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5 of the hottest online slot trends for 2020

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Casino games have been around for thousands of years with online games bringing up the rear since the launch of the first online casino.

While games of chance have always been around, online casino games (and online slots in particular) have taken winning to a whole new level.

Software providers are always finding new ways to enhance and evolve the games they create. This keeps the industry fresh and makes game creators keen to fight for the top spot on the next must-play list.

New features and exciting ways to win are trends that shouldn’t be ignored. Here are 5 of the hottest trends to look out for in 2020.

1. Megaways

All online slots are designed with a certain number of paylines or combinations of possibilities. The higher the number of possibilities, the better your chances of landing a big win.

Megaways slots, created by Big Time Gaming, take rewarding lucky spins to a whole new level.

Rather than simply providing a set number of reels that could create wins, Megaways casino games have a random reel modifier that changes with every spin. You could find yourself with more than 117,000 ways to win on a single bet and that means huge prizes!

The first Megaways slot was Dragon Born, a title released by Big Time Gaming in 2015.

2. Cluster Pays

Most online slots are set out in a familiar pattern of rows and reels. A grid formation that provides neat and tidy paylines, these standard games are the most common.

Cluster Pays are an exciting and fairly new way to experience wins on an online slot. This trend has been catching on like wildfire and now appears in many online slots by many different providers.

One of the most popular creations featuring this trend is Aloha! Cluster Pays by NetEnt. Symbols fill the game screen and form clusters of winning potential, rather than neat lines. When triggering a win, these clusters either cause the entire screen to roll again or they disappear and are replaced by symbols falling from above.

3. Megacluster

Once again, Big Time Gaming leads the way with a new game mechanic called Megacluster. After releasing this feature with the Star Clusters slot in June 2020, the winning potential of this game has been unmatched.

The premise of the feature is simple. When a symbol is part of a winning cluster of symbols, they will split into small clusters containing even more symbols, creating a massive wave of winning!

“We believe that Megaclusters is quite literally a game-changer in the online casino space and we’re delighted that it’s received a great reception from reviewers,” said Big Time Gaming CEO, Nick Robinson. “Expect to see this mechanic feature in more BTG games in the future.”

4. Tumbling Reels

Rather than a standard spin of the reels, Tumbling Reels fall from above. The feature with many names, you’ll also find this way of spinning being referred to as cascading reels and falling reels.

The mechanic of the feature is in the name. Symbols tumble from the top of the game screen to create winning combinations. As wins land, the symbols involved disappear and new symbols fall from above to replace the missing symbols.

More often than not, it is possible to trigger an almost continuous stream of wins on a single bet thanks to this generous feature when you play Tumbling Reels Slots

5. Special Bonus Prize Wins

While not a well-known feature, Special Bonus Prize Wins are a throwback to machines found on the casino floors of many Vegas establishments.

Pragmatic Play has adapted the original form of the feature to provide online players with a taste of the fun. As this way of winning becomes more and more popular, you may spot other software providers incorporating their own form of it into their games.

Essentially, this feature gives players the chance to spin for free and instantly win cash prizes. Often a minimum of 3 spins can be triggered. If a cash prize is won, the spins will reset to allow even more chances to win. This feature can also lead to progressive or multiple jackpots wins such as what can be found when playing Mustang Gold by Pragmatic Play.

Land the perfect spin and you could take home a Mini, Minor, Major or Grand jackpot win thanks to this very special feature!

Published: September 1, 2020

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Article by Stelly

CasinoWow Contributor

Hey there! I am Stelly, and happily, I'm part of CasinoWow's content team. It excites me to be able to write and share with all gambling enthusiasts unbiased reviews and news that contribute to the gambling community and industry. Thankfully, I also have the chance to help you make an informed choice for casino brands and games, as well as provide interesting guides and news.

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