Developers use all manner of themes when creating their online slots. Egyptian antiquity is a particular favourite, as are movie tie-ins and slots with a Far-Eastern flavour. Sport is another area which seems to inspire software houses. Although nowhere near as ubiquitous as the hordes of sub-Saharan slots that infest the market, there exist a fair number of sport-based games. Here are a few of the most popular.
Football Champions Cup – Netent
Football Champions Cup is one of the most well-known soccer-related slots. Developed by Netent and released in time for Euro 2016, it comprises 5 reels and 20 pay-lines. Visually, the game is still quite appealing and features a suitable array of football-related paraphernalia such as a football (go figure), trophies, boots, shirts and goalkeeper gloves. There are two bonus features: a penalty shootout pick-and-click side game and a free spins tournament that pays out cash prizes of up to 500 times your stake. So you'll obviously be delighted, then. Your Manchester United's, Your Chelsea's and your Liverpool's will be pleased too as will the Messi's of this world, not to mention…ok that's enough of the mind-numbing clichés for now.
Cricket Star – Microgaming
Ah Cricket. The elegant bat and ball game once played by gentlemen in white flannels over the course of five days. Although the longer format is still played, the public seem to prefer abbreviated versions of cricket these days. And who can blame them? Foul-mouthed sledging louts in multi-coloured pyjamas hitting sixes every other ball…pure box office. To capture the zeitgeist of the T20 and Big Bash era, Microgaming released Cricket Star a few years back. It's a standard 5 x 3 slot, featuring cartoon renderings of various non-specific players. However, there are 243 pay-lines and a rolling feels feature in which winning symbols are replaced with new ones, in effect awarding you with a free spin each time you win.
Basketball Star – Microgaming
Basketball Star is inspired by the netball variant that's been quite popular in the US for a few years now. Boasting an assortment of unofficial cartoon basketball players who are not related to the NBA whatsoever, this recently-release slot game consist of five reels and 243 ways to win. In other words, it's exactly like Cricket Star but with adjusted visuals. It seems Microgaming also took the trouble to change the names of the bonus side games too. You've therefore got the same rolling reels as well as the ‘Wild Shot' feature that converts up to two reels into a complete set of wilds, thus guaranteeing a win. So what are you waiting for? Put on your sneakers, hit the court and….oh forget it.
Frankie Dettori's Magic Seven – Playtech
This Playtech slot game is based on the legendary/excruciating champion jockey who rode horses really quickly around thirty years ago. Happily, you'll be able to relive his unimaginable feats by spinning pretend slot machine reels of which there appear five in this blockbuster slot. In fairness the game includes some impressive renderings of the diminutive Italian as well as iconography from this equestrian yawn-fest. Its standout feature is a free spins race that gets triggered when you collect three Magic Seven symbols. Should you pick the right horse, you can win up to 35 free spins as well as wilds and scatters. And if you manage to unlock the racetrack on reels one and five, you'll enter the Magic Seven Bonus round and can pick portions of the track to win instant cash prizes. You'd best saddle up and get playing then.
