Europe's gaming trends: Evergreen vs seasonal slots across 90 days

Blask, a market analytics company, have analysed data from various European countries to understand changes in the iGaming market during seasonal gaming periods. 

The company looked at factors such as the Game Visibility Rank (GVR) scores over a 90-day period from August to November. This helped them track trend fluctuations and shifts, which helped us detect which markets prefer classic slots over seasonal ones.

The core metrics 

To really understand the performance of each slot, there is a range of indicators that track each slot’s performance: 

• Game Visibility Rank (GVR): A game’s average placement across casino pages (the lower the number, the more visible it is on the screen). 

• Lobby GVR: This is the rank specific to the main lobby. 

• Average GVR: This number covers all catalogue pages on the site. 

This analysis revealed distinct national behaviours, proving that seasonal variations can seize premium lobby placement over established and classic games. 

A seasonal surge in the UK

Evergreen franchises typically rule the roost amongst the most popular UK casinos, but this October, a seasonal title challenged this when Big Bass Halloween 3 was in the top ranks. This contrasts sharply with August, when Big Bass Splash, Book of Dead, Big Bass Bonanza, and Blackjack led the ranks. 

Big Bass Halloween 3 scored an Average Lobby GVR of 13.9 in October, which earned it a genuine first row position. The game also had a broad reach across 120 brands and 85 different lobbies. The Average Lobby GVR of competitor titles shifted like this: 

• Book of Dead: 15.0 to 21.6 (+6.6)

• Big Bass Bonanza: 18.1 to 21.7 (+3.6)

• Big Bass Splash: 8.4 to 12.4 (+4)

• Blackjack: 33 to 41 (8)

Visibility vs quality

While Big Bass Bonanza led in total visibility (across 134 brands and 99 lobbies), seasonal slots were in the lead for Average Lobby GVR and Average GVR. Big Bass Halloween 3 had a lobby GVR of 21.7 and an impressive Average GVR of 16.3. 

The UK market proves that seasonal games can gain popularity leading up to the event, and even seize premium slots and overtake the classics. 

Germany: A preference for consistency 

The German market strongly prefers familiar games. 

In August, the top games were exclusively from Play n’GO and Pragmatic Play. 

By November, the top titles had slightly declined, but the overall structure was mostly the same.  

• Legacy of Dead: 9.0 to 12.7 (+3.7)

• Book of Dead: 13.3 to 17.8 (+4.5)

• Gates of Olympus 1000: 15 to 19.9 (+4.9) 

• Big Bass Splash: 18.1 to 24.7 (+6.6)

• Big Bass Bonanza: 22.3 to 25.8 (+3.5)

Dramatic changes in France

France, similar to Germany, exhibits a strong preference for classic slots. Here were the most popular games over the 90 days and how their Average Lobby GVR changed: 

• Book of Dead: 4.6 to 15.8 (+11.2)

• Legacy of Dead: 16.5 to 17.3 (+0.8)

• Reactoonz 2: 18.7 to 20.3 (+1.6)

• Blackjack: 157 to 36.7 (-120.3)

• Roulette European entered the ranks at 35.8, having been absent at the start of the period. 

Book of Dead had the highest lobby GVR across the period (across 30 brands, 20 lobbies and an Average Game Visibility Rank of 11.9).

The Netherlands market 

The defining trend in the Netherlands was not a seasonal game, but a slot. 

Sugar Rush’s Average Lobby GVR jumped from 52 to 38.9 (-13.1), and managed to hold the position. Here’s how the other top games performed: 

• Legacy of Dead: 7 to 17.3 (+10.3) 

• Gates of Olympus: 15.6 to 28.5 (+12.9) 

• Wanted Dead or a Wild: remained at 27

• Gates Super Scatter: 21.8 to 27 (+5.2)

These numbers from October suggest that growth in the Netherlands market is driven by reach over good lobby placement. Players have a preference for games that they see all the time, rather than just choosing the top games in the lobby. 

For a successful game, visibility across several different brands is key. If a game is everywhere, players will eventually find it. 

Implications for operators 

The biggest lesson for operators is that there isn’t one universal player. Online casinos must recognise the national differences in player behaviour. 

In some markets, like the UK, promoting seasonal games can result in a surge lasting for a couple of months. However, for other countries around Europe where casinos are popular, consistency is key as the players resist novelty at the expense of familiarity. 

Comfort vs event hype

The data reveals that players are driven by two competing forces: 

• Comfort

• Event hype

Players seek comfort and trust, and gravitate towards established classic games, but this can be temporarily overridden by a craving for novelty and inclusion. 

To tailor the perfect user experience, software developers need to focus on placement and perpetual classics. This means a system which automatically promotes seasonal games, but also contains a dedicated section for classic games. 

While classics provide stability for operators and players, new seasonal variants are proving to be a powerful tactic for success in certain markets.