iGaming is currently one of the fastest-growing industries. A recent report by EGBA (European Gaming & Betting Association) suggested that online casino spending is growing at an exponential rate – with the European online gambling market now said to be expanding around 10% year-on-year. With this in mind, it is perhaps no surprise to see iGaming companies looking at new ways to attract players to their sites, and in turn, finding traditional hobbies as a source of inspiration. How is this influencing iGaming products, however? And are these tie-ins likely to become something that we will be seeing an increased amount of in the coming years?
Cooking
Food is a huge part of many people’s lives, be it eating or cooking, and iGaming companies have reacted to this by beginning to produce an increased number of cooking-themed products. The Souffle Surprise bingo scratch card online at Betfair features many cooking motifs, with the pastries and desserts on display in the game having a strong link to the popular TV cookery show The Great British Bake Off. This also ties in television with the game, making it one of the most popular scratch cards on Betfair’s Bingo site.
Sport
Sport is one sector that will forever have close ties with gambling, and having a range of sport-themed iGaming products, including mobile apps, is often seen as key to making a great interactive platform. Whilst popular sports such as football feature heavily in many of these online products, alternative sports are being looked at as a way of enticing new players. Fishin’ Frenzy is one of the more popular online slots to enter the market in recent years and has become almost an instant hit. As the title suggests, Fishin’ Frenzy has a heavy fishing theme – and its success is likely to result in more future sports tie-ins, with other less mainstream sports likely to be seen by casino companies as an avenue to explore.
Music
Music – and more specifically musicals – have been seen incorporated into products in recent months and years. Grease has long been regarded as one of the all-time most popular musical films produced, and it has recently inspired a Grease-themed casino game. The aforementioned Grease game features many of the show’s characters and motifs. This musical film inspiration is not alone; however, with Spinal Tap another popular movie that has been adapted to work on an iGaming format.
Cooking, Sport, and Music are just three popular hobbies that have helped to inspire iGaming products in recent years. The Souffle Surprise, Fishin’ Frenzy, Grease and Spinal Tap games have all proven hugely popular since their releases, showing that this hobby tie-in is possibly a fruitful avenue for developers to continue to explore. As such, it can be expected that future casino games using Cooking, Sport, or Music as a starting point will use their already successful counterparts as a template. Moving forward, expect the current trend of hobby tie-ins in casino products to continue into the future.
