The Most Popular Casino Games In The Last Two Decades
Photo by Leo_Visions on Unsplash
Since the first casino was built in 17th century Italy, gambling houses have proven popular places for people to gather, play their favorite games, and hope to walk away winners. Some games, like roulette and blackjack, are likely to have been played in the earliest establishments, while games like slot machines and, more recently, online crash games, have gained popularity as technology has advanced.
As in any form of entertainment, there are trends, and the list of most popular casino games continues to evolve.
Table of contents
Casino Evolution
The first casinos were opulent establishments. The first casino, Il Ridotto, only allowed the very privileged few to enter and play its games. Some casinos retained this level of exclusivity, inviting high rollers to partake in their array of games. Today, while some casinos still have dress codes and other regulations, many have open doors and let anybody play.
And, the advent of innovative casino platforms like TGCasino has further opened casinos up to the general public. They can be played on mobile devices, as well as on PCs and other devices. And, because they offer cryptocurrency deposits and withdrawals, they even offer gaming to unbanked citizens.
Slots
The most popular form of casino game, both online and offline, is the slot machine. Traditionally, these were mechanical devices with spinning reels of symbols. If players matched certain patterns of symbols, they won prizes. The basic premise of the game has remained the same, but modern slots use random number generators and video displays rather than mechanical wheels.
They can offer substantial jackpots, even totaling millions of dollars with some progressive jackpot games. They are accessible and easy to learn, and they hold huge winning potential, which has led to their popularity with players. Their speed of play, relatively small size, and availability make them popular with casinos.
Roulette
Roulette is one of the oldest casino games, and when many people think of casinos, the roulette table is one of the first images that springs to mind. The principle of the game is simple but players are presented with a wide variety of possible bets. This combination means players can choose to stick to simple bets, such as betting that the number will be red or black, or they can opt for slightly more complicated corner bets.
Online, roulette is enjoying a new burst of popularity thanks to live dealer games, which enable players to play against real dealers. Offline, digital roulette games are becoming more popular because they are faster, take up less space, and arguably offer greater convenience.
Blackjack
Blackjack is another traditional casino game that continues to appeal to players. It is a card game with very simple rules. The player and dealer start with hands of two cards and aim to get as close to 21 as possible without going over the score. There are rules that determine when the dealer hits and stands. The odds are short, which means players won’t win huge jackpots, but this also makes it a popular game with players who don’t like losing the majority of games they play.
Tight betting strategies can also be used to help minimize the player’s loss, which is another reason for the game’s popularity. Typically, multiple players sit around a blackjack table and try to beat the dealer, so it offers some social elements in retail casinos. Online, players can often choose to play multiple hands at once.
Craps
Craps was developed in the US, but based on a European game called Hazard. The early dice game’s rules were simplified to make the game more popular on casino floors. The game is popular in casinos because the player is directly involved in the outcome of the game. The shooter rolls the dice and all players can bet on the outcome of the roll.
Craps tends to draw crowds because it is one of the livelier and even noisier, games in a casino. Although craps doesn’t tend to be as popular at online casinos, it is still a classic casino game that is found at all good online casinos, and some variants can increase its enjoyment and popularity.
Poker
Poker itself dates back to the early 19th Century, having been mentioned in J Hildreth’s Dragoon Campaigns to the Rocky Mountains. It was popularized in New Orleans. The game has evolved. Initially, it was played with a deck of 20 cards, for example, but is now played with a full standard deck of 52 standard cards or, more often, multiple decks of cards. The game’s popularity increased in the second half of the 20th Century, and again in the early 21st Century.
Its most recent popularity increase came as a result of the launch of online poker tournaments that pit real players from around the world against one another. Although its popularity has dropped a little in the last few years, it still remains a major draw online and in card rooms around the world.
Video Poker
Video poker is, effectively, a combination of poker and slot machines. In this game, players are dealt a hand of five cards and are allowed to hold or swap any number of those cards to try and build the best hand. Some games will pay out for a minimum of a pair, while some only pay out for pairs of jacks or better. Big jackpots are paid for royal flushes, and some video poker games have cumulative, progressive jackpots.
Games are quick, and while they utilize the same hand-building mechanics as used in real poker, players don’t need to know any poker strategy to be able to play.
Crash Games
Crash games are a relatively new innovation but can be found at a lot of online casino sites. Crash games are push-your-luck or try-your-luck games. Players choose the amount they are willing to wager and the game progresses. As the game continues, a multiplier continues to increase. The player can cash out at any time, taking their wager multiplied by the multiplier. But, if the game crashes at any point, that wager and any winnings are lost.
Players can see how many people started the game and how many are left, which adds a degree of competitiveness and some social elements to the game. When coupled with the game’s relative ease, makes it very popular.
Conclusion
Although casinos vary, the games they offer are usually very similar, at least in terms of the types of games. Expect rows of slot machines next to roulette wheels and blackjack tables. Online casinos offer greater variety because they aren’t restricted by the physical space restrictions of physical casinos. And, with the advent of in-app casino bots and the acceptance of cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin (BTC), Tether (USDT), and Cardano (ADA), players have even greater choice and improved features when they play in today’s casinos.
Since you’re here …
… we have a small favour to ask. More people are reading Side-Line Magazine than ever but advertising revenues across the media are falling fast. Unlike many news organisations, we haven’t put up a paywall – we want to keep our journalism as open as we can - and we refuse to add annoying advertising. So you can see why we need to ask for your help.
Side-Line’s independent journalism takes a lot of time, money and hard work to produce. But we do it because we want to push the artists we like and who are equally fighting to survive.
If everyone who reads our reporting, who likes it, helps fund it, our future would be much more secure. For as little as 5 US$, you can support Side-Line Magazine – and it only takes a minute. Thank you.
The donations are safely powered by Paypal.