Every week, brand new slots are released to all of the leading online casinos. The likes of Games Global, Pragmatic Play, Evolution, Playtech, and all of their many partnered studios continue to pump out slots in the hopes that one might just be the next big thing: the next Starburst or Book of Dead.
It’s this constant flow of new and intriguing slots that tap into trending themes and features that help slots be so popular.
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Just how popular are slots in the UK
In the UK, online casino gaming generates some £4 billion in gross gambling yield each year, and a hefty £3.2 billion of that comes via slot games.
In 2024, the headline games from two of the most popular slot game series have dominated the massive sector, commanding an army of fans who continue to pick them over the many new and intriguing games that arrive.
So, what is it about these games that have made them such hits?
Reel Kingdom’s fishing sensations
In 2020, Reel Kingdom became one of the hottest names in the iGaming industry. With Big Bass Bonanza, they launched what would end up being one of the biggest and most popular slot series going.
Now, those exact slots dominate the popular games lists, with even a cursory scroll on a slots page reeling in several instalments to an ever-popular series of games.
👉 Typically, at the time of writing, you’ll spot Big Bass Vegas Double Down Deluxe, Big Bass Bonanza, Big Bass Splash, Big Bass Amazon Xtreme, Big Bass Floats My Boat, and a whole host of other fishing slots inspired by the success of the series.
Right now, a 2022 release stands as the most prominent in the series. Boasting enhanced win potential, the hit free spins feature, and high volatility, Big Bass Splash is the biggest fish in the pond right now.
Of all of the spinoffs from the original, Big Bass Splash clearly resonates with players the most. The experience is akin to the original game, only with monster trucks, a higher maximum win of 5,000x, and the classic free spins mode with random modifiers infused.
Even with this, many still like to play the original game, Big Bass Bonanza. While Fishin’ Frenzy was the first slot to make it big with the fishing mechanic in its features, Big Bass enhanced it.
In the feature that much of the game’s popularity is owed to, you get ten free spins. During these, the fisherman wild landing means that you can collect up all of the money values seen on the fish throughout the game.
Plus, winning in this way moves you along the bar to further multipliers and free spins. A good run can be incredibly potent in the feature, even in the original, which is graded as a medium-high volatility slot.
Fortune Factory Studios also crafting a sensational series
Sitting comfortably in the top three throughout the year – and even pipping the Big Bass games in some circles, Fortune Factory Studios’ Gold Blitz continues to draw in spinners from around the world.
Featuring fixed jackpots and high volatility gameplay, you can also land multiplier wilds of up to 5x, spot high-paying symbols stacked up throughout the base game, and can tap into 4,096 paylines.
👉 Funnily enough, the Gold Blitz games are quite similar to the Big Bass games in terms of key mechanics. Landing the lightning bolt symbol on any spin will collect up all of the cash values on the gold symbols. Then, with three bonus symbols, you can pick your own bonus.
One of them is the titular Gold Blitz feature, which gives you up to seven Super Spins where only the jackpot and cash symbols are on the reels.
Now, owing to the rampant success of the Gold Blitz slot and its many hit spinoff games, Games Global has entrusted its opening gambit of an exclusive licence to make UFC games to Fortune Factory Studios.
Naturally, the studio combined the likes of Amanda Nunes, Jon Jones, Zang Weili, Conor McGregor, and the UFC branding with its most popular creation to forge a slot with grandiose appeal to existing players and onlookers.
While none of them are new to the scene in 2024, Big Bass Splash, Big Bass Bonanza, and Gold Blitz have remained the dominant forces in the bustling online slots scene – and it’ll take some doing to unseat these kings of slots.
