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High Variance Slots That Sports Bettors Will Love
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Mark Wadie, founder of online casino comparison site theslotzbuzz.com, talks about why the latest high variance slots have an appeal for sports bettors.
The video slots market in the UK has seen a massive swing towards high variance games in recent months, driven in part by the popularity of Big Time Gaming’s Megaways format. But it’s not just traditional slots fans who are getting in on the action. With their edge of the seat gameplay and unpredictable, all or nothing payout models, high variance games now appeal to sports bettors, too.
Before Megaways the best high variance games all had something of a cult following. Titles like Microgaming’s Immortal Romance, WMS’ Raging Rhino and NetEnt’s Dead or Alive have always had a special place in the heart of every slots fanatic. The biggest casino forums are packed with threads about how to unlock a screen full of wilds on Dead or Alive, alongside dark conspiracy theories about why the maths model on such and such a game is rigged.
But Big Time Gaming’s slots, and the string of copy-cat games from rival producers that have come in their wake, have made high variance more of a mainstream concern.
The art of creating a good high variance slot has always been in creating a thrilling win sequence where several features dovetail on screen to drive cumulative win lines with high value symbols and often sky-high multipliers. Now games like Bonanza, White Rabbit and Extra Chili have hit that sweet spot in a bigger way than ever. These games usually make the player wait until the free spins round opens up where features like cascading wins tie in with progressive multipliers and re-triggers to create a burst of adrenaline-pumping big wins. The kind all big gamblers are waiting for.
The success of this format has driven these games to the top of the rankings for many online casinos and made other types of gambler sit up and take notice.
One group to whom these games will inevitably appeal is sports bettors.
By their nature, high variance slots are unpredictable but thrilling. They leave the player either crushed or elated. There can be long periods of lows, with no wins and a dwindling account balance, followed by a short, electric run of big wins. It’s take-no-prisoners stuff, and for some, it’s the kind of gambling experience that’s reminiscent of high risk, long odds betting on Accas or blindly backing your favourite team throughout the football season. We know that it rarely comes off, but like Leicester winning the title, or that ludicrous accumulator that actually paid out, the good times are really good!
There is currently a glut of these high variance games on the market. Not all are of such high quality, but here is a pick of three of the best from the last 12 months.
The Final Countdown by Big Time Gaming
The follow-up to the popular Danger! High Voltage uses an 80s stadium rock-anthem combined with a ‘cloning reels’ feature, ‘cloning wilds’ and massive multipliers to build tons of anticipation for gamblers looking to hit that elusive big win. The game has a maximum 888x multiplier in the ‘Heading for Venus’ round. Since its release, YouTube channels have been packed with videos showing just how big the payouts on The Final Countdown can get.
Genie Jackpots Megaways by Blueprint
Since Blueprint licensed the Megaways engine from Big Time Gaming a string of re-makes have been pushed out by their development team. Perhaps the best of the bunch is Genie Jackpots – a classic progressive slot getting the Megaways
treatment. Once again there are lots of free spins and multipliers, as well as the appearance of the genie himself to bring about big wins for players lucky enough to hit pay dirt.
Raging Rhino Megaways by WMS
For high variance slots fans, Raging Rhino is a stone-cold classic. It’s 4,096 ways to win game mechanic has been copied many times since, but never bettered. Here, the game is locked into the Megaways engine to give it a super-charged feel with even more free spins and those all-important multipliers, as well as rumoured top payouts well in excess of 10,000x the player’s stake per spin.
Source: Latest News on European Gaming Media Network
This is a Syndicated News piece. Photo credits or photo sources can be found on the source article: High Variance Slots That Sports Bettors Will Love

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Sofascore Player of the Season Award Show Premieres on CBS
This summer in Zadar, sporting legends and top broadcasters came together for the first-ever Sofascore Player of the Season Award Show, filmed during the Sunset Sports Festival. Now, the show has reached millions as it premiered on CBS, bringing together football stories and data-supported awards.
The show celebrated Europe’s top performers from the Premier League, LaLiga, Serie A, Bundesliga, Ligue 1, and many more leagues across the world, all chosen just through Sofascore’s objective performance ratings. No votes, no popularity contests. Mohamed Salah topped the Premier League with a 7.78 rating, Raphinha led LaLiga with 7.80, Mattia Zaccagni claimed Serie A’s best with 7.34, Joshua Kimmich was Bundesliga’s highest rated player with 7.91, and Achraf Hakimi shined in Ligue 1 with 7.76. Beyond this, the awards also celebrated the highest-rated player in the UEFA Champions League, the top leagues in women’s football, and many more standout performers from around the globe.
