Casino games are for everyone, but certain areas of a platform will attract specific demographic groups. In the case of online slot machines, the majority of players are men, but it’s a situation that is starting to shift.
Slots are popular among female players too, but which titles are they most likely to be drawn to?
Understanding Your Customer Base
It’s important for online casino operators to identify which games appeal to which players. In doing so, they can improve their offering and build their customer base. This is also important when sending targeted marketing communications to players. If, for example, you focus on roulette, you may not want to hear about the latest blackjack bonuses.
In the case of slots online, casino companies look at who is playing and what games they prefer. By doing so, they can consider new promotions, while adding to their roster of slots in the future.
Each of those operators understands that their female customers are vital, but what does research tell us about their playing preferences?
A Quest for Something New
Female slot players will be more likely to try out new games as soon as they are released. Among male customers, there is more of a tendency to stick with established, classic slots, and this is a leftover phenomenon from traditional play.
When physical slot machines began to appear in bars, clubs and bricks and mortar casinos from around the 1960s onwards, the scene was male dominated. Partly because of this, male players like to stick with classic slot imagery and gameplay, while females are more likely to test new titles once they are published.
A Focal Point
Research suggests that women also like to play slots that feature strong female characters. It helps to have someone to identify with, and there are plenty of titles that would fit the profile.
Lara Croft is a major hero in movies and video gaming, and she also has a themed slot named after her. Like Lara, many of those characters exist outside of the casino realms, but others are designed with slots in mind.
Holly Madison is a fictional character designed purely for slot play, and she features in games with a luxury theme. In general, it doesn’t matter where the hero originated; as long as the slot has a strong female lead it has a good chance of attracting women players.
Film and TV Themes
It may be a generalisation to say that women watch more TV than men, but one glance at the daytime schedules will back up that theory. Film and TV themes are used in abundance by slot machine developers, and these are always popular with a female audience.
The list of games under this umbrella is huge: Some are based on daytime TV quiz shows such as Deal or no Deal. Others may be licensed by popular TV soap operas. As long as the show itself has a strong female following, it’s likely that the slot will also attract attention among women players.
Myths and Legends
There’s no obvious factor behind the trend for women to be drawn to this type of slot. The myths and legends theme covers a wide range of titles, including Greek Gods, legendary wizards, mermaids, ghosts and more.
The genre attracts attention from all players, but it may just be more popular with women then men. The themes offer something of an escape from reality and some of them tie in with blockbuster movies and TV serials. Perhaps that love of TV themed slots is a driver here, but whatever the reason, the myths and legends category is a hit among female players.
Slots with Bonus Features
Female players also like to see a slot with plenty of action. The classic slots that are popular with men tend to be basic with a reduced set of paylines and no bonus rounds.
As they look away from basic gameplay, women tend to prefer slots with bonus features such as free spins, and wheel of fortune games. Extra gameplay symbols including wilds and scatters are also desirable. The more complex a game is, the more likely a female player will be spinning the wheels, and this is another factor that games developers and casino operators keep in mind.
There are no hard and fast rules when it comes to slots for female players. With so many thousands of titles online, there is much to choose from, and most will look beyond this framework to find new options at their online casinos.
Research has, however, indicated that these are the most popular options among female slot players. Those are the statistics that operators will consider, so why not give them a try and see if your casino tailors special offers and promotions to its female customer base?