Slot themes have changed a lot over the years, with real life trends dictating the way slot games are designed, as well as the mechanics behind them. From the time of physical slot machines using fruit symbols and various other classic imagery, to modern day casino online slots that can take on the theme of almost anything imaginable.
One of the upcoming and more recently trending slot themes is the sports genre, with various sports and even athletes being visualized in a casino game. Basketball is one of the sports that continues to inspire games in the online casino industry, with casino games adopting unique visuals, bonus features, and mechanics inspired by the sport. So today, we will be taking a look at some of the top basketball themed casino games.
Basketball King Hold & Win
Basketball King Hold & Win takes the basketball theme and combines it with a modern day, bright aesthetic. Released in 2023 by iSoftBet, Basketball King Hold & Win is one of the more popular basketball inspired slot games due to the extremely visual display, as well as the easy to understand, yet popular base game mechanics.
The visuals of Basketball King Hold & Win are inspired by the bright neon lights and basketball imagery that are dominant throughout. The background sets the scene by using an animated basketball court as the setting here, featuring a wooden floor, a seating area for the crowd, and two hoops, all of which are constantly lit up by glowing neon lights. The playtable follows the art style, with a silver border and a black backdrop that allows the symbols to stand out during gameplay. Even symbols in the playtable correspond to the theme and art style, with imagery taken from the basketball genre, and reimagined with the slot’s art style.
Mechanically, the Basketball King Hold & Win slot game features some popular gameplay that is adopted in plenty of the top slots on the market. The playtable is structured in a common 5x3 format, possessing an available 20 individual paylines. Bonus symbols are inherited by this title in order to develop the slot further. These bonus features include a Wild symbol, a Basketball King Wild Spin, Free Spins mode, and the main feature of the game, the Hold & Win bonus game.
Shootin’ Hoops
Unlike your ordinary slot game, Shootin’ Hoops takes on a different mechanical playstyle, but still maintains the theme and design of the basketball genre. Also released by iSoftBet, Shootin’ Hoops was published in 2024, standing out from other titles with its unique gameplay features like no other.
The visuals of Shootin’ Hoops set the scene of a basketball court and a hoop being the primary focus of the casino game. A wooden court floor is contrasted by red seats in the background for spectators, while the basketball hoop stands tall in the centre of the screen. At the forefront, the ball is placed in the centre, with the unlockable number values placed around the display represented by basketballs and surrounded by a golden border.
The mechanics of Shootin’ Hoops don’t follow your standard slot game, with values being unlocked when the basketball successfully lands in the hoop. Random values will be accumulated and unlocked as a result. A Free Throws bonus is available during the base gameplay, unlocking when all of the letters in BONUS are highlighted. This results in 15 free throws being awarded.
Pop a Shot LuckyTap
Pop a Shot LuckyTap was released in 2023 by Design Works Gaming, following the same mechanical features and gameplay style as the previously mentioned Shootin’ Hoops casino game. This game differs from the popular LuckyTap branding and features, as well as altering the visual display in order to stand out.
The visuals of Pop a Shot LuckyTap are inspired by the arcade style of basketball games, with a darker aesthetic and neon lights used to cement this idea. Purple and blue neon lights are used to contrast the dark background, while the main section of gameplay is centered on the screen. A net is placed on either side of the hoop to mimic an arcade machine, while the remainder of the display is filled with ball symbols that are labeled with values.
The gameplay of the Pop a Shot LuckyTap casino game plays out exactly the same as Shootin’ Hoops, with values being accumulated and unlocked when the basketball is thrown and lands within the hoop. A multiplier bonus feature can randomly be activated during play when fewer than 10 values are highlighted, adding more detail to the game.
Final Thoughts
There is a wide variety of Basketball themed casino games on the market, with plenty of different designs and mechanics that vary between titles. Basketball is growing in popularity when it comes to the theme in casino games, with many more titles to be released in the future.
