Slots

UK Gambling Commission Introduces New Restrictions For Online Casinos

February 22, 2024 William Mcmaster

Slot games form the bulk of casinos, both online and physical. They form about 70% of the total online casino games. Slots are the cash cow of casinos as most British players play them a lot. In 2019, Britons spent £2.2 billion on online slot games. In many states in the United States, casinos make between 65% and 80% of their revenue from slots.

The UKGC has been working on making sure the gambling environment is safe for both casino operators and players. They have been enacting new rules to ensure this happens and also creating new bodies. One of such bodies is the Betting and Gaming Council (BGC), whose contribution is evident in these restrictions.

Why Slots?

As mentioned earlier, slots are a major source of revenue in the casino industry. There has been an increase in online gambling total revenue, from £2.36 billion in 2016 to £3.18 billion in 2020. 70% of this increase is attributed to slot games. Data from the UKGC shows that each slot player spends an average of £67 ($91) monthly on slot games. Meanwhile, a monthly average of £36 ($36) is spent on casino products and £45 ($61) for live betting.

Compared to other games, slot games have a higher addiction rate. In a survey carried out by the NHS in 2018, less than 4% of those who bet online are addicts, and 5.7% of those who bet in physical casinos are addicts. For those who bet on online slots, casino, and bingo games, 8.5% are addicts. Also, the UKGC mentioned that slot games of all online gaming products have the highest average losses per player.

image with the transformation of slots from the first old-timey machine to today

Restrictions

With the restrictions given by the UKGC, online casinos will have to do a complete overhaul on the slot machines to meet the UKGC’s requirements. The UKGC told online casinos to reduce the intensity of the slot machines and bettors’ misleading features to make gambling safer for players. According to the Commission’s statement, the rules are to strengthen the protections and controls for those who gamble through online slots games.

Casino operators have been ordered to slow down the time in between spins to at least 2.5 seconds. They are also required to remove the Autoplay option, allowing players to leave the game spinning for a specific number of spins. According to UKGC, these functions allow players to lose track of how much money they spend on the slot game.

Also, slot machines are expected to stop playing positive sounds when a player loses money. Positive sounds after a loss cause a phenomenon referred to as “losses disguised as wins” causing players to think that their loss is positive. This phenomenon thereby encourages them to put more money into the game.

Another rule concerns the slot features that give players the “ illusion of control” over slot games because, in actuality, players are playing against the random number generator. They also introduced a ban on “reverse withdrawals”, where players try to collect their winnings and then change their minds and put the wins back into their betting account. This control appears to all forms of online gambling not only online slot games.

Neil Arthur, chief executive of the Gambling Commission, said, “Evidence shows that reverse withdrawal functions present a risk to players because of the temptation to continue gambling. Operators are also required to show players total losses and wins and total time spent at an online slot session.

Also, the UKGC, in support of these restrictions, said, “Also, the slot features being removed or more closely controlled have been associated with increased intensity of play, loss of player control or binge play”. All these control measures will take effect on the 31st of October.

Response to the restrictions

Sports, Tourism, and Heritage Minister, Nigel Huddleston, said: “Today’s steps will help curb the intensity of online gambling, introducing greater protections that will reduce the risk of gambling-related harm. I welcome the Gambling Commission’s tough measures as we continue our comprehensive review of gambling laws to make sure they’re fit for the digital age”. The chief executive of the Betting and Gaming Council (BGC), Michael Dugher, said they are determined to drive change and promote safer gambling.

He also said, “That’s why we welcome the Gambling Commission’s announcement, which builds on the BGC’s new code of conduct from last September for the design of online games in a bid to improve player safety further. BGC members have already introduced measures, including the slowing down of spin speeds and banning several gaming features, which have caused concern. Among the major commitments we have already introduced, are minimum game cycle speeds of 2.5 seconds, the ending of turbo play, which allows players to speed up games, and the scrapping of multi-slot play, where a player can place multiple stakes on different games at the same time.”

Effects of Restrictions

The recent restrictions have not affected the gambling stocks’ value since the announcement of the new restrictions. This means that investors do not think the new restrictions will have any effect on the revenue generated.

UKGC Restructuring

With the on-going restructuring in the United Kingdom Gambling Commission, new rules and regulations are enacted to accommodate the online gambling industry’s growth. Recently, the UKGC has been accused of lacking the capacity to handle the rapid growth of the online gambling industry. Many are suggesting that the UKGC is funded poorly to control a $15 billion industry.

However, the UKGC has been showing that it is up to the task despite these claims. It has been releasing new regulations to ensure that both the casinos and players are well catered for. In 2019, the UKGC enforced a £2 betting limit on fixed-odds betting terminals. It added new verification rules to protect minors and vulnerable people from gambling and prevent fraud and money laundering in the same year.

In 2020, they banned the use of credit cards to place bets to reduce the rate of problem gambling. Other new regulations include the ban on under 18s from playing the National Lottery, which will also take effect from October 2021. These new regulations are aimed at controlling the addictive nature of casino games giving players the chance to make clear-headed gambling decisions.

Conclusion

The new restrictions from the United Kingdom Gambling Commission clearly demonstrate its commitment to responsible gaming and customer protection. The measures are well thought out and will improve fairness in online casino gaming. Judging by the market’s response to these new restrictions, they aren’t likely to have any adverse effects on the industry’s profitability.

Your Weekly Best New Slots | Week 5 / February 1 – 7, 2021

February 22, 2024 William Mcmaster

New Slots To Be Released on Week 5 of 2021

There’s an assortment of new slots scheduled to be released this week 5 of 2021. We can’t feature them all, so we selected five that stand out. What we get are new slots with themes and features guaranteed to keep you entertained.

