Top sports-themed casino games for UK players
5 mins readIt’s been a wild ride with the football this summer, with national teams striving towards the Cup and their dedicated fans cheering them on the whole way. With the tournament over and France enjoying the spoils, some casino fans might want to take a break from the football for a while. Luckily, the industry’s finest game providers are a creative bunch and have produced a number of titles that celebrate different sports and give players an exciting chance to enjoy sports in a different way.
Read on to learn about how you can enjoy sports-themed slots that are not related to football, in case you need a breather from all that.
Basketball Star – Microgaming
There’s not a goal post in sight in Basketball Star – it’s slam dunks all the way! Microgaming invites players to take a courtside seat and get close to the action on the reels, in a slot game based on one of the USA’s (and the world’s) most popular and lucrative sports. Fast-paced and action-packed, basketball makes for a great source of inspiration!
This slot has a fairly standard 5×3 reel structure, with big colourful symbols displaying baskets, players, fans, shoes and other images familiar to this sport’s spectators. Look out for the scatters and bonus symbols, which trigger the exciting features on offer.
Check out the Rolling Wheels feature, a cascade that keeps the reels in motion after a win, thus increasing the chance of hitting further winning combinations. In fact, the Rolling Wheel feature only stops once all of the potential winning combos have been hit.
Keep an eye on the three middle reels – this is where the stacked wilds will land if luck is on your side. The wilds will improve your chances of snagging a win. The scatter symbols are also on your side. Have those land during a base game spin to trigger the free spins fun!
PLAY AT MR GREEN
Hockey Hero – Push Gaming
Ice hockey is a wild sport in itself. Razor-sharp ice skates, massive players welding sticks and blisteringly fast gameplay mean this is one of the most exciting sports to watch (and to play) ever.
Push Gaming have brought that adrenaline to a video slot that is dynamic, beautifully animated and with plenty of the roguish charm of its protagonists, a trio of burly ice hockey players ready to take victory.
Featuring a 5×4 slot layout, there are plenty of exciting things to trigger in the base game. WIth 40 fixed payline, stacked symbols, free spins and re-spins to look forward to, there’s no shortage of ways to boost your winnings.
Re-spins are triggered when stacks of player and trophy symbols appear, which are then locked in place if you have the good fortune of having them land in the first reel and occupying it completely.
Three scatter symbols will trigger the free spins feature. The scatters appear as goal nets, among other symbols like pucks, helmet, skates and others. The free spins round include 5 free spins and a random multiplier value applied to any wins snagged.
In the free spins round, the scatter and player symbols cannot appear so when you spin, you go up against just one opponent in a shoot-out, with a chance for a big prize on the line.
This slot is one that will appeal equally to those who love sports and those who don’t. Push Gaming have turned out a real winner of a game with plenty of features and opportunities to boost winnings, an effort that has clearly paid off!
Luchadora – Thunderkick
There’s no sport quite as colourful as Mexican wrestling. And while its categorisation as a sport might be up for debate, there’s no denying that it is tonnes of fun to watch.
Thunderkick has applied its game development in creating this bright and exciting video slot, which celebrates the bold costumes and fearless demeanour of the masked protagonists.
Step into the wrestling ring, where there are 30 active paylines to aim for in this 5×4 video slot. El Pantero, El Serpiente, El Toro, and El Rayo are the wrestlers in question and while they may be standard symbols on their own, they will stick in corner positions and turn all matching wrestler symbols into wilds. That means big wins for the slot player!
If three or more wrestling belt symbols appear, the free spins bonus round will begin. During this feature, any corners claimed by a wrestler symbol will turn that symbol wild, remaining active until the free spins round ends. Hit all four corners – and turn all four wrestlers wild – to uncover who is behind the Misterioso Campeon mask symbol. It’s La Luchadora herself and her symbol will also be wild, boosting the odds of big wins even further.
The Lucha Smackdown will extend the fun in the bonus game. A wheel will appear and will randomly award the player a bet multiplier, additional spins or turning a character symbol wild.
Luchadora keeps players interested with its unpredictable nature and its potential to pay out big wins, even when you think the round is over.
Frankie Dettori Magic Seven – Playtech
Playtech has created a slot tribute to Frankie Dettori, the horse racing legend who made history in 1997 by riding all seven of the Ascot winners to victory. In this slot, players will find plenty of equestrian-themed symbols that celebrate this astonishing achievement.
A standard 5×3 slot structure, Magic Seven includes symbols showing trophies, horseshoes, winning posts and Mr Dettori himself. The latter acts as a wild, substituting for all others except the scatter and bonus symbols.
The Magic Seven Bonus is triggered when three or more bonus icons show up. The player is then transported to the racetrack, where they must select areas on the course to earn multipliers and coin wins.
Land three or more scatter symbols to unlock the Free Games Race, where your selected horse can earn you between 10 and 35 free spins if he’s particularly fast.
Horse racing is nothing without the thrill of the bet so Magic Seven gives players the chance to gamble any win they make on the reels. Choose between Collect or Gamble, the second option triggering a mini game where players can bet all or half their last win, in a double-or-nothing style game against a dealer. What a way to play!
Centre Court – Microgaming
With Wimbledon just having wrapped up, we couldn’t leave a tennis-themed slot off the list! Microgaming has provided their second contribution to said list, with a game that serves up the finest tennis action you can find without setting foot in a court.
Centre Court sets up with a 5×3 reel structure and 9 paylines. Wilds, Free Spins and a bonus gamble game add to the excitement. The trophy symbol acts as a wild, replacing all others except the scatter symbol.
If three or more Scatter symbols appear, there a generous 18 free spins are awarded. If only two appear, not to worry – a small coin win will be awarded to make things better.
During the free spins feature, a random multiplier will be applied to each spin. This can be a x2, x3, x4 or x5 multiplier. Additional free spins can be triggered during free spins rounds.
A double-or-nothing gamble option is also available. After a win, the player can choose to either collect their winnings or bet them on a mini game, which entails guessing which colour or suit of card will be displayed next.
Almost as exciting as the real thing Centre Court brings casino players a chance to experience the thrill of a court-side seat, without leaving their home!
