aaamusic | On 06, Sep 2018

Betting is bigger than ever in the UK. The British people have always loved to gamble, whether that be on sports such as football, boxing or racing (cars, horses, dogs, bikes… anything really), or in cards games such as the ridiculously popular poker, and, of course, in casinos. More of a modern type of betting, which is becoming increasingly popular, is betting on nominees for awards, whether that be who will win Best Director at the Academy Awards (aka The Oscars) or who is going to pick up this year’s Mercury Music Prize.

In is this latter kind of betting that is perhaps the most interesting to those designing and testing a new online gambling site, or those looking to open a new UK casino. There was a time when a standard, old school style slots machine might suffice in a casino, or when background jazz music might be enough to please the customers, but it’s important for those running real and online casinos to keep up with the times; to keep up with what their customers are into and might want. “Pop culture” is filtering into casino and betting machine designs more and more. Just take the musician related or endorsed slot machines, such as those featuring Motörhead or AC/DC, or simply the fact that more and more contemporary pop and rock stars are taking up high profile residences in Las Vegas. Not to mention the sport star endorsed betting tie-ins, such as with footballer Neymar (who collaborated with PokerStars) and boxer Mike Tyson (who collaborated with Inspired Gaming).

To be honest, there has always been strong links between the world of entertainment and the world of betting (think Frank Sinatra and Vegas), but today UK betters want an even closer relatability to their casinos and online gambling sites; they want to recognise the brands, the designs of the machines and the music playing in the background. The casino industry better take note!