East Coast vs West Coast boasts of 5 different enhancers and 3 free spins features, among other things. Multiplier Odyssey awards multipliers in many different ways. The other three slots all carry features that enhance gameplay and huge winning chances.

All these slots are worth your while, but we’ll leave that for you to decide after you’ve read this article. So, read on as we give you a rundown of the best new slots from top developers this week.

5 New Slots To Check Out

Nolimit City, Relax Gaming, Play’n GO, Red Tiger, and ELK Studios all have new interesting slots this week 5 of 2021. Let’s look at each of these and find out which will give you better chances of winning big.

East Coast vs West Coast

Nolimit City lives up to its name with fresh ideas for new slots pouring with no limits. This week, this developer serves a slot that relives the fierce hip hop rivalry of the 1990s. East Coast vs West Coast’s visuals and audio are synced to the theme, as are all other elements. You’ll appreciate this slot whether you’re a hip hop fan or not.

Its lively-colored game area has 5 reels and 3 rows with win ways from 243 to 84,375. The scatter symbol is key to the assortment of features. Enhancers include xWays, xNudge wilds, multipliers, linked reels, and infectious xWays. They all increase your chances of hitting big wins in the game.

At least 2 scatters trigger the Drive-By Respin, which has 1 enhancer chosen to be active on the spin. When 3 or 4 scatters land, you’ll get 8 or 10 free spins, respectively. Before the free spin round begins, you need to choose between East Coast Spins or West Coast Spins.

East Coast Spins carries the infectious xWays with it on every spin. On the other hand, West Coast Spins have the four other enhancers to offer. There is also the Coast to Coast Free Spins where 2 enhancers land simultaneously on a single spin. This dramatically increases huge win potentials.

If you don’t want to wait for the scatters, you can opt for the bonus buy feature. Here, you’ll have two choices:

Choose either East Coast or West Coast free spins for 80x the stake.
Buy Coast to Coast Free Spins for 420x the stake.

Number of Paylines: 243 to 84,375	RTP: 96.04% (Default)
Min Bet: 0.20	Max Bet: 100
Max Payout: 30,618x	Software Provider: Nolimit City

Multiplier Odyssey

Journey to the cosmos in Relax Gaming’s latest slot release, Multiplier Odyssey. Cozy up in the spacecraft’s cockpit where the 5×3 game area with 15 paylines is set. The paytable serves card symbols on the lower end and four character symbols at the top. The wild, aside from substituting for other symbols, also carries a value of its own.

A coin symbol can land on reels 1, 2, 3, or 4 that carry a multiplier value. The 5th reel serves as a landing place of the collector symbol. When it appears, it collects the coin symbol in view and awards you the multiplier value it carries.

When 3, 4, or 5 scatters land, you’ll receive 7, 8, or 9 lives or free spins. During the bonus game, 11 spaceships representing multipliers sit above the reels. Scoring a win also awards one of these multipliers. Winning the first 10 multipliers triggers the Super Multiplier. This comes with an unlimited number of spins that only ends when you hit a win. You’ll then get the Super Multiplier’s value of either x100, x200, or x300, and the bonus round ends.

During the free spins feature, these 4 modifiers may appear:

Target symbol gets rid of the lowest multiplier.
Single spaceship symbol adds 1 to a random multiplier.
Group of spaceships symbol adds 1 to all active multipliers.
+1 symbol adds one life or free spin.

The last of the features is the bonus buy, which lets you buy 3 bonus symbols for 70x the bet. However, the availability of this feature depends on where you live.

Number of Paylines: 15	RTP: 96.50%
Min Bet: 0.10	Max Bet: 20
Max Payout: 50,000x	Software Provider: Relax Gaming

Cat Wilde in the Eclipse of the Sun God

Join the adventurous explorer, Cat Wilde, in her search for fortune in yet another visually-appealing slot from Play’n GO. The sun shines brightly on the transparent 5×3 game area with 20 paylines standing tall and mighty. Behind it, thick green foliage frames a step pyramid not far behind.

Score a win with at least 3 matching symbols from the leftmost reel. The Sun God wild will help form winning combinations and pays 100x your stake for five of a kind. The Cascade feature can boost more wins in a single spin. Consecutive wins because of the cascade rewards win multiplier starting at x1 up to a maximum of x10.

Watch out for the Moon Goddess, as this is this game’s scatter symbol. When it lands on reels 1, 3, and 5 simultaneously, you’ll get 10 free spins. The cascade and multiplier feature is still in play in the bonus round. This time, though, you can get up to x70 win multiplier. The Moon Goddess also becomes a wild during this round and is collected when it lands in view. You’ll get additional 5 free spins when your collection hits 5 scatter symbols.

Number of Paylines: 20	RTP: 96.22% (Default)
Min Bet: 0.20	Max Bet: 100
Max Payout: N/A	Software Provider: Play’n GO

Betty, Boris, And Boo

Do you fancy a treasure-hunt adventure in a haunted house? Then, Red Tiger got your back with the new addition to its library of slots this week 5 of 2021. Meet Betty, Boris, and Boo as you spin the 5×4 game area with 30 fixed paylines.

To score a win, you only need at least two matching symbols of the premium skull. As for the rest of the symbols, you’ll need at least three of a kind to win. Helping to form winning combinations is the blue diamond wild. It also carries a value and pays 10x the stake for five of a kind.

