You may have come across gaming sites filled with slots if you spend any meaningful amount of time online. Otherwise known as online casino slots, these games are digital versions of the one-armed bandits that you’ll be familiar with from bars, clubs, and casinos across North America. We say you might have come across them because they’re conspicuous by their quantity alone. Before we get into that, let’s add some further context. Online casino gaming is worth billions.
Playing the Music Game
From humble beginnings in the late 90s, the industry has grown into a safe, regulated behemoth over the last 20+ years. In fact, today, a 2022 report from Grand View Research put the industry’s global value at $63.5 billion. Closer to home, states such as New Jersey now generate millions of dollars in tax revenue every month from locally licensed online casino operators.
So, when we say you may have come across slots when you’ve been online, it’s because they’re part of an industry that’s ubiquitous in the digital realm. Then, when you combine this with the fact that all leading online casinos offer hundreds of slots, it’s almost hard not to notice them.
Indeed, if you visit the online casino at Paddy Power, you’ll be able to try 300+ slots, including musically-themed spinners. That’s right, alongside the daily Wonder Wheel bonus and popular games such as Big Bass Splash, you’ll find slots that are all about the music.
OK, so all slots have tunes playing as you spin, but these games are different. They’re usually licensed products, which means they play actual songs from actual artists. The first one to entertain audiences was Guns N’ Roses by NetEnt. The same company has also created slots based on Jimi Hendrix and Motorhead.
These games inspired a new subgenre and, today, there are dozens of online slots blasting out some of the best songs ever recorded. That got us thinking, what songs or artists could be used to add a new layer of depth to a slot game?
Tempo, Timing, and Turning Slots into Musical Masterpieces
The simple answer is that any song could be made to fit. Slots have a wide array of themes, so songs from any genre would work. However, we think something with a strong beat and, perhaps, a quick tempo would be best. Online gaming is meant to be uplifting and engaging.
It’s also designed to have a sense of energy. Therefore, you need songs that pack a punch. We can turn to the expertise of the Marathon Handbook for some guidance here.
Their guide combines recommended heart rates and cadences at different stages of a run with specific songs. For high intensity runs where the heart rate should be between 140 and 160 beats per minute, Mr Brightside by the Killers and Macklemore’s Can’t Hold Us are suggested options. For times when the heart rate needs to creep above 160, Renegades by X Ambassadors is a great tune. Other high-intensity hits that could get the reels spinning are Ready to Fly by Sub Focus (see video above) or, if you want to get aggressive, The Artist in the Ambulance by Thrice.
We all know that music makes the world go round. Well, ever since online casino gaming became mainstream, music has been used to make slot reels go round. That’s created new opportunities for established artists to get their music heard by a completely new audience. The connection between slots and music has also created new opportunities for aspiring artists. We’re living in a time when record deals are no longer necessary and, if you’re able to create a catchy tune, you might just be able to break through in the gaming industry.
