About a week ago I was talking to a casino-playing friend of mine about slots. It was just a typical discussion – are they fair, considering they require no skill; should there be skill involved (bringing up the legislation that passed earlier this year which would allow arcade games to be implemented into slots); are 25 line slots better than 40 line ones, etc. As I said, just the standard discussion that almost everyone has when talking about online slots. Eventually, we moved onto talking about the best online slots, and, among the standard ones you’d typically hear of such as “South Park”, “Gonzo’s Quest” and the Marvel slots, she also mentioned “Millionaire Genie”, which I happened to find kind of odd. I mean, entire articles have been written about Marvel slots, their progressive jackpots and all that, but I’ve never encountered anything about “Millionaire Genie”, which I never considered weird, considering that it’s a slot exclusive to just one casino, and as such wouldn’t get as much exposure. Half-curious, I spoke to another friend of mine, directly asking about his top 5 slots, and once again, “Millionaire Genie” was right there. And then it popped again. And a fourth time. By the time I asked a fifth friend, I already knew what the answer would be. And yes, I do know a lot of people who play online casino. Is that weird? It’s probably a little weird.

Very curious about this, I decided to start doing my research, looking up a lot of “Millionaire Genie” reviews like this one and just trying to solve the mystery of the Genie. For all intents and purposes, it’s a very, very standard slot. It doesn’t have any licensed characters, or minigames that make it any more fun to play than other slots, hell, even its progressive jackpot isn’t that big (at the moment it’s just over £1 million, but I’ve seen it fall as low as half a million). And yet it kept popping up online among the best online slots there are. List after list put it in their top 5 or top 10 despite how utterly unremarkable I found it. What was going on here? Were my standards just too high? Or maybe I was just looking at this whole situation from a wrong angle? I have to admit – this question did keep me awake one evening, which might indicate that I probably don’t have any real problems to worry about. And then, all of a sudden, I got it while being in the place where all the greatest ideas humanity has known were born – on the loo.

They say that anything, and anyone, can look good with the proper marketing. While “Millionaire Genie” is a perfectly adequate slot in its own right, it was elevated to “Top 5” status purely by the way in which it is presented. Let’s take a look at the evidence, shall we? First of all, it’s important to note that while “Millionaire Genie” is, indeed, exclusive to a certain casino, that casino is 888, one of the biggest online casinos in the UK that give even industry giants such as William Hill a run for their money. And not only that – it is THE 888 slot, the one that always appears on the first page of its “Slots” menu, with its lucrative jackpot immediately catching the eye of any new gamblers stumbling upon the site for the first time. Not only that – the Genie himself is at the forefront of all slot-related images on the site, with his blue face grazing both the image representing slots on the main menu and the main picture that greets you inside said menu. He’s immediately recognizable as a character, subtly (but not too subtly) directing slot fans towards his own game.

But it goes even deeper than that – it’s not just visual cues that direct new gamblers towards the “Millionaire Genie” slot. What if I told you that something as essential as the “welcome bonus” system was designed not only to give new gamblers a chance to try out the slots, but also to specifically guide them towards the Genie? When you sign up and make your first deposit at 888, you get an £88 bonus as well as a 100% match on the deposit, which, on average, should give you roughly £150 of spending money for your first casino endeavour. But you most likely won’t be able to make any money off their bonus amount, as the full amount needs to be wagered at least 30 times (40 if you deposited through Neteller) before you’re able to withdraw your winnings… And let’s be honest, there’s a 99% chance that you won’t have anything of the bonus left long before you even come close to 30 wagers. As such, the bonus amount is just for fun, to allow you to try out the various games of the casino before you decide to deposit for real. However, there is one way in which you can make a big buck just through your bonus, and that is if you hit the jackpot, in which case you get to keep all of it. This fact isn’t hidden from you at all, and there’s a good reason for that – to direct gamblers straight towards “Millionaire Genie”, which might not necessarily be the slot with the highest jackpot on the site (though it often is), but is most definitely the most high-profile one, and the one most newcomers who want to get rich quickly would go to.