The base game is a relaxed round as all the action takes place in the free spins feature. Scatters landing on reels 1, 3, and 5 triggers this round by awarding 10 free Spooky Spins. This is where Betty, Boris, and Boo appear at random, and each carries a Spooky feature.

Betty transforms regular symbols into sticky wilds that stays sticky until the end of the feature.
Boris turns a random premium symbol into a huge 2×2, 3×3, or 4×4 symbol.
Boo attaches a multiplier to any win during the feature and may reappear to increase the said multiplier. He can give up to x10 win multiplier.

Number of Paylines: 30	RTP: 95.69% (Default)
Min Bet: 0.10	Max Bet: 20
Max Payout: 5,241x	Software Provider: Red Tiger

Miss Wildfire

One of the new slots for release on week 5 of 2021 has a valuable lesson to impart. Alchemist Edgar Woodart teaches you the importance of time over money in ELK Studios’ latest slot, Miss Wildfire.

After decades of obsession with wealth, he found himself alone with only a wildfire for a friend. Woodart and his fiery friend don’t want you to suffer the same miserable fate. As such, they give you 466 ways to win at a slot with 6 reels and 4 rows.

Six of a kind of premium symbols pay from 2.5x up to 10x your bet. However, it’s the lowest-paying symbol you should look out for — the friendly-looking log. It plays a considerable role in hitting wins in the entire game. When the wild flame symbol lands beside the log, the latter and all adjacent similar symbols burn and turn wild.

Making things more interesting is Miss Wildfire herself. She is also a wild symbol that not only spreads wildfire but also carries a walking feature. When she lands, she awards a respin and walks her way to the leftmost reel with every spin. There’s also a Super Miss Wildfire that turns logs sticky.

The bonus feature comes with free spins and Miss Wildfire at the start of the round. There’s also a log meter that counts the number of logs that land and burn during the round. When the meter reaches a predefined level, a new Miss Wildfire will appear. Free spins end when no more Miss Wildfire has made her exit on the leftmost reel.

Number of Paylines: 466	RTP: 96.1%
Min Bet: 0.20	Max Bet: 100
Max Payout: 5,000x	Software Provider: ELK Studios

Conclusion

That wraps up our round-up of 5 new slots from top developers this week 5 of 2021. Whether it’s the theme or features you look for when picking a new slot, this week’s selection will not disappoint. There’s enough variety to choose from this week, and we listed down the best new slots among the latest releases. So, we’re sure there’s one or two guaranteed to make your slot gaming experience worthwhile this week.

Your Weekly Best New Slots | Week 4 / January 25 – 31, 2021

February 22, 2024 William Mcmaster

New Slots To Be Released On Week 4 of 2021

Whether you love the Megaways engine or not, the new slots we feature this week 4 of 2021 will delight you. We found at least four new Megaways slots scheduled to be released this week. So, if you’re a fan of BTG’s famous mechanism, you’re in for a treat. We’ll do a rundown of each of these Megaways slots to give you an idea of what to expect.

As for those who don’t dig the Megaways engine, we didn’t forget about you. We also look for an outstanding slot that you can check out this week. What we found is one that boasts of expanding symbols and big win potentials among other features.

Read on as we’ll walk you through this slot and leave you to decide whether you’ll give it a shot or not. With its great gameplay and huge win potential, we’re certain it’s worth your time to try it out.

5 New Slots To Check Out

Software developers All41 Studios, iSoftBet, NetEnt, and Pragmatic Play new slots this week 4 of 2021 boasts of the Megaways mechanism. Meanwhile, Play’n GO opted to release a follow-up to a previously hit slot. Let’s take a closer look at what these great developers have to offer us this week.

Forgotten Island Megaways

The first of four new slots sporting the Megaways engine this week 4 of 2021 is Forgotten Island Megaways. It’s All41 Studios’ second time using this famous mechanism. This time, the studio takes you to the exotic Skull Island. Spin the 6-reel game area as a friendly-looking gorilla watches you.

Match at least three identical symbols from the first reel onwards, and you score a win. An exception to this is the highest-paying skull symbol, which pays for only two of a kind. Helping you to form winning combinations is the compass which serves as the wild symbol.

Forgotten Island Megaways has the Rolling Reels feature that works like the usual cascade mechanism of Megaways slots. What makes it more exciting here is the possibility of triggering the Kong Spins with a base-spin win. Here, Kong randomly awakens carrying win multipliers of x2, x3, x5, or x10 that increases by 1 following every win. Triggering the Free Spins during Kong Spins carries over the current multiplier value to the bonus round.

Four scatters (Kong’s face) landing awards 10 free spins plus 2 more for every extra scatter in view. Win multiplier starts at x2 and increases by 1 following a win.

The game also has a buy feature, allowing you a shortcut to the bonus round for a price. You have to choose between three buy options:

80x the stake for 10 free spins and a starting multiplier of x2.
120x the stake for 10 free spins and a starting multiplier of x3 or x5.
150x the stake for 10 free spins and a starting multiplier of x5 or x10.

Number of Paylines: 117,649	RTP: 96.25%
Min Bet: 0.20	Max Bet: 20
Max Payout: 7,000x	Software Provider: All41 Studios

Neptune’s Fortune Megaways

Have an under-the-sea adventure on the second of four new Megaways slots this week 4 of 2021. Hunt for treasure and big wins with the Roman God of the sea in developer iSoftBet’s Neptune’s Fortune Megaways. A piece of soothing music fills the air as the grid’s 6 reels spin.

