The online casino landscape has been evolving rapidly, with slot games maintaining their dominance. According to data from SOFTSWISS’ Game Aggregator, slots held over 80 percent market share in 2023 and early 2024, despite shifts in the popularity of specific games.

Slot games consistently ranked as the most popular category in 2023, capturing 85.56 percent of the market in terms of Gross Gaming Revenue (GGR) and Total Bet Count. Although there was a slight dip to 83 percent at the beginning of 2024, slots’ popularity is expected to remain above 80 percent.

Throughout 2023, Pragmatic Play’s Gates of Olympus and Sweet Bonanza dominated the top 10 games. However, the landscape shifted in early 2024 when Push Gaming’s Retro Tapes ascended to the top, pushing the previous leaders to the second and third places.

Rise of live dealer games

While slots dominate, the leaderboard also features other game types, reflecting diverse player preferences. Live dealer games emerged as a highly popular category following slots.

Unlike slots, the live dealer game category attracts a different target audience. Players in this segment seek the atmosphere of a live casino and tend to place higher bets. For instance, the average Bet Sum in card games in 2023 was EUR 49.95, whereas in slots, it was only EUR 0.75.

Within this category, roulette and card games capture the spotlight, reflecting the enduring appeal and widespread popularity of classic casino offerings among players.

In Q1 2023, the live casino game Crazy Time held the third spot, slipping to the fourth by year-end. Yet, at the start of 2024, Prive Lounge Blackjack 5 outperformed it, securing a higher rank.

The Emergence of Crash Games

The crash game category, emerging as the next most popular genre after live casino games in terms of GGR, showcases its appeal, with Aviator by Spribe leading the charge. This game notably ascended into the top three rankings in the last quarter of 2023 despite starting the year from the sixth place. However, by early 2024, Aviator saw a slight decline in popularity, returning to the sixth position, illustrating the dynamic nature of player preferences within the crash game category.

Tatyana Kaminskaya, Head of SOFTSWISS Game Aggregator, comments: “Analysing just the first month of the year doesn’t provide the full picture, yet we do this to predict emerging trends. While slots continue to reign supreme in the gaming world, the diversity we see among the top-ranked games highlights the varied interests of our players. It emphasises the critical need to maintain a diverse portfolio that meets different layer preferences, ensuring a rich gaming experience. Adopting this strategy helps attract a wider audience and retain players by offering them various options, reducing the likelihood of them seeking alternatives.”

SOFTSWISS, an international iGaming company, supplies certified software solutions for managing gambling operations. The expert team, which counts over 2000 employees, is based in Malta, Poland, and Georgia. SOFTSWISS holds a number of gaming licences and provides one-stop-shop iGaming software solutions. The company has a vast product portfolio, including the Online Casino Platform, the Game Aggregator with thousands of casino games, the Affilka affiliate platform, the Sportsbook software and the Jackpot Aggregator.