888 is already and extremely popular site, and thanks to its clever design which subtly directs you towards this one, particular slot more than the others, “Millionaire Genie” became one of the most popular slots out there despite being rather average in objective quality. For a lot of people this was their first online slot, and your first everything always stays with you. 888 knew that, and as such they selected this one particular slot and became determined to make it your first, gently nudging it towards the top spot alongside all other classic favourites. You might call that “manipulation”, but I wouldn’t go that far. As I said, it’s just some very, very clever design, and, as the charts prove, it turned out to be a resounding success!

Hey, guys! Homer here! Mobile phones have taken over EVERYTHING in the last 10 years. Every site is now mobile-friendly (even the one you’re looking at right now! Seriously, try it out!), and the big ones like YouTube even have their own mobile apps that have been specifically built from the ground up to look and feel great on the tiny, adorable screen of your mobile phone. Speaking of your phone, you sure it’s still around? I mean, when was the last time you saw it, anyway? Go ahead and check your pockets, or the last place you left it, just in case. Yeah, alright, I’m just joking here. What isn’t a joke, though, is that some of the companies who have jumped the hardest on the mobile bandwagon are online casinos. And why wouldn’t they – playing casino games on the go is exactly what online casinos are all about! Transitioning to your phone and tablet is the rather logical next step. And yes, yes, I know, there have been plenty of people writing about them, such as this article about online slots @mobileonlinecasinos.co.uk, but I still wanted to give you my own opinion on what the best mobile casinos are, at least as far as slots are concerned. You ready? Let’s do it! In no particular order, here is my top three!

1. 888 Casino

Man, do I love 888! They’ve got what’s probably the best mobile interface out of all online casinos I tested. The coolest thing about 888 is that they’re not just limited to a single games provider, but pick and choose from at least 3-4, alongside some games that are unique to them. Seriously, this is the only place where you’ll find Marvel slots and DC slots co-existing side by side, and I love it for it! Another brilliant feature it has is the so-called Play Account, which one-ups the regular demo versions of games that other sites have by giving you an actual account full of fake money that you can use in whatever way you want. If you mess up, you can’t just reset the game and have your virtual money back, and similarly, if you win you get to keep your imaginary winnings and use them in other games. It’s an awesome way to get some real casino experience without having to put money on the line just yet.

2. 32Red

Hooo boy, this place is, like, slots paradise! There’s over 300 slots available on desktop, a good chunk of which are also playable on mobile. The bad news is that most of them aren’t licensed, meaning no Marvel, no Game of Thrones, no South Park. But to make up for it, they all tend to be pretty decent and provide an interesting experience all on their own without relying on a license. If you’re one of those people who prefers quantity over quality, this is the site for you. But that’s not to say that the slots are of low quality – as I said, they’re still quite entertaining and should be able to satisfy most gamblers out there. And besides, last time I checked 32Red had the biggest jackpot you could get in the UK market, at more than £8 million! And yes, the slot in question (Mega Moolah) is playable on mobile! So what are you waiting for?!?

3. Betfair

This list just wouldn’t be complete without a good Playtech casino, and out of all the ones I know, Betfair is by far the best! Home to more than 170 slots (again – most of which are playable on mobile), Betfair will provide you with all your favourites, such as the Marvel slots, Gladiator, Pink Panther and many, many more! About half of all slots offered by the site are licensed, so you’re absolutely bound to find something you enjoy even if you don’t generally play that many slots (then again, if you don’t really play slots, I wonder how you stumbled upon this site). While the jackpots aren’t awfully high (biggest one is just under £2 million, which is still a lifechanging sum, but not even close to what 32Red has), Betfair more than makes up for it by having more than 30 slots that support jackpots, a good chunk of which have more than one jackpot. And yes, as far as I’ve noticed, most (if not all) are playable on mobile, so what are you waiting for? Go and play already! DO IT! JUST DO IT!!!