Instead of the maximum 117,649 win ways, this Megaways slot only has 46,656 ways to win. A large number still, if we may say so. Winning requires you to match three adjacent symbols from the first reel onwards. After this, the cascade feature sets in with winning combinations popping out to make way for new symbols. The oyster with a pearl acts as the wild, and the Neptune’s trident represents the scatter.

Also, swimming underwater is a bunch of features that include the 5 treasure chests on top of the reels. Four of the five treasure chests can reveal up to x5 multipliers, and one contains the Neptune’s Bonus. The Neptune’s Bonus gives you a chance to win the 4 fixed jackpots – Mini, Minor, Major, or Grand. Their values are 20x, 50x, 200x, or 1,000x the bet, respectively.

When 4, 5, or 6 scatters land in view, you’ll get 10, 12, or 15 free spins, respectively. The free spins round works the same as the base game except no low-pay symbols will land during the round. So, you’ll get to enjoy all other features from the base game playing with only the high-pay symbols. Ain’t that amazing?

Number of Paylines: 46,656	RTP: 96.03%
Min Bet: 0.20	Max Bet: 20
Max Payout: 9,710x	Software Provider: iSoftBet

Fruit Shop Megaways

NetEnt renovated one of its 2013 classic slots and gave it the hit Megaways mechanism. The result is an upgraded version that keeps the straightforward gameplay and simple design of the original. A market stall houses the Fruit Shop Megaways’ 6 reels with clear blue skies and lush greeneries in the background. The simple soundtrack is a perfect match to the pleasing-to-the-eye visual.

A win requires at least three adjacent matching symbols from the leftmost reel onwards. An exception to this is the highest-paying premium cherries that pay for only two of a kind. The wild can only land on reels 2, 3, 4, and 5 to help with forming winning combinations.

The usual cascade feature that goes with the Megaways mechanism is missing here. However, the frequent triggering of free spins made up for it. The free spins feature fires up after every win from fruit symbols. Hitting a two-of-a-kind win with the cherry rewards 1 free spin. The other fruits award 2, 3, 4, or 5 free spins for 3, 4, 5, or 6 winning combinations, respectively.

The mechanism of triggering free spins is also present in the bonus round itself. This time, both low and premium symbols award free spins. There’s also a win multiplier in the bonus round. This starts at x1 and increases by 1 after each winning spin. The value of the win multiplier that you can win is capped at x10.

Number of Paylines: 117,649	RTP: 96.06%
Min Bet: 0.20	Max Bet: 100
Max Payout: 10,000x+	Software Provider: NetEnt

Madame Destiny Megaways

For this week, Pragmatic Play decides to give one of its clairvoyant-themed slots a Megaways mechanism upgrade. Madame Destiny Megaways slot sports a larger grid to accommodate the Megaways engine. The 6-reel grid and extra one on top still magically fit the back of Madame Destiny’s carriage.

Unlike the usual 117,649 win ways of Megaways slots, this one has 200,704 ways to win. Pragmatic Play made some adjustments to the reels to make this possible. Reels 1 and 6 can accommodate up to 7 symbols while reels 2 to 5 can house 8 symbols maximum.

The cascade is also present, but it’s called tumble in this game. It fires up following a win with at least three adjacent matching symbols from the leftmost reel onwards. The highest-paying premium owl symbol pays with only two of a kind. Madame Destiny is this game’s wild, doubling the value of a win if she’s part of it.

Madame’s crystal ball is the scatter. It awards free spins plus prizes of 5x, 10x, 20x, or 100x your stake when 3, 4, 5, or 6 lands in view. There’s a Wheel of Fortune on this bonus round that awards free spins and up to 25x win multiplier.

The game has a bonus buy feature allowing you access to the bonus game for 100x the bet. There’s also an Ante Bet feature that doubles your chances of triggering the bonus feature.

Number of Paylines: Up to 200,704	RTP: 96.56% (Default)
Min Bet: 0.20	Max Bet: 100
Max Payout: 5,000x	Software Provider: Pragmatic Play

Lord Merlin And The Lady Of The Lake

Play’n GO decided to release a sequel to their 2019 slot Rise of Merlin this week. Lord Merlin and the Lady of the Lake’s semi-transparent 5×3 grid gives you a good view of the breathtaking background.

At least three matching low symbols falling on any of the 10 paylines starting from the first reel scores a win. On the other hand, premiums pay for only two a kind and carry large values. You’ll get up to 1,000x your bet for five of a kind of Merlin, the highest-paying premium. Besides being this slot’s wild, the Lady also carries a value equal to what Merlin has to offer.

Get 8 free spins along with 1x, 10x, or 100x the stake when 3, 4, or 5 scatters land, respectively. Before each spin starts during the bonus game, one special symbol is selected to be the expanding symbol. When this special symbol forms a win, all instances of the said symbol will expand to cover the reel.

Also, during the bonus round, the sword scatters transforms into wild scatters. Two of the wild scatters in view award the Excalibur Spin. Here, the special symbol is set for the entire Excalibur spins, and the feature can be retriggered for an unlimited number of times.

The game has an interesting gamble option which can either double or quadruple your win if you get lucky. Worst case scenario, you get very unlucky, and you lose all your winning. If you’re willing to take that risk, the option is available to you up to 2,500 coins or 5 times in a row.

Number of Paylines: 10	RTP: 96.20% (Default)
Min Bet: 0.10	Max Bet: 100
Max Payout: 10,000x	Software Provider: Play’n GO

Conclusion

There’s a plethora of great new slots that software developers created for you this week 4 of 2021. Week in and week out, we feature what stood out among them and let you decide which one you like best. If you find this week’s list impressive, wait again for our selection of the best new slots you should try out next week. Also, feel free to explore CompareCasino for more iGaming-related articles and blogs.

