Online slots today come in all shapes and sizes. That includes ones that rely on celebrities’ appeal since reel-spinners now implement any motif that could cater to general audiences. Naturally, utilizing the images of people the public knows as a tool to market products is not a new phenomenon. Companies have used this approach for centuries to attract consumers and help them easily identify offerors of services. Given the market saturation that exists these days, the success of an entity’s advertising and branding efforts lies primarily in its ability to use varied techniques as part of its brand-strengthening activities. And currently, one of the more popular ones is choosing the right celebrity endorser.
The selection of most played slots is robust on gambling sites, but the number of branded titles that use celebrities to get gamblers to spin digital reels is not as expansive as one would think. That gets largely owed to many mainstream personalities not wanting to associate with gambling entertainment and providers not being able to pay their demanded fees. What follows is a list of five branded slots that use the likeness of individuals that have long been in the public eye as their theme, hoping to get players interested in laying down cash on games incorporating people that classify as famous.
Let’s Get Ready to Rumble
Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Michael Buffer began his ring announcing career in 1982, and a year later, he was working matches shown on ESPN, once promoted by Bob Arum’s Top Rank. In 1984, Buffer developed his legendary – Let’s Get Ready to Rumble catchphrase, which caught on like wildfire with boxing fans and managed to break through into the mainstream consciousness, making this Philly native someone who the world most associated with ring announcing.
Relax Gaming, the team behind the super-established Money Train and Temple Tumble series decided to pay Buffer for his likeness and catchphrase that they infused in a boxing-themed title that boosts a low variance, an RTP of 96.14%, and 466 paylines by default. Let’s Get Ready to Rumble is a fun fighting romp with a free spin round where the grid setup adds two more rows and expands the number of paylines to 1,436.
Pacquiao One Punch KO
On the topic of boxing, in the world of pugilism, in the past two decades, only Floyd Mayweather may have been a bigger name than the Filipino sensation nicknamed Pacman. Considered by many experts one of the best boxers of all time, Pacquiao is the only fighter ever to hold twelve world titles in eight different divisions. He also is the longest reigning top-ten active boxer on The Ring’s pound-for-pound rankings, further stamping his name in the annals of history.
In September 2019, Malta-based brand Ganapati released a reel-spinning game that used Manny Pacquaio as its motif. It is a 3×5 cascading slot that implements nine symbols, twenty-five paylines, and a staggering high RTP of 97.85%, packaged in a high-impact game.
Lothar Matthäus Be a Winner
When pundits and fans discuss who was the best German footballer of the 1980s and 1990s, Lothar Matthäus inevitably gets brought up. And with good reason. Along with the Mexican goalkeeper Antonio Carbajal, Matthäus is the only player to have participated in five World Cups. On top of this, he also played in three European Championships. He is the most capped German player and a former Ballon d’Or winner.
The Skywind Group is a game developer headquartered in the Isle of Man that works closely with Playtech and targets various European markets. Their Lothar Matthäus Be a Winner slot is a 3×5 game that has two interactive bonus modes and a max bet option of $300.
Samantha Fox
Samantha Fox is a name that likely younger music fans will not recognize, but this English pop singer was all the rage in the early and mid-1980s in England, when she dominated the charts and was the most notorious pin-up girl of that era.
Clearly, the suits in charge of MGA Games thought that there were still people with whom Samantha Fox resonates. Hence, they transferred her over to the interactive gaming landscape via a 5×3 reel-spinning product that features an abysmal RTP of 80% paired with a medium variance math model and a max win of x1,080.
The Real King Aloha Hawaii
Elvis is someone who needs no introduction. Multiple slots utilize the King of Rock and Roll in some fashion, and only a few historical figures are more established on slot layouts than this Memphis legend. For example, around two hundred and twenty Cleopatra spinners are floating around the Web, as Cleo remains the most popular celebrity when it comes to slots online.
The Real King Aloha Hawaii is a title from Novomatic’s interactive division Green Tube, and it is a rather uneventful game whose chief standout attribute is its max exposure of x9,000.