Online casinos are one of the fastest growing sectors in entertainment, with year on year growth for the industry. Thanks to things like lockdowns and the rise of new technology, the recent growth has been pretty significant. This growth is mainly down to the popularity of the games that are played.
But what could be the most popular casino games enjoyed in both land based casinos and online casino sites for 2022? To find out, Let’s take a look at what people enjoyed playing the most in 2021, according to Statista:
- Online Slots and slot machines
Slots are the most popular casino game in both land based and online casinos. Statista shows us that in the US, a whopping 48% of people who visit a casino play on the slots. That’s almost half of every single person who steps foot into a casino or clicks onto one!
This is probably down to the fact that there are so many different slot machines out there, players are bound to find one that they enjoy. The sheer range of themes and different types of games you can play accommodate a wide range of players. From ancient Aztec themes where you play as a Spanish conquistador to spinning the reels amongst the stars, you really have got it all.
You also have the advances in technology that are helping expand online slots into new directions – including things like virtual reality, augmented reality and the metaverse. With these developments, we can only see slots becoming even more popular.
- Sports betting
Surprisingly, sports betting came second in the casino games that are being played. Whilst not strictly a ‘casino game’, many online casinos have a sports betting function built into them. You can also find sports betting vendors in many casinos in America.
Sports betting itself is a billion dollar industry in it’s own right, but if you include the illegal and unauthorised sports bets that are placed in places like Asia, then this adds even more money. According to the European gaming and Betting Association, the market will be worth $140.28 billion within 6 years!
It’s incredibly easy to see why this is the second most popular option that is enjoyed by gamblers in casinos and online casinos – There are absolutely tonnes of different bets that can be placed – from quick bets on local teams to intricate parlays that have been meticulously researched. See list at Betastic.com
- Poker
The online version of poker has been on the rise since it was first introduced to people in the early 2000’s.
The main driver behind the popularity of poker is the amount of people who play in card rooms – online poker had a sharp fall off in people playing it due to America changing laws about online gambling.
Whilst you have plenty of backrooms and poker rooms available all over the world, the biggest attraction when it comes to poker are the World Poker Tour and World Series of Poker tournaments. These prestigious tournaments regularly see winners walking away with millions. They are also televised, which has helped draw more people into the exciting world of poker.
- Lotteries
Lotteries are one of the most accessible ways to gamble in many different countries. This makes it the most popular way for people to gamble in countries where traditional casino games aren’t allowed – the EGBA has predicted that the online lotteries market share of online gambling is growing at a steady 2% a year.
In the UK, the national lottery is the biggest lottery and donates a big share of its ticket sales to charities and has spawned the release of many smaller charities doing a lottery style draw.
Lotteries are so popular due to the fact that players can win a life changing amount of money for a relatively small amount of outlay. The Euromillions regularly see’s a prize pool of over £100,000,000 – which can be won from a single £2.50 ticket.
- Bingo
With an estimated 100 million players in the world, online bingo has slowly creeped up the list to become the fifth most played casino game. According to Statista, around 70-80% of the player base is made up of 30-50 year old females. The bingo niche on its own equates to around 3% of the online gambling industry in the UK, which goes to show just how popular it is in some parts of the world.
Known for the social aspect, Bingo is enjoyed in plenty of bingo halls all over the world. In recent years, you’ve got the addition of niche versions of the game which add different elements – such as dirty bingo – which create a fun event around the traditional game of bingo.