Up and Coming Game Providers in 2022

March 13, 2024 William Mcmaster

Game providers are responsible for developing the games played at online casinos around the world. These companies are often well known for delivering specific types of games such as modern slots, table games, or classic slots. Some of the best-known game providers include big names such as NetEnt, Microgaming, Play’n GO, and Pragmatic Play.

Over the past few years, as the size of the online casino industry has grown, the number of software providers has too. Today, there are hundreds of different companies all producing different casino games for players to enjoy.

New and upcoming companies are constantly innovating and introducing new features to stand out against the established providers. 2020 was a great year for the online gambling industry as more players than ever signed up to play. 2022 is shaping up to be another great year for the industry, and there are loads of excellent game providers that are ready to shine.

We’ve made a list of some of the most exciting up and coming casino game providers for 2022. Each of the companies on this list is fast-growing and focused on innovation and growth in the upcoming years.

Booming Games

Fresh from winning the Rising Star of the Year award at the 2020 International Gaming Awards, Booming Games are set to have another great year. The Malta-based company was founded in 2014 but has recently made a big impact on the industry after releasing several top-rated games.

The company focuses on delivering high-quality online slots that feature lots of bonuses, features and plenty of exciting wins. Some of Booming Games recent releases include Hooked, Gold Vein and Booming Deluxe. The graphics of these games are fairly simple, but they have lots of colour, great animations and great sounds and music.

In 2022, Booming Games are expected to build on their success over the last few years and continue to release quality games that are fun to play and include plenty of exciting features. All of the releases from Booming Games are developed using HTML5, allowing them to be played on mobile devices and offering greater accessibility to all players.

Yggdrasil Gaming

Yggdrasil may already be a fairly well-established name in the iGaming industry, but the company has always been at the forefront of innovation when it comes to developing games. Yggdrasil Gaming was founded in 2013, and in that time has quickly risen to become one of the top casino game developers. Having recently won the award for Innovator of the Year at the 2020 International Gaming Awards, Yggdrasil looks set to have another massive year in 2022.

Yggdrasil games are featured at some of the biggest and most popular online casinos, and the games company continues to be featured at top sites all over the world. Some of Yggdrasil’s best games include the Vikings series, Atlantis Megaways, Syncronite Splitz, Elemental Princess and Hades. Yggdrasil is well known for introducing innovative features such as Splitz, MultiMax and Gigablox features among others.

While the majority of games Yggdrasil produces are slots, the company has also released plenty of table games including versions of Blackjack and Roulette alongside progressive jackpot games. As well as developing games, the company has recently launched its Beyond Aggregation platform, which aims to accelerate the growth of online casinos and introduce new sources of revenue. If the company keeps growing and innovating at the rate it has been, 2022 will no doubt be a great year for Yggdrasil Gaming.

Dice Lab

Dice Lab are relatively new on the scene having been founded in 2018. The company has a focus on developing dice games, both 3D and 2D alongside slots. Recently, Dice Lab was bought by Relax Gaming, a big developer and publisher in the industry. This partnership will no doubt lead to Dice Lab becoming a much bigger name in the industry over the next few years as they continue to produce quality dice games.

Dice Lab’s library only consists of a few titles so far, but each one offers something new and exciting to casino players. The company’s first release, SlotsDice, was a unique blend of dice and slots, offering innovative gameplay and providing something different for players to experience. Since then, Dice Lab has released a handful of other games that aim to bring a similar gaming experience to online casinos.

Thanks to the studio being purchased by Relax Gaming, we’re expecting big things from Dice Lab in 2022 and beyond. Relax Gaming is one of the world’s largest online casino software providers. Relax Gaming’s library features hundreds of games, and its games are featured at some of the most popular online casinos. With this partnership, it’s expected that Dice Lab will produce loads more exciting games and will soon be available at some big online casinos.

Hacksaw Gaming

Another developer that first emerged in the iGaming industry back in 2018, Hacksaw Gaming may be new, but they’ve already had a big impact on the world of casino games. This developer has already achieved multiple partnerships with big sites such as VideoSlots, iSoftbet, and Wildz Casino. Hacksaw Gaming has produced more than fifty games across ten regulated markets and shows no signs of slowing down.

With a strong focus on slots and online scratchcards, Hacksaw Gaming has over thirty scratchcards released and is currently working on more. On top of that, the company has released plenty of online slots that combine modern designs with exciting bonus features and big winning potential. Some of Hacksaw Gaming’s most popular games include Cubes, Mystery Motel and Scratch ‘Em.

Having already established several strong partnerships in the last few years, we expect to see a lot more of Hacksaw Gaming in the Future. The company has managed to produce loads of quality games already. 2022 will no doubt see more of the same as they continue to innovate and create new and interesting games.

B Gaming

B Gaming is a game developer formed from the SoftSwiss brand, an established casino provider. B Gaming was founded in 2018, and using the experience and connections of its parent company SoftSwiss, the developer has made great progress. Based in Belarus, B Gaming has already developed and released forty games, including classic table games, poker, and online slots.

All of B Gaming’s releases have been optimised for mobile play, adding intuitive touchscreen controls and allowing players to access their top games from a variety of devices. Some of the top B Gaming titles include Deep Sea, Fire Lightning and Avalon the Lost Kingdom.

As well as developing quality games, B Gaming has also taken steps to bring new ideas to the industry, including the provably fair system. Using cryptography, the provable fairness feature allows players to easily verify that games are fair and events are random. In 2022, B Gaming is projected to continue its success and launch some exciting new titles.

