Most Popular Casino Games Around The World

Slots are an American invention, and though appreciated worldwide, the prevalence of slot games in US casinos has led to their popularity.

Slot machines are the first thing you see when you get off the plane in Las Vegas, and the whirring, ringing machines are all over casino floors. In online casinos, slots are by far the most numerous.

While not an American invention, poker has been played for centuries in North America. People in the US and Canada have made the draw, stud, and hold ’em versions of the game a tradition in dens and game rooms of homes.

TV tournaments have vastly expanded the popularity of Texas Hold ’em. 

Introduced to North America in the early 1800s, blackjack took hold as a casino game in Las Vegas in the 1950s. It has been a favorite of players at casinos across the continent ever since.

Americans get credit for developing strategies and creating many variants found in online casinos.

Its French origins helped roulette start in 19th century New Orleans and helped the popularity of roulette in casinos in Canada. The game has always been a favorite in casinos.

The film industry has also helped roulette’s popularity in America. The game has a feature role in movies like Casablanca, The Big Sleep, and Diamonds are Forever.

Roulette can be traced back to when Roman soldiers wagered on sections of spinning wagon wheels. However, modern roulette first appeared in casinos in Paris in the late 18th century.

Europeans have continued to play roulette in land-based and online casinos as a game of glamour and tradition.

According to historians, Baccarat was invented in Italy in the 1400s but then spread to neighboring France in the 1800s. It was there that it became the French card game popular in casinos along with “Chemin de Fer.”

In England, writer Ian Fleming created the character of James Bond, who famously loves a game of Baccarat – and forever sealed its destiny as one of Europe’s trendiest casino games.

Bingo has always been a popular parlor game worldwide, but it experienced a surge in the 1960s in Europe, particularly in the UK.

A change in the UK law in 1960 allowed the opening of enormous bingo halls, and the gambling-loving public flocked. Since the turn of the century, more people have migrated to online game versions.

Poker was popularized mainly in America but had its roots in Europe. Its popularity on the continent today is attributed to TV exposure of Texas Hold ’em tournaments of the 1990s.

When Europeans grabbed it up as an online favorite, large tournaments began being hosted by cities on the continent. Because it requires more skill and strategy than other casino games, the many poker variations remain online favorites with Europeans.

Latin American players like to bet small for a chance to win big. So, playing slots comes as a natural choice for them.

Players like various themes, but you will always find slots with Mayan, Aztec, or similar Latin American history inspiration.

The popularity of poker in Latam countries has benefitted from the tournament scene in the north. The World Series of Poker got a lot of attention in Latin America 20 years ago, and the game has been growing in the region ever since.

There was a Latin American Poker Tour for several years, and many countries have made legal exceptions for poker rooms to locate independently and in casinos.

Online poker has also become prevalent in Latin America, and house games like Caribbean Stud are available in most online casinos.

Since land-based casinos are relatively sparse in Latin America, players have adopted online blackjack as a favorite. Therefore, they play all of the variants of the game, from Blackjack Switch to Perfect Pairs and Spanish 21.

Like players worldwide, Latin Americans like blackjack for its combination of simplicity and strategy.  

People in Asian cultures believe in fate, and a winner in baccarat depends on how the cards fall. Players bet before a hand is dealt and leave the rest to the luck.

Baccarat is big online, but it also attracts high rollers in Macau for its low house edge.

Pai Gow poker is a game created in 1985 as the card game version of the traditional Chinese game of Pai Gow played with domino tiles.

People from Asian countries quickly adopted Pai Gow poker as a casino favorite because of the similarities between the two games.

Sic Bo is another traditional Chinese favorite. Players try to predict what symbols will turn up on a roll of three dice, so it is another game that depends on pure luck.

Due to its popularity in the East, Sic Bo is available at many online casinos.

Asians are big on numbers, which might explain their love for keno. In keno, players choose up to 20 numbers between 1 and 80, and then a draw determines the winners. 

It is a game that originated in China as a government fundraiser, said to have helped fund the Great Wall. Another game of pure luck, keno is a favorite of Asians for its potential for high returns.

Perhaps because it resembles the lottery, which South Africans love, scratch cards are huge at South African online casinos.

While physical scratch cards may not be widely available at supermarkets or post offices like they used to be, the tradition has continued at online gambling sites.

Nigerian casinos host a lot of slots, and players have taken up slot games because of the variety of themes and chances at progressive jackpots.

The mobile-friendly features of some slot games also attract online players across the continent.

Blackjack is a favorite at land-based casinos throughout the region. It is also a fast, easy-to-play game for the small screens of smartphone users, which accounts for blackjack’s popularity all around Africa.

Online casinos are vall the rage in South Africa, and blackjack is consistently among the top games played.