Humans have taken part in some form of gambling for thousands of years. Playing dice has been found in Egyptian tombs and we know for a fact that a version of keno was played in China to help fund the building of the Great Wall. The Romans bet on animal fights and games with different playing cards were invented all over the world. Today, we have modern casinos with lots of slot machines and game tables and we can play a myriad of games in online casinos from scratch cards to baccarat.
But which games are the most popular ones and why? We are looking into this topic with the help of a Canadian iGaming expert, Kevin N. Cochran.
Sports betting
Sports betting has some of the longest histories and it started with betting on animal fights. Today, animal fights are, of course, illegal in Canada and much of the developed world and we have lots of alternatives to bet on. Sports betting is particularly popular in the United States and Canada where watching national sports like football, basketball, baseball, and ice hockey are so popular. According to surveys, more than half of American adults approve of sports betting.
Many online casinos that accept players from Canada and offer typical casino games, also have a sportsbook page. So players can place their bets on NFL or NBA and between games play online slots Canada free as free spins are often granted when you sign up and deposit money on a casino site.
Slot machines
Slots are by far the most popular casino games out there. They generate around 70-80% of the revenue of online casinos as people wager the most money on these games. The case is very much the same in land-based casinos. Walk into a casino anywhere in the world from Las Vegas to Montreal and you will see so many more people sitting in front of slot machines than at blackjack, roulette, or poker tables.
The simple reason behind this is that slots are easy to play and players can’t make any mistakes while playing them. Also, many are intimidated in land-based casinos and simply don’t dare to sit down to play blackjack with other players.
Another reason why slots are so popular is their high possible payouts. While you will never become a millionaire playing blackjack, you at least have a chance while playing slots. Slot games such as Mega Moolah have paid out sums over $10 million several times in the past decade.
Blackjack
Blackjack is a game that requires some skill but it is relatively easy to learn the game’s basic strategy. Once you master that, the game will offer you a very low house edge (often lower than 1%). This means that you have an almost 50% chance to win. Whether you are gambling online or in a brick and mortar casino, blackjack will certainly be available as this is the most popular table game in Canada.
Poker
The popularity of poker skyrocketed in the early 2000s when it started to be televised. Lots of online poker schools opened simultaneously with online poker rooms where players could measure up with each other from all over the world. In a casino online, you can play poker against other people in a live dealer game or regular online poker, or simply practice your hands with video poker – a game that also offers a very low house edge.
Roulette
Roulette is liked all over the world and generally, everybody understands how this game is played, partly because it has been featured in so many movies. This game of chance is popular in North America, Europe, Australia, and Asia as people don’t tend to shy away from this simple game.
Gambling revenues are growing every year as more and more people choose to play casino games as their way to relax. The global outlook and forecast on casino gaming also look promising for casino operators. New games come out every day and some of them are of a totally new category.
Conclusion
Looking at gambling statistics, we can determine that sports betting is the most popular gambling game followed by video slots, blackjack, poker, and roulette. This may change in the future as new games are being invented.
