It is almost impossible to travel anywhere in the world and not stumble across a variation of the slot machine. In the UK, they can be found in high street bookmakers and plenty of pubs and clubs up and down the land. And while a trip to the casino can be great fun, online slots have really dominated the market in recent years.
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With so much choice at your fingertips, how do you know where is best to play? Firstly you should only sign-up with a trusted and reputable bookmaker or online casino. Also, note that most online slot sites will offer new customer welcome bonuses. Among these, you will see the promise of free spins, cash matches and deposit bonuses – to name just a few.
But it is always wise to check the terms and conditions first. While the offers, on the face of it, may sound too good to be true, that is because often they are. In some instances, cash matches will bump up your account, but you may have to wager that amount many times over before you can withdraw any of it.
Slots Growth in New Zealand
None of that has halted the popularity and rise of online slot gaming. Growth around the world is seemingly unstoppable. New Zealand’s government released a report on the rise of the four major gambling areas. Spending rose by NZ$49 million in 2017/18 compared to the previous fiscal year, reaching NZ$2.38 billion. And that isn’t a huge surprise. Online pokies for NZ players are incredibly popular. Spending in that section saw a 2.9% growth and was responsible for NZ$870 of the overall gambling spend.
In the UK online gambling is the largest gambling sector in Britain. And in 2016, it surpassed the revenues generated by the National Lottery, Casino and high street betting outlets. It would seem that we Brits like to have a flutter on the slots from the comfort of our own homes. As a result, the online gambling sector generated £4.7bn in 2018, despite being the largest regulated online gambling market in the world.
Other Slot Markets
So how does that stack up against other countries around the world? In Sweden, recently overhauled legislation has meant three things. The market is easier to operate in from a business perspective. The regulation has improved the online slots experience for players. And the government has made a small fortune in tax. In fact, in 2017, it was the largest tax revenue contributor. The regulated market is worth more than SEK12.5 billion (approx £1.25bn) in terms of revenue generated by all licensed operators.
No matter where you live in the world, modern technology has enabled you to access online gaming portals twenty-four hours a day. But before you log on and start spinning, take a bit of time to do some real research. Pick a solid, well-known site to sign-up with. Never deposit or gamble more than you can comfortably afford to lose. Try as many games in demo mode as possible. This will still be fun, but you won’t risk any real money.
And after all of that. Have fun. But if the fun stops, then you should stop too!