Final Thoughts

2020 was a great year for the iGaming industry as more players than ever signed up and joined in the fun at online casinos across the world. With the industry growing and more players joining casinos, game providers have their work cut out for them in keeping up with the demand. Thankfully, there are loads of great developers out there who are continually innovating and creating new games and features that will entertain players.

Your Weekly Best New Slots | Week 1 / January 4 – 10, 2021

February 22, 2024 William Mcmaster

New Slots To Be Released On Week 1 of 2021

Software developers greet the new year by presenting players with new interesting slots for week 1 of 2021. As such, our team here at CompareCasino had been busy once again looking for the most interesting slots to feature.

So, if you’re looking for your next favorite slot, check out our list this week. Whether it’s 117,649 win ways or the old-school 1 payline you’re looking for, you’ll find it in our selection. Most are also packed with features that will keep you hooked. So, sit back as we give you a rundown of the 5 new slots you should check out this week.

5 New Slots To Check Out

Software developers ELK Studios, Microgaming partner All41 Studios, Play’n GO, Red Tiger, and Pragmatic Play all have new slots for release this week 1 of 2021. Let’s find out which one you’ll like best.

Knockout Diamonds

ELK Studios’ new addition to its portfolio of slots this week 1 of 2021 is boxing-themed Knockout Diamonds. Get ready to rumble as you spin the studio’s 8th installment to its Classic Series. An old-style slot clad in modern design, its game area with 3 reels only has 1 payline.

Classic slot icons make a comeback to grace the paytable. Form a line of the lucky 7s symbol, and you’ll get 75x your bet. The wild as always substitutes for other symbols to help form a win. However, a winning line consisting of 3 wilds is a much better deal as it pays 100x your stake.

Though Knockout Diamonds has a singular payline, it has several features to enhance your winning potential. When the same symbols land on reels 1 and 2 for example, the Ringside Rumble activates. The two symbols lock and only the 3rd reel spins thrice, giving you more chances of hitting a win.

Another feature is the Multiplier Wilds which land at random, multiplying the win line value by x2 or x3. Last is the Knockout Spins which activates when 3 bonus symbols land on the payline.

Bonus symbols landing during free spins are collected and tallied at the end of the round. You’ll receive 5x, 10x, 25x, 50x, 100x, 250x, 500x, or 2,500x your stake for 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, or 10 bonus symbols collected, respectively. Land 3 scatters in one spin and you’ll win the 2,500x the stake.

Number of Paylines: 1	RTP: 96%
Min Bet: 0.25	Max Bet: 100
Max Payout: 2,500x	Software Provider: ELK Studios

Shamrock Holmes Megaways

When Microgaming acquired BTG’s Megaways license, its partner All41 Studios got the privilege to use the engine too. Thus, All41’s new addition to its library of slots this week 1 of 2021 sports the Megaways mechanism. Shamrock Holmes Megaways is the first slot using the famous BTG engine that you’ll see on Microgaming’s platform.

The 6-reel grid and extra horizontal one on top will greet you when you fire the game up. To win, you need at least 3 adjacent matching symbols from the leftmost reel onwards. The Shamrock Holmes is an exception to this, as he’ll pay for only two of a kind. Helping to form winning combinations is the wild represented by a rainbow W, which appears only on the topmost reel.

All41 armed this slot with a respin feature which activates to reward respins and a particular number of win ways. To trigger the Magic Forest Respins, you need a combination of 3 scatters and a particular symbol on the topmost reel.

The pixie plus three scatters – 10,000 Megaways
Shamrock Holmes plus three scatters – 32,400 Megaways
The pixie and Shamrock Holmes plus three scatters – 117,649 Megaways

This slot also boasts of the Rolling Reels feature that remains active whatever phase of the game you’re at. This is a trademarked Microgaming feature that works like the cascade mechanism.

Four scatters landing anywhere awards 10 free spins and extra 2 spins for every additional bonus symbol. The free spin feature has an unlimited win multiplier starting at x2. The value of the multiplier increases by 1 every time a winning combination forms.

Number of Paylines: 117,649	RTP: 96.44%
Min Bet: 0.20	Max Bet: 20
Max Payout: 28,000x	Software Provider: All41 Studios

Coils of Cash

Play’n GO takes inspiration from steampunk design to create its newest slot offering. The 19th century isn’t the only one you’ll remember though when you first look at Coils of Cash’s game area. With 6 vertical reels and a horizontal one on top, you might think it’s a Megaways slot. However, it only has fixed 3 rows with win ways up to 2,304.

Three to six matching combinations score a win. The wild symbol helps to form winning combinations, landing only on the extra reel on top. Scoring a win triggers the cascade mechanism, removing the winning symbols from the reel to make way for new ones.

The four-tiled horizontal reel on top named the Power Coil also plays a key role here. Symbols landing on the Power Coil may carry a multiplier that increases by 1 and can reach up to x5. If wins occur involving the symbol carrying the multiplier, the multiplier value will then be applied to the win value. If multiple symbols carrying the multiplier are involved in a winning combination, their multiplier values will be multiplied together. This can reach up to x625 your stake.

Also helping you hit big wins is the free spins features. To trigger this, you need at least 3 scatters to land in view. You’ll receive 10, 15, 20, or 25 free spins for 3, 4, 5, or 6 scatters, respectively. The Power Coil also comes into play during the free spins.

