.
Reason 4: The Rise of Online Gambling
The soar in popularity of slot games goes hand in hand with the advancement of the internet, especially having the internet in our homes for personal use. As we can see from the figures, it’s clear to see that online gambling is by far the most popular way to gamble and has overtaken gambling in land-based casinos significantly over the last decade. Many players still love playing slot games in brick and mortar casinos as they love the social aspect and the overall environment of a land-based casino and for many, it can be a great way to get out the house and enjoy their hobby in a different setting to just being in their own home. However, this all relies on a casino being nearby and for many people, this isn’t the case and so they aren’t able to play slots in land-based casinos.
Land-based casinos have been seeing a decline in revenue across the globe year on year over the last 20 years with the rise of online gambling and people choosing to play online rather than spending time in the land-based casino being the main reason for the decline. The good news is that for slot lovers, playing slots is more accessible than ever before, which brings us to the fifth simple reason why slots have become so popular…
Reason 5: Smartphones and Slot Gaming Apps
It’s just so easy! Players can not only play slots whenever and wherever they are on their smartphones using online casinos, but there are now so many slot gaming apps which players can download to their smartphones to make playing slots even smoother and easier. The development of handy and convenient slot apps has impacted the gambling industry significantly and has made slot games even more popular than ever before. The apps are slick looking and smooth to play with seamless designs and very tempting welcome bonuses, so it’s no wonder that the launch of slot gaming apps has given their popularity a boost!
There are of course many more reasons why slot games have become so popular and have overtaken many of the more traditional slot games and as a slot player no doubt you will already know why they are so popular! They are fun to play, easy to understand and can offer lucrative jackpots if you are lucky – what’s not to love!?
