What’s fuelling the popularity of motor-themed online casino games

Slot machines have always portrayed the image of being dynamic, exhilarating games that can get the pulse rate up.

Starting up a spin of the reels gives the same kind of anticipation as watching race car drivers battling to get off the grid at the turn of the green light, to see who gets to take the lead.

As a result, it is no surprise that the theme of motors slips into the world of online slot machines seamlessly because it embodies excitement, speed and a general high-octane and entertaining vibe. Below, we discuss why motor-themed slots have become so popular at online casinos.

Motor-themed slot line up

You can browse any new or established casino site and find a good range of motor-themed slots. As expected, they are typically faster-paced slots, tapping into the things that petrolheads like, such as fast acceleration, speed, high-energy and good looks.

There are some classic-style slots that are more sedate, and in tune with the relaxed Sunday-driving style of motoring rather than fast-paced race cars. These slower-paced slots strip away all the bells and whistles of modern video slots and offer a more relaxing gaming experience.

These add to the fantastic variety of this genre, which features something that will appeal to all car or racing enthusiasts. Many of the top casinos where you can find these slots are available on AskGamblers, an expert platform that dives into the heart of online casinos and their services, by reviewing areas such as bonuses, customer support and game selection.

Motoring along

Cars themselves appeal greatly because they are visually stimulating. By just glancing at a car depicted on a slot machine, people can tell what type it is. From that, they are likely to quickly ascertain what type of slot it is going to be. Catch a glance of a monster truck, for example, then it’s most likely going to be a loud, brash, high-energy type of slot.

Race car-themed slots tend towards being more dynamic titles at the more exciting end of the scale, because if a game featuring high-spec Formula One-style race cars operated on a slower, simpler format, it just wouldn’t work. A slower style slot would be more in the realm of a classic car theme, likely with fewer paylines, and little else going on in the way of bonuses aside from wilds to provide a calmer iGaming experience.

As cars are engaging and iconic, the motoring world lends itself well to slot themes, where high-end graphics can reproduce a luxury car or even go off script and dream up some futuristic sci-fi type of theme. Coupled with in-game sounds such as thundering engines and tires screeching on the asphalt, it’s comfortingly familiar for a lot of people.

The demographic is out there

Whether it is high-end luxury cars or those rough and rugged off-roaders, there’s a broad demographic that motor-related slots appeal to. Even for traditional gaming, racing simulators have always been extremely popular, so the bridge to online casino slots is a small one.

Vehicles can represent anything from freedom to luxury, all wrapped up in power and excitement. People head to online slots platforms especially to experience the anticipation and thrill of results. In a way, that mimics the world of high-speed racing too.

There are a variety of different sub-themes within motor-themed slots, from hot rods to street racing to monster trucks and rally cars all the way through to classic cars. Just about any type of car you can think of has been translated into an online slot theme.

Under the hood

A car-themed game is not necessarily going to be anything radically different from a slot crafted in any other theme. Most of the car-themed slot options are standard 5-reel, 3-row games and the variations will build from there in terms of the different number of paylines and types of bonus features. In general, bonuses on car slots include the usual features, such as wilds, multipliers, interactive bonus rounds, free spins and more modern mechanics such as cascading reels.

It’s all just down to the design and thematics of the title, and how well that is done which will determine a slot’s appeal. The influence of the graphics and the animations, from the design of the cars to game symbols such as steering wheels, championship helmets, tyres, trophies and racetracks, is huge.

Another major element of motor-themed slots is the animations, which add wonderful layers to a game. You may see a car go charging across the screen as a dynamic special effect for triggering a bonus, for example, or a bonus game could involve moving a car around a virtual racetrack. The extra dynamic elements will all help to enforce the theme.

The relationship between the type of car and game mechanics will be reflected by the slot. A game about luxury cars, for example, is going to have a far more polished, high-end aesthetic than one about rally cars. It also has the potential to carry bigger, more elusive jackpots and higher volatility.

Modifications

Strip away the theming of a casino slot and they are all very much the same under the hood, leaving the selling point of them being all down to the theme. This is the specific area where motors have a big advantage. F1, NASCAR, Le Mans, Formula E and the World Rally Championships, for example, all have massive global fan bases.

When you account for car enthusiasts as well and consider major car movie franchises such as The Fast and the Furious and the abundance of driving-based video games and TV shows out there, it is understandable why motor-themed slots have such a pull. Most gamblers will likely have some kind of affinity with a vehicle because they are so commonplace in everyday life, and that reaches all the way to fantasy, because who hasn’t dreamt of owning or at least driving a supercar?

The finish line

There is just as much risk playing a motor-themed slot as there is playing one about dinosaurs or leprechauns. Nothing changes in that regard, but car-themed slots are extremely successful and attractive to players because it is a recognisable, visually dynamic theme that fits well with the excitement of gambling.