Number of Paylines: 2,304	RTP: 96.20%
Min Bet: 0.10	Max Bet: 100
Max Payout: 30,000x	Software Provider: Play’n GO

Lord of the Wilds

Red Tiger takes you to the African jungle to meet Tarzan and Jane in its latest slot release this week. Thick foliage covered by mist serves as a backdrop of Lord of the Wilds’ 5×4 game area with 30 paylines.

To score a win, you need to form at least 3 matching symbols from the leftmost reel onwards. As expected, Jane and Tarzan serve as the premiums. The highest-paying symbol, however, is the Tarzan wild awarding 10x your bet for five of a kind. It can also replace other symbols except for the scatters to help you form a winning combination.

Feature-wise, you’ll have Tarzan’s Treasure, Jane Wild’s Kiss, and the free spins. With Tarzan’s Treasure, Tarzan may suddenly swing on a vine dropping regular Tarzan symbols or free spins on the reels.

On the other hand, Jane’s Wild Kiss happens when Jane blows a kiss at random. This will turn all Tarzan symbols on the reel wild and locks them in place. Jane landing beside a regular Tarzan symbol also turns that symbol into the wild, locking it in place.

At least 3 scatters landing awards 10 free spins activating the said feature. Any extra scatters in view award additional free spins from 5 to 20. During the free spins, any wilds landing on the reel locks in place until the round ends.

Number of Paylines: 30	RTP: 95.66%
Min Bet: 0.10	Max Bet: 40
Max Payout: 2,100x	Software Provider: Red Tiger

Voodoo Magic

Pragmatic Play serves a spooky slot this week taking you inside the hut of a voodoo priestess. A sexy tune combined with night sounds and rich visuals creates a perfect sultry, spooky vibe for Voodoo Magic.

To score a win, you need at least 3 matching symbols in the 40-payline, 5×4 grid. Five of a kind of premiums will pay up to 10x your bet. The wild symbol, on the other hand, will award 12.5x your bet for a combination of five. It also substitutes for other symbols except for the scatters.

Two scatters landing on reels 2 and 3 trigger the Random features. Here, you need to choose between 2 potion bottles containing modifiers.

Mystery Curses add a random number of wilds to the reels.
Fortune Hex takes out symbols from the reel leaving only the high-paying ones.

Three scatters landing on the middle three reels trigger the free spins feature. Before the round begins, you need to determine the kind of free spins you’ll play. To do that, you have to pick one from three cards that will be presented to you.

The chosen card will reveal any of these three variants:

Voodoo Free Spins – at least 10x the stake win guarantee.
Super Voodoo Free Spins – at least 25x the stake win guarantee.
Mega Voodoo Free Spins – at least 50x the stake win guarantee.

If you want to go straight to the free spins feature, you can buy your way in for 80x the stake.

Number of Paylines: 40	RTP: 96.50% (default)
Min Bet: 0.20	Max Bet: 100
Max Payout: 1,000x	Software Provider: Pragmatic Play

Conclusion

That wraps up our selection of outstanding new slots this week 1 of 2021. Only time will tell if one of those we feature this week will turn into a favorite of slot enthusiasts like you. If you haven’t found what you’re looking for yet, no worries. We always feature some of the best new slots every week. Your next favorite slot might just be a week away. So, make sure you look out for our next list. Until then, happy spinning!

Your Weekly Best New Slots | Week 53 / December 28, 2020 – January 3, 2021

February 22, 2024 William Mcmaster

Enjoyable New Slots To Try This Week

Software providers cap the year with some enjoyable new slots that you can try this last week of 2020. Two slots offer to take you on vacations while one gives some mining work. Whichever you choose, there are some good features to enjoy while you play the game.

Piggy Bank Farm boasts of sticky symbols, giant symbols, a win multiplier, and a 5,000x the stake max win potential. Meanwhile, up to 8888x your bet prize and 6 free spin options are among what await you in Raging Dragons. If you fancy a hold-and-win type of slot, then Rolling In Gold is a must-try.

3 New Slots To Check Out

Software developers Play’n GO, iSoftBet, and Blueprint Gaming serve three enjoyable new slots you can try this week. Let’s explore each of them and find out which one you’ll like best.

Piggy Bank Farm

Play’n GO takes you on an enjoyable vacation in this new addition to its portfolio of slots this week. So, prepare to mingle with domesticated animals as you spin Piggy Bank Farm’s 5×4 game area with 50 paylines. In the background, you’ll see a relaxing view of the farm complemented by the game’s country soundtrack.

Looking at the paytable, the symbols are also all in theme. First, there are wooden planks nailed together to form the 10 to A royals making up the low-pay symbols. On the other end, farm animals like cows, sheep, dogs, and rooster comprise the premium symbols. If you form five matching symbols of the high-paying symbols, you’ll win 4 to 24 times your stake.

With this being a farm-themed slot, a farmer representing the wild symbol is a perfect fit. He lands on any reel, substituting other symbols to form a matching combination. He also pays 50x the stake for five of a kind.

Piggy Bank Farm Features

A hammer symbol landing on the last reel triggers one of this slot’s features — the Piggy Bank Spins. You’ll start the round with 3 spins using a grid that reveals either empty tiles or piggy bank symbols. When a piggy bank lands, not only will it reset the spins but also become sticky. Furthermore, it may join mega piggy bank symbols of 2×2, 3×3, 4×4, or 5×4 in size.

When you run out of spins or the mega symbols cover the grid, the round ends. All piggy banks on the reel will then reveal a prize. Bigger symbols carry larger prizes. If you get the 5×4 mega piggy bank symbol at the end of this round, you’ll win 500x your bet.

