In Canada and the United States, football is among the most popular sports. Both countries have their own, unique version of the game. While they may seem similar, they are quite different from each other, leading to the rest of the world referring to them as American football and Canadian football.
The popularity of American football in the USA is huge. However, what few may know is that the rest of the world is becoming increasingly interested in the sport. There are now games played in England and Germany. Comparatively Canadian football is not as successful.
Still, the two sports do have some following at online sportsbooks. Indeed, with online gambling on the rise, even the most unknown sport can get a decent following of bettors. Speaking of online gambling, we are interested to find a connection between football (American and Canadian) and online slots.
The General Connection Between Sports and Slots
Before we can discuss the connection between football and online slots, we must talk about the connection between sports and slots generally. Whether we know it or not, the slot industry has been hugely influenced by sports. One of the most obvious examples is the addition of sports themed slots to game rosters in online casinos.
If we were to visit some notable gambling sites, we would come across dozens of slots that carry a sports theme. A notable one that many fans flock too is the Football Champions Cup slot, which takes inspiration from soccer, and references the Champions Cup in the name. It doesn’t end here, as there are also slots based on basketball, baseball, NASCAR/F1, and of course, football.
American Football’s Influence on Slots
American football’s influence on slots is much the same as any other sport’s. There are a lot of fans of gridiron in the USA (and beyond), and in an attempt to attract some of these fans, online slot developers create games associated with football. The most popular option is to have thematic elements taken from football.
Examples would be things like, a gridiron backdrop, symbols like the pigskin, or players, etc. Some game developers take it a step further, and create games based on a single team. Though, this is much less popular, as it limits the customer-base. If you create a slot based on the Green Bay Packers, for example, you will not get too many Chicago Bears fans playing.
Canadian Football’s Influence on Slots
Canadian football is relatively popular in Canada. In fact, the 2024 Canadian Football League (CFL) season, which will begin this Summer, is looking to be quite an exciting one. The CFL schedule for it has been determined, and the fans are certainly getting excited. However, it would benefit us to remember that, the CFL is not nearly as popular as the NFL.
It is precisely that reason that Canadian football’s impact on online slots is not all that big. Certainly, you could find a couple of slots that may have taken thematic inspiration from the CFL. But not many, and they will not be nearly as popular as those inspired by the NFL, soccer, or even rugby.
The Link Between Slots and Betting
Finally, we’d like to delve into the link between online slots and betting on football (and sports in general) What are the similarities and differences between the two, and why do most people consider gambling and betting online as two halves of the same whole?
Similarities
- Accessibility: online casinos and sportsbooks are both easily accessible. They require little more than an electronic device and a strong internet connection.
- Mobile Versions: both online slots and bookies have mobile versions, which you can access via app, or directly through the mobile website.
- Bonuses: both offer bonuses to new and seasoned players, which makes gambling a bit simpler for either side.
- The Same Website: sometimes, online bookies double as casinos, which means you can play slots and bet on the NFL/CFL on the exact same website.
Differences
- Live gambling: while there are some online casino games that have a live variant, slots are not among them. On the other hand, most bookies will let you bet on football, live.
- Different Websites: while there are times when online bookies double as casinos, most of the time they are two different websites.
- Different Audience: while there is overlap, a lot of the time online sportsbooks fans and slots fans don’t intersect.
