While the past year has been a tough one for most industry sectors, gaming has proved to be a notable exception and has enjoyed unprecedented growth over 2020 and the first quarter of 2021. Two sectors that have blossomed in particular are social gaming and online casinos. The former has provided a way for those who have been forced apart to spend quality time together in cyberspace, while the latter has welcomed millions who would ordinarily be playing slots and card games in physical casinos.

Slotomania, then, looks like a compelling option and a surefire winner, as it combines both of these niches in one platform. In short, it is a community comprised of more than 100 million players who share a love of slot games but don’t want to go down the road of staking real money at a conventional online casino.

How it works

The idea behind Slotomania is that it provides a social platform and a virtual meeting place for people with a shared love of slot games. It’s important to stress that there is no real money to be won here, it is all just for fun, but there are numerous daily challenges and tournaments where you can try to beat your own records, or perhaps, more importantly, outscore your friends.

Slotomania is also a useful proving ground for anyone considering dipping a toe into the world of real money gaming but wanting to gain some experience first. You’ll find all the usual features here, such as wilds and scatters. There are even special promos, like the ones that form such an important part of the real money games, and free spins galore. After all, understanding what free spins bonuses are is your first step to using them wisely for the optimum return.

When you join Slotomania, you are automatically given 200 coins. You can keep your bankroll healthy by adding winnings, and there are daily bonuses. There is also the option to pay for additional coins, but there’s really no need to do so. Even if you have an exceptional run of bad luck, you tend to find that a special bonus of some sort comes to the rescue at just the right moment.

Choice of slots

There are more than 200 slot games available on Slotomania, and more are being added all the time. When you first join, you will not see all of them, however, as you will need to get into winning ways and level up to unlock the full range. The more chips you have, the higher you rank and the more game options are available. Again, you can buy chips if you are impatient, but most players agree that the fun lies in the journey, and you can progress at a reasonable speed without spending real money.

The games are split into three categories as follows:

• Video Slots, such as Riches of Asgard, Forest Magic and Kiss of the Vampire
• Classic Slots including Soaring Spins, Rapid Fire Jackpot and Texas Boss
• Other Slots, for example Dragon Lore, Ghost Motel and Wild Pixies

These are just a few of the titles, and the slot games cover every kind of genre and theme imaginable. Games that are available at your rank will show a green arrow, while those that are still to be unlocked display a padlock.

Mobile play

Slotomania can be downloaded onto your phone from either the usual app stores or directly from the Slotomania website. If you don’t want to install the app, you can also play it through either Facebook or Twitter, which is a nice touch.

The mobile app has been thoughtfully designed. It’s easy to navigate, which is no mean achievement given the sheer volume of games, tournaments and other functions that there are to explore. The sound and graphics are engaging and well-crafted without being overly demanding on your processor – in other words, you don’t need a top-of-the-range handset and the games run efficiently and smoothly on any device.

Staying safe

Slotomania collects the standard sort of personal information that you would expect a gaming platform like this to require but is committed to keeping it confidential. You can opt-out of marketing communications, but keep in mind that doing so might mean you miss out on some of the best promotions unless you go actively looking for them.

If you decide to make in-app purchases, all the usual SSL encryption measures are in place, so you can do so with confidence.

Customer support

Slotomania has a limited number of customer support options. In the first instance, the FAQ section is more comprehensive and useful than many and provides the answers to most of the questions that beginners might have. If the answer to a specific question cannot be found here, the best way to get direct support is via social media chat. You’ll typically get an answer within a few hours. Unfortunately, the chat support is only available to VIP high roller members and there is no telephone support.

Is it worth it?

If you feel casino gaming is all about risking it all to potentially line your pockets, the lack of real money gaming might be a turn-off. But if you love the fun, excitement and social interaction of a real casino, then Slotomania could be exactly what you’ve been looking for. If the platform offered other casino games like blackjack, the experience would be even better – we can only watch and hope that this might be in store in a future update.