The next feature is the free spins round. This activates when three gold coin scatters are in view on reels 1, 3, and 5 awarding 8 free spins. During this round, the hammer symbol may land triggering the Piggy Bank Spins. This time, it can land on any reel, so multiple hammers can appear at the same time. When this happens, you’ll get win multipliers of up to x10 applied at the end of the Piggy Bank Spins.

The free spins feature makes it possible to form the 5×4 mega piggy bank symbol with a win multiplier of x10. If you’re lucky enough to get this combination, you’ll win the game’s maximum 5,000x the stake win potential. What’s even more amazing is that the free spins round can be retriggered. The scatters only need to land again on reels 1, 3, and 5, and you’ll get another chance at hitting the game’s largest win potential.

Number of Paylines: 50	RTP: 96.29%
Min Bet: 0.10	Max Bet: 100
Max Payout: 5,000x	Software Provider: Play’n GO

Raging Dragons

If you find it enjoyable to play Asian-themed slots, then you should try iSoftBet’s newest release this week. There’ll be no confusion about which part of Asia serves as inspiration for Raging Dragons. From the title to its audio-visual presentation, this slot will take you to the rich land of China.

The backdrop showcases surreal mountain peaks kissing the clouds in the sky. Sitting atop the mountains are Chinese pagoda-style buildings. The relaxing soundtrack coming from what sounds like a Chinese musical instrument further enhances the immersive gameplay.

Front and center is the 5×3 game area with golden frames, reminding you who’s the star of this game. You’ll also see five lions of different colors resting on top of the reels which also have roles to play. You won’t find any paylines on this slot, as iSoftBet used win ways of 243 instead. To score a win, you need at least three matching adjacent symbols from the leftmost reel onwards.

Pay symbols include the low-paying 9 to A royals and intricately-designed, Chinese-inspired premiums. Five of a kind of premiums pay from 60 to 200x your bet.

Raging Dragons Features

There are several features keeping gameplay enjoyable making Raging Dragons one of the new slots you should try this week. First, there’s the Wild Dragon feature which awards win multipliers of 1x, 2x, 3x, 4x, or 5x the stake. You’ll get these if the wild appears on reel 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5, respectively. The odd thing is that in the base game, wilds can land only on one reel. The game gives you a chance to choose which wild you want, though.

Next to keep you interested is the hongbao-inspired Lucky Envelope feature. This can activate in any spin and once active, awards a prize of 8x, 88x, 888x, or 8888x your stake.

One last feature to look forward to is the free spins. To trigger this, you need at least 3 green orb scatters in view. If 3, 4, or 5 scatters land in view, you’ll get a bonus of 2x, 5x, or 20x your bet. As for the free spins, you have 6 options to choose from:

10 free spins plus 10x, 15x, or 30x wild multiplier
13 free spins plus 8x, 10x, or 15x wild multiplier
15 free spins plus 5x, 8x, 10x wild multiplier
20 free spins plus 3x, 5x, or 8x wild multiplier
25 free spins plus 2x, 3x, or 5x wild multiplier
Mystery option – a random combination of wild multipliers and free spins.

During this round, wilds can land anywhere and they carry varied multiplier values with each spin. If 1 or 2 scatters land, they award 2 or 4 more free spins extending the feature. Three scatters landing retrigger the round and awards the bonus prize too.

Number of Paylines: 243	RTP: 5×3
Min Bet: 0.20	Max Bet: 20
Max Payout: 12,150x	Software Provider: iSoftBet

Rolling In Gold

If the first two slots we covered offered you vacation, it’s mining work that Blueprint Gaming has for you. There’s still some form of traveling you will do, down in the mine at least. Rolling In Gold’s 6-reel game area with 2,304 win ways sits at the heart of a well-lit mine. One of the first things that will catch your attention is its rows having a 3-3-4-4-4-4 setup.

Mining-related symbols make up the paytable with gems of blue, yellow, and red hues. There are also picks, hardhats, lanterns, a cart of gold, and a bag of gold. The donkey and the miner complete the symbols and also pay the highest at 5x to 10x your bet for a six-of-a-kind winning combination.

Rolling In Gold Features

The dynamite wild is something to look out for in this slot. It not only replaces other symbols except for the scatter, but it can also trigger the Gold Spins feature. When a nugget appears on reel 3 and wilds land on reels 1 and 2, the Gold Spins activates.

The round starts with 3 spins and the base game’s triggering nuggets. You’ll play the round at a 4×4 grid. Its 16 tiles spin individually and display diamonds, nuggets, or empty spaces when it comes to a halt. Nuggets reset the spins back to 3 while 3 diamond symbols landing triggers the Diamond Spins feature. In the Diamond Spins, you’ll get a chance to win multipliers of x2, x3, x4, x5, or x10 of the diamond symbol’s value. If you’re not lucky to trigger the diamond spins and you run out of spins, the gold spin feature ends.

Number of Paylines: 2,304	RTP: 96.03%
Min Bet: 0.10	Max Bet: 10
Max Payout: £250,000 Cap	Software Provider: Blueprint Gaming

Conclusion

This year, software developers rise to the challenge of the times. Through hell or high waters, they presented some enjoyable new slots for slot enthusiasts each and every week. With some of the best new slots we feature weekly, we hope that you found one that interests you.

If you’ve had your pick and you’re ready to play, then head on over to our casino top list page. We’re confident you’ll find some of the most reliable online casinos to play with real money from our list. So, you can enjoy what’s left of 2020 playing your favorite slot game in a trustworthy casino.