The gambling world is constantly changing and adapting to the tastes of the betting public. Innovations in table games and slots help to keep things current and interesting. Whether it’s Megways on slot games, Gameshow attractions at the live casino, or the merging of two hugely popular gambling games into one which you can play at Pay by Mobile Casino.
You can bet your bottom dollar that the gambling industry will continue to create new forms of entertainment to keep us all enthralled.
Slingo History
Slingo is one such innovation that combines two popular games, here it is slots and bingo, hence the game title of Slingo. This game was created to tempt slot players back to bingo and it is the brainchild of New Jersey real estate developer Sal Falciglia Sr. who created the game in 1994, he is also the founder of the company Slingo Inc. Slingo made its debut on the then-popular AOL platform back in 1996. It proved popular and left players wanting more.
Its popularity in the UK has vastly increased lately and this is thought to be linked to what happened next in the Slingo story. In July 2013, Sal’s Slingo Inc was acquired by RealNetworks for $15.6 million. By July 2015 Slingo was changing hands yet again, this time RealNetworks’s Slingo was acquired by London-based gaming company Gaming Realms. This helped Slingo move online and become the popular game that it is today.
Slingo: A Closer Look
A hybrid game like Slingo is hard to pigeonhole, but it can be described as a slot game type because it does contain elements of slot play. The bingo side is more pronounced than the slot side though, but Slingo still effectively blends the two together well. Slingo utilizes aspects of 75-ball bingo by placing the gaming action on a 5×5 number grid. The slot element of the game is placed directly under this grid. The best way to describe a Slingo gaming platform is as a 75-ball bingo card with a rogue slot reel attached.
When the reel is spun, numbers and other special symbols can land on the reel. The numbers get crossed off on the 5×5 bingo platform, but the special symbols add more interest to the game. Classic Slingo games usually contain symbols such as a Joker, Gold Coin, Super Joker, and Free Spins. The Joker allows players to tick off any number on an individual column on the grid, whilst a Super Joker allows players to cross off any number on the entire platform. Three Jokers win players instant cash prizes and a Free spin icon bags players one free spin. Gold Coin symbols also win players a cash prize as well, but the aim is still to cross off numbers in winning patterns and lines much like bingo.
Final Thoughts
Slingo is an interesting addition to the online gaming world and although its roots lie firmly in the world of bingo, the fact that a reel is included, with additional symbol types added, means that Slingo does cross over to being a type of slot game and not just another version of bingo.