Are Slots Solely Luck-Based?

You’re familiar with your average slot machine. Enter any casino floor and you’ll see rows of slots scattered all across the floor. Often, there are so many slot machines placed that the casino floor becomes a maze and players struggle to find the table games or the exit. These slots attract you with their plethora of jingling noises and flashing lights. Some are theme-based, while others are video slots, and yet others are rooted in a fun adventure. But your innocent slot machines are about to get a drastic makeover through skill-based slots.

Skill-based Video Slots Enter the Casino Floor

Blackjack is the most popular card game in the world. Though it’s enjoyable on its own, the biggest reason it’s so popular maybe because it requires as much skill as it requires luck. But can slot games become even more popular with the inclusion of skill? Casinos certainly seem to think so. That’s why the news has surfaced that casinos are adding skill-based slots to their floors in addition to classic slots and video slots.

Skill-based slots have an additional aspect of skill added on top of the usual lucky outcome. In a normal slot game, you’ll choose your stake value, instruct the machine to spin, and hope for some good luck. Online slot games have imitated the same mechanic, though they have some additional features like impressive graphics, bonus rounds, and many animations. Even adventures slots and video slots are somewhat similar.

But a skill-based slot game introduces new elements into the game. You may see this concept realised in various forms. Some games let you use your skill to shake a virtual pole to win money, while others reward you based on how well you hit the buttons in a sequence that light up to a dance track. Some developers give the player control over certain elements of an otherwise RNG-based game like a wrecking ball that destroys buildings to win rewards.

The most common way, however, you’ll get to apply your skill in a slot game is by moving around symbols to form winning combinations instead of relying purely on chance. It is heavily derived from the many popular match-three puzzle games available on mobile these days.

Why are Skill-Based Games Becoming Popular?

In Europe, one of the world’s biggest gambling destinations, slot machines usually account for two-thirds of the house’s takings. However, many surveys have found that the typical player age for slots has gone above 50 while for the overall casino-goers, it is 36. This indicates that younger generations are not attracted to slot games. Even specialities like video slots and adventure slots aren’t pulling their weight.

Millennials today prefer staying at home and playing skill-based games rather than going to casinos and handing out their fates to luck. Thus, casinos are looking at machines that resemble video games. However, they can’t replace slot machines and video slots with video games since casinos still need to stay in business by having a house edge over the player. So the best way to do it is by incorporating elements of skill into regular slot games and video slots.

The transition is not going to be easy by any means. Many government regulations prevent it on the ground of skill-based slot machines feeding the “illusion of control”. But only players will determine the direction slot machines will take in the coming times.