The UK has a long and prosperous relationship with casino games. It is one of the only countries in the world to have well-implemented iGaming regulatory body. 

This means that the UK is protecting the patrons of casinos are ensuring they enjoy a chunk of that in revenue. 

There are thousands to choose from when it comes to casino games there are thousands to choose from, but the UK casino fans know what they prefer to play. 

Several games come out top when it comes to popularity in the UK:

• Slots

• Football betting

• Bingo

Of course, the nations favourite sporting game garners a lot of bets. After all, what could be more exciting than betting on your favourite team and getting a win? Not much! 

Let’s take a look at why slots take the top spot and a bit more about the UK gambling scene. 

The UK online casino market 

Approximately 44% of the population of the UK regularly take part in online gaming, which is roughly 24 million UK residents who are enjoying casino games. 

In terms of GGY, the UK took a huge £5.7 billion in 2020 for online games, and online casinos contributed £3.2 billion. 

And if you are wondering which casino game pumped the most cash into that total: Slots! Slots put in 69% of the GGY, with blackjack picking up the slack with just 6%. 

In 2005 the Gambling Act was initiated in the UK, and it has allowed the UK iGaming market to expand at a rapid rate. While all the time ensure that players are well protected from would-be sharks. 

The stricter rules mean that online casino operators need to offer iGaming advice, signpost to support, and give players the ability to block their account, as spending limits and more. 

What makes slots so popular?

You can’t deny that sports iGaming, blackjack, poker and bingo all have a special place in the iGamers of the UK, but slots have the most significant lead – and not by a small amount. 

Learning is fast

If you don’t have the patience to learn poker or wait for the numbers to roll out for bingo, then slots are perfect. It doesn’t take long to learn how to play slots because the premise is simple. All you need to do is pull the lever (or click a button online) – and you’re playing! 

You’ll need to take a moment to understand the symbols and the paylines, but after that, the game is always the same. 

Free

Is there anything better than free? Sometimes, but not often. One of the most common bonuses and perks are free spins on slot machines. There are so many different websites and versions of slots – which is an advantage to the player. 

Companies get more competitive to entice new players and retain current ones, that they give an incredible amount of free spins away. 

Variety

Are you partial to a romance novel? What about a fan of cult classic horrors? There is a slot for everything you can think of. Slot developers got to have a lot of fun when it came to creating many of the modern slot themes. 

Unlike when you head to a real casino, you have to wait your turn on the machine you want to play. When you play online, you can play the game you wish to any time of day! 

They come with unique soundtracks or, for the musical legends one, licensed music that adds to the experience. 

Slots come with some variations too, aside from the theme, there are several types of slots:

• Multipayline slots

• 3-reel classics

• Multiplier

• Mobile slots

• Progressive slots

• 5-reel slots

• Mega spin slots

Big Bonuses

One of the most significant reasons online casinos are so popular in the UK is that companies offer substantial signup bonuses and regular promotions, and they cater to their long-term customers with loyalty offers. 

Another reason slots are so popular is because most often, the signup bonuses will come with a deposit match and some free spins. 

Free spins should be used, so of course, people go and check out the slots – before you know it, slots become their favourite game. 

A deposit match is one of the best ways for players to maximise their first deposit and try out as many games as possible. 

Convenient 

From the inception of the land-based casinos, we now can play on our smartphones! It’s incredible to think that we can play our favourite casino games whenever we like simply by taking our phones out of our pockets. 

All casino games are now convenient, but even here, slots are the winner. Poker and blackjack require the player to take part and be available during the game. 

If you leave halfway through a bingo game, you’ll need to come back to check (and really, as far as I know bingo isn’t that fun). 

But with slots? Slots take minutes to play and fit perfectly around almost all lifestyle problems. Long commutes offer the chance to play multiple games as you go. 

The game is very convenient and works perfectly for those who want to play a game that they can finish within a few minutes. 

The future of the UK casino market looks to be interesting too, with VR, AR, facial recognition and maybe the use of cryptocurrency. We may even see some experimentation with skill-based slots!