Sporting tournaments have been placed on hold all over the world. The Olympics, the Euros, domestic soccer leagues, and more—everything has been postponed as we battle the threats posed by the COVID-19 epidemic.
But while many sports bettors sit and twiddle their thumbs, desperately seeking some entertainment now that their favourite leagues have been postponed, the iGaming sector’s biggest developers, Microgaming and Playtech, are working on a host of new games.
Efforts have increased significantly at Microgaming and Playtech as they seek to provide eager punters with a bunch of new real money slot machines to keep them happy in these difficult and uncertain times.
New Games by Microgaming
One of the first releases by Microgaming was 9 Pots of Gold, which hit the market in time for St Patrick’s Day. It was one of the most subdued St. Patrick’s Days in living memory, with many revellers choosing to stay at home and avoid the pubs, clubs, and general revelry. 9 Pots of Gold helped to inject some excitement into this otherwise slow-paced day.
9 Pots of Gold was developed by the same team behind Break da Bank Again and 9 Masks of Fire, and it offers much of the same great features, with a Leprechaun theme.
Treasure Skyland will also be launched under the Microgaming banner in March 2020. Developed by Just For The Win in combination with Microgaming, Treasure Skyland takes players to a magical land in the skies, with great visuals and features.
It’s not just slots that Microgaming is releasing during this difficult time. It has also been working hard on some top table games, including a Classic Blackjack title that takes things back to the basics and will be the 7th game launched by Microgaming in combination with Switch Studios.
New Games by Playtech
Playtech is arguably the biggest iGaming developer in the world. It has created some of the best slots for real money around, including the Age of the Gods series and the recent Kingdoms Rise series, both of which have huge progressive jackpot systems.
Playtech is also incredibly prolific and has been hot on Microgaming’s heels, releasing a plethora of new titles to keep players all over the world happy.
One of the most promising titles to be released by Playtech during this period is Book of Kings, which is set in Ancient Egypt and adopts a theme and a style that has been used on mega-popular titles like Book of Dead and Book of Ra. Book of Kings will be rolled out at the beginning of April, so keep an eye out for that one.
Other games include the mobile-friendly, 25-payline slot Wild West Wilds, which borrows from another popular slot theme, taking place in the old west. March will also see the release of yet another title in the Kingdoms Rise series: Scorching Clouds.
If you haven’t played this series yet, now is the chance to get involved. Kingdoms’ Rise does something that few other slots have done, connecting multiple games with the same world, the same jackpots, and many of the same features. You can unlock points in one game and use them to trigger bonus features in another!
The Age of the Gods series will also see a new release in the form of Age of the Gods: Glorious Griffin, as well as Age of the Gods: Norse King of Asgard. This series has focused primarily on the Greek Gods of Olympus in the past, but now it’s venturing into Nordic myths and fans are eager to see how things will turn out.
Bottom Line: A Big Spring for iGaming
Microgaming and Playtech aren’t the only developers increasing their rosters at this difficult time. All the biggest developers are working around the clock to create new titles and to ensure that online casinos the world over have a steady supply.
Early reports suggest that online gaming activity has increased substantially in the last month or so. Not only are online casinos attracting more sports bettors, people who usually bet elsewhere but can’t now that sports have been postponed, they are also attracting more non-gamblers, people who are using the extra time they have to try online casinos for the first time.
To cater for this sudden increase, and to ensure casinos are well stocked for the months to come, developers are going all out.
Here are just a few of the many real money slots that have been released in the past couple of weeks or will be released in the next week or so:
- Alchemy Blast
- Irish Love
- Wild Krakatoa
- Twice the Diamonds
- Gladiator Arena
- Kanga Cash Extra
- Hot Cross Bunnies Pull Table
So, watch this space, stick with your favourite online casinos and sign up for a few new ones, because things are about to get a lot more interesting in this sector.