Understanding BTC Slot Gaming Trends In 2021

02/12/2021 | Categories: Gambling Guides | Published by: Joe | Last updated: 05/01/2024

Your Guide to Understanding BTC Slot Trends in 2021

For those of you who are new to betting on Bitcoin slots, there may be many things that you aren’t aware of. One of these could very well be trends. Just like with anything else, Bitcoin slot trends are those changes or features in games that are immensely popular of late. Slot features that are trending and attracting a crowd will often see software providers rush to imitate and incorporate those goodies into their own slots over the coming months. It can, therefore, be ideal to pay attention to the latest trends. Here then, is your guide to understanding the top BTC slot trends of this year.

Meet the Book Slot

One of the most noticeable trends of the last year is the book slot. This might seem confusing to you but think of Novomatic’s Book of Ra or Play ‘n Go’s Rich Wilde and the Book of Dead, and you’ll know what sort of title we mean. These games feature scatter wilds and often have just ten lines, and non-progressive jackpots worth 5,000x a bet. They are usually highly volatile and have a single bonus, consisting of free spins that feature an expanding icon. These games are hugely popular right now, so we’d expect them to continue for some time yet.

MegaWays Continue to Hold on Strong

The MegaWays trend isn’t one that emerged in 2021. Slots with these engines have been around for quite a few years now, ever since Big Time Gaming unveiled their Bonanza slot. However, the number of software providers who have leased the engine from BTG and continue to produce MegaWays slots continues to grow, cementing its status as one of the top trends of late. This is another trend that shows no signs of abating.

Upping the Volatility

If you’re not aware, volatility is a mechanic that determines how frequently (and how much) a game will pay. Low variance slots pay out relatively little but do so like clockwork. Highly volatile games pay massive prizes, albeit far less regularly. There is a trend right now for highly volatile games. Over the last year, we’ve seen the volatility level keep rising higher and higher, while the wager costs have dropped, and the RTP rates are on their way up, too.

Cheaters, Cheaters – Sort of…

If there is one thing that 2021 will be renowned for when we look back at the annals of online slots, it will be the use of buy-a-bonus modes. Yes, we know that the ability to purchase bonus rounds from the off has been around for a few years now. Throughout that entire time, you’ve been required to spend an arm and a leg to activate free spin bonuses prematurely. However, 2021 saw the rise of a different type of buy-a-bonus mode. Now, you can buy a mode that “doubles” or “improves” your chances of triggering the bonus without buying it outright. What’s the point in that? Well, it costs far less, often just 25% or less of your total bet. This means you won’t be cheating per se but also ensures that you can improve your odds of success at a far lower cost.

Quicker Paying Progressives

This year has seen a change in how frequently progressive jackpot prizes are paid out. In previous years, you’d often have to wait months for, say, the Mega Moolah jackpot to pay out. Now, it does so seemingly every other week. The reason for this isn’t just down to a tweaking of the algorithms and RNGs. It is also down to a flurry of new games. You can now play almost a dozen Mega Moolah slots, and the more games there are on a jackpot network, the more chances there will be to win – thus decreasing the time between jackpot wins. The same is true of Playtech, Yggdrasil, and NetEnt’s jackpot networks.

Drops and Wins, Tournaments and Competitions

Slot tournaments have always been popular, but the Drops & Wins tournaments have really come to the forefront this year. The prizes are, on average, worth more than 2020, with some crypto casinos, now offering the equivalent of €4,000,000 in annual prizes, with daily and weekly drops available, too. The array of games that feature in Drops and Wins tournaments has also been increased. Lastly, while it may not be slot-related, it is worth pointing out that the Drops and Wins tournament mechanic has now been applied to live dealer games. This means that crypto-betting fans can now play all manner of tournaments in 2021.

Not So Fast…

Not every trend in 2021 is exciting or beneficial to every player. For instance, this year saw the UK start a trend where buy-a-bonus modes are to be excluded from slots. At the same time, the UK Gambling Commission also puts limits on how much you can spend on slots (per spin) and how fast the reels can spin. Being able to speed up the spinning of the reels (by stopping them), thus allowing you to gamble more in a short space of time, has been stopped. Other licensing jurisdictions are now looking at making these changes, too, which is a trend that has divided the crowd.

What’s Around the Corner?

By learning about all the above trends in 2021, you should have a better understanding of how slots currently work. Many of these Bitcoin slot trends will likely continue into the next year, or at least the early part of it. However, while it is impossible to say with any certainty, we may be looking at a few new trends around the corner, too. Gamification (more immersive slot experience), VR slot gameplay, and an increase in the availability of crypto-friendly slot games are all trends that have been mooted and that we’ll be keeping a close eye on in the New Year.