Hosted by Kate Scott and Peter Schmeichel, and directed by Emmy Award-winner Pete Radovich, the event featured exclusive insights from football greats and top analysts including Jamie Carragher, Micah Richards, and Alessandro Del Piero. Raphinha shared his pride as both LaLiga and Champions League’s top-rated player, while Luka Modrić made history by receiving Sofascore’s first-ever Founders’ Legend Award. In the audience, big names like Dimitar Berbatov, Stipe Miočić, and Šime Vrsaljko added extra prestige to the celebration.
The Player of the Season celebration extended beyond the TV broadcast, with massive billboards in London, Liverpool, Barcelona, Munich, Rome, Frankfurt, Lyon, Metz, and other European cities, showcasing Sofascore’s award winners. From Raphinha and Alexia Putellas in Barcelona to Mohamed Salah in Liverpool and Joshua Kimmich in Munich, fans across Europe could see the season’s best right in their own cities.
The Sofascore Player of the Season Award is built on objective data, not public votes. Every goal, pass, tackle or miss contributes to a rating that reflects what truly happened on the pitch. That’s why, for players and all football fans around the globe, Sofascore’s Player of the Season trophy is the only award that counts.
The post Sofascore Player of the Season Award Show Premieres on CBS appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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Evoplay starts a big fiesta in spicy new title Don Juan Peppers
Evoplay, the award-winning game development studio, has released Don Juan Peppers, a fiery new slot that blends bold bonus features with festive flair.
Set in a sun-soaked Mexican town bursting with colour, rhythm and celebration, the game invites players to join the charismatic Don Juan himself for a lively fiesta across 20 fixed paylines.
The action centres around two types of bonus symbols. Landing three Chili Bonus icons on reels two, three and four triggers seven Free Spins. During Free Spins, each appearance of a Chili Bonus symbol awards an Instant Chili Prize corresponding to the value shown above its reel.
Meanwhile, landing six or more Bonus symbols activates the bonus game. In this mode, all Bonus and Chili icons lock in place and reset the spin counter to three. Chilis in this round boost the value of up to four Bonus symbols before transforming and continuing the chase for bigger wins.
The bonus game also gives players a shot at four fixed jackpots: MINI, MEGA, SUPER, and the GRAND prize of 3,000x the bet. For players who want to skip straight to the fiesta, a Bonus Buy feature offers direct access to either the Bonus Game or Free Spins.
Don Juan Peppers is the latest release in Evoplay’s growing portfolio of standout slots, blending engaging gameplay with vibrant storytelling and proven features.
Ivan Kravchuk, CEO at Evoplay, said: “Don Juan Peppers is a celebration of bold design and dynamic mechanics. By blending familiar bonus features with a distinctive aesthetic and rhythmic theme, we’ve created a slot that feels both familiar and fresh.
“It’s a fantastic showcase of our approach to delivering high-performing content with real personality.”
The post Evoplay starts a big fiesta in spicy new title Don Juan Peppers appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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ZITRO DIGITAL TO SHOWCASE NEW DIGITAL GAMING LINE-UP AT SBC SUMMIT LISBOA 2025
Zitro Digital, the online division of global gaming leader Zitro, announces its participation in SBC Summit Lisboa 2025, taking place from 16–18 September at the Feira Internacional de Lisboa, Portugal.
As a key player in the digital gaming space, Zitro Digital will present its latest online slot and video bingo titles portfolio, reflecting its continued investment in innovation, omnichannel strategy, and game performance at scale. Visitors to booth B530 will have the opportunity to explore the company’s newest content, including the debut of ‘Dreams’, the first title in the Fairyland Quest series — a digital adaptation of one of Zitro’s most successful land-based games.
Also featured will be ‘Elysium’ from the Legendary Sword series, ‘Autumn’, the latest addition to the popular Fu Pots collection, and ‘Monk’, the newest release in the Bashiba Link series. The company will also offer an exclusive first look at ‘Tomahawk’ — an upcoming standout title from the all-new Cash Totems series — which will be on display at SBC Lisboa ahead of its global release.
Alongside its expanding games portfolio, Zitro Digital will spotlight GameGate, the company’s new player engagement tool designed to guide users through its growing universe of content. GameGate enhances retention and gameplay by creating personalized journeys across multiple titles, completely transforming how players experience Zitro Digital’s slot offerings.
“Our goal at Zitro Digital is simple: to create engaging games that not only engage players but also drive measurable results for our partners,” said José Javier Martí, COO at Zitro Digital. “We combine the proven appeal of our land-based hits with new digital innovation to offer products that perform consistently across regulated markets. Events like SBC Summit Lisboa are essential for us to connect directly with operators, understand their evolving needs, and demonstrate how our portfolio can support their growth and stand out in competitive markets”.
The post ZITRO DIGITAL TO SHOWCASE NEW DIGITAL GAMING LINE-UP AT SBC SUMMIT LISBOA 2025 appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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