If you love playing slots, you must have heard of branded slots.
Branded slots form a special category of online slots that draw inspiration from popular movies, TV shows, games, and music.
Because there are thousands of video games in the slot community, picking a game might be a challenge for you. You get to explore broad categories that are thematically complete opposites, often stumbling upon new titles that you never played before. But you also get to meet games that instantly remind you of your favourite TV show or movie. If you ever wanted to explore the subject of branded slots, you have come to the right place.
Let’s see what the deal is with branded slots and why they are so popular. We also added our top 3 branded online slots that you must try below!
What’s in a Name
Understanding the concept behind branded games is not difficult at all. The definition is easy – they are regular slots with a particular theme taken from a popular movie or TV show. What is more, it doesn’t have to be only movies or shows. Nowadays, you can find dozens of video slots that are directly linked with popular video games, books, board games, and even music bands.
All games that belong in this category are products of collaborations between the developer and a famous brand. For a slot to be tagged as branded, the provider must sign an official deal to receive the license. After the companies sign a contract, the developer must pay a certain percentage of profits to the brand owner. The fees cover image rights, soundtrack, and the license for the usage of the brand.
You would not believe how often this happens. Creating slots by linking with popular brands is a lucrative business. Most prominent providers have a title or two that carries the stamp of approval from significant pop-culture brands. Today, the most famous providers known for their branded releases are Microgaming, Playtech, NetEnt, and IGT.
The first branded title was Microgaming’s Lara Croft: Tomb Raider slot game that appeared in 2004. The industry had to wait a couple of more years for the next breakthrough title in a similar fashion. The branded industry was not that much marketable at first. However, after 2015, the number of branded games quickly started to grow. Strong appeal and popularity led to an outburst of licensed games across the globe.
The Power of Brands
In online casino lobbies, it’s impossible to miss them because they offer recognizable graphics, themes, and soundtracks.
That is why they are quite popular in the slot community. The reason why punters enjoy them so much is that they connect the casino entertainment with popular culture. For example, everybody knows the TV show Game of Thrones, right? Well, Microgaming released an eponymous online slot. If Microgaming hadn’t signed a deal with HBO to acquire a license for the brand, casinos wouldn’t offer the game.
Each of these titles combines familiar topics with innovative features. The result? You get a game that connects something quite familiar to you in an inventive way. Furthermore, they boost loyalty. Players are more likely to play a title that brings back a story they already know instead of something unfamiliar.
Top Branded Slots
As we promised, we included a list of best-branded video slots that you must try out. If you are new to the category, these games will be perfect for a fresh start. Here are our top branded game picks.
- Vikings – NetEnt
- Who Wants to Be a Millionaire Megaways – Big Time Gaming
- Beavis and Butt-head – Blueprint Gaming
- Narcos – NetEnt
- Nitro Circus – Yggdrasil
- House of Doom – Play’n GO
- The Matrix – Playtech
- Gladiator – Playtech
- Ozzy Osbourne – NetEnt
- Wizard of Oz – WMS
- Batman Begins – Playtech
- Rick and Morty – Blueprint Gaming
Branded slot games from this list and many other notable titles can be played at some of the best online casinos we’ve highlighted for you right here.